Disaster Relief: Long-Term Recovery from April Storms Still Underway

In recognition of September as National Preparedness Month, Lutheran Services of Georgia reflects on the communities affected by April’s severe storm outbreak and the work we perform to serve families and communities affected by disasters. With an active history of assisting in long-term disaster recovery, LSG works with congregations and Lutheran Disaster Response to serve the families and communities affected by disasters to reconstruct their lives and communities.

As disasters occur, federal, state, local governments, and private organizations assist communities with immediate disaster relief and with the restoration of basic services. Unfortunately, survivors, victims, and donors erroneously believe that federal and state grants provide enough financial assistance to help families and communities return to normalcy after a disaster.

This is why LSG’s long-term recovery outlook is very important to the families and the communities that we serve. Most recently, our commitment to the long-term recovery is evident two years after the 2009 floods in theSoutheastern United States. Thanks to a successful joint venture with Lutheran Disaster Response and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, LSG continues to assist families and communities who are still coping with the reconstruction and repairs of their homes and communities. Contributions to the flood relief efforts reach above $40,000 and facilitated the successful delivery of financial assistance and volunteer coordination. As we enter the long-term recovery phase of April’s severe storm outbreak, LSG will continue to work in partnership with Lutheran Disaster Response, Long Term Recovery groups, Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (GVOAD), congregations, and families to coordinate recover efforts.

With your financial and volunteer support, Lutheran Services will be active in the long term recovery of the communities affected by April’s severe storm outbreak and any other future incidents. We encourage you to support our efforts as we serve our mission.

For more information on how you can assist our efforts, contact disasterassistance@lsga.org or call 404.875.0201.

To learn how to your congregation can be better prepared for disasters please download Preparing for Disaster: A Guide for Lutheran Congregations at http://www.ldr.org/prepare/PrepDisaster.pdf

FACES: Reflections on the LSG Difference

FACES State Program Director Ryan Whitmire examines the motivations for his work and why Lutheran Services of Georgia stands out from the crowd Since the Facilitating, Advocacy, Care, Education, & Shelter (FACES) program for placing adults with developmental disabilities in loving homes first started, it has been our mission to create meaningful family relationships for the people we serve.  This philosophy is what sets LSG apart from many organizations that provide supports to people with developmental disabilities.

When I first started working for LSG in December 2006, it was clear that LSG was different.  Our meetings were focused on the individuals we serve and the matching process to find the perfect family fit family for referrals.  It was a pleasant transition from looking at potential placements based on an open bed and projected growth goals.

Over the last 10 years, FACES has successfully created real families and homes for the individuals we serve.  Our Host Home providers (caregivers) are special people.  They truly care about the individual and strive to assist the people we serve to reach their personal goals and desires.

Due to Medicaid funding issues, there are thousands of people in need of services, but have no funding.  One way you can help is to get involved with the “unlock the waiting lists” campaign.  With your help, people in need will get the funding and supports they need to start being apart of a new family.

Ryan Whitmire State Program Manager of FACES

Adoption: Lutheran Teachings Guide Us to Serve

We in the LSG adoption program recognize the journey of adoption for both the family and the children who are adopted. We also recognize it is a privilege to find a permanent home for a waiting child. Adoption is one of the many missions of this agency serving and engaging the community by bringing hope, healing and strength to people in need. This past year, we successfully transitioned all the families and the children from two other agencies to our adoption program who unfortunately had to close their doors due to budget cuts and the economy. In some cases, we accomplished this awesome task with no financial support with this transition. We are proud to say over this past year, we found “forever families” for 35 children in foster care which included seven sibling groups of 2, one sibling group of 3 and one sibling group of 4 children. We found a “forever family” for 8 infants in our cooperative open infant domestic adoption program and has facilitated ongoing connections between the adoptive families and the birth families. In spite of these accomplishments, we know that the work continues on because the need is so great for the hope, healing and strength that we at LSG provide.

