Eye on LSSI A look at Lutheran Social Services of Illinois · PDF file · 2015-05-21A look at Lutheran Social Services of Illinois SPRING 2005 ... Unless you are already reading this

Eye on LSSIA look at Lutheran Social Services of Illinois

SPRING 2005

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Managing Editor andPhotographerJo Ann Dollard

Art Director Pam Maremont

Contributing WritersBeth Demes, John Murphy, Cindy

Novak, Tracy Sadlon, Dan Schwick,Cheryl SooHoo and Elise Zwicky

Lutheran Social Services ofIllinois is the statewide socialservice agency of the Illinois

synods of the EvangelicalLutheran Church in America.

Frederick Aigner, Pastor President

Mark C. GermanoVice President of Advancement

John William MurphySenior Director of Marketing

M I S S I O N S T A T E M E N TResponding to the Gospel,

Lutheran Social Services of Illinois

brings healing, justice and wholeness

to people and communities.

V I S I O N S T A T E M E N TLutheran Social Services of Illinois,

as one agency with many expressions,

will create community by graciously

serving as both the employer and

provider of choice.

ON THE COVER…A volunteer builder working duringHabitat for Humanity's “Blitz Build”in East St. Louis, Ill. Three homeswere built in June 2004 using wallsbuilt by Hardin County Work Campprisoners who participate in LSSI’sBuilding Homes: Rebuilding Livesprogram, celebrating its 10thanniversary this year.

An agency ofthe United Way

Lutheran Social Services of Illinois does notdiscriminate in admission to programs oremployment in compliance with the law.

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www.LSSI.org

Eye on LSSISpring 2005 • Volume 20, Number 1

2Celebrating a Decade of PartnershipBuilding Homes: Rebuilding Lives, a partnershipbetween LSSI, the Illinois Department of Corrections,Habitat for Humanity and School District 428, offersinmates the opportunity to give back to the community.

6Home Is Where Your Heart Is

The P.A. Peterson Center for Health offers a wide rangeof living options for seniors, as well as services to the

greater Rockford community.

10Healing Families: A Community EffortFamily to Family works to keep children in their neigh-borhoods whenever possible and to speed reunificationof families separated by abuse and neglect.

16Second Family: A Legacy of HopeFor 12 years, Second Family helped HIV-infected womenmake permanency plans for their children and find sup-port and a sense of community.

From My Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Advocacy Agenda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

The Big Picture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Our People, Our Strength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

13A Spirit of Caring

New awards highlight special volunteers throughoutthe state for their unique contributions to LSSI’s work.

PHOTO: JIM BALOGH

Spring 2005 • Eye on LSSI • • • 1

Iwonder what the Rev. Dr. William A. Passavant wouldhave made of the Worldwide Web. The Web hascertainly made a lot of Dr. Passavant and his influenceon the Lutheran Church in America. “Google” him (i.e.,

conduct an online search for information about him) andyou’ll find page after page about the man and his ministry.

William Alfred Passavant (1821-1894), born in Pennsylvaniato Huguenot parents, was a graduate of my alma mater,Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg. He became apublisher, so he probably would have appreciated the Web’sability to disseminate ideas and reach a worldwide audiencewithout having to set lead type or ink a press.

But, according to the Website of the Evangelical LutheranChurch in America, www.elca.org, Passavant’s life wasdevoted principally to the founding and administration ofbenevolent institutions. “So great was Passavant’s influenceon American Lutheranism,” according to the ELCA, “thatsome church historians refer to 1849-1893 as ‘The PassavantEra.’ He touched much of the church’s life from East to mid-west….” In the process, he touched the lives of theindividuals who would live, work and volunteer at theChildren’s Home at Andover, the first program of whatwould later become Lutheran SocialServices of Illinois (LSSI).

Former LSSI executive the Rev.John Petersen, in his “SocialMinistries of the Lutheran Church inIllinois,” (published in 1992),introduces us to Dr. Passavant in hismanuscript:

The children’s home at Andover was the firstLutheran charitable institution in Illinois and one ofthe earliest in the nation. When the Augustana Synodmet in Chicago on June 25, 1863, for its fourthannual convention, the Rev. Dr. William A. Passavant,a pastor of the Pittsburg Synod, and an untiringpromoter of Lutheran social ministry, delivered afiery and challenging discourse on the themes ofChristian charities.

Warmed and inspired, the synod decided to proceedwith the establishment of an orphanage. Funds for theproposed institution had already begun to accumulateas a result of the action taken at the 1862 conventionin Vasa, MN.What really caused me to wonder about Dr. Passavant and

the Web was a footnote to Petersen’s history. He relates howthe Lutheran Home for children in Germantown, Pa., wasestablished. A woman named Elisabeth Schaeffer attended apreaching mission conducted by the Lutheran pastor (“fieryand challenging discourses apparently were Dr. Passavant’s

modus operandi,” notes Petersen). After the service, Dr.Passavant handed Ms. Schaeffer a one dollar bill andchallenged her to multiply it. She did. As a result, children inneed received care.

Were Dr. Passavant alive today, I have no doubt that hewould be handing people access to online resources andchallenging them to multiply funds available to serve those inneed. So today I would like to challenge you to do just that.

Unless you are already reading this column online, you’llneed to put down this issue of Eye on LSSI and visit ourWebsite at www.LSSI.org. If you do not have Internet access,most every library offers it. On our home page you will find alink to “The LSSI Webathon.” Between now and the close ofour fiscal year on June 30, 2005, we are asking you to help usshare the good news with your friends and family about thework of Lutheran Social Services of Illinois. Through anonline resource called “Friends Asking Friends,” we are alsoasking you to invite your friends and family to join you insupporting the work of LSSI by making a contribution.

Having tried this new technology myself, I can reportthat it’s easy and fun. After registering, you can quickly setup your own Web page and e-mail friends and family. Soon

after we launched this new initiative, our first 20participants donated around $1,000 — an average gift ofabout $50. You may already support the agency throughour direct mail appeals or other means. Now you can, inthe spirit of Dr. Passavant, “multiply” your support of LSSIand “become an untiring promoter of Lutheran socialministry” online, whatever your religious beliefs may be.

In doing so, you will be helping us to attract new donors— especially younger donors. Our supporters are especiallyloyal and long-term, for which we are most grateful. Bringingin a new generation of online donors can only bode well forthe continued success of the agency in bringing healing,justice and wholeness to people and communities as wefulfill our gospel-based mission.

What would Dr. Passavant have made of the WorldwideWeb? Ministry, most likely. And thanks to “Friends AskingFriends,” you can, too.

from my perspective

Frederick Aigner, PastorPresident, LSSI

Now you can, in the spirit of Dr. Passavant, “multiply”your support of LSSI and “become an untiring promoter of

Lutheran social ministry” online…

2 • • • Eye on LSSI • Spring 2005

CELEBRATING A DECADE OF PARTNERSHIP

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and Family Ministry in 1995, theBuilding Homes: Rebuilding Livesprogram has helped inmates of 18prisons around the state to contributeto the construction of 260 Habitat forHumanity homes in Illinois andneighboring states. The project fostersthe philosophy of restorative justice byoffering more than 400 incarceratedyouth and adults each yearthe opportunity to give backto the community — close byand at large. In the process,they gain valuable trade skillsand a sense of self-worth thatwill hopefully help them moveforward in a positive directionafter their release from prison.

All of the partners bringsomething to the BuildingHomes program “table,” orHabitat home, in this case.Habitat provides the site forthe housing, selectsappropriate families andrecruits communityvolunteers. IDOC inmates supplyskilled labor, assembling panelizedhousing components on prisongrounds. School District 428contributes instruction throughprison-based vocational teachers whorecruit motivated inmates interestedin learning the building trades and

hen Shelli Gresham and her twochildren saw the wood framing of

their new Habitat for Humanity homefor the first time, they fought over the

bedrooms they each wanted to claim.The single mom recalls, “I won.”

