10 Reasons to Give to LSG on Georgia Gives Day!

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November 13 is Georgia Gives Day, and LSG needs your help! Here are our top ten reasons to give to LSG!

1) LSG cares for kids! In 2011, LSG helped place 16 of Georgia's children in foster care into permanent, loving, adoptive families. Click here to read about Ryan, one of the children LSG serves. 

2) LSG welcomes newcomers! Each year, LSG resettles up to 500 refugees. LSG works alongside recently arrived refugees to make their transition to life in the U.S. as smooth as possible. Click here to meet Nur Abdi, a Somali refugee who recently accepted a job at the airport.

3) LSG empowers individuals with developmental disabilities! LSG's FACES program creates a meaningful family environment for individuals of all ages with developmental disabilities and helps them become active, integrated members of their communities. Click here to read the story of Angelica, one of our FACES clients who recently danced the night away at the prom!

4) LSG strengthens families!  LSG's Family Intervention Services offers an array of services focusing on building and strengthening healthy relationships within families. One parent recently told LSG that our parenting classes helped him better relate to and care for his teenagers!

5) LSG prepares children for the future! LSG's afterschool programs help Georgia's at-risk children achieve success within and beyond the classroom. Click here to meet Berguissa, a refugee student at Clarkston High School who prepares for college after school!

6)LSG helps communities cope with disaster! LSG provides immediate relief after natural disasters, as well as long-term recovery services that remain critical long after initial headlines have faded.

7) LSG is non-discriminatory!  LSG offers services to individuals and families without regard to age, creed, gender, origin, race, religion, or sexual orientation.

8) Volunteers love serving with LSG! LSG relies on the support of our volunteers. One volunteer told LSG, "I love to volunteer with LSG because I’m given the opportunity to make a small difference in someone’s life." Click here to read other reasons why volunteers love serving with LSG!

9) LSG is constantly growing to respond to new needs! In response to Georgia's needs, LSG recently began offering several new services: housing opportunities for people with HIV/AIDS; immigration legal services; and outpatient mental health and substance abuse counseling services. Fundraising efforts like Georgia Gives Day allow us to keep growing!

10) LSG can't do it alone! Our work at LSG depends on the generosity of donors, volunteers, and supporters. Your Georgia Gives Day gift helps us keep bringing restored hope, transformed lives, and healthy tomorrows to individuals and families throughout Georgia. Click here to give!

LSG Hosts Career Fair for Refugees!

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The excited chatter of more than 60 refugees fills the Clarkston Community Center on a Thursday morning. They've all gathered at the Lutheran Services of Georgia career fair for the same reason--to apply for, and hopefully secure, a job at a distribution center. Located in Decatur, the center distributes clothing and other goods for a national chain of department stores. In 1984, LSG Case Manager Obaid Rasoul brought a group of newly arrived Somali refugees to the center. Today, the center continues to employ refugees and asylees through LSG.

In the month leading up to the career fair, LSG worked diligently to prepare the applicants. At a weekly orientation, LSG employment specialists and volunteers guided applicants through sample versions of tests that the distribution center uses. Applicants learned how to perform during an interview --how to dress, what to say, and expected etiquette--and practiced filling out job applications.

On August 6, 2013, small groups of 15 to 20 refugees entered the career fair with confidence and hope. First, representatives form the distribution center described the available position: pricing, scanning, loading, and ticketing items to be shipped to department stores around the country. Then, applicants took a simple math test to see if they could accurately differentiate between letters, numbers, and combinations of the two. Those who passed the test wrote out answers to standard interview questions and filled out the application. Through this process, the center gather information about the applicants while also testing their English skills.

Thanks to the extensive orientation sessions, applicants were well prepared to succeed. Tenzin Ngawang, the LSG employment specialist who coordinated the event, commented that the distribution center was "impressed by how organized we were." Over 80% of the applicants passed the math test and submitted applications. Already, the distribution center has hired several refugees and is looking to hire even more! Through employment at the distribution center, these refugees are earning an income for their families, gaining new skills, and adjusting to life in the U.S.!

Celebrating Our Heroes of Hope

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Lutheran Services of Georgia thanks all who attended our 6th annual Heroes of Hope, Healing, and Strength Gala on Thursday, August 29, 2013. Each year, LSG honors an employee, donor, or member of the community who embodies our mission of bringing hope, healing, and strength to those in need. This year, we recognized the Rev. Dr. Rusty Edwards and For the Kid in All of Us for their heroic contributions.

