Getting to Know Blair

Many of us know Blair in his role as President and CEO of Lutheran Services of Georgia. But he, like everyone else, has a life outside of the office. Learn a little about that life by reading the Q & A below. What is your favorite movie? Blair: I have so many. I like action/adventure. I’m going to have to say The Die Hard series.

What is your comfort food? Blair: French Fries.

Where do you like to vacation? Blair: Cancun.

What is the best part about working in this new office building? Blair: Location. Location. Location.

What item do you always put in your office? Blair: That mural. When I ran the juvenile services division for the state of Connecticut, one of my incarcerated teenagers painted that jazz mural for me, so I always put that up on the wall because it shows me the kind of talent that we keep locked behind bars versus not realizing the talent outside in the real world. If we could do the reverse, we’d have a much better society.

If you were isolated on an island and could only have three books, which three would you choose? Blair: The Bible. A comic book. Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

How do you alleviate stress? Blair: Work out.

What does your typical Sunday look like? Blair: I visit lots of churches on Sunday. When I was a vicar in Baltimore I did the 8 o’clock service and then I also did the 11 o’clock service. And then after that I’m normally a guest preacher at someone else’s church and then we end up either at home for a late dinner or a restaurant.

What is one thing you hope to accomplish before turning seventy? Blair: Abolish poverty—if I could.

What is the most important word or phrase or quotation in the English language for you? Is there something that captures your life philosophy? Blair: “Excuses are the building blocks of nothing.” Those who excel in them seldom do anything else. I don’t know who said it, but it’s something I’ve said to myself for a long time. We allow excuses sometimes to get in the way of real productivity and creativity. So if we excel in excuses, nothing will ever get done. That is another one: “Do not go quietly into the night.” So those two are probably the two important ones that I loop together as a focus for me and anyone I talk to.

Our Presidential Acceptance Speech

Presidents seem to be addressing their loyal followers at this time of year, and we at Lutheran Services of Georgia did not want to feel left out. So we asked our new president, The Rev. Floyd R. Blair, to say a few words about why he decided to become LSG’s leader.

Blair: I was recently asked the question, "Why did I come to LSG?" My answer was simple. LSG is the living embodiment of the scripture Matthew 25:31-46. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

LSG has “for over 30 years helped tens of thousands transform their loss, grief and trauma into hope, healing and strength. From placing neglected children into loving homes to providing shelter and employment services for refugees each year, LSG serves thousands of those most in need,” hence LSG is relevant to the lives of people. The Matthew scripture tells us that “whatever you do for the least of these you do for God” LSG has served those who have had the least. As a child growing up in poverty and foster care, I understand the mission and necessity of LSG and its future relevancy connection to serving an even larger number of individuals in the State of Georgia. I wanted to be the new President and Chief Executive Officer of an organization that was not afraid to be bolder and more brilliant about serving and as it pushed the boundaries of service (to the least of these).

We’re excited to be bolder and to push the boundaries of our service under your leadership, Blair!

Heroes of Hope Photographs

Visit our facebook page to see photographs from last night's Heroes of Hope event!

A Man of Many Hats

This summer Gary Danielsen retired after serving for 18 years as President and CEO of Lutheran Services of Georgia. He will be honored Thursday evening at LSG’s annual Heroes of Hope event for his accomplishments and contributions to the agency. Some members of LSG’s staff were around to witness many of these accomplishments and contributions, having worked with Gary for all or most of the 18 years that he served as President and CEO. How do they remember him as a leader, coworker, and friend?

According to staff, Gary was an enthusiastic leader who was willing to take risks to expand LSG’s services. Gary Johnstone, now in his twelfth year at the agency, recalls a moment when LSG was attempting to broaden its FACES program. Gary D. persuaded investors to contribute $150,000 to finance the extension of FACES. “Those guys,” Gary J. explains, referring to the investors, “heard enough enthusiasm and belief coming out of him that they were willing to fly down to Atlanta and meet with us and discuss our program and then invest money, expecting nothing back—they just gave us the money—so it was a huge outcome for us, a huge benefit, and that was one of his major accomplishments for us.” Steve Oliver, also in his twelfth year, recounts another challenge that Gary confronted as LSG’s leader. In the fall of 2000, at a time when refugee services and adoption were LSG’s two main programs, Gary had to decide whether or not to expand the foster care and adult placement programs. He decided to finance the expansion of foster care and adult placement, a move which Steve thinks “required that he get out of his comfort zone.” Steve praises Gary’s willingness to take calculated risks and lauds his broad vision for the agency. “He actually saw the possibility of what could happen,” Steve adds, “and fortunately it paid off in growth without detracting from anything else.”