This resident of Springfield, however,wasn’t the only winner involved in the1,200-square-foot house she and herfamily helped build in 2002. Thanks to adecade-long partnership of the IllinoisDepartment of Corrections (IDOC),School District 428, Habitat forHumanity and Lutheran Social Servicesof Illinois (LSSI), the buildingcomponents that currently support theGresham home go beyond lumber andnails. Built by incarcerated men andjuveniles in Illinois for local Habitat forHumanity affiliates, walls and rooftrusses that eventually become housingfor low-income families demonstratethe success of LSSI’s program BuildingHomes: Rebuilding Lives. In 2000, itbecame a winner of the national Mutualof America Community PartnershipAward for outstanding collaborationbetween the public and private sectors.

Established by the agency’s Prisoner

achieving a future vastly differentfrom their recent past.

Before he received an eight-yearsentence for drug charges, TyroneMarshall, 40, built homes for a livingas a contractor and had once ownedhis own small construction company.Marshall reduced his time in prison tothree years through good behavior

and was released in late January.During the past year and a half, hehelped build seven Habitat houses atthe Hardin County Work Camp inCave-In-Rock, as well as dollhousesfor Building Homes’ fundraisingauctions. He viewed the LSSI programas a way to tune up his building skills,

ECADE OF PARTNERSHIPLSSI’s Building Homes: Rebuilding Lives

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Volunteers work on one of three homes built duringlast June’s Habitat for Humanity “Blitz Build” inEast St. Louis. Prisoners from the Hardin CountyWork Camp with construction instructor Bill Schell(right) built walls for these houses.

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fuel his passion for building homes,and turn a negative situation into apositive one for himself and others.

“The program lets you know thatyou can get back out into the worldand do something constructive,” saysMarshall, who used his previousconstruction knowledge to assistfellow vocational skills students withtheir homework. “You find there ismore to life than staying in the ‘yuck.’”

Program answers a needIn 2004, the Illinois Department of

Corrections reported a prisonpopulation of 44,379 adults and 1,603juveniles. In 1995, IDOC statisticsshowed 37,852 adults and 1,631juveniles in Illinois prisons. While thenumbers were marginally better 10years ago, Pastor Jack Nordgaard, thenfounder and executive director of LSSI’sPrisoner and Family Ministry program,clearly saw a need to help inmates of allages and genders to develop the skillsand outlook on life they would requireto reintegrate into society.

Concerned with the high rate ofrecidivism (released inmates returningto prison), Nordgaard was continuallysearching for ways to provideprisoners with marketable skills and,eventually, future sustainableemployment. Nordgaard, who retired in1996, remarks, “There is almost aguarantee that those who don’t findjobs will be back in prison.” In fact,more than 50 percent of adult and 45percent of youth inmates found theirway back to Illinois prisons withinthree years of their release in 2001,according to IDOC figures.

In 1991, Nordgaard hit upon the ideaof what would become the BuildingHomes: Rebuilding Lives program whilehearing a keynote address of MillardFuller, who founded the not-for-profitHabitat for Humanity. During thepresentation’s Q&A session held at aChicago-area college (an LSSI-sponsoredsymposium held during a weekend whenFuller received LSSI’s Amicus Certus

Award), Nordgaard asked Fuller, “Whydon’t you have a program for prisonersto work in Habitat whereby they canhelp build homes for low-incomefamilies?” Fuller quipped, “Because youhaven’t started it!”

So Nordgaard did just that byapproaching the warden of aminimum-security prison for women inKankakee and gaining her buy-in. “Thewarden loved the idea,” he remembers.“We [LSSI] then went ahead and hireda construction manager to work withthe prisoners to rehab a house.” Whenthe female inmates completed theproject, Nordgaard recalls their joy.“They were so happy they dancedthrough the home.”

From that point forward, theBuilding Homes program graduallyexpanded as Nordgaard and his thenpart-time staff member, Jane Otte, wentto work matching willing partnersamong individual IDOC facilities andHabitat for Humanity affiliates. Otte,who became executive director of LSSI’sPrisoner and Family Ministry afterNordgaard’s retirement, explains, “Wewould also raise money to help pay forraw building materials as an incentive

for Habitat affiliates to partner with us.” LSSI funds projects through

activities such as an annual“Hammering Out a Partnership”auction; the event raised $10,000 forraw building materials in 2004.

“Our role is to build partnershipsand connect people who are willing towork toward a common goal,” explainsOtte. “This program is a terrific modelof the best of what we as humanbeings can do and be together.”

Connecting peopleA national and international

organization, Habit for Humanityallows its more than 1,500 affiliatesaround the country some leeway inchoosing how their walls and trusseswill be constructed. Many usecommunity volunteers working underthe supervision of a tradesperson.Others decide to form prisonpartnerships, according to ChristineTa, prison partnership director forHabitat for Humanity International,based in Americus, Georgia.

“Our mission is to provide homesfor people living in substandardhousing worldwide. We can’t do this

Antionette Perry working on the roof of her new home in East St. Louis during the Habitat Blitz Build last June.


alone,” declares Ta. “Whether in thefree or the incarcerated world, weappreciate the hands, hearts andminds of every one of our volunteers.”

While several affiliates across theUnited States began prisonpartnerships, Illinois’ Habitat groupsdistinguished themselves throughLSSI’s program early on. Says Ta,“Illinois was first to use inmates tocreate housing components.”

“The program not only keepshousing affordable,” says Pam Hallett,president of the board for Windy CityHabitat for Humanity in Chicago, “butalso offers a great way for volunteersto see progress rapidly.” Once wallpanels are shipped to a site, thebuilding of a home goes quickly.

From as far north as Rockford to asfar south as Harrisburg, 26 IllinoisHabitat affiliates participated in LSSI’sprogram in 2004.

“The Building Homes program is onethat uniquely works in Illinois,” assertsStuart Barnes Jamieson, affiliatesupport manager for Habitat’s MidwestResource Center. “Unlike other placesin the country, it is very strong in thisstate because, in part, it connectspeople with each other. There is anexpectation and an opportunity foraffiliates to bring volunteers andfamilies to the prisons to meet theinmates who helped build their houses.”

Shelli Gresham, for example,brought her family to the TaylorvilleCorrectional Center, where inmateshad erected the frame of her houseonsite at the prison. The vocationalskills students gave the Greshams atour of their house and presented thechildren with housewarming gifts theyhad made. Daughter Miranda receiveda table and son Kyle, a bookstand.

“Visiting the facility was daunting, butthis experience helped me realize thateven though these inmates had madeserious mistakes, they now wanted tomake something of their lives and rectifythose mistakes,” shares Gresham. “Byhelping me, I was helping them.”

Bringing victims, offenders andcommunity members together falls inline with the goal of restorativejustice. Habitat home recipients put areal face on communities harmed bythe crimes committed by prisoners.

“Many of the inmates are trying togive something back to a communitythat they have taken something from,”says Dan Frachey, executive directorof Habitat for Humanity – SangamonCounty, which arranged theGreshams’ prison tour. “The Habitathomeowner represents community.”

IDOC: offering opportunitiesfor skill development

The safety and security of the publicremains at the forefront of the IllinoisDepartment of Corrections’ mission.Yet IDOC’s goals extend much furtherto giving prisoners a chance to leadconstructive, and not destructive, livesonce they leave prison.

“A majority of inmates will bereleased, and their success depends, inpart, on the preparation we providethem,” explains Sergio Molina,executive assistant to the director,IDOC, in Springfield. “Our perspectiveis that if we are going to use taxpayerdollars to incarcerate people who havebroken laws, then we must give theseindividuals an opportunity to changetheir behavior or lifestyle. It is aresponsibility we take on as a society.”

Most IDOC facilities offervocational programming. For example,David Sharpe, a constructionoccupation instructor, teaches inmatesat Taylorville the basics of drafting,carpentry, plumbing, electrical,masonry, and paint and wallpaper in aeight-month course. Sharpe has led hisstudents through the construction of70 houses for Habitat through LSSI’sprogram since 1998.

“What is neat about BuildingHomes is that it provides the hands-ontraining that we absolutely need todevelop productive members ofsociety,” says Sharpe. You can only

learn so much from reading and testtaking. Until you put on the nail apronand frame and carry walls, you can’treally get a feel for building a house.”

While following the progress ofreleased inmates can prove difficult,Sharpe occasionally hears of thesuccesses of past students. Some havestarted to rebuild their lives with theskills they learned in his course and theconnections they made through LSSI.

