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.

FACES: A New Family for Johnny

Lutheran Services of Georgia is happy to share the success story of Johnny, a 19-year-old young man in the FACES program for adults with developmental disabilities.  When Johnny was a child, he was taken from his mother’s care after it was determined that her mental health issues prevented her from being able to properly care for her child. Johnny was placed in foster care through the Division of Family and Children Services, then lived in a hospital receiving treatment for his mental health needs. After almost six years in the hospital, Johnny was approved for Medicaid-funded services. Lutheran Services of Georgia helped place Johnny in a healthy, loving home under the care of several support companions. The support companions have provided a caring, stable family life for Johnny and helped him make positive developments through new relationships and experiences. Johnny has been to Florida with his new family several times and was able to see the ocean for the first time. He has learned to prepare some food – he loves to cook on a griddle with supervision from one of his support companions. Johnny, who has had no response to contact attempts with his biological family, considers his host home family his primary family.

LSG’s Newest Ministry: "Friends in Hope" - A Visitation Ministry to Immigrants in Detention

We are excited to introduce Lutheran Services of Georgia’s newest ministry, Friends in Hope, a visitation ministry to immigrants in detention. For years our national network, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS), has advocated for the fair treatment and rebuilding of hope for our nation’s most vulnerable newcomers, including those affected by immigration detention. Lutheran Services of Georgia has received a start-up grant to rebuild hope through simple acts of compassion by visiting those housed in Georgia’s detention facilities.

Detainees are affected by what advocates call a flawed policy of mandatory detention for immigrants who may have only committed civil, not criminal, violations. They are imprisoned in harsh conditions for months at a time while awaiting deportation or approval for asylum. LIRS estimates that there are over 400,000 immigrant detainees housed in the U.S.  This means there are over 400,000 opportunities to answer Jesus Christ's call to serve the most vulnerable. LSG's Friends in Hope teams will visit and build relationships with detainees, each visit a simple act of compassion.  We invite you to join us in this new ministry.

The initial visits will be to detainees in the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia.  LSG will partner with El Refugio, another LIRS visitation ministry grant recipient, which has a hospitality house for families of detainees located just outside the Stewart Detention Center.  You can visit the El Refugio website to learn more. Initially, Friends in Hope will be conducting monthly to bimonthly site visitations to offer compassionate support and to build relationships with detainees in the Stewart Detention Center. Prayerfully consider joining us in this ministry of hope and compassion. In addition to helping detainees rebuild hope through visits from a caring friend, Friends in Hope can contribute to creating a culture of welcome in the state of Georgia through friendship, advocacy, and community building.

Orientations for Friends in Hope volunteer visitors will be held on Saturdays, July 21, August 25, and September 29, from 10 a.m. to  noon at the centrally located Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Midtown, Atlanta.  If you would like to attend one of these orientations to learn more about becoming a Friends in Hope visitor, please contact Melanie Johnson (mjohnson@lsga.org) at 404-875-0201 or 1-800-875-5645.

For more information on the Friends in Hope detention visitation ministry, contact Jacque Ulrich (julrich@lsga.org) or Melanie Johnson (mjohnson@lsga.org) at 404-875-0201 or 1-800-875-5645.

LSG Staff Superstar: Nartasha Davis!

Lutheran Services of Georgia would like to recognize Nartasha Davis for her incredible efforts and professionalism.  Davis was one of two providers in all of Region 6, which includes 31 Georgia counties, to receive recognition from the State Regional Office for her commitment to serving people with significant behavioral challenges.  Over the last two years, Nartasha has worked diligently to put the necessary resources in place for LSG’s Columbus office to serve people with behavioral challenges.  She identified and developed contractual relationships with a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.  She works closely with the behavioral specialist to ensure that the needs of LSG’s clients are being met.  Nartasha is able to independently assess people’s needs and put the appropriate supports in place from the ground up. Nartasha carries a caseload of 6-10 clients and has been an extremely effective recruiter of new clients.  Her office went from having little capacity to serve people with developmental disabilities a few years ago, to now having resources and structure to make a difference in many people’s lives.  The quality of support companions and services has greatly increased to the highest standards under her leadership.  Thank you, Nartasha, for all that you do!

