Gloria's Appeal

Gloria and her husband Tom first came to LSG to adopt a baby from overseas. When their prospects for adopting a child internationally became less likely, they were presented with the opportunity to adopt a sibling group of three from outside Atlanta. After becoming certified as foster parents through LSG’s Foster-to-Adopt program, Gloria and Tom began visiting their children in February 2008 and finalized their adoption in May 2009.

Gloria became more involved with LSG a few months after adopting her children. In November 2009, she was elected to LSG’s Board of Directors and began to serve a three-year term. In May 2010 she was elected Secretary and serves on the Executive Committee and the Governance Committee of the Board of Directors.

Recently, Gloria wrote an eloquent appeal in the newsletter of her employer, urging readers to support LSG’s Foster Care and Adoption programs, both of which she knows intimately. You can read her letter below.

This newsletter is focused on a different type of “recruiting.” As many of you know, we support foster and adoption programs through the non-profit Lutheran Services of Georgia. You too can help children in foster care find their “forever” families through the support of adoption.

LSG has been asked by the state of Georgia to help connect children in permanent foster care with parents from around the country. These children may be of minority heritage, mentally or physically challenged, over the age of eight, or members of a sibling group that needs to be adopted together; in other words, those considered to be difficult to place. Such children often stay in foster care until they “age out” unless identified by a Georgia family interested in adopting them. Potential adoptive families from other states have difficulty being considered for these children since there is not an easy mechanism for following up with these families and placing the children across state lines. Permanency for a child is LSG’s number one goal, and by expanding the pool of available families, they will help at least 20 families this year adopt the children who need them the most.

The funding for this special grant requires LSG to raise a 25% match through private donations, which comes to $7500. I know from my experience that adopting these special needs children is a life-changing event. Seeing our sibling group of three blossom into healthy, happy, well-rounded kids is a small piece of heaven on Earth. If you are interested in helping create new “forever” families like mine, please visit Lutheran Services of Georgia and click on the “Donate Now” button today.

Shirley Nack: Outstanding Savannah Volunteer!

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month, and recently Shirley Nack, one of our outstanding volunteers in Savannah, was honored by United Way of the Coastal Empire HandsOn Savannah for her commitment to Lutheran Services of Georgia. Shirley was nominated for a Volunteer Recognition Award in the Health and Human Services category, along with 33 other volunteers at nonprofits across the Savannah area. Along with Linda Larson of Lutheran Services of Georgia, who nominated Shirley for the award, Deidre Harrison of LSG and husband Phil Nack joined Shirley at the Volunteer Recognition Luncheon earlier this week.

Even though Shirley did not win the award from the United Way, we would like to recognize her invaluable contributions to LSG and to the Savannah Golf Classic in particular. For each of the nine years the event has been held, Shirley has single-handedly gathered as many as 30 gifts for door prizes and the silent auction. These gifts help LSG to raise funds for the life-changing programs offered in the greater Savannah area. For these reasons and many others, LSG thanks Shirley Nack for her excellent work!

Play for Hope at the Atlanta Golf Classic!

Are you itching to get out on the golf course now that the weather is warm and the trees are in bloom? If so, grab your clubs and tee off with Lutheran Services of Georgia at Heritage Golf Links on Monday, May 13 for the 19th annual Atlanta Golf Classic. Play this challenging and scenic course while benefiting refugees, foster care children, adopted babies, adults with disabilities, and others in need. Book your place now for $110, which includes breakfast, lunch, a golf cart, green fees, and an invitation to the 19th Hole Party. Contact Lorraine Dorough at ldorough@lsga.org or at 678-686-9613 to request more information. Deadline to register is May 1.

To pay online, please click here and put "Atlanta Golf Classic" in the comments section.

Siongkoua's Story

During When Strangers Become Neighbors, the immigration conference on April 6, Rev. Bob Strickert called up one of his friends to speak about his experience as a refugee in the United States. In case you were not at the conference, here are some of the details of his journey.

Along with his wife and eight children, Siongkoua Vachiasong arrived in the U.S. in 1976 from a refugee camp in Thailand, where he had been living since leaving Laos, his home country. Meanwhile, Rivercliff Lutheran Church and its pastor, Bob Strickert, contacted LIRS that same year about helping a refugee family settle into life in Georgia. Rivercliff was matched with Siongkoua and his family, and assisted them as they moved into a new home and looked for work. So began the relationship between the family from Laos and the congregation from Rivercliff, one that has lasted for the past 37 years.

Soon after they arrived and were living in Roswell, Siongkoua and his wife had a ninth child. They wanted to name the child “Roswell” after the town in which they were living, but some of the folks at Rivercliff gently encouraged them to consider other names that were more “feminine.” After some discussion, they settled on the name “Rosalie” and chose “Chua” as a middle name. When Pastor Strickert asked them what “Chua” meant, they told him that it meant “windy,” since it was a windy and stormy day when she was born in Atlanta.