“Recently I was talking to a memberof the Windy City affiliate, and he saida friend of mine said to say hello,”shares Sharpe. “It was one of myformer students. He was released a fewmonths ago and now is helping tocoordinate volunteers for the Habitataffiliate. That news made my day.”

Celebrating partnershipA decade later and still going strong,

the Building Homes: RebuildingLives program will soon celebrate itspartnerships at two of the program’sparticipating prisons: DixonCorrectional Center in northern Illinoisand Big Muddy Correctional Center inthe southern part of the state. Laterthis year, a third gathering at IDOC’sheadquarters in the state capital willtop off the much-deserved recognitionof all who have contributed to theaccomplishments of this uniqueinitiative. In the meantime, theprogram plans to reach a goal of 300Habitat homes built by the end of thisanniversary year, as well as look forother opportunities to grow.

“We would like to more fully utilizethe potential for construction usingthe help of inmates,” says JohnHolmes, coordinator of the BuildingHomes program, “by developing alarger market and creating demand.”

Tyrone Marshall hopes to volunteerhis services to Habitat for Humanityand other organizations from outsideinstead of inside prison walls.

“All of my life I have goofedaround,” says Marshall. “Now, I justwant to help as many people as I can.”

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Before moving to LutheranSocial Services of Illinois’P.A. Peterson Center forHealth in Rockford last

August, Darleen Stites felt alone,burdened by the upkeep of her house,and afraid of going out by herself,especially at night.

Today, Darleen, an 87-year-oldwidow, lives in one of P.A. Peterson’s13 independent-living apartments. Shehas new friends and participates inmany of “P.A.’s” activities and outings.She now has more time to do thethings she enjoys, such asvolunteering each week at a nearbyhospital and at P.A. Peterson’s giftshop, and training to become acommissioned Barnabas minister. Anadded bonus of living at P.A., she says,is the scenic view she has ofSinnissippi Park.

“When the sun shines, myapartment is [especially] beautiful,”she says. “…P.A. Peterson is a blessing

from the Lord, straight down fromheaven.”

Like Darleen, Marshall Grans, an85-year-old widower, lives in one ofP.A.’s apartments. Marshall says heappreciates the new friends he hasmade since moving two years ago, the

friendly staff, “excellent” food, andvariety of activities, such as summercookouts at P.A. and excursions toWhite Pines State Park, in Oregon.

“Living here has made a bigdifference for me,” Marshall says. “I’vemet so many people, and I get out anddo more. If I were still at home, Iwouldn’t have all of that.”

Darleen and Marshall are typical of125 residents who call P.A. Petersonhome. P.A. offers a wide range of livingoptions, from apartments, to long-termnursing and hospice care. P.A. alsooffers many services, including in-patient and outpatient rehabilitation, acommunity fitness program, chapelservices and numerous special events,outings and activities.

Darleen and Marshall first came toP.A. Peterson through P.A.’s PathwayRehabilitative Care. Darleen hadbroken her hip and arm, and Marshallhad undergone a quadruple bypass.Both received physical therapy, nursing

northern illinois

HomeP . A . P E T E R S O N C E N T E R F O R H E A L T H

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Is Where Your Heart Is

Marshall Grans, who lives in one P.A.’sapartments, says, “Living here has made a bigdifference for me.”


care and other treatment to help themrecover. While there, both Darleen andMarshall discovered P.A. Petersonoffered apartment living. Both wereeager to make the change from theloneliness of living by themselves andthe responsibility of maintaining theirown homes to a more carefree lifestyle.

Continuum of CarePeggy Holt, administrator, says as

residents’ needs change, there’s still aplace for them at P.A. “We can meet theneeds of our residents because we offera full continuum of care,” Holt says.“Residents can maintain the lifestyles towhich they have become accustomed,and can continue with the relationshipsthey have developed with staff andother residents. They can stay righthere in the same place where they havemade their home.”

That continuum of care is reassuringto Donna Devries, whose 87-year-oldmother, Johanna Krahenbuhl, receivesnursing care at P.A. Donna says hermother has developed friendships atP.A., and continues to enjoy variousactivities and social events.

Donna says her mother considersP.A. Peterson “home.” Johanna haslived at P.A. since 2000, joining herhusband, Earl, who came a year earlier.They shared a room at P.A. until Earldied in January. Donna says theactivities and people at P.A. Petersoncomfort her mother as she grieves.

“The activity people have reallybeen great,” Donna says. “They try toget her out of her room as much aspossible. Otherwise, she would sit byherself and think [about her loss]. Atmealtime, she sits with friends andconverses. That helps, too.”

Holistic CareOverall, Donna says she is satisfied

with the care her mother receives. “Thestaff really care — and are dependable,”Donna says. “The care she receives, theactivities and outings make her stay asenjoyable as possible.”

Jan Stenstrom also is happy withthe care her 87-year-old mother, LillianManning, receives in P.A.’s BergmarkVilla Alzheimer’s Unit. “Since Mom’sgone to P.A. we have peace of mind,”Jan says. She says it is P.A.’s “totalcare” — from offering fun activities toproviding “above-and-beyond specialcare” — that gives her that peace.

For example, staff members andresidents recently celebrated ChineseNew Year, singing karaoke andenjoying egg rolls and fortune cookies.They have monthly birthday parties,and each Christmas, staff members

P.A. Peterson Center for Health has been caring for the community since 1941.


become “secret Santas,” giving gifts totheir chosen special residents.

Jan says “it’s the little things,” likestaff putting on her mother’s make-up,cleaning her glasses and offering herspecial treats, like her favorite —candy — that make life as pleasant aspossible for her mother. “When I seemom saying, ‘I love you’ to a staffmember — and she says it with suchsincerity — I can tell the staff is sogood to her … we’ve always beenhappy we chose P.A,” Jan says.

For information on P.A. Peterson,call Chris Hintzsche at 815/399-8832.

Upon his death in 1927, Pehr August Peterson, anindustrialist and financier in Rockford, bequeathed$500,000 to build a home for aged people. Since openingits doors in 1941, P.A. Peterson Center for Health hasoffered a continuum of care to the Rockford community,and has continually adapted to the changing needs ofcustomers and the healthcare industry with quality care,dignity and respect. “We have an excellent reputation forall the levels of care we provide,” Holt says. “We’re well-known in the community — we have strong roots here.”

P.A. Peterson Center for Health is Medicare andMedicaid certified and licensed by the IllinoisDepartment of Public Health, and offers:• Apartment living—13 independent apartments

located on the second floor. Services include weeklyhousekeeping, general maintenance, scheduledactivities and reserved parking.

• Sheltered care/assisted living—offers meals,medication administration and weekly housekeeping,while maintaining and enhancing independent living.

• Pathway Rehabilitative Care—renowned servicebridges the gap between the hospital and home. Providesfull-time physical, occupational and speech therapistsand licensed nursing care in mostly private rooms.

• Center for Outpatient Rehabilitation—providescontinued rehabilitative treatment after returning home.

• Freedom through Functionality—offers acommunity fitness program, tailored to individuals overage 50, for a low monthly membership fee.

• Long-term nursing care• Bergmark Villa Alzheimer’s Unit—meets the special

needs of individuals with Alzheimer’s, dementia andrelated disorders. Provides care and support tomaintain quality of life, retain personal dignity andmaximize independence.

• Hospice care• Chaplain and dietitian• Barnabas Caregiving Program—Barnabas ministers

provide friendship and a listening ear to residentsfacing loneliness, health problems and other difficultiesrelated to aging.

• Buffet dining and/or menu service• Numerous activities and outings—includes events like

happy hour every Friday, and a Country/Western night.Outings include bus service to grocery stores, and specialexcursions to such places as downtown Chicago and thezoo in Madison, Wis.

• Gift shop—the Friends of P.A. Peterson auxiliarymanages the gift shop and all proceeds benefit P.A.residents.

A Closer Look at P.A. Peterson Center for Health

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Resident Johanna Krahenbuhl enjoys a visit withher daughter Donna Devries in one of P.A.s manyalcove areas.