Refugee Services: From Drought and Danger to Dadaab

Each year, LSG helps hundreds of refugee families resettle in the United States after spending months or years being displaced in refugee camps

Since January, more than 120,000 Somali refugees have arrived in the already overcrowded camps in Dadaab, Kenya – the largest refugee camp in the world.  Driven there by the prolonged drought in the Horn of Africa which led to a failed harvest and dying animals, coupled with the growing insecurity inside Somalia, many of the refugees have walked for up to 15 days or more to reach Dadaab.

The Lutheran World Federation, which manages the refugee camps in Dadaab, has been hard at work building extensions to the camps to provide a more secure environment for those fleeing Somalia.  For more information on the work of the LWF in Dadaab, see here.

Mohamed Ahmed, Lutheran Services of Georgia Resettlement Case Manager and a former refugee from Somalia, says that it is almost unimaginable to him that even when so many around the world are eager and ready to provide food, water and shelter to those suffering from the drought in his homeland of Somalia, extremist groups refuse to let the help get to the people who need it the most.

To see the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees video, "Kenya: Dadaab Keeps Growing," click here.

For more information on Lutheran Services of Georgia's refugee services, click here.

Refugee Services: Marip Family Moves Forward in New Life

We first shared the story of the Marip family in the May, 2011, edition of Crossing Oceans, highlighting the story of this Burmese family's arrival in Atlanta and their introduction to the Family Builders Sunday School Class of Peachtree Road United Methodist Church, who furnished the family's apartment and welcomed them to a new life in Georgia. Since their arrival, the family has been busy! A strong friendship has formed between the Family Builders class members and the family through time spent together. Debby Eidson from the class says, "I have taken the family to Walmart and Kroger but by far their favorite store is the Buford Highway Farmers Market. Their eyes just light up when they recognize produce, seafood and products! On every trip to a store, the family is gracious and appreciative... they share their candy with me and often treat me to a glass of soda when we return to their apartment after shopping."

Sporting new backpacks, lots of school supplies and a computer provided by the class, the Marip daughters, Sut Nu Pan and Bawk Bawk Pan started middle and high school this fall. Dad, Aung Aung, and mom, Ah Ja, recently began working at a bakery in Norcross and they report they are very happy with their new jobs.

The Marips are a family on the move!

'Heroes of Hope' a Heroic Success

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.

Adoption: A Baby's Long Journey Home

A baby girl, born too soon, too tiny, and with so many medical complications, has shown us all what it means to be a true fighter. Lutheran Services of Georgia is known by local hospitals as a go-to agency to find families for domestic infants with medical issues, so it was no surprise when the LSG adoption case manager received a call about Annie.

At the time, her prognosis was very guarded, but soon the good days outnumbered the bad. And a family had come forward – mom, an NICU nurse, and dad, a teacher. Even though they live out of state, they visited Annie as often as possible through the many months she was in the hospital. Annie’s birth mother knew that her child would be in good hands when she selected them to adopt Annie.

Finally, in early August, Annie was released and today is a plump, happy little baby. There’s still a long road ahead for Annie and her new family, but we all know that there’s a lot of fight in that little seven-pound baby. One baby, one birth family, one adoptive family – one agency fulfilling its mission to bring people home.

For more information on Lutheran Services of Georgia's adoption services, click here.

Refugee Services: One Church, Two Families

One Atlanta congregation, Trinity Presbyterian Church, and two refugee families, the Gurung family from Bhutan and the Reh family from Burma, are becoming fast friends.  "Trinity Pres" co-sponsored the two families with LSG in the spring, meeting them at the airport and providing furnished apartments for each family. "Trinity Pres" members continue to visit the families on a regular basis, welcoming them with warm friendship. The families, who live next door to each other, are settling well into their new lives in Clarkston.  While the adults focus on learning and improving their English and working with LSG to find jobs, the children are enjoying summer fun, like summer day camp and outings to Stone Mountain and Centennial Olympic Park. For more information on Lutheran Services of Georgia's refugee services, click here.