 Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area
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Press ReleasesFor More Information Contact: Development and Stewardship
Office Fax: 202-723-3303
Passport to the World, LSS/NCA's second annual gala to benefit the Refugee and Immigrant Services Program.June 21, 2008 -- As a way to celebrate World Refugee Day, LSS/NCA will be Honoring the Refugee Experience by highlighting the unique cultures of those that we serve: Burma, Cameroon, Colombia, Iran, and Somalia. Proceeds will directly benefit people served through LSS/NCA’s Refugee and Immigrant Services programs. To purchase tickets call (301) 562-8633, ext 234 or email your request to mooree@lssnca.org.
Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area Appoints a New Executive Director.December 1, 2006 -- The Board of Directors of Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSS/NCA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Melissa Graves as the agency’s Executive Director. Ms. Graves has a Master’s of Public Administration and more than a decade of experience in nonprofit management, fundraising, and development at social service and human service agencies in the region.
Refugees Give Back to Their New Homeland by Working with LSS/NCA to Host a Help the Homeless Mini-Walk.October 21, 2006 -- Walkers from the Washington metropolitan area, including current and former refugee clients with LSS/NCA will walk on Saturday, October 28, for LSS/NCA’s mini-walk. This walk is associated with the 19th Annual Fannie Mae Foundation Help the Homeless Walkathon. Walkers will help raise funds to prevent and end homelessness in the region.
Area Churches to Receive LSS/NCA Recognition Award for Outstanding Service to Refugees Resettled to Northern Virginia.July 29, 2006 -- Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area will present special awards to representatives of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church and their mission congregation, Grace Ethiopian Church in recognition of their collaborative work in the resettlement of Ethiopian refugees resettled to the National Capital Area this past September. The awards presentation will take place at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Springfield, VA at 5:30PM.
Hurricane Victims Receive Local Assistance.December 14, 2005 -- Hurricane Katrina and Rita evacuees who have been displaced to the Washington, DC area will be helped through an expansion of LSS/NCA's refugee resettlement and employment services beginning in January. Through a grant from Lutheran Disaster Response, some of the 10,000 hurricane evacuees who are in the National Capital metropolitan area will be able to receive support finding local housing and jobs through LSS offices. Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area has been providing resettlement services for international refugees since 1975 and knows well the struggles that displaced persons endure. Local networks and increased support from area churches will be mobilized in the effort. Evacuees will be assigned a case manager to help them access resources and develop goals for rebuilding their lives. Church and civic groups will help families by sponsoring their transition from temporary to more stable living quarters in the Washington area. Employment advocate staff will assist evacuees in finding employment. In early January, extra staff will be in place to begin serving hurricane evacuees at the Falls Church, Virginia and Takoma Park, Maryland offices. Persons seeking referral to these services may contact Katherine Miller-Holland until that time: 202-723-3000 ext. 200.
Help the Homeless Campaign Receives Strong Support.November 28, 2005 -- More than 500 walkers supported Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area in the Help the Homeless Walkathon and mini-walks this fall, raising an expected $18,000 for the agency. An incentive award from Walkathon organizer, The Fannie Mae Foundation, will be announced in January. All funds will directly benefit LSS-NCA programs which provide hope and health to homeless and near-homeless persons in the metro-Washington DC area. Six Mini-Walks to support Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area took place preceding the November 19th Walkathon. Mini-walk organizers were: Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of Alexandria, Clark Elementary School in Washington, DC, Nativity Lutheran Church of Alexandria, Lutheran Campus Ministry of the University of Maryland-College Park, Peace Lutheran Church of Alexandria, and the Refugee/Immigrant Services staff and volunteers at an event held with the cooperation of St. Paul Lutheran Church of Falls Church. The Help the Homeless campaign includes not only fund raising, but the involvement of young people in education and service activities, helping build a strong foundation of compassion and sharing across the generations. Almost 1,200 young people participated in programs sponsored by LSS/NCA, providing approximately 4,700 volunteer hours in 2005.
Youth Leadership Initiative Grant Received.November 23, 2005 -- Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has awarded LSS-NCA $48,000 to develop youth leaders for community service. Area teens will be trained to lead urban day camp programs in Washington, DC neighborhoods. Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area is receiving $48,000 from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans as part of its Youth Leadership Initiative grant program. LSS/NCA is among 42 organizations nationwide receiving a Youth Leadership Initiative grant in 2005 from Thrivent Financial. The Youth Leadership Initiative program helps Lutheran organizations develop young leaders through service learning. Service learning is a teaching and learning strategy that challenges young people, ages 14 to 24, to go beyond their normal volunteer or community service projects by identifying a need in society, formulating a plan to address it, executing the plan, reflecting on the experience and then celebrating the results. “Thrivent Financial is proud to support programs working to prepare youth and young adults to become confident and service-minded leaders,” said Judy Logan, Manager of Lutheran Community Services for the Mid-Atlantic region of Thrivent Financial. “Service learning allows young men and women to appreciate the issues facing their community and experience firsthand how they can make a difference.” At Lutheran Social Services, the grant will be used to develop a youth-service team to provide summer urban day camps for churches in Washington, DC. Area teens will work together to create a highly mobile, resourceful and creative leadership team which will be able to assist local churches in providing a multicultural outreach to children in their neighborhoods. Recruitment and training of the first team of youth will begin in March of 2006. In its second year, the Youth Leadership Initiative program is providing more than $2.2 million to 42 Lutheran non-profits from all over the United States. Grants range from $5,000 to $100,000. Grant recipients include Lutheran high schools, colleges and universities, seminaries, camps, campus ministries, social ministries and regional divisions of Lutheran church bodies. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is a not-for-profit Fortune 500 financial services organization helping 2.8 million members achieve their financial goals. Thrivent Financial and its affiliates offer a broad range of financial products and services including life insurance, annuities, mutual funds, disability income insurance, bank products and more. As a not-for-profit organization, Thrivent Financial sponsors national outreach programs and activities that support congregations, schools, charitable organizations and needy individuals.
Expressions of Abundance Gathers Virginia Supporters.November 1, 2005 -- More than 150 supporters of LSS/NCA from Northern Virginia gathered for a breakfast event at the Fairfiew Park Marriott Hotel recently to hear personal stories from clients. "Expressions of Abundance" offered the opportunity to share the triumph and courage of some of the people served by the agency in the past year. Telly and Charmona Whitfield shared the story of their journey to adopt their son Donovan. Their joy and gratitude, together with their abiding faith, touched the hearts of those attending. Marge Youngwerth, a regular volunteer nurse for Camp Safe Haven, the LSS/NCA summer program for children affected by HIV-AIDS, recounted some of her experiences and her sense of hope at serving in the camp. Zebedee Tanwin recounted his harrowing tale filled with terror and courage as he fled with his family first to Sierra Leone and then to America. LSS/NCA welcomed them to their new home in September and is working with them to rebuild their lives.
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