Earlier this year, PresidentGeorge W. Bushintroduced his budgetproposal for the nextfederal fiscal year that

begins on October 1. At about thesame time, Governor Rod Blagojevichintroduced his budget proposal for thenext state fiscal year that begins onJuly 1. In both cases, the budgetblueprint was only the first salvo inwhat will undoubtedly prove to bemonths-long struggles withinlegislative bodies. And in both cases,the final budgets may have littleresemblance to what was introduced.

Budget proposals, and the eventualfederal and state budgets that willemerge, are more than financialdocuments; they are always statementsof priorities. Budgets are more thanpolitical documents; they are moraldocuments.

What do the proposed state andfederal budgets say about the prioritiesof their authors? In both cases, theproposals are based on maintainingcurrent or even reduced levels oftaxation for individuals andbusinesses. Care for the neediestpeople in our society is a second, thirdor even lower priority. Appealing tothe immediate self-interests of themany of us who have plenty takespriority over the basic needs of themany in our society who have lessthan necessary to provide for the dailyneeds of themselves and their families.

Do these priorities seem consistentwith the ethic of Jesus as portrayed inthe Bible? Many Lutherans areconcluding that there is a huge — andwidening — gap between the prioritiesof our governments and the prioritiesof Jesus and of the Old Testament

prophetic tradition with which Jesusclearly identified (Luke 4:16ff).

In a new, best-selling book calledGod’s Politics: Why the Right Gets ItWrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It, theRev. Jim Wallis calls on Christian peopleand others of good will to unite aroundthe ethic of Jesus. Wallis is careful notto show disdain for the religiouscommitments of people in either majorpolitical party in America. But he doeschallenge people who claim to be doingGod’s will to make sure that they are, infact, aligning themselves with God,rather than simply claiming God’ssupport for “their side.”

It is said that the Bible containsmore than 3,000 verses devoted toGod’s concern for poor and otherwisevulnerable or marginalized people.Many more passages pertain to theresponsibility of the governingauthorities to be caretakers (stewards)of people in need. Ironically, all thetalk of “morality” in the last electiondidn’t even touch on this.

According to the biblical tradition,government IS responsible for the careof vulnerable members of society.According to the Declaration ofIndependence and U.S. Constitution,government is created by and alwaysremains accountable to “we thepeople.” Implied is the notion that “wethe people” do not just elect ourgovernment officials and then forgetabout them. Rather, we the people havean ongoing responsibility to monitorthe work of our elected officials and tooffer words of encouragement oradmonition to them as they carry ontheir work on our behalf.

To support our responsibility tomonitor and offer feedback to ourgovernment officials — and to do so

from a Lutheran faith perspective —the Evangelical Lutheran Church inAmerica (ELCA) has formed publicpolicy advocacy offices. On thefederal level, the ELCA maintains theLutheran Office for GovernmentalAffairs (LOGA) in Washington, D.C.On the state level in Illinois, the ELCAhas partnered with the three ELCAsynods in the state and LutheranSocial Services of Illinois (LSSI) tocreate and maintain the LutheranNetwork for Justice Advocacy (LNJA).

The purpose of both LOGA andLNJA is to help support the activecitizenship/stewardship/discipleship ofELCA members and other people whocare about promoting the commongood. The offices track legislation thatmay have an impact on justice in ourcommon life. The social teachings ofthe ELCA are the foundation for thework of these public policy offices.

The key to making a difference instate and national policy debates isengaging the grassroots in ourcongregations. More and more, thepublic policy offices seek to encourageELCA members to speak up rather thanrelying on lobbyists — professionalspokespersons — to speak for them andthe church.

To find out more about how theELCA, LNJA and LSSI support theactive and faithful citizenship ofLutheran disciples, please check outthe following Internet sites:www.ELCA.org/advocacy andwww.LutheranAdvocacy.org

Use the sites to educate yourselfabout current public policy issuesregarding the care of people in need,the care and stewardship of creationand other relevant public policy issues.Bookmark those sites and return tothem often to join your voice withthose of other Christian disciples towork toward the fulfillment of God’svision for the healing of the world.

advocacy agenda


Budget Time:A Time For “We The People”To Be Heard

Elizabeth Richmond has seen many changes in the 12 yearsthat she’s been a licensed foster parent through LutheranSocial Services of Illinois (LSSI).

The most dramatic and most encouraging change has takenplace in the last three years with the introduction of Family toFamily, an Annie E. Casey Foundation initiative that involvescommunity collaboration and a goal to heal families involvedin the child welfare system.

“I wish there would have been a program like this when wefirst started fostering,” says Richmond, who has adopted threeof her foster children. “We wandered into [fostering] clueless.We were smart enough to know it was about a little bit morethan love, but we had no idea how complicated it would be.”


central/southern illinois

A Community EffortHealing Families: A Community Effort

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Family to Family was designed in1992 and first introduced in Alabama,New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Ohio,Maryland and parts of California. In2002, a pilot program was introducedin Illinois at two sites in Cook County,as well as in Rock Island and Peoria.LSSI has been involved from thebeginning with the program in RockIsland and Peoria.

The program is based onneighborhood and family-centeredprinciples with the goal being to keepchildren in their neighborhoodswhenever possible and to speedreunification of families.

“The philosophy is really differentnow,” says Richmond, who workspart-time as a Family to Family

coordinator with the Department ofChildren and Family Services (DCFS).“We were recruited to be fosterparents at a time when it was aboutrescuing children. The Department’sgoal today is to heal the family andreturn the children home. That’s notalways possible, but that is the goal.”

The four key strategies ofFamily to Family are:• Recruitment, training andsupport of foster families;• To build a wide range ofcommunity partnerships to create

a supportive environment forfamilies in crisis;

• Family Team Decision-Making,which brings together not just fosterparents and caseworkers, but alsobirth families and communitymembers in child placementdecisions; and

• Self-evaluation using hard data todrive decision-making.

LSSI is actively involved in all fourof the core strategies. In Peoria, PortiaHoyle, an LSSI foster parent recruiter,chairs the Family to FamilyRecruitment, Training, Licensure andSupport Committee, while DarlaKovanda, who handles foster parentand staff training for LSSI, co-chairsthe Self-Evaluation Committee. OtherLSSI workers serve on the TeamDecision-Making and BuildingCommunity Partner committees.

“I think LSSI, of all the privateagencies, has stepped up the most,”says Richmond. “They are very activeon the committees. They’rewonderfully supportive and also reallywilling to challenge things along theway to make people really thinkthrough what they’re doing. It makesme proud because I’m licensed there,

even though my role is more from aDCFS point-of-view at this point.”

Family to Family brings together anumber of public and privateagencies, including Catholic CharitiesDiocese of Peoria, Counseling andFamily Services, Children’s Home,Illinois Mentor, Lifeline and Camelot(a private agency that works witholder at-risk children).

“It’s a huge collaboration of manypeople, and we all work together,”says Portia Hoyle.

Hoyle’s committee in Peoria hasbeen working hard to recruit andmaintain foster families in threetargeted ZIP code areas from whichthe majority of children come into thechild welfare system.

“Our focus is to keep the childrenin their neighborhood, so they don’tlose all ties with friends and schools

and things of that nature,” Hoyle says.LSSI has always had a foster parent

support group, but Family to Familyhas expanded the effort. Fosterfamilies and their children are invitedto monthly meetings held at differenttimes and locations to accommodateeveryone and that feature speakers ontopics suggested by the parentsthemselves. Refreshments anddaycare are provided.

“What I’m hearing on a consistentbasis is they like the presenters, thelocation and the day care,” Hoyle says.“They get a few hours that are just forthem. They’re really taking advantageof it, and that’s a good thing.”

Another key part of Family toFamily is the team decision-makingmeeting (TDM), which is a new wayof determining a child’s placement.

“Before Family to Family, the DCFSinvestigator and supervisor would have

LSSI’s Family to Family Program

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gotten together and by themselves madea decision about the child’s placementwithout input from the family or thecommunity,” notes Bessie Rush, theFamily to Family community liaison.

A TDM pulls together the birth familyand anyone who can be considered partof their support system with a facilitatorand a community partner.