Previously held at Turner Field, this year’s gala took place at the Defoor Centre, an elegant space hung with colorful paper lanterns and decorated with artwork. The evening began with a reception and a silent auction featuring items that ranged from gift cards for local businesses, sightseeing opportunities, and handmade scarves. Over 25 individuals, companies, and organizations generously donated auction items. As attendees browsed, they also enjoyed cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and a live jazz trio playing “A Foggy Day in London Town” and other favorites.

WSB-TV news anchor John Bachman once again served as our Masters of Ceremonies for the evening’s program. As attendees enjoyed their meals, LSG employees and clients shared stories from foster care and refugee services. Simonette and Declan Taitt spoke of how fostering a child through LSG “could change your life forever.” Nur Abdi, a Somalian refugee, told stories of LSG’s support throughout his resettlement process.

Attendees watched inspiring videos detailing the work of the Rev. Dr. Rusty Edwards and For the Kid in All of Us. A talented musician and songwriter, Rusty has written thirty one hymns that appear in hymnals all over the world. As the Volunteer Manager for the 2003 ELCA National Youth Gathering in Atlanta, Rusty helped LSG become the recipient of their in-kind offering. Because of Rusty’s efforts, LSG received over $27,000 in gifts cards for children associated with LSG's programs. Rusty thanked LSG, his congregation, his family, his friends, and his “beloved dentist” for recognizing him this year.

LSG also celebrated For the Kid in All of Us, an entirely volunteer-run non-profit organization that serves underprivileged children throughout Georgia. Each year, For the Kid in All of Us hosts two major events—the Toy Party and Backpack in the Park. As an official beneficiary of both events, LSG has received backpacks and toys for children in our programs. One year, we even received a bicycle which was then given as a Christmas present to a child in foster care whose bike was stolen. For the Kid in All of Us gives children “the strength to grow and to learn during the school year, the hope that Santa will come on Christmas morning, and the healing they need to make all their dreams come true,” said Brian Isabell, President-Elect of For the Kid in All of Us’ Board of Directors.

LSG thanks all who joined us in honoring these community heroes. We especially thank all those who made this event possible: silent auction donors, supporters, the Defoor Centre, John Bachman, and, of course, the Rev. Dr. Rusty Edwards and For the Kid in All of Us. We look forward to 2014, when we will celebrate others who bring hope, healing, and strength to those in need.

For more photos from the 2013 Heroes of Hope, Healing, and Strength Gala, click here to visit our Facebook page. Don't forget to "like", "share", and tag familiar faces!

World Refugee Day Celebrated in Clarkston!

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 On Saturday, June 22, LSG came together with the refugee community in Clarkston to celebrate World Refugee Day. Under the bright afternoon sun, Clarkston residents and other supporters of the refugee community flocked to the activity fields next to the Clarkston Community Center to join millions around the world who were remembering the hardships that refugees face while also honoring their accomplishments. As a timely tribute to the success of many refugees in Clarkston, the celebration included a naturalization ceremony for some of America’s newest citizens: former refugees who have been living in the U.S. for several years.

Although the Clarkston community chose to celebrate World Refugee Day on Saturday, June 22, the official day of observance each year is June 20. On that day, people around the world and in the United States remember the millions of refugees who have to flee their homes. For around 70,000 refugees each year, the United States offers a safe haven and an opportunity to begin a new life. Around 2,500 of these refugees are resettled in Georgia, where nonprofit agencies such as Lutheran Services of Georgia work with local and state government organizations to help these new Americans become productive members of Georgia’s communities.

Representatives from many of these nonprofit agencies were present at the celebration in Clarkston to inform others of the work that they do with the refugee community. Melanie Johnson, Program Manager for Volunteer, Congregation, and Community Engagement was braving the heat and staffing an information table for LSG. Many other members of LSG’s Refugee Services were at the event, too, including Taryn Arbeiter and Gayle Cruz, who served delicious Nepali food to all and sundry.

If you missed out on the celebration this year, be sure to mark your calendars for next year. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to learn more about nonprofits serving the refugee community, taste food from around the world, and witness the resilience and success of many refugees in Clarkston!

 

Backpack in the Park!

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Sunday, July 28, 2013 4:00-7:00 p.m. Cator Woolford Gardens 1815 Ponce de Leon Ave.

