Penny Wars: Hunger Walk at Lutheran Church of the Messiah

At Lutheran Church of the Messiah, there are two jars. One jar is good news for Pastor Nathan and five courageous council members; the other is bad news for them. If one of the jars contains more pennies than the other on the day before the Hunger Walk, then Pastor Nathan and the five council members, including one woman, will dye their hair and beards purple for the event. Because everyone wants to see Pastor Nathan and the five council members walking around on March 10 with purple hair, won’t the one jar easily have more pennies than the other?

Yes, but there is a twist to the contest. If someone puts in nickels, dimes, quarters or dollar bills, then those silver coins and bills count against the pennies. To sabotage the efforts of congregational members, the council members can slip a few bills into the jar, negating the hundreds of pennies that someone else has dropped in.

Will the pennies prevail over the paper bills? If you see six people with purple hair at Turner Field next Sunday, then you’ll know the answer to that question. Whether this contest is good or bad news for the pastor and the council members, it is undoubtedly great news for the local community. With the money that Messiah raises from this creative challenge, they will provide food for homebound folks throughout the week as part of the Meals on Wheels program. Thanks for your creative advertising and good work, Messiah!

LSG's Award-Winning Students!

Congratulations to the students at LSG’s After-School Academic/Arts Program (ASAP) in Clarkston! Recently several students who attend LSG’s after-school program received awards from Clarkston High School: some made the Principle’s List with straight A grades; others made the Honor Roll. One student even won the Angora All-Star award, named for the high school’s mascot, that recognizes her as the top student in her class. Here are the award-winning students:

What is the after-school program? LSG’s After-School Academic/Arts Program (ASAP) increases the academic achievement of 50 Indian Creek Elementary students and 25 Clarkston High School students through a variety of fun, hands-on activities. After the normal school day ends, these youth, 70% of whom are refugee children and 30% of whom are at-risk students, stick around to write in journals, discuss literature in a book club, attend music and art classes, go on field trips, and participate in other activities. Professional teachers and volunteers staff the program and help students with their homework and activities.

In Memoriam Pritam Adhikari

Pritam Adhikari’s fascination with airplanes dated to his early childhood. As a six-year old living in a refugee camp in Nepal, where he and his family resided after being forced to leave Bhutan, Pritam played with paper airplanes and wondered how they flew through the air. When Lutheran Services of Georgia resettled him and his family in Atlanta in 2008, his love and knowledge of airplanes only increased. At Druid Hills High School, he learned about computers and discovered the field of aerospace engineering. After graduating from high school this brilliant student and determined young man began to attend Oglethorpe University, where he was studying to become an aerospace engineer and realize his childhood dream of spending a lifetime around airplanes.

Pritam never had the opportunity to fulfill this childhood dream. On January 5, 2013, he passed away at the age of 21, after battling cancer for two months in the Intensive Care Unit at Grady Hospital. Dozens of Bhutanese family and friends attended his funeral on January 6 to mourn the loss of someone whose future was so bright and so promising. LSG extends its condolences to the Adhikari family, as well as to the LSG staff who came to know Pritam and his family over the years.

Visit this website to read a reflective essay Pritam wrote about his life, including his love of airplanes: http://bhutan-atlanta.blogspot.co.il/2011/05/at-druid-hills-high-school-2011.html

Striking Out Hunger: Trinity's Hunger Walk Story

As the Hunger Walk/Run 2013 approaches, it is time to take a look at one of the most productive congregations that participates with Lutheran Services of Georgia: Trinity Lutheran Church of Lilburn, Georgia. In 2010 Trinity raised $7, 574 for the Hunger Walk/Run. In 2011 the church managed to collect a staggering $11,569 for the event. Last year, Trinity continued its high production by garnering $12,591 and had over 100 participants to boot. How has Trinity become so successful?

“Exposure,” Travis Wilhite, the Hunger Walk captain for Trinity, says. Beginning in January, the church promotes the event, which does not take place until March. A committee sets up a big display board in the parish hall and invites people to sign up for the event or to sponsor someone else who has already signed up. People get excited, Travis explains, when they see their names or the names of their loved ones on the board. The committee also decides on a theme for the year. In 2011 the congregation donned their imaginary baseball caps and gloves and decided to “strike out hunger.” Last year they put on their cowboy boots and “kicked hunger.” According to Travis, these themes—and their accompanying t-shirts—make the event more fun and enjoyable for the participants, who are then motivated to invest more of their money and energy.