“They basically sit down around thetable and discuss all the strengths ofthe family and identify what otherstrengths are needed to prevent thechild from coming into care,” explainsKovanda.

“It’s a very positive time wheneverything is brought out on the table,and everyone participates in theevaluation. It might include theparents, grandparents, aunts anduncles, a pastor. And we always try tobring in someone from within thecommunity but outside the family whocan provide services to the family forwhatever issue they’re facing.”

Having participated in many TDMs,Richmond and Rush say the meetingscan get emotional and sometimeseven volatile.

“But I have seen a lot of successstories,” Rush says. “I’ve seencommunity partners take youngmothers with no real family supportunder their wing. What happens is theneighborhood social servicesbecomes the extended family.”

So far, about 42 community servicepartners have joined in the program tohelp families in crisis, Rush says.

Richmond still gets teary-eyedthinking about a recent TDM thatinvolved a young couple with a newbaby and an older child already infoster care.

“They really hoped to take thisbaby home, but we couldn’t do that,so the foster parent who had theother child agreed to take the babyhome,” Richmond says. “We had somepretty heated moments where theparents were angry that they couldn’ttake the baby home.”

An agreement was reached afterabout 90 minutes, however, and theteam went to the hospital, where thebaby was, to finish up some paperwork.

“The dad got up and disappeared.He had gone around the corner to thenursery and gotten permission fromthe nurse to show us his baby girl,”Richmond says.

“It was amazing. If you can takefrom a dad his baby, and he still feelsso proud and feels so supported andrespected that he feels like we’rethere willing to help and wants toshow you his baby, I think that is sucha different way of doing business. It’sall about healing families,” she adds.

Another powerful part of theprogram is the “ice-breaker meeting”in which birth parents and foster

parents meet face-to-face.“They meet and talk about the

child’s likes and dislikes. Does he likeCheerios or Frosted Flakes? Does hesleep with a light on or off at night?Does he hate or love his mathteacher?” Richmond explains, “Havingthat information helps the fosterparent make the child so much morecomfortable. It also hopefully beginsto eliminate the issue of the birthparent thinking that somehow it’s thefoster parent’s fault.”

Rush has seen very positive thingscome from ice-breaker meetings. Shecites one mom with a drug problem,who was upset and making threatsbefore she met with her child’s fostermother and realized that the womanwas taking good care of her child.

“Her fears subsided,” Rush adds.“It’s just a wonderful process. I hopethis becomes the norm. Not just inPeoria, but all over the country.”

Because the program is fairly newin Illinois, data is still being collectedto evaluate its effectiveness, saysKovanda. However, figures do showthat the number of children cominginto the foster care system in PeoriaCounty has declined from 396 in 2000to 128 in 2004.

As always, more volunteers areneeded to help this program succeed.Hoyle and Kovanda could use morecommunity support in providingrefreshments and door prizes for thefoster parent support group meetings.They can be reached at 309/671-0300.Rush has many volunteer opportunitiesavailable and can be reached at309/682-4621.

“I believe we’re lucky to be part ofthis pilot program, and I absolutelywant it to continue,” Rush says. “I’veseen a lot of success stories. Thisprogram is making a difference in thelives of children and keeping themsafe.”

The Goals of Family to Family

• Develop a system of neighborhood-based family foster care.• Assure that scarce family foster home resources are provided to all children who

must leave their families.• Reduce reliance on institutional or group care.• Increase the number and quality of foster families.• Speed reunification.• Reduce the lengths of stay in out-of-home care.• Decrease the overall numbers of children coming into out-of-home care.


They give their time andenergy with no thought of compensation. They come afterwork and on weekends. They come after they have senttheir children to school for the day. They come in theirretirement. They are young, old and middle-aged, andthey come from all walks of life.

They are the volunteers of Lutheran Social Services ofIllinois (LSSI), who do everything from providing servicesdirectly to clients to helping in the background toadminister or raise funding for programs. Their numbersstrengthen and enhance the mission of the organization.LSSI could not survive without them.

This year, LSSI is inaugurating a new annual awardsprogram to recognize the efforts of its many volunteers,which number approximately 900. Three award categorieshave been created: the Spirit of Caring; the Spirit ofGiving; and the Young Leaders Awards. Nominations arebased on a volunteer’s leadership and initiative in fund-raising, administering programs or serving clients. LSSI isgranting Spirit of Giving and Spirit of Caring Awards thisyear and hopes to promote and spur interest in the YoungLeaders Award for next year’s nominations.

“LSSI is such a large agency, and there are so manyvolunteers who are contributing to enhance the servicesthat we offer,” explains Beth Stockbridge, coordinator ofvolunteerism and church relations. “We wanted to havean awards program to recognize their efforts. There issuch a diversity of things that people are doing. Theawards help to highlight those people whom you

volunteers

A Spirit of CaringLSSI LAUNCHES AWARDS PROGRAM FOR VOLUNTEERS


otherwise might not hear about and who are integral towhat we are doing.”

This year, the Spirit of Giving Award, which recognizesvolunteers who assist in fundraising or administrativecapacities, is going to Howard Sauerman, who led aneffort to renovate an LSSI counseling office housed in theparsonage of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, in Villa Park.Two Spirit of Caring Awards, which recognize directservice to clients, are being given. One is being awardedto Wilson Kruger, who helped manage a multi-denominational relief effort for victims of a devastatingtornado that hit communities in southern tip of Illinois inMay 2003. The second is being awarded to a group of 11volunteers from two LSSI-sponsored programs at theDixon Correctional Center.

Spirit of Giving Award winner: Howard SauermanIn the spring of 2003, an appeal letter from LSSI got

Howard Sauerman, a member of St. Paul Lutheran Churchin Wheaton, thinking about volunteering. He called NancyLenz, program director of LSSI’s eight suburban church-based counseling centers to see what he could do to help.Thinking that LSSI’s West Suburban Counseling Center(Villa Park), located in the St. Paul’s Lutheran Churchparsonage, could use some dressing up, a surprised Lenzsaid, “Maybe we could use some painting.”

The tired exterior of the counseling center caughtHoward’s attention. Soon he was organizing a rehabilitation

effort, recruiting a crew of about 50 volunteers of all agesfrom six other Lutheran churches in the area. UnderHoward’s guidance, they quickly set about rebuilding theback stairs and new cellar door and repainting the exteriorof the old parsonage. Then they went on to the interior,laying new flooring and shoring up the sagging roof. Howardbecame active in the Thrivent chapter of his church andthrough it helped to raise $4,000 for materials and suppliesfor these projects. More recently, the tireless volunteer tookon other challenges, seeing to it that the roof was replaced(thanks to Showalter Roofing) and the attic was rehabbed.

Howard confesses that he is not handy. But his skills liein finding and inspiring those who are. His crew includedhis son, a plumber; his son-in-law, a carpenter; a paintingcontractor at his church; an architect; another contractorand youth from local congregations.

“Howard’s ‘Spirit of Caring’ is hard to contain,” saysLenz, in her nomination of him. “Working as we all do withsuch limited budgets, we are tremendously grateful for hiscommitment and dedication to the physical needs of ourprogram and for the friendships made along the way.”

Spirit of Caring Award winner: Wilson KrugerEver since he retired in 1995, Wilson Kruger, an active

member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Metropolis, hasbeen part of an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America(ELCA) team of volunteers who do construction workeach summer for churches that need repair.

But in the summer of 2003, Wilson cancelled hisparticipation in that program to serve his own community.In May, a deadly tornado had ripped a three-quarter-mileswath 38 miles long through several communities in Pope,Massac and Pulaski counties at the southern tip of Illinois.About 198 families suffered the devastation. Wilson’s homefortunately escaped the tornado’s path.

A disaster relief program consisting of aninterdenominational group that included Lutherans,United Methodists, Baptists and Mennonites wascoordinated out of the LSSI Southern Regional Office inMarion. “I had the privilege of working with 12congregations,” recalls Wilson, who was responsible forfollowing up on referrals from case managers, gatheringestimates for repairs, and scheduling and coordinating therepair work, helping some 41 families.

A few times, Wilson strapped on his tool belt. “I didn’twant my tools to get rusty, so I helped one family withsome additions to their house,” he says.

