If you have volunteered with LSG in the past year, be sure to join us tonight from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Atlanta Community Food Bank for LSG's Volunteer Appreciation Evening. You will have an opportunity to tour the Food Bank's new facility, hear from LSG's President & CEO Floyd Blair, and be recognized for your service. Feel free to bring along your spouse or family. We'll see you there!
On June 6, the Savannah office welcomed an Iraqi family of 6. The husband, Ali Majmaie, is very skilled with welding and manufacturing work. His wife, Sahira Saleem, aspires to be a teacher in the US. They have four children, three sons and one daughter. The oldest son wants to go to welding school, and the youngest children are very happy to live in Savannah and play at the many public parks. Upon their arrival in the US, the family made new friends with Savannah residents at the Savannah Islamic Center, enrolled into English classes at Savannah Tech, and received employment training at the LSG office.
Heather Romero will serve as the Employment Specialist for the Savannah Refugee Services Sub-Office. Prior to joining LSG, she has experience working for faith based organizations in Georgia and overseas in South Sudan. She is skilled with assisting victims of trauma, refugee populations, and providing social support services to improve self-sufficiency. She earned her Bachelor’s in Human Services at Kennesaw State University with a focus on Social Work.
Gayle Cruz graduated from Kennesaw State University with a Bachelor’s in International Affairs with a concentration in Global Experience. During her last semester, she was an intern in the Refugee Services department of R&P. She also volunteered with Friends in Hope making visitations to detainees. She speaks Spanish fluently and has a background in banking. Gayle is passionate about helping refugees develop and become self-sufficient. Her passion in developing and helping those in need led her to work for LSG as an Employment Specialist.
Lindsay Futterman is a part-time Case Aide with the R&P program. Lindsay was born and raised in Atlanta. She has over six years experience in nonprofit, and most recently worked at the International Community School as Administrative Specialist, gaining much experience working with refugee families. She enjoys volunteering, cooking and bike riding.
Zakaria Abdulraek is a former refugee from Sudan. He was resettled by LSG in 2010, and began working for the Omni Hotel shortly after his arrival in Atlanta. He had been volunteering for LSG for several months and was recently hired as a part-time case aide for the R&P program. He is happy to be able to give back to the community through his work with LSG.
Although they faced strong competition from the team at Timothy Lutheran Church, the youth group at Cross of Life Lutheran won this year's Hunger Walk Challenge, raising the most money of any Lutheran youth group. Bringing in $1,810 for their congregation, the members of "Youth in Motion" have won tickets to Lutheran Night at the Braves in September. Congratulations to these young men and women for winning the contest and for helping to fight hunger in Atlanta!
Each year, several faith-based nonprofits partner with the Atlanta Community Food Bank to raise money for the Hunger Walk/Run. Among the five nonprofits that worked with the ACFB this year, LSG was the top fundraiser, gathering $75,333.21!
The real work, however, was done by the Lutheran churches in the Atlanta area. Through a variety of fundraising drives and appeals to their congregations, they raised the vast majority of LSG's Hunger Walk funds. Thank you to all of our churches who raised money for the Hunger Walk and to the members of the congregations for contributing to the event!
Some of these congregations went all out for the Hunger Walk. Here is a list of the top 10 fundraisers among the Lutheran churches that participate with LSG:
1.Trinity Lutheran Church, $11,740.71 2.Cross of Life Lutheran Church, $7,154.39 3.St. John's Lutheran Church, $5,970.89 4.Rivercliff Lutheran Church, $5,734.00 5.Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, $5,392.00 6.Grace Lutheran Church, Carrollton, $5,033.00 7.Christ the Lord Lutheran Church, $3,605.00 8.Epiphany Lutheran Church, Conyers, $2,851.00 9.Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, $2,616.00 10.Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Woodstock, $2,558.50
Congratulations to Trinity Lutheran Church and all the other top churches in this year's Hunger Walk fundraising challenge! Thanks for making the Hunger Walk an incredible success!
Beauty and the Beast, Rapunzel, the books of Dr. Seuss: these stories have animated the childhoods of kids across America for many years. On Wednesday, May 22, 50 elementary school students at Indian Creek Elementary School in Clarkston, Georgia became the newest readers of these classic tales—and they were ecstatic about it.
Thanks to a gift from the West Metro Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and several Lutheran churches—Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Hiram, Grace Lutheran Church in Carrollton, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Douglasville, and Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Douglasville—each student in LSG’s After School Academic/Arts Program (ASAP) received a book to read this summer. During ASAP, children from refugee families and at-risk youth stay at school in the afternoon to complete their homework, go on field trips, and participate in other fun activities, including book clubs. Having practiced reading books in English throughout the year, they will be more than ready to embark on their summer reading adventure, whether it be There’s A Wocket in my Pocket! or any of the other children’s stories they received on Wednesday!