Come join LSG and For the Kid in All of Us for an afternoon of food, entertainment, and a silent auction while benefiting children in LSG's After-School Academic/Arts Program (ASAP). With the money raised from the event, For the Kid in All of Us will donate backpacks stuffed with school supplies to the refugee and at-risk children whom we serve in ASAP.

Backpack in the Park will be slightly different this year. Instead of bringing a backpack to the event, you just need to make a "virtual" backpack donation by purchasing a ticket for $35 online or $45 at the door. To buy your ticket online, please click here. We'll see you there!

For more information, please visit www.forthekid.org

Recap of Volunteer Appreciation Evening 2013

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On Tuesday, June 25, LSG volunteers and their families gathered at the Atlanta Community Food Bank to celebrate their service with LSG. The guests began the evening with a tour of the Food Bank’s 125,000 square-foot facility and learned about the dire need of some of Georgia’s citizens: this year the Food Bank collected 45 million pounds of food to distribute to agencies that feed people in need. It was an urgent reminder of the importance of volunteer work in Atlanta’s ongoing fight against hunger in the city. It was comforting to know at least that this work is in good hands with the Food Bank and their many committed partners, including LSG.

But it was ultimately an evening of celebration. After the tour, everyone got some food and awaited the presentation of awards. Each volunteer who was recognized for his or her service to LSG received a plaque created by students in LSG’s after-school program in Clarkston. Displaying an imprint of a painted “hand” on a ceramic tile, the Hands of Hope, Healing, and Strength plaque was hands down a better award than any paper certificate!

From volunteers with Refugee Services to those helping out with the golf outings, LSG honored people who contributed to the agency in many different ways. Bob Gibeling was recognized for his former work as Volunteer Coordinator of LSG. The three members of Lutheran Volunteer Corps who work for LSG received a “hand” for their service, as did the Hunger Walk Captains for their fundraising efforts. Greg Bickhart was recognized for his work with LSG’s Foundation for the Future Golf Outing. After several others were honored for their contributions to Refugee Services, LSG recognized Rev. Robert Strickert and Mrs. Eunice Strickert with the Elsie Guenther Volunteer of the Year Award for their innumerable acts of service over the past 30 years. Since Rev. Strickert retired from LSG’s Board of Directors in May, it was a fitting way to say thank you to these dedicated members of LSG’s family.

LSG thanks all its volunteers for lending a hand to people in need during 2013! We also thank the Atlanta Community Food Bank for letting us host our appreciation event at their facility. We look forward to seeing you all at next year’s celebration of your service!

Join us tonight for LSG's Volunteer Appreciation Evening!

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If you have volunteered with LSG in the past year, be sure to join us tonight from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Atlanta Community Food Bank for LSG's Volunteer Appreciation Evening. You will have an opportunity to tour the Food Bank's new facility, hear from LSG's President & CEO Floyd Blair, and be recognized for your service. Feel free to bring along your spouse or family. We'll see you there!

"Youth in Motion" Win Hunger Walk Contest!

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Although they faced strong competition from the team at Timothy Lutheran Church, the youth group at Cross of Life Lutheran won this year's Hunger Walk Challenge, raising the most money of any Lutheran youth group. Bringing in $1,810 for their congregation, the members of "Youth in Motion" have won tickets to Lutheran Night at the Braves in September. Congratulations to these young men and women for winning the contest and for helping to fight hunger in Atlanta!

Hunger Walk Totals

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Each year, several faith-based nonprofits partner with the Atlanta Community Food Bank to raise money for the Hunger Walk/Run. Among the five nonprofits that worked with the ACFB this year, LSG was the top fundraiser, gathering $75,333.21!

The real work, however, was done by the Lutheran churches in the Atlanta area. Through a variety of fundraising drives and appeals to their congregations, they raised the vast majority of LSG's Hunger Walk funds. Thank you to all of our churches who raised money for the Hunger Walk and to the members of the congregations for contributing to the event!