The congregation has also been motivated by the death of Ken Bosler, a longtime member and Hunger Walk captain. After Ken died from cancer in 2010, the congregation wore t-shirts with “Walking for Ken in 2010” written on them at the Hunger Walk. 2010 was also the year that Trinity’s fundraising for the event skyrocketed, perhaps because people wanted to honor Ken by contributing their resources to an event that he passionately captained for years before his untimely death. The Hunger Walk is now a way for Trinity to honor the memory of Ken and to carry on his legacy.

During these first few weeks in February, Trinity has begun to stir with the first preparations for the Hunger Walk. A big display board has probably found its way into the parish hall. Someone has designed t-shirts. But the big question for the rest of us remains: what is this year’s theme? We will just have to wait to find out.

Volunteers Celebrate MLK Day in Clarkston!

“Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?” Martin Luther King, Jr. told a crowd in Montgomery, Alabama on August 11, 1957. Almost fifty-six years later, over 600 people responded to this question by volunteering at the MLK Day of Service on January 21, 2013. Drawing on Dr. King’s vision of a just and inclusive society, this event raised awareness about the local refugee community in Clarkston while benefiting refugee families in concrete, practical ways.

Before the activities began, local leaders from different faith communities, including the Rev. Floyd R. Blair, President/CEO of LSG, addressed the volunteers. In a particularly powerful speech, Anne Eddins recounted the story of her cousin, a man who defied the conventions of his family and society to work at a voter-registration drive during the civil-rights period.

After listening to these testimonies, 277 of the more than 600 volunteers went to perform one of several projects for LSG, including packing 3,000 pounds of rice into family-size bags for newly arrived refugee families and sorting pots and pans into “kitchen kits.” With the 3,000 pounds of rice, LSG will be able to provide each resettled family in the next six months with enough rice to sustain them until they qualify for food stamps. What a way to kick off the New Year!

Other volunteers at the day of service distributed and read books to children and cleaned up the Clarkston neighborhoods. Although the event was co-sponsored by Lutheran Services of Georgia, many participants were not Lutheran: groups came from Presbyterian churches in Decatur, Shearith Israel, Clarkston Interfaith, Emory University, and many other religious and non-religious organizations. Reflecting on the history of the MLK Day of Service, Melanie Johnson, LSG’s Program Manager for Volunteer, Congregation, and Community Engagement, tied this diversity to Dr. King’s vision. “The Lutheran MLK Day of Service has gained new partners each year and has grown into the truly interfaith, collaborative, and community-based event that we all experienced on MLK Day 2013 in Clarkston,” she remarked. “This year’s event was a powerful example of the Beloved Community that was a foundation of Dr. King’s work – a community where love and trust overcome fear and hatred, and peace with justice will prevail.” LSG is proud to be a part of this diverse and inclusive community and thanks all the partner organizations, including the Clarkston Community Center and the Clarkston Development Foundation, for a wonderful event. LSG is also grateful to all the donors and volunteers who contributed their resources and time to helping the families in Clarkston!

To see more photographs from the event, visit our facebook page: www.facebook.com/LSofGA

Mohsin Gets a New Car!

Over the holiday season, a generous donor gave her Dodge Durango to Lutheran Services of Georgia. Soon afterward, we found someone who could benefit from having his own means of transportation to and from work. Mohsin, an Iraqi man who recently came to the United States as a refugee, lives in Clarkston and works at a bakery in Norcross. With his new car, Mohsin will be able to get to work much more easily, and we're delighted that we could accommodate his need.

Mohsin and his wife Melad were delighted, too, and they expressed their delight and gratitude by surprising LSG staff with a cake during lunchtime on January 29. Here are a couple of photographs from the spontaneous party. LSG thanks Mohsin and Melad for their thoughtful and tasty gift and wishes them the best with their new car!

To see more photographs of Mohsin's new car and the impromptu celebration at LSG, please visit our facebook page: www.facebook.com/LSofGA

See the photographs from our MLK Day of Service!

To see the photographs, please visit our facebook page: www.facebook.com/LSofGA. Here's a preview of what you'll find there:

LSG cheers on Georgia Tech!

Although the Yellow Jackets did not manage to pull out a win in overtime against the Virginia Tech Hokies, the folks who came to support Georgia Tech and Lutheran Services of Georgia had plenty to cheer for during Lutheran Day at Georgia Tech. Inside McCamish Pavilion, the large new basketball arena where Georgia Tech plays its games, the Lutheran fans were greeted near the end of the first half by a famous figure in Yellow Jacket circles: Buzz, the school mascot. He shook hands with some of the fans and then posed in a few pictures with excited youth.