As an ordained minister in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Gary was also influenced by his faith. He was compassionate toward his employees and the clients of LSG’s services. Mary Kay Kates, who has worked at LSG for 22 years, describes Gary as a “very caring and compassionate person about everyone he met, but in particular about the clients we served and about the vulnerable populations in general.” Obaid Rasoul, who has been a refugee services case manager for 30 years, remarks that Gary would always ask about Obaid’s family when passing by in the hallway. Obaid also thinks that Gary deepened his concern for refugees and their families after returning from his time in the Middle East as an Army chaplain.

Not many people are CEOs, pastors, and Army Reserve members at the same time. As Steve remarks about Gary, “He had different hats.” “Sometimes you’d see him in the clerical collar,” Steve says, “and then there’s the uniform, and then there’s the suit, and then there’s the short-sleeve shirt.” “He could relax at a potluck lunch for someone leaving the office,” Steve continues, “but at the same time he could deliver a sermon to a Lutheran congregation and speak to the Board of Directors, and enjoy seeing a little baby get adopted.” A man of many hats indeed.

Did Gary have a sense of humor as well? You bet. Mary Kay points to the 1999 Hunger Walk as an example of Gary’s “fun-loving side.” To encourage the staff of LSG to raise funds for the Hunger Walk, the coordinator of the event convinced Gary to let the person who raised the most money hit him in the face with a pie. Who raised the most money? Mary Kay. A picture is worth more than a thousand words:

DFCS Statewide Adoption Matching Meeting 2012!

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.

"I Just Want Somebody to Love Me:" A Message on Compassion from President and CEO Gary Danielsen

Several years ago, when I was still a parish pastor, a woman whom I had never met called to make an appointment to discuss the baptism of her soon-to-be-born child. When she arrived, I was a little surprised; she was just 15 years old. During the discussion I happened to ask in a matter of fact way, “How did you come to decide to become pregnant?” I was expecting an answer such as, “It was an accident;” or, “My boyfriend and I got carried away.” I predicted an impulse control issue. Instead, without hesitation and in all sincerity, she replied, “I just wanted somebody to love me.” Quite frankly, my heart missed a beat – I was stunned. On so many levels it was a gut-wrenching reply. My heart went out to her, and especially her child. That is a tall order for a newborn child to fulfill! I wondered about her home life, the safety of both her and her child. What were their long-term prospects? And why did she come to a church she had never been to before? What was she really looking for? Was she only there to discuss baptism? She taught me something that day about the importance of the role of the church to be compassionate, merciful, and available in addressing the complex needs of people in our community.

I was reminded of this incident this week when I learned that, in the past month, two pregnant teenage girls came to LSG to place their unborn child up for adoption. For each of them, it was their second child. People of faith and the church need to be both an available resource and a compassionate witness to God’s love in addressing the many difficult needs of people in our community. We are all called to bring hope, healing, and strength to a broken and hurting world – to the many whose anguish declares, “I just want somebody to love me.”

LSG Volunteers Donate Record Service Hours in March!

Thank you volunteers for LSG!  In March of 2012 you donated a record 3, 400 hours of service to help all of the programs of Lutheran Services of Georgia. This surpasses the previous record set just last year. Since April is National Volunteer Appreciation Month, it's the perfect time to say how much we appreciate you. "It's very inspiring to all of us at LSG to see the continued outpouring of support from our volunteers," said Bob Gibeling Volunteer Coordinator for the agency. "My colleague Melanie Johnson has been especially effective in boosting the volunteer service in Refugee Services."

On top of this success comes the record level of participation in the 2012 Hunger Walk on March 11.  Approximately 600 people walked with Lutheran Services of Georgia in the agency's largest fundraising event of the year.