ADOPTION: Positive Adoption Language Strengthens Family Relationships

The words we use convey a great deal about what we think and value. When we use positive adoption language, we are saying that adoption, like birth, is a way to build a family. Choosing positive adoption language helps to dispel the myths and misconceptions about adoption. Adoption may be a second choice, but it is never second best.

Positive Language	Negative Language	Explanation
Birth Parent	Real or natural parent	The use of negative terms implies that the adoption is not a reality or is unnatural. The term birthparent(s) describes the life-giving role these persons play in the child’s life.
My or our child	My or our adopted child	Adoption is a process, not an adjective. When the process is completed, the adopted person becomes just another child in the family. The term “my adopted child” implies a qualified relationship.
Make an adoption plan	Put up for adoption, give up, give away, surrender for adoption, relinquish	These are emotionally charged term, which do not reflect the fact that the birth parent(s) made a loving adoption plan that was well though out, challenging and in the child’s best interest.
We wanted and chose to be parents, and your birthparent(s) chose us	We chose you	A child may rationalize that if they were special enough to be chosen, then they must continue to be special in order to receive ongoing love and acceptance.
Decision to parent a child	Keep a child	The word implies that the child is an object and something which may be kept or not kept. The phrase “decision to parent the child” better reflects that parenting role and the decision making process in a respectful way to the child.
Child born to unmarried parents	Illegitimate child	The word “illegitimate” implied a negative situation for which the child is responsible and which also give a demeaning image to the child. The words “unmarried parents” indicated that there may be many situations which may leave parents unmarried (rape, death, divorce, too young to marry, etc).
Adoption participants	Adoption triad, triangle	The terms “triad” or “triangle” imply an opposing or adversarial relationship

Locate, making contact with birth relatives	Search, track down parents, reunite, reunion	The negative terms imply enforced separation, and convey a sense of desperation with regard to the experience of adoption. The term locate more accurately describes the act of contacting and meeting birth relatives.
Waiting children, children with special needs	Special needs children, hard to place children	The negative imply that the children are undesirable and less than normal.
Child placed for adoption	Child taken away	Placing for adoption conveys the positive and respectful way in which this plan is made for the child’s future.

ADOPTION: How Adoptive Parents Can Embrace and Feel Deserving of Their Parenting Role

Last weekend was the celebration of Mother’s Day, a day that for many adoptive mothers overflows with mixed emotions. Often adoptive families do not know how to “fit in” the concept of the birth mother with Mother’s Day. This brings us to a topic that is not discussed openly – the concept that adoptive parents need to build a sense of embracing the essence of their children and the notion that their children are theirs to parent and that they are deserving of the parenting role. Building a sense of entitlement and belonging is not the same as being attached. This sense is related to attachment, yet it differs. One can be firmly attached but not feel entitled or fully embrace the parenting role. One can feel quite entitled to a child who is not attaching well. There are quite a few reasons this becomes a complex discussion. It appears that entitlement is not just a task for adoptive parents who struggle with infertility, but also for adoptive parents who chose to adopt in lieu or in addition to becoming biological parents. Children raised in adoptive homes need to build their own sense of entitlement to their parents and having a family, but this is a two way street. This sense of entitlement also needs to be developed by extended family, grandparents, aunts, and uncles, etc.

The result of creating this sense is a warm network for a family that feels they belong together and deserve one another. When a sense of entitlement is lacking, the feeling that something is missing in the relationships can develop and can be skirted around uncomfortably.

One of the first steps in adoption is being honest with oneself about the motivation to adopt. This often means the adoptive parents must face their feelings about infertility and the loss that accompanies that. For adoptees, this may involve understanding why they are adopted. It is also important to fully embrace that there are unavoidable ways a child who is not related by birth may have differences from the family through “nature versus nurture”. Some adoptive families have chosen to honor the mother  who “gave life” to their child by lighting a candle, saying a prayer, writing a letter to her or some open recognition of her role in their life around Mother’s day. It is also important to recognize the family will have to develop a public “story” of why they have chosen to adopt and why the child has been placed for adoption. One of the gifts we can give our children is our willingness to do the personal work necessary to embrace our own senses of entitlement as parents in adoption and to join our family and friends with us in that process.