More than thirty people came to Lutheran Day at Georgia Tech, including staff from LSG, members of Lutheran Volunteer Corps, and families from local Lutheran congregations. “Lutheran Day was a lot of fun,” said Bob Gibeling, LSG’s Volunteer Coordinator, “especially when Buzz came over to greet the Lutherans during the game.” Bob also noted that more people came to the game than in previous years and reflected on the event’s importance. “It’s great to see the event grow each year since it provides an opportunity to talk about the great work that Lutheran Services of Georgia does while enjoying each other’s company.” The scoreboard notwithstanding, the game was a win for everyone who supported LSG!

A Week with the Volunteers from Denison

It takes nine hours to drive the 600 miles from Granville, Ohio to Atlanta, Georgia, but this week eleven students from Denison University made the journey anyway. As part of a week-long service trip focusing on the experiences of refugees, these students are volunteering in LSG’s Refugee Services department, as well as tutoring at McClendon Elementary School in Decatur. After a busy day of working at LSG and at the school, the volunteers spend the night at SafeHouse Outreach, an urban outreach center in Atlanta, where they cook their own meals and reflect on their work.

They treat this opportunity to volunteer as a privilege, though, not a burden. “I’m fortunate to be able to speak the language of welcome,” Rachel Jean-Louis, the trip co-leader, remarked. Since some of the students did not know much about the experiences of refugees before arriving in Atlanta, they spent time learning about the process of refugee resettlement during a brief orientation with LSG and also with Refugee Family Services. According to Sara Forbes, the other leader of the trip, learning about the experience of becoming a refugee has sparked several engaging conversations among the group about the similarities and differences between immigration and refugee resettlement.

The group has also had the opportunity to interact with the individuals, families, and children who have come to the United States as refugees. On Tuesday, the volunteers drove around Clarkston with Guru Chhetri, one of LSG’s case managers, and visited families from Bhutan and other countries. On Wednesday they tutored refugee men and women during LSG’s ESL training, helping them to practice their English skills and to fill out employment history cards. And again on Friday the volunteers will sort books in Clarkston to assist LSG in preparing for the MLK Day of Service. LSG thanks them for their contributions throughout the week and wishes them a safe return home!

See more photographs of the Denison crew on our facebook page: www.facebook.com/LSofGA

What's Happening on our Facebook page...

Visit our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/LSofGA) to... 1. See photographs from our Angel Tree delivery.

2. Meet the volunteers from Denison University who have come to LSG for a week-long service trip.

3. Purchase your tickets for Lutheran Day at Georgia Tech and Lutheran Night at the Gladiators.

Lutheran Day at Georgia Tech Basketball this Saturday!

Georgia Tech vs. Virginia Tech January 12, 2013 at 2:30 p.m. McCamish Pavilion

Whether you bleed old gold and white or any other collegiate colors, come enjoy a day of college basketball and benefit those in need at the 2nd annual Lutheran Day at Georgia Tech Basketball on Saturday, January 12 at 2:30 p.m. You get to watch the Yellow Jackets take on the Virginia Tech Hokies while Lutheran Services of Georgia raises money with each ticket sold for its adoption and foster care services, as well as for its programs supporting developmentally disabled children and adults. Even a diehard Bulldogs fan would watch a Georgia Tech game to support such a good cause! Bring your kids, friends, parents, and all other basketball fans with you to watch the encounter between these two ACC heavyweights. It's the perfect way to spend a chilly January afternoon!

To purchase your tickets for $23, please contact Mary Kay Kates at mkates@lsga.org or at 678-686-9601.

Introducing LSG's new program: Lutheran Behavioral Health Services

When Lucy Cannon’s brother suffered from depression, she wanted to know why. She wanted to know how she could help. Initially thinking that she was going to be an interior designer, she changed her plans after this personal experience and studied social work at Florida State University. She then obtained a master’s degree in social work and a doctorate in education. Over her career, Dr. Cannon has been, among other things, a counselor, a professor, a manager of mental health and substance abuse services, and an auditor of Medicaid Services. Married to a man in the United States Army, she even worked on an American military base in Japan, counseling families of U.S. military members who suffered from drug addictions. Dr. Cannon continues to provide mental health and substance abuse services as a consultant for the U.S. Navy Reserve, Southeast Region. Dr. Cannon’s extensive experience with mental health and substance abuse has led her to Lutheran Services of Georgia, where she will be overseeing LSG’s newest program: Lutheran Behavioral Health Services. Designed to address the growing need for core services such as psychological testing, substance abuse treatment, and individual outpatient services, this program will benefit not only the families and individuals that LSG serves, but also families throughout Georgia, where hundreds of thousands of people lack these core services. LSG is currently in the process of applying for Medicaid funding and is excited to be able to offer these crucial services to the community in the near future.