Although he started out working as a dishwasher at the Marriot when he first came to Georgia, Siongkoua has been running an Asian pear farm near Jefferson for a number of years, which his sons now operate. If you find yourself driving up I-85 and are craving an Asian pear for lunch or a snack, you might just want to stop by their farm to pick up a few for the road!

When Strangers Become Neighbors

Last Saturday, 57 people representing more than 18 ELCA, LC-MS, and other congregations gathered at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Norcross, GA for a day-long conference on the church's response to contemporary immigration issues. At When Strangers Become Neighbors: Immigration and the Church Today, conference attendees worshiped together, networked together, imagined together, and discovered resources and opportunities.

In the morning, presenters and keynote speakers shared their reflections on the church and immigration today. The Reverend Robert Strickert from the Florida-Georgia District of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod opened with an introduction to "Immigrants Among Us: A Lutheran Framework for Addressing Immigration," a recent LC-MS document. Bishop H. Julian Gordy of the ELCA Southeastern Synod reminded conference attendees that, "We are a nation of immigrants and a nation of people who God loves," and encouraged congregations to advocate on behalf of our new immigrant and refugee neighbors. The Reverend Floyd Blair, CEO and President of Lutheran Services of Georgia, shared his vision for LSG's work in a nation where we treat our neighbors as strangers.

During lunch, Pr. Hiruy Gebremichael, Bikash Chhetri, and Estela Martinez graciously shared their immigration stories. Participants gathered around small tables and reflected together on their own stories of immigration.

Afterwards, Fabio Lomelino and Laura Griffin from Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services led the group in a Community Conversation. Community Conversations emphasizes storytelling in small groups. At When Strangers Become Neighbors, participants told stories of welcome and imagined ways that congregations can walk alongside immigrants and refugees in their communities.

Article written by Abby Koning, Communications and Outreach Coordinator for the Southeastern Synod of the ELCA

To see more photographs from the conference, visit our facebook page!

Kristina's Reflection at the Holy Week Pilgrimage for Immigrants

We need not look further than Stewart Detention Center, just one of many immigration detention centers in the United States, to see that all too often we do not welcome the migrant stranger. For detained immigrants, heavy laden with their crosses, Stewart Detention Center is only one stop along the way to the Calvary that is deportation. In a country whose unjust system of immigration and detention creates anguish and despair rather than safety and security, where does the Spirit of Mercy and Compassion lead us? For me and many others, it leads to El Refugio (the Refuge), a small blossom of hospitality in state that is largely inhospitable to its guests.

Weekends at El Refugio are a witness to Christ’s Kingdom, where all are welcome and no one is a stranger. It is a place where families, friends and loved ones can un-shoulder the burdened crosses they carry. Every time people gather here to support one another with meals, lodging and simple presence, Christ’s reign is affirmed. At El Refugio, people who might not otherwise have crossed paths, like Simon and Christ, are brought together to bear witness to the call to share in each other’s burdens. Like Simon, we enter into one another’s places of suffering. For wives and children, that may be a place of grief over the loss of a father. For others, it may be a heart brimming with sadness after only being able to see a dear friend through Plexiglas. For our migrant brothers and sisters who are detained, that place may be one of humiliation that comes along with being caught up in a system that doesn’t recognize one’s unique story and inherent dignity.

Yet, in the midst of suffering there is grace and joy to be found in the time spent together because we all recognize that beyond Calvary, Via Dolorosa leads to the Resurrection. So it is with humble faith in the promises of Christ that all those at El Refugio continue to welcome the migrant stranger, and continue to say, “Brother, sister, hermano, hermana, if the weight is too much to bear, pass a little on to me."

Kristina Mata is a Dominican Volunteer who works at Catholic Charities of Atlanta and volunteers at El Refugio. She delivered this address at the 5th Station of the Cross during the Holy Week Pilgrimage for Immigrants on Good Friday and has graciously agreed to let LSG share her message on our blog.

Throughout the past six months, Lutheran Services of Georgia has been offering a new ministry to visit immigrants detained at Stewart Detention Center. To learn more about Friends in Hope, including the date of our next visit to the detention center, please contact Melanie Johnson, Program Manager for Volunteer, Congregation, and Community Engagement, at mjohnson@lsga.org.

Lutheran Ladies Help Out Refugee Services!

On March 2, 19 ladies from Timothy Lutheran Church in Woodstock and King of Kings Lutheran Church in Jasper gathered in the North Georgia mountains for a retreat. As part of their time together, the women collected craft and snack items for a service project to benefit Lutheran Services of Georgia's new program, Extended Cultural Orientation (ECO). Part of Refugee Services, ECO teaches recently arrived refugees skills and imparts knowledge of important concepts to them, such as healthy parenting, computer literacy, and resume building.