In the classic children’s book, the Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams, the Rabbit asks “What is real?” And the skin horse, the philosopher of the nursery responded by reminding the rabbit that, yes, becoming real does sometimes hurt, and that it usually doesn’t happen easily to people who need to be “carefully kept.” Real, advised the skin horse, usually happens after your fur has been loved off and your eyes have dropped out, but that doesn’t matter. For when you are real, you can only be ugly to those who do not understand.

Building a sense of entitlement to one another is a part of the claiming and bonding process for all of those in adoption-expanded families. It’s about believing, with all of one’s being, that you are  that you are deserving, of these children whose life you share  in memory with the birth parents who gave them that gift. As you feel entitled and fall in love with your child, you know that you belong together as a whole strong family.

FACES: Client Transitions from an Introvert to a Leader!

Diagnosed with mild mental retardation, depression, and schizoaffective disorder, 25-year-old Deborah came into LSG’s FACES program in 2009.  When Deborah first moved in to her new host home, as arranged by LSG, she had a difficult time adjusting to her new life, family, and environment.  Her support companion, Mary, had opened her homes to other FACES clients in the past and therefore had many years of experience in working with participants who have challenging behaviors. At the beginning, Deborah’s behavior was lethargic and she was uninterested in doing things around the home and in the community.  Mary and her family worked each day with Deborah to conquer the issues that prevented her from being happy.  Every time Deborah’s LSG case manager came to conduct a home visit, Deborah would make great strides on her goals.   Currently, Debora’s personality is very outgoing; she is very happy and enjoys shopping.

Deborah also attends a day center, where she learns daily living skills and has been introduced to sign language.  Deborah is capable of speaking but she had always had an interest in learning sign language because she wants to be able to communicate with people who are deaf.  Since she has taken the classes, Deborah has assisted others in teaching basic sign language to people at the day center and at home.

During her time in her host home, Deborah has blossomed to become a beautiful, mature, well-rounded woman with goals, dreams, and accomplishments.  We pray and hope that Deborah continues to grow for many years to come!

REFUGEE SERVICES: Finding God in the Hearts of Children

“Like this? Miss Haley, like this?” a student asks, waving her construction paper creation in the air. Once assured that she is correct and that her creation matches the example, the student continues happily creating her masterpiece for art class in LSG’s ASAP After-School Program at Indian Creek Elementary School. Reflecting on my experience as a seminary student helping with the program, I have seen a glimpse of the kingdom of God from the students I tutor. The students are from a wonderful mix of backgrounds and from all over the globe. Refugees, immigrants, and native-born U.S. citizens learn, play, and create together.  The kids get along with simplicity and joy in the messy, beautiful world of elementary school tutoring, full of differences.

As I go forward in ministry, I can’t help but look back to these children as models. To my students and the Holy Spirit that works amongst them, it is my turn to ask “Like this? Does the kingdom of God look like this?”

Luke 18:16: “But Jesus called for them and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.”

Haley Mills is a student at the Candler School of Theology of Emory University.  For her Contextual Education Community Placement, she served with Lutheran Service of Georgia’s Refugee Services weekly during the 2011-2012 school year as and ESL assistant teacher and as a tutor in the ASAP Afterschool Academic/Arts Program. 

FOSTER CARE: LSG Celebrates National Foster Care Month!

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 foster care services for children who have been placed in the custody of the Division of Family and Children Services for protection from abuse or neglect, as well as for children committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice for delinquency.

According to Katherine McKenzie, senior program manager in LSG’s Savannah office, foster parents provide for the safety and wellbeing of the child while the birth family completes tasks necessary for their return home. The LSG foster parents bring the children into their homes, their lives and their hearts.

“If there is not a foster home available in a foster child’s home county, he or she often must be moved away,” McKenzie said. “In addition to being to separation from his or her birth family, this move further disrupts a child's life by forcing them to change schools and leave a familiar place. Moving the child out of county can also result in fewer visits with family members if the family doesn’t have the means to travel independently.”