When LSG staff members arrived in the Media Center of Indian Creek Elementary School pulling a cart with boxes of books on it, a hush fell over the students seated at the tables. That silence was soon broken. Once the children received their books, they began flipping through the pages, chattering with their neighbors. Clutching a book to her chest, one girl declared that she was never going to let it go. Another boy stood up and, with the ingenuousness of a six-year-old, told the LSG staff members, “Thank you for bringing something to us. We love you.”
The real thanks goes to the West Metro Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and the Lutheran churches that provided the books. Thank you for giving these children something to read this summer and for filling them with such excitement and joy. We appreciate your contributions!
In honor of May being National Foster Care Month, Lutheran Services of Georgia (LSG) would like to recognize the compassionate people who make a difference in children’s lives by serving as foster parents, advocates, social workers and volunteers. This month and throughout the year, LSG works in conjunction with these generous individuals to find and support loving foster homes for children in Georgia. LSG provides specialized foster care services to healthy infants and children who are medically fragile, children with autism and other developmental delays, large sibling groups, and teenagers with behavioral and mental health challenges. In order to give these children and youth the support that they need, we rely on the dedication of foster parents and other caregivers. “Our foster parents are committed and compassionate people with a heart for children,” says Taylor Brand, Program Manager for Foster Care. “They are highly trained and heavily supported by an amazing team of social workers. From our longtime foster parents to those newly recruited, we are grateful to have them on our team providing a home and a family for Georgia’s most vulnerable population.”
“Foster parents are the heart of our department,” adds Latrice Stowe, Clinical Supervisor for Foster Care. “Without loving and committed foster parents we would not be able to do the work that we do. Foster parents play such a vital role in the lives of those children who come into the foster care system with an array of problems associated with child abuse and/or neglect. Foster parents nurture, love, and take the time and dedication to meet the basic needs of care for the children placed in their home.”
On June 8, LSG will be hosting a cookout to celebrate the contributions of these wonderful foster parents. If you would like to join us in thanking them by contributing a gift, you can send checks or gift cards to:
Lutheran Services of Georgia 100 Edgewood Ave. NE, Suite 1800 Atlanta, GA 30303
LSG thanks all its amazing foster parents and the people who support them and our foster care program in other ways!
Sitting in the bleachers with a bright sun overhead, munching on peanuts, listening to an umpire barking behind home plate: this setting is familiar and precious for many of us. Baseball is, after all, “America’s Pastime.” Yet for others, watching baseball is an odd activity: it can be difficult to understand the bizarre movements and confusing rules, not to mention the peculiar snacks like hot dogs and boiled peanuts that are served there.
For Tun, That, Zin Ko, and Mu, four Burmese refugees who recently came to Savannah as refugees, baseball was an introduction to American culture. On a Thursday afternoon in May, Allison and Jim Ward, two dedicated LSG supporters, treated these four Burmese refugees to a Sand Gnats ballgame. Allison and Jim explained to them how to score runs, as well as what the strikes, balls, and outs on the scoreboard meant. They also bought some nachos and boiled peanuts for the newcomers to try. Although a little hesitant about the food, the four guests tried the nachos and peanuts and enjoyed watching the game.
LSG thanks Allison and Jim for the hospitality that they showed to the four Burmese men and women. Tun, That, Zin Ko, and Mu appreciated that people wanted to take them to a sports game and teach them about American culture. You, too, can help us welcome refugees by taking them to a community event or spending time with them in other ways. If you would like to join us in welcome, please contact Deidre Harrison (dharrison@lsga.org) in Savannah or Melanie Johnson (mjohnson@lsga.org) in Atlanta.
For the past five years, Trinity Presbyterian Church in Atlanta has partnered with LSG’s Refugee Services to set up apartments for newly arrived refugee families. During those five years, Trinity has helped to resettle seven families, and on Saturday, April 20, they helped two more families move in to their homes in Clarkston.
On April 20, Trinity held its annual “Trinity Serves Day.” After eating breakfast and worshiping with other members of the congregation, 18 volunteers from the church drove out to Clarkston—a couple riding in a big moving truck—to set up the two apartments. Having already collected furniture and household items throughout the past several months, some of the more muscular volunteers began to lug chairs, mattresses, lamps, and other items into the apartment. Others cleaned and dusted the floors and counters. While the crew was busy at work, another volunteer took the families to the store to stock up on groceries. It was truly a team effort.