Some of these congregations went all out for the Hunger Walk. Here is a list of the top 10 fundraisers among the Lutheran churches that participate with LSG:

1.Trinity Lutheran Church, $11,740.71 2.Cross of Life Lutheran Church, $7,154.39 3.St. John's Lutheran Church, $5,970.89 4.Rivercliff Lutheran Church, $5,734.00 5.Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, $5,392.00 6.Grace Lutheran Church, Carrollton, $5,033.00 7.Christ the Lord Lutheran Church, $3,605.00 8.Epiphany Lutheran Church, Conyers, $2,851.00 9.Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, $2,616.00 10.Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Woodstock, $2,558.50

Congratulations to Trinity Lutheran Church and all the other top churches in this year's Hunger Walk fundraising challenge! Thanks for making the Hunger Walk an incredible success!

Recognizing our Foster Parents!

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In honor of May being National Foster Care Month, Lutheran Services of Georgia (LSG) would like to recognize the compassionate people who make a difference in children’s lives by serving as foster parents, advocates, social workers and volunteers. This month and throughout the year, LSG works in conjunction with these generous individuals to find and support loving foster homes for children in Georgia. LSG provides specialized foster care services to healthy infants and children who are medically fragile, children with autism and other developmental delays, large sibling groups, and teenagers with behavioral and mental health challenges. In order to give these children and youth the support that they need, we rely on the dedication of foster parents and other caregivers. “Our foster parents are committed and compassionate people with a heart for children,” says Taylor Brand, Program Manager for Foster Care. “They are highly trained and heavily supported by an amazing team of social workers. From our longtime foster parents to those newly recruited, we are grateful to have them on our team providing a home and a family for Georgia’s most vulnerable population.”

“Foster parents are the heart of our department,” adds Latrice Stowe, Clinical Supervisor for Foster Care. “Without loving and committed foster parents we would not be able to do the work that we do. Foster parents play such a vital role in the lives of those children who come into the foster care system with an array of problems associated with child abuse and/or neglect. Foster parents nurture, love, and take the time and dedication to meet the basic needs of care for the children placed in their home.”

On June 8, LSG will be hosting a cookout to celebrate the contributions of these wonderful foster parents. If you would like to join us in thanking them by contributing a gift, you can send checks or gift cards to:

Lutheran Services of Georgia 100 Edgewood Ave. NE, Suite 1800 Atlanta, GA 30303

LSG thanks all its amazing foster parents and the people who support them and our foster care program in other ways!

DFCS Statewide Adoption Matching Meeting 2012!

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If you are interested in adopting an older child or a sibling group, please plan to attend the "Better Together” Statewide Adoption Matching Meeting. Case managers from across the state will be representing children who are waiting to be adopted through displays and video presentations. During the “Better Together” Statewide Adoption Matching Meeting you can receive more information about a particular child or children through direct contact with their case manager or representative. An informational meeting will also be held for those families who are just beginning the adoption process. Click here to view the flyer

FAMILY NIGHT Tuesday, August 14, 2012 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Macon Centreplex The Edgar H. Wilson Convention Centre 200 Coliseum Drive, Macon, GA, 31217

For more information please contact your agency’s resource development case manager or Lisa Lumpe, DHS DFCS contractor, at lumpe@core.com or toll-free at (855) 289-0349.

This event is sponsored by the Georgia Department of Human Services and its partners All God’s Children, Bethany Christian Services, Families First, Georgia Mentor, It’s My Turn Now Georgia and Lutheran Services of Georgia. To learn more about becoming a foster or adoptive parent, please call (877) 210-KIDS.

Join us for the Christian Community Leaders Luncheon on May 3!

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The next eight years will see an unprecedented pace of change in the world of business.  Changing demographics, technology, and boomer retirements will reshape the face of leadership that we see today.  Will your business be prepared or will you be hit by a 'Talent Tsunami?'

Join us for the Christian Community Leaders Luncheon, where keynote speaker Jeffery Tobias Halter will discuss how to keep your business afloat in stormy waters.  Jeffery is the former of Director of Diversity Strategy at The Coca-Cola Company.  He is currently a consultant, author, gender strategist and the President of YWomen, a strategic consulting company focused on helping men and women to understand and unleash the power of women in organizations.  We look forward to seeing you at this engaging and education event!

Christian Community Leaders Luncheon Thursday, May 3, 2012 Capital City Country Club 53 West Brookhaven Drive, NE Atlanta, Georgia 30319

Fellowship begins at 11 a.m., lunch will be served at noon, and the day will finish around 1:30 p.m.  Cost of attendance is $25 per person, and can be paid online by clicking here. If paying online, please select "Other" under fund and type in CCLL in the comment box.  Payment can also be made over the phone by calling 678-686-9601, or by mailing a check to Lutheran Services of Georgia at 1330 West Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30309, with CCLL in the memo line.