Along with foster care services, LSG also works to reunify birth parents with their children in foster care whenever possible through Family Intervention Services (FIS), which offers programs such as parenting classes, supervised visitation, counseling and transportation.

May is a time to celebrate the important role that foster parents play in nurturing and caring for Coastal Georgia’s children. We appreciate all you do!

"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.”

FIS: Prevent Child Abuse with Six Protective Factors

LSG's Family Intervention Services recognizes April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This month and throughout the year, FIS encourages all individuals and organizations to play a role in making Georgia a better place for children and families. By ensuring that parents have the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to care for their children, we can help promote children’s social and emotional well-being and prevent child maltreatment within families and communities. Research shows that when parents possess six protective factors, the risk for neglect and abuse diminish and optimal outcomes for children, youth, and families are promoted. The six protective factors are: • Nurturing and attachment

• Knowledge of parenting and of child and youth development

• Parental resilience

• Social connections

• Concrete supports for parents

• Social and emotional developmental well-being

April is a time to celebrate the important role that communities play in protecting children. In our country, a child is abused or neglected every 36 seconds, and, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, only 40 percent of abused children receive the services they need. Focusing on ways to build and promote the protective factors, in every interaction with children and families, is the best thing our community can do to prevent child maltreatment and promote optimal child development.

ADOPTION: The Importance of Play for Traumatized Children

Often when families decide to adopt an older child, they envision past memories of engaging in play activities they enjoyed as children with their new child. Sometimes children, who have been traumatized in the early years, have not connected with what we perceive as a child’s natural ability to play. Childlike play is creative, imaginative, and very active. Play encourages children to use their imagination and that can help the child’s brain to heal. Adoptive families are surprised when they take their new child to the park or skating or to a sporting event and they may discover the child has no idea what to do or how to initiate play. The stress of traumatic early experiences can cause short term impact to a child’s ability to engage in childlike play. The brain immersed with trauma functions on a survival response to the perceived threat.  This is the opposite of play. The stress is restricting and confining to the child, separating them from their natural ability to play.

The happy news is that children never lose their ability to learn – and to learn to play. It is important to help them recapture a sense of childlike playfulness. The play they may engage in without modeling can seem focused on control, winning, losing, and rules. The parent can teach the child to play and incorporate opportunities for play in daily life. Model  childlike pleasure and fun in engaging in activities yourself. Design environments that create the opportunity for silliness, laughter, and expression of childhood enjoyment. Being outside, running and games without winning or losing contexts are wonderful to provide this experience.

Play can provide healing in its purest form. So, as the weather is warming up, the parks are full of chances to explore and engage with one another. Take the time to GET OUTSIDE AND PLAY with one another. Have fun with your new child and help them learn the games that will help them heal and recapture the silliness and goofiness of being a child.

J. Anne Boyte Program Coordinator Heritage Adoption.

FACES: A Safe, Happy Home for Tim!

Tim is an 18-year-old who has a diagnosis of Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome, which causes him to experience delayed growth and development.  He and his siblings were adopted as young children, and as he grew older he began having aggressive episodes toward his family.  Tim did well in school, so the Behavioral Specialist and Psychiatrist felt Tim may do better behaviorally if he lived outside of his home.  His Planning List Administrator contacted LSG to see if there was an available home.  LSG found a home that met CPA requirements and began the matching and pre-placement process, and found a home seemed to be a good match for Tim.  Since his move two weeks ago, Tim has not had any aggressive episodes in his new home and has made a smooth transition to his new school.  Tim not only has the support of his “new” family, but he is able to maintain contact with his biological siblings and adoptive family. LSG is thankful to be able to have found a happy, healthy, and safe home for Tim!

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.