We have a wide variety of sources who give volunteer service, ranging from individual members of congregations, board of directors members, student interns and college groups donating service during break times to people doing job related public service work. LSG is especially happy to become a popular destination for college service teams from all over the East Coast of the United States, ranging from Maine to Florida. The Lutheran Campus Ministry in Atlanta has provided volunteers to run the LSG registration desk at the Hunger Walk for many years.

Last October, LSG held a Volunteer Appreciation Night. We plan to hold another appreciation special event next winter. Stay tuned for details. In the meantime we say thank you by featuring some photos of volunteers who have contributed greatly to the mission of serving people in need.

CEO and President Gary Danielsen: LSG is on the move!

Reducing overhead, to be as efficient as possible in order to provide maximum support to serving people, is always a challenge for non-profit service agencies, especially when economic times are difficult.  Last month, LSG signed a 10-year lease with United Way in Atlanta, located at 100 Edgewood Ave., in the center of the city. We will occupy the entire 18^th floor – the top floor of the building. The expiration of our current lease at the Arthritis Foundation building in May afforded us the opportunity to identify an office location that not only provided easy access to MARTA and state offices, but did so at a considerable cost savings as well. Our parking capacity is increased, safety is enhanced, our interior space is more efficiently designed, and the lease comes with a year of free rent spread out of over the first two years. In the 10^th year of our lease, our cost per square foot will be less than we pay currently! Good stewardship of resources is an ongoing factor in determining how well we are able to serve those in need. Hopefully, this move will enable LSG’s next decade  to be marked with continued growth in bringing hope, healing, and strength to people in need in Georgia.  

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

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.

CEO and President Gary Danielsen: January Updates

It is with great pleasure that I introduce Rachel Castillo as LSG’s new Director of Operations. In this capacity, Rachel will oversee the agency’s Quality Assurance and Risk Management programs, new program initiatives, communication functions and the implementation of the Strategic Plan. She will also aid in the integration of policies and procedures as it pertains to the agency as a whole. Rachel comes to LSG from serving for many years with the Salvation Army in Boston, New York, and Georgia, where she served as the State Director of Social Services. Rachel and her husband Noe have three children (ages 7, 9, and 17) and live in Marietta. During the last few months, the state demonstrated a reluctance to support essential services to refugees by holding back federal funds. This affected all agencies helping refugees, including LSG. After a quickly developed advocacy campaign emerged, the state officials followed thorough in honoring the contracts (that were set to start October 1) in late December. However, it is feared by many that there are some who are working to prevent not only illegal immigrants but legal immigrants, such as refugees, from coming to Georgia. Many in our community underestimate the importance, value, and contributions refugees bring to our community. We will keep you posted as events unfold.

In other LSG news, the Christmas Angel Tree campaign resulted in over 1,500 gifts with a value of over $45,000 for children, families, and individuals throughout the state. These donations were made by generous and compassionate members of congregations and the community who desired to help each person feel valued and cared for during the Christmas season. To those who participated, THANK YOU!

“…as you have done it to the least of these, who are members of my family, you have done it also to me.”

To God be the glory,

Gary

UPDATE: Refugee Services Contracts Signed!

We are happy to share that today Commissioner Clyde Reese signed and executed contracts approving $4.1 million in federal funds mandated to provide support services for refugees inGeorgiavia social service agencies such as Lutheran Services of Georgia (LSG). LSG would like to offer its sincerest thanks and gratitude to Commissioner Reese, Governor Deal, and all of those who have supported us by working to bring about the approval of these funds.  The outpour of round-the-clock phone calls, e-mails, and letters the state received from congregations, organizations, and citizens no doubt played a tremendous role in bringing about the release of this vital funding. Elected officials of the city ofClarkston,DeKalbCountyand Georgia General Assembly, as well as statewide, were also extraordinarily helpful, for which we are infinitely appreciative.

We are glad the state recognizes that refugees are an incredible strength to the state ofGeorgiaand will support the continuance of these programs to help them achieve self-sufficiency. The entire refugee-serving community relies on this federal funding to provide a wide variety of direct services to both newly arrived and established refugee clients, including employment training, job placement, medical assistance, and home management support.

Refugees supported by these programs upon arrival contribute to society in a number positive, meaningful ways, not the least of which is economic. One of the primary goals of Lutheran Services of Georgia’s refugee services division is providing refugees with stable employment. Once employed, refugees add to the workforce, broaden the local tax base, and provide employers with quality workers. Refugees then use their wages to purchase local goods, which provides a further boost to the local economy.