Todd Thorodopolis, the district case manager whooversaw the team, said in his nomination of Wilson, “Hisinitiative to assure the work was completed went beyond

Howard Sauerman found and inspired “handy” peopleto help rehab LSSI’s West Suburban Counseling Centerin Villa Park.

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normal duties. In several cases, the quality of work wasnot satisfactory, so he made sure it was corrected,sometimes correcting the work himself.”

Wilson has volunteered elsewhere at LSSI. Last April,he helped with LSSI’s “Hammering Out A Partnership”auction in Carbondale, a benefit for Building Homes:Rebuilding Lives. Last fall, he headed up a paint andrepair program at Hospitality House of Vienna, whichprovides affordable lodging for families visitingincarcerated loved ones in nearby prisons.

Wilson says he was surprised and honored by the LSSIaward. “I didn’t do it for a reward,” he explains. Andwhen asked why he volunteers so generously, he isstumped. “I don’t know,” he responds. “It feels good, Iguess … I’ll continue to work wherever I am needed.”

Spirit of Caring Award winners: LSSI Prisonerand Famiy Ministry volunteers

“It takes a special kind of person to visit within theprison system,” says Betty Stralow, coordinator of LSSI’sPrisoner and Family Ministry program at the DixonCorrectional Center.

Betty nominated 11 of those special persons for theSpirit of Caring Award: Christina Barnickel and MarilynWard of Compton; Tom and Jean Mahon of Leaf River;Carl and Leona Nelson of Mt. Morris; Sonja Magnifici,Betty Fish and Peg Ulferts of Dixon; and Peter and MarionRasmussen of Lanark. They range in age from 30s to 70s.

Betty, who wishes she could nominate all of the manyloyal volunteers, narrowed it down to these 11 because

they are able to volunteer for both of LSSI’s programs atDixon: the Thursday Ministry and the Storybook Project.

On the second and fourth Thursday of every month, twoor three of the volunteers spend time with a group of menwho are part of the prison’s Special Treatment Center. Thevolunteers put together an art or craft project for the menand an inspirational devotion and prayer. This program ismore demanding of volunteers because it is held on aworkday and requires extra time and thought in preparation.

The Storybook Project meets on the second Saturday ofevery month. Eight volunteers help men from the prison’sgeneral population read and record portions of books oncassette tapes, and the tapes and books are then mailedhome to their children. The program helps these men, whoare fathers and grandfathers, keep a bond with their children.

Christina Barnickel, who has volunteered for manydifferent activities throughout her life, says she wasinitially nervous when faced with the prospect of workingwith inmates.

“But then, I had my first visit, and it was such a blessing,”she reflects. “I felt a wonderful peace, and I felt that wewere truly doing God’s work. I encourage everyone to takethat leap of faith and see for themselves what it’s all about.”

Volunteers sign up ahead of time and are scheduled

according to their availability. Anyone interested involunteering for LSSI’s programs at Dixon should contactBetty Stralow at 815/772-2387, or [email protected].

For more information on opportunities to volunteerat LSSI, contact Beth Stockbridge at 815/535-7179 [email protected].

Wilson Kruger provided above-and-beyond assistanceto relief efforts for families hit by a devastatingtornado in southern Illinois.

“It takes a special kind of person to visit within theprison system,” says Betty Stralow (right), coordinatorof LSSI’s Prisoner and Family Ministry program at DixonCorrectional Center, with volunteer Marilyn Ward.

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For 12 years, a small, unique program made a significant impact onHIV/AIDS-affected mothers as they planned their children’s future whilecoming to terms with their own illnesses and mortality. Second Family,a program of Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI), was a lifeline,providing the women with support and connecting them to adoptive

families from February 1993 until its closing in February 2005. Second Family was created to meet a need: helping HIV-infected women

make permanency plans for their children, preventing them from entering thechild welfare system.

With the advent of life-extending drugs, HIV-infected parents are livingsignificantly longer, and the need for the Second Family Program, as it wasoriginally conceived, has diminished. In addition, the stigma once associated withAIDS has declined, and more relatives continue to adopt loved ones’ children.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, AIDS deaths inChicago reached a high of 1,494 in 1995, declining to 489 in 2002. In addition,overall infections in Chicago have dropped from an all-time high of 1,954 in1993 to 893 in 2003. In spite of these statistics, underlying concerns remain.HIV/AIDS is still a significant public health concern and continues todisproportionately affect people of color and women.

Second Family and Standby GuardianshipIn 1991, LSSI was a member of a task force called together by the Families’

and Children’s AIDS Network (FCAN) in Chicago to address the concern thatchildren were becoming orphans as a result of AIDS. Earlier, LSSI was one of thefirst organizations to respond to challenges posed by the HIV/AIDS epidemic anddeveloped Positive Care, a foster care program designed to serve the newpopulation of children affected by the disease.

In January 1993, as Second Family was being developed, led by LSSI’s CathyBlanford, a coalition of more than 20 health care, social service and legalorganizations joined together to work on a bill to establish StandbyGuardianship; the law became effective on January 4, 1994.

Leading the effort for Standby Guardianship was Linda Coon, an attorney andFCAN volunteer who nowserves as project directorof FCAN’s Family OptionsProject, formerly aprogram of the IllinoisDepartment of Childrenand Family Services(DCFS), which provideslegal and social services tofamilies affected by HIV/AIDS.

Standby Guardianship was designed to allow future caregivers to take onresponsibilities for children without affecting the rights of the parents, allowingmothers to care for their children as they became ill. Before Standby

Second Family:

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DTheresa Hicks and her four children were active participants in Second Family for more than 10 years.With Second Family’s help, she made permanency plans for her children in 1996.


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Guardianship “families didn’t have theability to get a court-orderedappointment if they were unable tocare for their child,” says Coon.

In 1996, Second Family received thePeter F. Drucker Award for NonprofitInnovation, a national honorrecognizing innovative programs thatmake a difference in peoples lives and“create a new dimension of service.”

A family for families affectedby HIV/AIDS

Second Family’s work quicklybecame about more than finding“second families.”

“Families who are HIV-positive areisolated,” explains Elizabeth Monk,DCFS AIDS project director. “[SecondFamily] brought those families togetheroutside of a clinic setting.”

The program’s support group andsocial activities “created such a spirit offamily within the whole program,” saysJoe Masbaum, a caseworker at SecondFamily from 1997-2004. “Families endedup looking at staff as extended family.The women linked up with otherwomen and got a lot of support….”

During his seven years with SecondFamily, Masbaum says thatapproximately ten women in theprogram died. But dealing with deathwas only a part of the program.

“People totally trusted the staff,”says Masbaum. “[Death] is somethingso personal; you just feel like it’s anhonor [to be with them in their dying].”

“No matter what time of the night itwas, Joe [Masbaum] or Lynda[Robinson] were there,” says TheresaHicks, of her Second Familycaseworkers. When her daughter’sfather was dying, “Joe was there everyday to comfort me … he knew what tosay to let us know we got hope.”

Br. Wade Ek, who served as LSSI’sstatewide coordinator of AIDS servicesand worked with both Positive Careand Second Family, says, “Clients used

to say ‘We can’t get this kind of serviceanywhere else.’”

A Beloved ProgramAlthough the Second Family

program has closed, LSSI still is activein providing support for familiesdealing with HIV/AIDS. LSSI’s PositiveCare is currently one of threeprograms in Illinois designed to servesuch children.

“We’re stillvery committedto servingfamilies affectedby HIV,” saysMike Bertrand,program directorof LSSI’sChildren’sCommunityServices inmetropolitanChicago. LSSIrefers familiesthat need toestablish legalplans for theirchildren toFamily Options.In addition, LSSIcontinues toprovide HIV/AIDSeducation andpreventionservices throughits substanceabuse programsin Chicago andalso linksHIV/AIDSaffected/infectedchildren andfamilies with theresources andservices theyneed, at agenciessuch as TheChildren’s Place,in Chicago.