REFUGEE SERVICES: College Students Spend Spring Break Helping LSG's Refugee Clients

In March, LSG welcomed 31 students from four universities – Xavier University, Eastern Michigan University, Georgia State University, and Bowdoin College – for Alternative Spring Break Service with Refugee Services.  These dedicated, compassionate and fun-loving students helped us clean out our donation storage to prepare for and host our annual yard sale fundraiser, tutored refugee students in our ASAP afterschool programs in Clarkston, visited refugee families, and spruced up the grounds of the church that hosts the LSG Refugee Clothes Closet. Each group was here for a week and the in-kind value of their service totaled more than $30,000 for Refugee Services.  A large portion those funds will count towards our matching grant program, through which the Office of Refugee Resettlement matches every dollar with $2! Thank you to all the kind, hard-working students who so generously donated their time and talents to LSG’s Refugee Services!

DISASTER RESPONSE: Assistance Needed for Reconstruction Projects

We are approaching the one-year anniversary of the severe storm outbreak that affected 27 counties in Georgia in April 27, 2011. A year later, more and more disaster victims are reporting unmet needs as FEMA funds prove to be insufficient in covering their recovery costs.  LSG’s long-term recovery efforts will continue to help these communities and families recover and rebuild their lives. Your assistance and funding will help LSG reach out to those families and provide tangible assistance by sponsoring volunteer projects and helping cover the costs home reconstructions. A few key areas of need are as follows:

• LSG needs support with two reconstruction projects in Spalding County to assist two families in building a new room in their homes. Both projects total $4,000 dollars.

• In Dade County, LSG is working along with other volunteer organizations to raise funds to cover multiple recovery projects totaling $17,000 dollars.

• In Meriwether County, LSG needs assistance from congregations to provide housing for 30-50 student volunteers who will be participating in reconstruction projects in June.

Any assistance is welcomed. We encourage you to get involved by volunteering if you have construction skills, by making financial contributions, or by working with your congregation to sponsor fundraising events for LSG’s long-term recovery efforts.

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

LSG is a tax-exempt nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Your gift makes a difference in those families affected by the disaster. To make a tax deductible contribution today,donate online or contact Lorraine Dorough (678 686-9613).

You may mail contributions to:

LSG 2011 Georgia Tornado Recovery Fund Lutheran Services of Georgia 1330 West Peachtree Street, Suite 300 Atlanta, GA 30309-2943

FOSTER CARE: Epiphany Lutheran Donates Outfits and Goodies for Easter Morning!

Epiphany Lutheran Church in Conyers made Easter Sunday a little brighter for Lutheran Services of Georgia’s foster care children by generously providing them with outfits, shoes, stuffed animals, and candies for Easter Sunday. These gifts brought smiles to the faces of 30 of our foster care children, ranging from infants to teenagers, not to mention those of the foster care parents that got to share in their joy. Thank you, Epiphany, for this incredible Easter blessing!

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 us for the Christian Community Leaders Luncheon on May 3!

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.

UPDATE: April 2011 Storm Relief Efforts

Almost a year to the anniversary of the severe storm outbreak of April 2011, Lutheran Services of Georgia’s long-term recovery efforts continue. As families and communities continue the slow process of bringing their lives back to some sense of normalcy, LSG calls on congregations and individuals to support these communities and the rebuilding efforts in Georgia. LSG, a long-term disaster recovery assistance agency, works with partners in local communities, faith-based organizations, long-term recovery committees, and other Georgia voluntary organizations active in disaster relief to find resources to help communities affected by disaster. Victims are often confused or unaware of the assistance available to assist with the recovery. LSG’s goal is to assist communities with the long-term recovery. We encourage individuals affected by the 2011 tornado or the 2009 floods who need assistance to contact LSG at 678.852.8560. Your assistance in disaster relief is critical. Cash assistance and skilled constructions volunteers are essential in supporting long-term recovery reconstruction efforts. LSG seeks volunteers with skilled construction experience for six large roofing projects in Spalding County. More cash assistance is needed for the reconstructions efforts in Dade County.

If you would like to provide skilled, voluntary, or financial assistance for our response efforts, contact LSG at 678.852.8560 or e-mail Alex Azuero at aazuero@lsga.org.

You may also mail contributions to: LSG 2011 Georgia Tornado Recovery Fund Lutheran Services of Georgia 1330 West Peachtree Street, Suite 300 Atlanta, GA 30309