Please RSVP by April 27 to Mary Kay Kates at mkates@lsga.org or 678-686-9601.

Join LSG for Lutheran Night at the Gwinnett Gladiators and Lutheran Day at Georgia Tech!

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Lutheran Services of Georgia will be teaming up with Georgia Tech Basketball and the Gwinnett Gladiators to host two Lutheran-themed sports days. The proceeds from Lutheran Day at Georgia Tech will benefit various LSG programs, while Lutheran Night at the Gwinnett Gladiators will benefit Refugee Services. Come show your team spirit for a good cause!

Lutheran Night at the Gwinnett Gladiators Saturday, February 11 at 7:05 p.m. Gwinnett Gladiators vs. Chicago Express Arena at Gwinnett Center $15 per ticket, $5 for Frenzy Night

The Metro Atlanta Chapters of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans will provide matching funds for a portion of each ticket cost. To order tickets, click here. Deadline for ticket orders is February 1.

Lutheran Day at Georgia Tech Saturday, February 25 at 2:30 p.m. Georgia Tech vs. University of Maryland Philips Arena $30 per ticket

Contact Mary Kay Kates at 678-686-9601 to order tickets or e-mail Bob Gibeling at bgibeling@lsga.org for more information.

MLK Day of Service for Refugees

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More than 350 kids, families, and individuals came together on January 16 for MLK Day of Service at the Clarkston Community Center. The day's service projects benefited the Clarkston community, particularly the area's refugee population, many of whom are LSG clients. Activities included packaging rice, packing pots and pans, assembling hygiene kits for newly arrived families, and a Clarkston community clean-up. All said, volunteers picked up 84 bags of trash equaling 1,680 pounds, made 240 hygiene kits, painted walls, dug post holes, demolished a sign, sanded wood, and bagged over a ton of rice!

Thank you to all those who participated and helped ease the transition for refugees in Georgia!

Free Vaccination Program Aims to Keep Refugee/Immigrant Populations Healthy

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The Northlake Rotary Club's 7th Annual Immigrant Influenza Vaccination Project will provide free influenza vaccination's on October 8

The Northlake Rotary Club will host its 7th Annual Immigrant Influenza Vaccination Project in partnership with DeKalb Medical on Saturday, October 8, 2011 from 10:00 until 2:00 PM.  Targeted for persons aged 50 years and older, the program aims to increase vaccination rates in refugee/immigrant populations in the Clarkston community. We vaccinated 507 Clarkston Refugees last year and we hope to top that number this year.

Northlake Rotarians will plan, organize, and coordinate the free vaccination clinic in cooperation with the DeKalb Medical “Wellness on Wheels” program.  "Wellness on Wheels" is a mobile unit that moves from site to site providing health screening and specific medical services.  Professional personnel from DeKalb Medical will administer the vaccine.

The documents that must me signed prior to administering the flu shots will be collected in the Chapel, and the "Wellness on Wheels" RV will be located in the parking lot behind the Chapel at the Clarkston International Bible Church.

For questions you may contact McClellon Cox,  Project Chairperson, at 404-501-5149, Art Rosser Northlake's Public Relations Chairman at 770-605-8965 or Nat Nwizu Northlake Rotary Club President at 404-579-1594 .

Clarkston International Bible Church 3895 Church Street Clarkston, GA 30021

'Heroes of Hope' a Heroic Success

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Thanks to all those who helped make Lutheran Services of Georgia's annual Heroes of Hope, Healing and Strength gala on Thursday night one for the record books. More than 130 guests came out to to the 755 Club at Turner Field to help celebrate our honorees: Kay Trendell, Jean and Betty Mori, and the Georgia Association of Homes and Services for Children.

With WSB-TV news anchor John Bachman serving as master of ceremonies, the night included a silent auction, tours of Turner Field, heartwarming speeches from the honorees, and videos celebrating their work and achievements. Especially poignant was the speech from honoree Kay Trendell, who, after nearly 30 years of service to LSG's Refugee Services department, will be retiring in September. Thanks largely to Kay's work and dedication, Refugee Services is celebrating 30 years of success this year, which was also honored at Heroes of Hope. With your continued support, there's no doubt that many more years of success are in LSG's future.

To see more pictures of the event, click here.