Like each mother and father whomade permanency plans, createdphoto albums and recordedvideotapes for their children as legacygifts — the Second Family programhas left a legacy as well: about 128children are living stable lives withtheir adoptive families, knowing theirmothers did everything they could toassure their safety and well-being; 74

Rosa, a young mother, came to the United States fromGuanajuato, Mexico, in search of a better life. But she becameinfected with HIV after having a relationship with a man who useddrugs intravenously. In 1996, realizing she would die and needing tofind someone to care for her son and daughter, Rosa began lookingfor help. She found Second Family, a Chicago program run byLutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI), established to help HIV-infected mothers find good families for their children so theywouldn’t end up in the child welfare system.

Around the same time, Colleen and Stephen Sehy, a couple fromChicago’s western suburbs who had a 7-year-old son, were looking toadd to their family.Turned off by an adoption information meetingwhere the focus was on adopting white infants, Stephen says, “Wewere looking for an adoption where kids needed a home.”

“… That was one of the things that drew us to [Second Family],”explains Colleen.“We did this not because we couldn’t have otherkids — [adoption] was how we wanted our family to grow.”

It clickedIn May, Rosa and the Sehys met at LSSI’s Oak Park office. “We

felt really comfortable with each other right away,” says Colleen. “Ifelt [Rosa] trusted us right away…it clicked.”

“When I talked to her, it was always about her kids — what kindof life would they have. It was all she thought of,” says Colleen.

Rosa had experienced “a really rough life.” Her son George, 13,was born in Mexico, and her daughter Joanna, 7, was born in theUnited States. For a while, she was a migrant worker living in aborder town. Eventually, Rosa and the children ended up in Chicago.

“She was very determined her kids were going to have a betterlife,” recalls Colleen. “She struck me as so bright and proactive….”

“These kids were in a very bad situation,” Steve says. Rosa’sfamily was barely getting by in a drug- and gang-infestedneighborhood on Chicago’s West Side.

It wasn’t long before the two families’ lives were intertwined. As a“second family,” Colleen and Steve were not only preparing to becomethe guardians of Rosa’s children, but were also working to support thefamily through her illness and dying. On occasions when Rosa becamevery ill, the Sehys stepped in to care for Joanna and George and the

Rosa Gave Us Great Kids

second families provided love andsupport to children during the mostdifficult time in their lives; more than150 HIV-infected women were able toconnect with community resources,get the medication they needed andlearn how to live with HIV/AIDS; andcountless families will benefit fromStandby Guardianship. In addition,by connecting children with families

before their mothers died, and inpreventing children from entering thechild welfare system, Second Familysaved the state of Illinois more than$2 million.

The program, like the families itserved, will live on in the hearts of allwho were touched by it. Clients, staffand supporters continue to express agreat deal of affection for Second


Family. “It’s hard to see this programgo,” says Coon.

“It was a program that people liked,”says Bertrand. “For good reason.”

The foresight of those who createdthe program, the care of those whocarried out the mission and each childand adult who believed in the programwill never be forgotten.

kids stayed at their home.In spite of the fact that she was

dying, Rosa never seemed to focus on herown suffering.“One time, when we wentto the emergency room with her, all shecould do was talk about her kids,”Colleen says.“Rosa was a really strongwoman. She hung on until she was sureher kids were going to be taken care of.”

Before she died, Rosa made acollage about her family’s life. It wasa Second Family “legacy project”made during a craft group with othermothers — something that Georgeand Joanna could remember her with.

Rosa died in November, a monthafter Joanna turned eight and just sixmonths after the families had met.Rosa’s death came so quickly,“Weactually didn’t have [all the legal things in place,” Steve says.Compared to many birthmothers served by Second Family, Rosa’squick passing was somewhat unusual. At the time, many birthmotherslived indefinitely and the “second families’” role was more of support.

“The support we got from people in Second Family was reallytremendous,” she adds.“We went to activities with other families.Therewas good support for the kids, too. It was a really worthwhile program.”

Grieving and life without RosaIn spite of having a family to care for them, grief naturally

accompanied Joanna and George into their new life with the Sehys.“Even though they had us there, there was still a lot of grief [aboutlosing their mother],” explains Colleen.

Both George and Joanna participated in extended griefcounseling. Emotionally, things were especially hard for Joanna.

“Every night, I’d have to lay with her and tell her all about hermom,” Colleen remembers.

One of the most grueling tasks the family had to deal with duringtheir first years together was securing George’s citizenship, a “painful”ordeal that took three years to resolve, Steve says.

Colleen and Stephen both admitthat being parents to George andJoanna has had some bumps alongthe way. “Things would be going alongreally well,” Colleen says, “and we’dforget that there were someunderlying issues.”

But in spite of the sadcircumstances that brought thechildren into the Sehys’ life, theybonded as a family. “Joanna adores[Stephen],” notes Colleen. “She canwrap him around her finger.”

When George and Joanna came tolive with the Sehy family, they didn’tcome alone.They had three half-brothers in Chicago, one older and twoyounger. For a time, the couple thoughtthat the two youngest, now 13 and 14,

might also officially become part of the family.“We kind of acquiredan extended family,” Colleen says.

The Sehys have also taken George and Joanna to visit theirgrandmother, Elpidia Jimenez, in Aposeo el Alto, a town in Mexicowhere Rosa was born. And Abuela (Grandma) has also been to theSehy homestead on several occasions.

Since they became part of the Sehy family eight years ago, thekids have grown up. Joanna, 16, is a high school sophomore. George,who will turn 22 in August, has been serving in the Army, first inIraq, and most recently, in Germany. When he left home recentlyafter a visit, he wrote a note on the dry erase board in the family’skitchen, “Love you. Miss you already.”

Of raising Joanna and George, Colleen says, “It wasn’t a breeze,but it was worth it. … They’re wonderful.There’s no doubt.”

“I was just as fortunate to have [Rosa] as she was to have us,because she gave us great kids,” says Colleen.“I am very proud ofthem — a lot of that was Rosa’s [doing].”

“I wondered if we were one of the easiest matches [SecondFamily] ever had,” she adds. “We’re ever grateful to the program.”

The Sehy family in 1997, shortly after George and Joanna hadbeen adopted.

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Fox Hill Group Home Re-Opens

In May 2005, after its renovations were completed,the Fox Hill Group Home re-opened as a CILA(Community Integrated Living Arrangement) for sixto eight individuals with Prader-Willi Syndrome.Prader-Willi is a chromosomal disorder that occurs inevery 10,000 to 12,000 births; people who have itnever feel full, and without a supportive livingenvironment to manage their eating, those afflictedcan literally eat themselves to death.

“Parents are trying to get their children placed infacilities that are strictly for Prader-Willi Syndrome,”says Kevin Bercaw, who oversees LSSI’sdevelopmental disabilities programs. “We’re alsogetting calls from the Department of DevelopmentalDisabilities (Department of Human Services) askingLSSI to take individuals who are currently in out-of-state facilities and bring them back in state.”

LSSI operates two other group homes for peoplewith Prader-Willi: Washington Place, in Beardstown,and Dixon Group Home, in Dixon. For information,call 773/282-7800, ext. 257.

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Shady Oaks: Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of a Dream Fulfilled

In March 1969, severalparents who had adultchildren with cerebral palsy

came together to consider thepossibility of building a homedesigned especially for theirbeloved children. Each pledged$500 towards the dream ofbuilding such a facility.

Over the next 20 years, theeager group experienced a rollercoaster of emotions as theyencountered obstacles to thefulfillment of their dream.Theyapproached several not-for-profitagencies, asking one afteranother to take on themonumental project, but timeafter time, they were turnedaway. However, this group ofparents was not easily defeated.With advice from an individual atthe Illinois Department of PublicHealth, the group approachedLutheran Social Services ofIllinois (LSSI) for help.Theirpersistence paid off — LSSI

agreed to take on the project.On July 22, 1992, the

groundbreaking ceremony for thefirst of two Intermediate CareFacilities for Individuals withDevelopmental Disabilities(ICF/DD) was held on theLockport (now Homer Glen) site.Actual construction started in1993, and after many setbacks,the first building, Shady OaksEast, opened in May 1994. ShadyOaks West began acceptingresidents in October 1995.

“If LSSI had not come alongto support our efforts and listento our hopes and dreams about awonderful home-like place forour children, we still wouldn’thave a place like this,” saysMarilyn Harrington, mother ofone of the Shady Oaks residents.