LSG is extremely thankful that refugees can continue to find a welcome home inGeorgia, a state that has embraced the rich tradition of welcoming refugees as they rebuild their lives and meaningfully contribute to local communities. Thank you to all those who stepped up to support refugees and the services LSG provides to help them establish stable foundations for their new lives inGeorgia.

Please take a moment to write a personal email of support to the local, state, and federal elected officials who came out in support of the refugee community. Thank them for their support of refugees during this difficult episode, and along with the elected officials in your own district, let them know that you support refugee resettlement in Georgia.

Find your elected officials here:  http://www.votesmart.org/officials/NA/G

City of Clarkston: Mayor eransom@cityofclarkston.com;

City Manager kbarker@cityofclarkston.com;

City Council whadlock@cityofclarkston.com; dmoore@cityofclarkston.com; jswaney@cityofclarkston.com; awhite@cityofclarkston.com; dleonetti@cityofclarkston.com; jbrown@cityofclarkston.com;

DeKalb County: CEO and area Commissioners: ceo@dekalbcountyga.gov; kgannon@dekalbcountyga.gov; sbsutton@dekalbcountyga.gov;

State Representative Karla Drenner dren16999@aol.com State Senator Steve Henson stevehenson@mindspring.com DHS Commissioner creese@dhr.state.ga.us

Links to contact pages:

Governor Deal

Senator Isakson

Senator Chambliss

Representative Johnson

Volunteer Appreciation Night a Success!

As an expression of gratitude for our volunteers’ loyal service, Lutheran Services of Georgia hosted a special Volunteer Appreciation Night on Tuesday, November 1. Held at the Breman Jewish Heritage and Holocaust Museum, the night featured free admission to the national exhibit, “Torn from Home: My Life as a Refugee.” The exhibit provided an interactive refugee camp experience for people of all ages, allowing visitors to consider how it feels to flee home, leave everything behind, and face the future with uncertainty and hope.

The night also featured a program of recognition for LSG volunteers, including the LSG’s first annual “Hands of Hope, Healing, and Strength” awards for volunteers who have gone above and beyond in their service. LSG also recognized volunteer Jimmy Ramsey with the 2011 Elsie Guenther Volunteer of the Year Award for his outstanding service teaching ESL classes to LSG’s refugee clients. Congratulations to Jimmy and all of the other award recipients, and thank you to all LSG volunteers for your service, time, and dedication!

Foster Care: Donations Needed Today for Sick Child

Next week, Lutheran Services of Georgia Foster Care will be bringing in a group of three siblings. The oldest child is medically fragile and is only 3 years old, meaning his foster mother will have to bring him to the doctor on a weekly basis.  To help the foster mother provide the highest quality of care for this child, we are asking for donations of the following items:

• Double stroller
• Crib
• Diapers and wipes

To donate any of these items please contact Taylor Brand at tbrand@lsga.org or 404-591-7035. Your contributions will make a difference in this child’s life. Thank you for your help and support!

Join Us for LSG's Volunteer Appreciation Night!

Lutheran Services of Georgia invites you to join us for a special Volunteer Appreciation Night on Tuesday, November 1, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. (with exhibit open prior to the event from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. for those coming straight from work).  The event will feature free admission to the national exhibit, "Torn From Home: My Life As a Refugee," on tour in Atlanta at the Breman Jewish Heritage and Holocaust Museum, which provides an interactive refugee camp experience for people of all ages. Through this inspiring, hands-on journey, visitors of all ages can explore what it means to be a refugee, and better understand their hardships and hope for a brighter future.

Today, more than 30 million people around the world have been displaced due to war and violence, making nearly 10 million children refugees. Through this inspiring, hands-on journey, visitors of all ages can explore what it means to be a refugee, and better understand their hardships and hope for a brighter future. With seven interactive areas, this awe-inspiring exhibit encourages visitors to consider how it feels to flee home, leave everything behind, and face the future with uncertainty and hope.

Volunteer Appreciation Night will also include light refreshments and a program of recognition for LSG volunteers. Please let us know if you plan to join us by registering online by October 26. For more information on the event contact Melanie Johnson at 678-686-9619 or mjohnson@lsga.org. We look forward to seeing you there!