The craft and snack items that the ladies brought to their retreat will help LSG create a children's area. While their parents learn about computers and resumes, the children will enjoy snacks and design crafts. Thank you, ladies of Timothy and King of Kings, for thinking of LSG during your retreat and for helping us launch our new program!

Welcome, Cynthia, Steph, and Whitney!

In the past week, LSG has welcomed three new staff members to our team. Cynthia, the new Associate Development Director for Grants, will be working in the Atlanta office, along with Whitney Stovall, recently hired as Administrative Assistant. In LSG's Athens office, Stephanie Furness has begun working as a case manager in the FACES program. Read more about them below!

Cynthia McGuinness has joined Agency Advancement as the new Associate Development Director for Grants. Previously she served as Development Director for LifeLine Animal Project, one of Atlanta’s leading non-profit animal rescue organizations; as Administrative Director for Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, the largest film festival in Atlanta and second largest Jewish film festival in the nation; and as Assistant Conference Manager for Performing Arts Exchange, the annual performing arts booking conference for the eastern US presented by South Arts. She is a former professional dancer, and the proud mom of Jacob (age 10) and Rachel (age 7).

Stephanie Furness is a new Case Manager at the Athens office for the FACES Program. Steph received a master's degree in social work from Rutgers University in 2007 and holds an LMSW with the State of Georgia. Her background is in case management, mental health counseling, program development and volunteer management. Steph is excited to be a part of the LSG family and looks forward to taking part in bettering the lives of our participants.

Whitney Stovall is the new Administrative Assistant for the Director of Operations. Whitney is pursuing her master’s in Public Administration and Nonprofit Management at Georgia State University. She has interned with the American Cancer Society in the Interactive Projects department; Friends of Choice in Urban Schools as the Mobilization and Outreach Assistant; and the Multiple Sclerosis Society as a Public Policy Delegate. Whitney volunteers with Be the Match and enjoys writing short stories.

Ryan's Song

When Elizabeth and Henry Parker adopted their five-year-old son Ryan in February, he refused to sing. Throughout the day, the Parkers would hum and sing tunes from church or other places. When he heard the music, Ryan would press his hands over his ears, make noise, and tell his parents that he did not want them to sing. Neglected as a child, Ryan entered foster care as a four-year old without having learned much of what his peers had been taught. Still crawling instead of walking, not knowing how to say very many words, he mostly sat in front of the television. His birth mother suffered from substance abuse and was not able to care for him. His grandparents had medical problems and found it difficult to provide the care and instruction that he needed. His teenage cousin often looked after him, but could not be there for him constantly. As a result, he came into foster care. After a year, Lutheran Services of Georgia facilitated his adoption with the Parkers.

Ryan has progressed significantly since he entered foster care and especially since he has become part of the Parker family. He knows how to walk and, thanks in large part to Elizabeth’s dedication as a mother, he knows many more words and is learning about everything he needs to know for school. During a recent lesson on trains, Elizabeth did not just read to Ryan out of a book to explain the concept of trains moving along tracks; she filled the house with duct tape to show him this concept. Ryan is picking up on her enthusiasm and exploring all that he sees and hears.

Except for the songs. Finally, a few weeks ago, Elizabeth asked Ryan why he became upset when they sang in the house. Ryan told her that he did not like singing because he did not know any songs. Elizabeth then pointed out to him that he was learning songs at church and at home. He agreed, but did not immediately change his attitude.

Then during a recent warm afternoon, while Elizabeth and Ryan were playing outside, he suddenly began to sing.

LSG Celebrates St. Patrick's Day in Rome

On Saturday, March 16, LSG staff members from our office in Rome participated in the city's St. Patrick's Day festivities. Wearing their custom-made LSG t-shirts, they figured out a creative way to promote LSG's programs at the parade: they handed out dog biscuits with LSG flyers attached to them to the people walking by. Since there were a lot of dogs and dog owners around, many residents of Rome learned about LSG's involvement in the community! The staff members also participated in the Leprechaun-a-thon Health walk, again sporting their green LSG shirts to promote the agency's work around town. Thanks to all the staff in Rome for spreading the word about LSG on Saturday!

To view photographs from the festivities, please visit our facebook page.

Bowdoin Students Volunteer at LSG!

Bowdoin College is in Brunswick, Maine. Lutheran Services of Georgia is in Atlanta. Last week, 12 volunteers from the liberal-arts college in Maine made the long trip to Atlanta for an alternative spring break service project. Why would a group of volunteers travel all this way for a weeklong service trip?

They traveled here because they wanted to learn more about the issues surrounding refugee resettlement and to interact closely with men, women, and children who have come to the United States as refugees. Although Maine has a sizable population of Somali refugees, LSG and other agencies in Atlanta offer volunteers an opportunity to visit families from around the world, while also learning about resettlement from professionals who have been working with the refugee population for many years.