Iraqi Couple Becomes LSG’s First Refugee Family in Savannah

After flying from Jordan to Miami, staying over in Miami for a few hours, and then hopping on another flight from Miami to Savannah, Ghassan and Nashwan were fairly tired when they walked away from their plane in the Savannah airport. Once they caught sight of their son—whom they had not seen in several years—standing near the exit, however, they perked up. On December 13, Ghassan and Nashwan became the first two refugee clients that Lutheran Services of Georgia resettled in Savannah since the early 1980s. Originally from Iraq, Ghassan and Nashwan pursued scientific careers in Baghdad, Ghassan as an engineer and Nashwan as a physicist. Then the war began, and eventually the couple had to flee Baghdad because of the violence, finding refuge in Jordan. From there they waited to find out whether they would be able to settle permanently in another country. It eventually became possible for them to move to Savannah, where their son—who had been resettled to the United States seven years ago—owned and operated a commodities-trading business.

Now Ghassan and Nashwan will stay with their son while they look for work and a house of their own to live in. Ghassan already speaks fluent English, having learned it in school and practiced it with American clients in Iraq, and is eager to find a job. Nashwan, who does not speak English as well as her husband does, is looking forward to improving her skills in the spring when she will start taking language classes at Savannah Technical College. In the meantime, the two of them are enjoying the company of their son and the prospect of beginning anew in Savannah.

Here Comes Santa Claus! Foster Care and FACES Holiday Party

Amid the sweet smells of honey buttered rolls and roasted chicken, the children, participants and families crowded in for a celebration of family, friends, and the holiday season. After greetings were passed, and everyone was all full and fed (the excessive amount of bread pudding was to blame) Old Saint Nick came frolicking in sporting that ever-so-famous white beard and bright-red attire. The children and FACES participants, after tugging on his beard to confirm its “realness,” eagerly awaited their chance to tell him their holiday wishes. After many hugs, jolly laughs, and adorable photographs, everyone settled down for the next activity—the gift raffle. From Museum vouchers to Six Flags tickets, and all the prizes in between, everyone went home a winner! Thanks to our enthusiastic winners, laughter filled the room as those energetic parents entertained the entire party with celebratory dancing! The rest of the night went about in the same lively manner. All in all, due to a great turnout, bountiful amounts of delicious food, and many laughs, the night was a huge success! Thank you to all the volunteers, donors, and families in attendance for another wonderful Christmas Party!

A special thanks to the following organizations/people for their contributions and donations: 1. Six Flags Over Georgia 2. Imagine It! Children’s Museum 3. Alliance Theatre at the Woodruff 4. Center for Puppetry Arts 5. Zoo Atlanta 6. Golden Corral (Jonesboro) 7. Joe Menchoffer (Santa) 8. Women of the ELCA Magi Cluster and friends 9. Sisters of the Good Shepherd Circle of Lutheran Church of the Redeemer

Chad Steinborn is the marketing coordinator for Lutheran Services of Georgia

Christmas Party for Adoption Services

“Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas!” Santa calls out as he enters the room full of children and youth. Bearing an uncanny resemblance to Steve Oliver, an LSG employee, Santa walks around and greets the children, who either eye him suspiciously or run up to him and shout, “Santa, Santa!” Mrs. Claus also makes an appearance, talking with the kids and answering their questions about the North Pole. Santa then takes a seat and the children form a line next to him. The first kid hops up onto his lap and nestles into position, and Santa asks his big question, the one that kids never tire of hearing: “What do you want for Christmas?”

This is how the Christmas party for LSG’s Adoption Services began. Families from across Atlanta gathered at LSG to celebrate the holidays and their involvement with the agency. Parents who had adopted infants just after they were born through LSG’s Domestic Infant Adoption Program and those who had adopted children from foster care through LSG’s Heritage Adoption Program all came together for the celebration. Two adoptive parents traveled all the way from Savannah for the party, wanting to thank everyone at LSG for helping them adopt their daughter, now a three-year-old. For Electra Evans, LSG’s Domestic Infant Adoption Coordinator, the best part of the afternoon was “seeing the babies that I placed who are now three- and four-years old.”

All of the families were familiar with LSG and the Adoption Services staff, but they did not know each other. “It was really neat how they connected over adoption,” said Noreen Horrigon, LSG’s State Adoption Program Manager, referring to the adoptive parents. Couples made these connections all afternoon, trading stories about adoption while watching their children race around the room or create necklaces and bracelets at the arts and crafts table in the corner. LSG thanks all the parents and children who celebrated with us, and we look forward to the party next year, when the Adoption “family” will have grown even larger!