Today, 32 residents receive thecare and support that they need.Most have cerebral palsy, adebilitating condition. Some of theresidents depend on moment-to-

moment assistance from staff.Others are able to get around usingelectric or manual wheelchairs.Residents communicate throughcommunication boards, computerdevices and signing, as well asverbally, and attend a vocationaltraining program located on thesame campus. During eveninghours, residents may have outingsin the community or special eventsat Shady Oaks.

“We’re happy we could workwith LSSI," says Marilyn. "Ourdream was to have a warm,loving place for our childrenwhere they would be safe, receivegood care, [eat] good food, and[have] a sense of family.”

On May 14, Shady Oaks willhold its 10th anniversarycelebration. Shady Oaks East andWest are located at 16240 and16220 S. Parker Road inLockport.

For more information, call708/301-0571, ext. 11.

Maggie Duffy, one of 32 adults who liveat Shady Oaks.


U.S. Senator Dick Durbin was named as the first recipient of the Paul Simon Courage inPublic Service Award on April 26 by Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI) and two ofits partner ministries, Lutheran Network for Justice Advocacy (LNJA)and Lutheran Child and Family Services (LCFS) of Illinois. Theannouncement was made during Lutheran Day 2005: Faith +Justice = Action in Springfield.

On April 26, Lutherans and Lutheran agencies in Illinois gatheredto urge public officials to demonstrate courage by fashioningpublic policy that supports the common good.

Events included a morning educational workshop at St.John’s Lutheran Church in Springfield, which featured “TeachIn” segments on the connection between the Christian faith andpublic action, equitable school funding reform proposals,regressive tax policy in Illinois, inadequacy of state funding forprograms that serve people in need, and building relationshipswith elected officials. After a rally and prayer service in theStatehouse Rotunda, participants had the opportunity to visit theirlegislators. A variety of Lutheran organizations had displays in theRotunda that represented ministries and activities across Illinois.

Pr. Dan Schwick, LNJA director says, “The basic goals of Lutheran Daywere to demonstrate to our governmental leaders and to fellow Lutheransacross the state the significance of the Lutheran presence in the state and our impact forthe public good.”

Lutheran Day 2005 culminated in a reception and banquet at the Illinois State Librarywhere the award presentation was made.

For more information, visit www.LSSI.org and click on Advocacy, or go towww.Lutheranadvocacy.org.

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Recovery is an ongoing andlifelong process, but it doesn’thave to be a solitary journey.For years, Lutheran SocialServices of Illinois (LSSI) hasbeen helping adults andadolescents in north central

Illinois affected by abuseof, or addiction to, alcoholor drugs through acontinuum of care.

Recently, LSSIexpanded those services toinclude adult treatmentgroups, risk education

groups, court- or employer-ordered drug and alcohol

assessments, DUI evaluationsand updates. LSSI has alsoadded anger managementgroups.

“By expanding the diversityof our substance abuse services,we are now able to reach moreadults, adolescents and familiesthrough treatment,” saysNatalie Moeller, programdirector for LSSI’s substanceabuse services.

In northern Illinois, LSSIprovides services in Lee, Carroll,Ogle, and Whiteside Counties.LSSI’s offices are located at1901 First Avenue, Sterling, and1247 North Galena Avenue,Dixon.

LSSI accepts referrals fromthe court and employers, as wellas self-referrals.

For more information aboutLSSI’s substance abusetreatment services or to makean appointment or referral,please contact Natalie Moellerat 815/626-7333.

LSSI ExpandsSubstance AbuseServices

Lutheran Day 2005

LUTHERAN DAYFaith + Action = Justice

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A “thank you” to foundations and organizations for their generous support of LSSIprograms: Ackermann Memorial Fund, $25,000; Archer Daniels Midland Foundation, $50,000;Caterpillar Foundation, $25,000; Church World Service, Inc., $1,116; Community Foundation of theGreat River Bend, $2,000; Community Memorial Foundation, $35,000; Cornerstone Foundation, $4,000;Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Foundation, $10,000; East Moline U.A.W. Hall, $1,101; Edwardson FamilyFoundation, $15,000; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, $5,044; G. J. Aigner Foundation Inc.,$1,500; Gerald A. & Karen A. Kolschowsky Foundation Inc., $25,000; Harris Bank Foundation, $1,000;Irving Harris Foundation, $30,000; Jewel Food Store, $792; Kalliopeia Foundation, $20,000; KraftEmployee Fund, $10,000; Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis, $10,000; Lutheran Women of GreaterPeoria, $5,600; Lutheran Woman’s League of Chicago and Vicinity, $1,350; Murphy Foundation, $1,000;Network for Prison Ministry, $650; Polk Bros. Foundation, $35,000; Poshard Foundation for AbusedChildren, $4,000;Target Foundation, $1,500;The French Family Trust, $5,000;The Retirement ResearchFoundation, $50,000;Thrivent Financial, $100,000;Thrivent Financial - Matching, $108,466;ThriventFinancial for Lutherans Greater Peoria, $1,600;Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Peoria-Stark Chapter,$6,400;Thrivent Financial for Lutherans South Shawnee Forest Chapter, $840;Thrivent Financial forLutherans, Champaign County Chapter, $1,600; UNILOCK Chicago, Inc., $2,000; Wal-Mart Foundation,$1,500; WGN Neediest Kids Fund, $4,450; and Wheat Ridge Ministries, $12,500.

Our People, Our StrengthAbout a year ago, Pastor Frederick

Aigner, president of Lutheran SocialServices of Illinois (LSSI), asked Kenand Susan Olsen if they would serveas co-chairs of LSSI’s “Strength toStrength” campaign, the agency’s $45million funding initiative.

“We said, ‘Thank you — we’d loveto,’” Susan recalls.

Ken, a parish pastor for 20 yearsand later bishop of the MetropolitanChicago Synod of the Evangelical

Lutheran Church in America (ELCA),says, “LSSI was always our agency.”He could always go to LSSI ifsomeone in his congregation had aspecial need that was beyond hisexpertise as a pastor.

“I’ve had a very soft spot for the greatwork of LSSI,” he says. It’s always beenthere for me,” he says.

Susan says, “To me, when Jesussaid, ‘Feed my lambs,’ it wasn’t just ‘ifyou’ve got a few shekels at the end ofthe day.’ [Supporting] LSSI allows us tofulfill that commandment.”

Susan, a magazine editor, sayshelping LSSI enables her to feel likeshe can do something about theoverwhelming problems sheencounters when she opens the dailynewspaper. “LSSI empowers you.”

The campaign is an opportunity forpeople, particularly those in Lutherancongregations, to step beyond theirroutine giving pattern to make aspecial gift to LSSI.

Believing more people need to hearabout LSSI, the Olsens and othercampaign committee members are

holding “Listening Events,” small,informal gatherings where guests canlearn about LSSI’s services and waysthey can, if they later choose to, makemeaningful gifts. Members of St.James Lutheran Church in LakeForest, Ken and Susan recently invited16 people from their congregation tohouse for a Listening Event.

“It’s such a personal ministry,” saysSusan. “And the perfect place to talkabout it is at home. When you invitepeople into your home, it says tothem, ‘I really want you [here].’”

“Vision, energy, deep-seatedcommitment and a wealth of high spirit— these are the gifts that Ken andSusan bring,” says Aigner.

The Olsens acknowledge thatraising such a significant level offunding for LSSI services is beyondthem as a couple. “Nobody’s gonna doit but all of us,” Susan insists.

“Our People, Our Strength” is aseries of profiles about individuals whohelp LSSI fulfill its mission of bringinghealing, justice and wholeness to peopleand communities.

Central Services Office1001 East Touhy AvenueSuite 50Des Plaines, Illinois 60018

Lutheran Social Services of Illinois Nonprofit OrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDChicago, IllinoisPermit No. 7162

Ken and Susan Olsen,Co-Chairs,Strength to Strength Campaign

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Documents

Eye on LSSI A look at Lutheran Social Services of Illinois · PDF file · 2015-05-21A look at Lutheran Social Services of Illinois SPRING 2005 ... Unless you are already reading this