Although they complete a major task on “Trinity Serves Day” by furnishing a home, the volunteers were not done helping out the families on that Saturday afternoon. Throughout the year, they will continue to visit the families to help them improve their English, purchase some groceries for them until they qualify for food stamps, and provide other practical support. They are committed to welcoming these newcomers to Georgia, and for this LSG thanks Trinity Presbyterian Church and its 18 volunteers!
Zin Ko, a recently arrived Burmese refugee in Savannah, had been walking to his ESL classes because he did not have any other means of transportation. If he used public transportation from his apartment to his class, he would have to travel on several buses, since no bus would take him directly there. This trip would take him more than two hours to complete. He preferred to walk, which took him about an hour and a half. Although the walk was shorter than the ride, it cost him in other ways: the sun burned his skin, and he was tired by the time that he got to class. He did not know what to do about this problem.
On a recent morning in May, Zin Ko arrived at LSG’s office in Savannah for employment training as usual. However, Deidre Harrison, Program Manager for Refugee Services in Savannah, had a surprise for him that day. She told him to go out into the parking lot and look at her car. Resting against the side of her vehicle was a bicycle, donated to LSG by Virginia Huber, a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and sister of LSG’s Linda Larson.
When Zin Ko saw the bike, he was ecstatic. He knew that his commute to class would be only 30 minutes now. In addition, he could explore the city with the other recently arrived Burmese family who already had bikes. LSG thanks Virginia for helping Zin Ko get to work faster and know the city better!
With the sun shining brightly and a brisk wind blowing through the course, around 60 golfers joined Lutheran Services of Georgia on Monday, May 13 for the 19th Annual Atlanta Golf Classic at Heritage Golf Links. Enjoying the beautiful weather, the golfers relished the opportunity to play the game that they love while benefiting people in need.
After the round of golf, the players gathered in the clubhouse to wait for the most important part of the afternoon: the awards. A team from Lutheran Church of the Resurrection finished in third place, and the top two teams came from Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. The second place team included John Timpe, LSG’s golf outing stalwart, along with Chris Henry, Doug Hollowell, and Bruce Kollin. The first place team comprised Joe Hensley, Robert Hutchinson, Mark Kupciewicz, and Joe Ruggles. Congratulations to the winners of the Atlanta Golf Classic, and thanks to the many golfers who joined us on a gorgeous day to help us serve people in need throughout Georgia!
Now is your last chance to sign up for the 19th Annual Atlanta Golf Classic! Join us at Heritage Golf Links on Monday for a round of golf, hamburger/hot dog cook out, and silent auction. It's going to be a delightful spring day, warm and sunny. You get to practice your swing for the summer golfing season while helping people in need throughout Georgia--two great reasons to join us on Monday! Book your place for $110 by clicking here and putting "Atlanta Golf Classic" in the comments section. Please email Jeff (jbanks@lsga.org) or Lorraine (ldorough@lsga.org) for more information. We'll see you out there!
In the fellowship hall of the Clarkston International Bible Church, 12 men and women gathered together, speaking different languages from around the world. Although they did not share a language, they did all have one thing in common: each was holding a MARTA Breeze card. With this card in hand, they marched out of the hallway, moving toward the bus stop nearby.
On Thursday, LSG’s Refugee Services hosted one of its Extended Cultural Orientation (ECO) classes. During this session, newly arrived refugees from Burma, Somalia, Iran, Iraq, Bhutan, and the Congo learned how to take the train from Clarkston to LSG’s office downtown. Because these men and women will take trains and buses to find jobs, attend English classes, and visit new friends, they were learning an important skill. Along the way, there were a few surprises for the many individuals who had never used public transportation to travel around a city: during a brief talk on pedestrian safety, some were astounded to learn that crossing the street without a signal might earn them a ticket! After having a snack and participating in a quick debrief at LSG’s office, they were on their way back to Clarkston, practicing the skills they learned in identifying East, West, North, and South signs at the station.
The ECO program comprises nine classes, each one imparting new skills and facts about life in the United States to refugee clients. Other sessions include lessons on healthcare in the U.S., home management, personal safety, and U.S. laws and expectations. By the end of the program, the newly arrived refugee men and women will be on their way to gaining the self-sufficiency and cultural competency that they need to thrive in their communities.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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!
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.
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!
©2024 Inspiritus 501(c)(3)
731 Peachtree Street NE, Suite. B, Atlanta, Ga 30308
Phone 404-875-0201 Or 800-875-5645