Refugee Stories: A Thanksgiving Reunion

In November of 2011, Aung Ko Ko, Lily Paw and their four children were resettled in Atlanta by LSG in partnership with the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Atlanta. With four young children, a fifth child on the way and father Aung's visual impairment from a land mine explosion, this family had its share of challenges. One member of Redeemer's Resettlement Team who happened to be an R.N., Carol Swisher, became especially close to this Karen Burmese family. Carol accompanied Lily to all her prenatal doctor visits and attended Lily during the labor and delivery of baby Rosemarie! Soon after the baby's birth, the family had the opportunity to move to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to live with extended family. Though it was a sad farewell for the family and their Redeemer friends, all promised to keep in touch.

This Thanksgiving, Carol (pictured far left in photo below) visited Lily, Aung, and the children Juspina, Veronica, Samuel, Sunday and baby Rosemarie. It was a reunion full of joy and gratitude for friendships that last! Here’s Carol’s account of the visit: I visited Lily on Wednesday and she was standing outside the house awaiting me. We embraced and took her to Social Security office, but we had no medical records so couldn't accomplish the name change on baby Rosemarie’s Social Security Card (it was listed incorrectly on the card). My son was ill with the flu, so that day I only got to see the 2 youngest children, as the others were in school. On Saturday, my son, daughter-in-law and I returned and took a set of melmac dishes, cups, hats and gloves for all and of course the family favorite - apples and oranges! All the kids were home and we had a wonderful visit.

Thanksgiving at LSG

Refugee Services hosted a Thanksgiving meal for its clients last Wednesday. See the pictures on our facebook page: www.facebook.com/LSofGA. If you haven't already, be sure to Like the album!

Yosef's New Ride

Last year Ann Greinke, a teacher at Faith Lutheran School, coordinated an effort to resettle a refugee family and then decided to donate something else to LSG besides her time and energy: her Saturn coupe. After receiving this generous donation, LSG presented a challenge to its refugee clients: the first person to secure a driver’s license would receive the car. Yosef, a refugee from Eritrea who spent much of his life in Kenya, responded to this challenge and began the process of obtaining his license. He studied the driver’s manual, got his permit, and eventually succeeded in passing the driving test. A former taxi driver in Kenya, Yosef already knew how to drive, but completing this process still required diligence and commitment. Although Yosef does not yet have a job, having this car makes him a more marketable candidate because he can access remote or rural work locations. In the meantime, Yosef is preoccupied with something else: the imminent arrival of his brother, sister-in-law, and their child to Atlanta. He is excited not only because he will be able to see them after many months of separation, but also because he will be able to pick them up in his new car and drive them around town!

New Opportunity for FIS

Congratulations to LSG’s Family Intervention Services! The FIS department in Atlanta is part of a team that has received a sizable grant from the Administration for Children and Families to provide parenting and trauma treatment for participants in the DeKalb County Drug Court and their children over the next five years. Georgia State University Research Foundation organized the grant proposal and coordinated the agencies involved in the project, selecting LSG’s Family Intervention Services from among other parenting programs—an honor for the newly created FIS department in Atlanta. As a part of this collaborating team that includes Georgia Department of Family and Children’s Services and the Georgia Center on Child Advocacy, LSG will offer parenting education courses to the participants. This project will benefit the children of the participants in the DeKalb County Drug Court, some of whom have not received any parenting education. LSG is delighted to expand the agency’s services to support a group of children and their parents who are in need of the resources and programming that LSG offers. LSG is also excited about the opportunity to hire another case manager to provide the services for the project.

Yeshey's Voting Story

Yeshey Pelzom, LSG’s Program Manager for Refugee Services, goes with her husband to vote early for the election. Like all the citizens around them, Yeshey and her husband wait in line and then fill out their ballots on the electronic voting machines. After casting their ballots, however, the couple does not immediately rush out of the building to get on with their day. This moment is too important for them. They turn to one another and celebrate, hugging and yelling, letting out all of their excitement and relief. Yeshey is voting for the first time. Born in Bhutan, Yeshey spent time in Nepal as a refugee before coming to the United States as an asylee in 2000. In 2010 she became a naturalized citizen of the U.S., making her eligible to vote in an election. And now, two years later, she finally had an opportunity to make use of this newfound privilege to vote. Congratulations to Yeshey and to many of our former refugee clients who are casting their ballots for the first time!