During their week in Atlanta, the volunteers from Bowdoin did a lot of tutoring: in the mornings, they helped out at LSG’s employment training and tutored adults in Clarkston, while in the afternoons they worked at Global Village Project, a school in Decatur for teenage refugee girls.

The volunteers also had an opportunity to meet with a Burmese family and an Iraqi family living in Clarkston. At the home of the Iraqi family, Adam, one of the Bowdoin students, was able to speak to the family in Arabic and translate for the rest of the group.

During this time in Clarkston a fortuitous event occurred. Among the group from Bowdoin was a student from Mongolia, Delger. While visiting the Burmese family, the volunteers learned that there was a family that had been resettled from Inner Mongolia living just down the street. There were not many families in Clarkston from Inner Mongolia, so the members of this family did not have an opportunity to speak their native language to people outside their family very often. After learning that this family lived nearby, Delger walked over to their house and talked with them.

LSG thanks the students from Bowdoin for traveling all the way from Maine to serve with LSG and to learn more about the experiences of refugees in Atlanta. We hope to see you again next year!

Lutherans Fight Hunger

Under the bright afternoon sun, wave after wave of orange and blue rolls north along Piedmont Avenue, moves west on Auburn Avenue, and then surges south on Courtland Street, eventually crashing into Turner Field. Don’t worry: this is not a repeat of the 2009 floods. Rather, it’s the sea of walkers and runners donning blue and orange t-shirts who flowed through the streets during the Hunger Walk/Run 2013. On March 10, over 15,000 participants joined the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Lutheran Services of Georgia, and a host of faith-based nonprofits for the event. Hundreds of Lutherans from over 40 congregations walked with LSG, making the Hunger Walk one of the largest gatherings of Lutherans in Atlanta each year.

Running or walking the 5k route, the Lutherans showed their support for the work that the Food Bank and LSG are doing to relieve hunger throughout Georgia. Some congregations went all out for the event. The folks from Trinity Lutheran Church in Lilburn, the top fundraiser for the last couple of years, sported bright yellow t-shirts with an image of a pirate and their theme “sink hunger” written on them. One participant even came with a bandana and a parrot propped on her shoulder—a true pirate.

Two Lutherans made names for themselves by logging the fastest times for men and women in the event. Ross Gudger, a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Woodstock, and Constance Mithelman, a volunteer with Lutheran Volunteer Corps, blew away the competition, finishing the race in less than 20 minutes.

In addition to providing the fastest runners, the Lutheran congregations also raised more than $66,000 to fight hunger in Georgia. Even though the churches still have until March 31 to collect money, The Hunger Walk Pirates at Trinity are firmly settled in first place, having already garnered $11,740.71. Cross of Life Lutheran Church, Rivercliff Lutheran Church, St. John’s Lutheran Church (in Atlanta), Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, and Grace Lutheran Church (in Carrollton) are battling it out for second place, each congregation having raised around $5,000. Who will take home the trophy and the other prizes? Stay tuned to find out.

LSG thanks all the congregations, families, and individuals who donated to the Hunger Walk and walked with LSG during the event. Your enthusiasm, energy, and effort have raised awareness about hunger issues across Georgia and will help us to feed those in need during 2013. Great job, everyone!

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

Walking It Out at Timothy

If you had been sitting in the pews at Timothy Lutheran Church on Sunday, March 2, you might have been surprised at one moment in the service. Near the beginning of the service, music suddenly filled the room, and it did not come from an organ. Someone had turned on the hip-hop song “Walk it Out,” and a group of youth was walking down the aisle toward the chancel, carrying food. Why were a bunch of young people bringing food to the front of the church with a hip-hop song blaring behind them?

Because of the Hunger Walk. At Timothy Lutheran Church, the Hunger Walk is predominately an event for the youth. To promote it among the members of the congregation, Cindy Schuster, the Youth Director at Timothy, and the young participants in the event wanted to do something different and engaging. As a way of calling attention to the walking that they will do at the event, they chose to play “Walk it Out” while strolling up to face the congregation to make an announcement about the Hunger Walk.

The youth have good reason to go all out with their marketing. If they reach their goal of raising $1,400 for the Hunger Walk, the church will buy them all dinner when they gather after the event for their annual post-walk meal at Steak & Shake. The kids also know that the money they gather will be going to a good cause: with the grant that it will receive from LSG, Timothy contributes to its food bank, which feeds about 60 people a week in Cherokee County. Perhaps the team at Timothy will even win our Hunger Walk Challenge by raising the most money among youth groups, which would mean that they all get tickets to Lutheran Night at the Braves in September. To get enough donations from congregation members, though, they might have to “walk it out” at their Sunday services more than once.

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: