We’d like you to meet two of our Foster In Texas (FIT) parents: Marcel and Ann Perry. We think they’re amazing because of the work they do with our FIT kids. The Perrys are currently caring for six (!) teenage boys, if you can imagine it. We acknowledge that foster parenting is not an easy job, but for those families with the “right stuff” it’s more than a job, it’s a calling!
Foster parents like the Perrys want to give the children in their charge every chance in life. That often requires funding beyond the daily stipend they receive. If becoming a foster parent is a possibility in your future, we’d love to hear from you – Just go to the online application form. If not, and you admire and want to help support families like the Perrys, a donation to Foster In Texas would be a great way to show your appreciation – during National Foster Care Month and every day of the year.
Mark Etheredge of Fort Worth and Evan Moilan of Bastrop have been elected to the Lutheran Social Services of the South (LSS) Board of Directors.
LSS provides foster care and adoption services through the agency’s 15 offices throughout Texas, and operates two children’s residential treatment centers, one emergency refugee children’s shelter, six senior living communities, emergency assistance in the Lubbock area, and help and support for hurricane and disaster victims.
Etheredge is a senior vice president at Nationstar Mortgage and focuses on business intelligence and data services. He is a finance and information technology professional with more than 18 years experience of financial, technology, and project management experience. He has worked extensively in the industrial products, high technology, financial services and consumer foods industries, and has held positions ranging from director of Consulting Services to chief financial officer.
Moilan is the Chief Executive Officer of the Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest, an organization that manages the financial assets of its Lutheran partnerships. His background includes serving as a Philanthropic Advisor for Lutheran World Relief, Executive Director of Lutherhill Ministries, and Vice President of the TX-LA Gulf Coast Synod.
Selection for the LSS Board is based on demonstrated interest, expertise, and involvement in serving LSS through its social ministries, and carrying out its mission of providing help, healing, and hope to those in need, regardless of religious beliefs, ethnicity, gender, or age.
Haiku
Kids with no first chance
Get a second one―because
Foster moms are there
YOU, foster moms, are a mother’s day gift from the heart! Twenty-four hours a day, you’re a source of comfort, stability, and love to children who have never known or experienced the meaning of the words. YOU are the most important part of the child’s treatment team. We are all part of this effort because we know and see for ourselves how well children can do when they have caring and reliable foster parents to help them through hard times.
A favorite column by Erma Bombeck tells of God in the act of creating mothers. On the day God created mothers He had already worked long overtime, and an angel said to Him, “Lord, you sure are spending a lot of time on this one.” God replied, “Have you read the specs on this model?” then rattles off a list of impossible requirements, including 180 moving parts and six pairs of hands, all able to run on black coffee and leftovers.
A foster mom’s specs demand even more than “standard” mother models. You must have a heart big enough to encompass other mothers’ children, and the fortitude to work through the challenges and issues that accompany their shattered pasts.
You know, if it was easy, anyone could do it. Remember, you’re not just anyone – you’re a FOSTER MOM.
The third annual “Wii Top Dog Bowling Tournament” at The Village at Gleannloch Farms (VGF) drew a crowd of more than 50. “More than 50” would describe (in an understated way) the age of the winning team, as the senior residents took on the staff and whupped them for the third year running.
The residents’ Wii bowling coach and leader is 94-year-old Dan Morford, who brought the game along with his enthusiasm to VGF in 2006. [That’s Morford pictured above on the right, with rival Tab Werner, head of health services at VGF.] Blindness in one eye hasn’t stopped Morford, who touts the benefits of the game as a way to sharpen skills such as balance and concentration.
“Once I got a few people interested, it spread like wildfire,” said Morford. “It’s like any other game of skill, it adds to your enthusiasm.” Each team had 16 members but 25 residents purchased team shirts, with the slogan “Very Good Friends” (VGF, get it?) printed on the front.
Morford has experience with “actual bowling,” having taken up the game playing on a team in El Paso after he retired from the education field. He was a teacher, a counselor, an assistant principal and a principal. Now he can add “Wii bowling coach” to his resume.
VGF residents and staff were in agreement that the bowling tourney is not entirely about the score … it’s for the fun of it. Morford and some of his teammates practice the game whenever they have time to spare. No doubt about it, Wii bowling is right up their alley!
ABOUT THE VILLAGE AT GLEANNLOCH FARMSSponsored and owned by LSS, The Village at Gleannloch Farms is a not-for-profit community offering 123 independent living apartments and cottages for active adults aged 62 and above. In addition, the community offers a continuum of care including 30 assisted living apartments, 18 memory support residences, and 35 private skilled nursing suites.
May is the month when Lutheran Social Services, along with other agencies and child advocates across the nation, are raising awareness for the more than 400,000 American children and youth in foster care. May is the month to shine the spotlight on the unsung HEROES to these children – the foster parents who help them have the safe, happy lives they deserve.
In appreciation and recognition of the tremendous contributions of our Foster In Texas (FIT) parents, a simple “Thank-you” seems insufficient. But Foster Care Month does give us one more opportunity to let them know how very much we appreciate all they do to help these children heal and move on from the lives that led them here. Thanks to them, many formerly abused or neglected children and teens now have caring adults on their side, and permanent, lifelong connections.
Right now, LSS-FIT has an urgent need statewide for nurturing adults to step up and get involved – and support our nation’s most vulnerable children by becoming verified foster parents. We have 15 foster and adoption offices in Texas – all report they have children waiting for placement. Not only large sibling groups, medically fragile children, and teens, but also infants who need a secure place where they can thrive.
“Everyday people” are serving as foster parents. Can you, or someone you know, help these kids in crisis realize their full potential? Their own families are not in a position to care for them for a variety of reasons, none of them good. Child welfare issues arise in families of every race, ethnicity, and age group.
Of course, not everyone is in the position to fill the role of foster parent, but there are more ways to show you care. You can get involved as a volunteer, mentor, or respite provider. You can help us celebrate National Foster Care Month by donating directly to Foster In Texas, where your donations will support the special trauma-informed care training and extensive clinical support that helps our foster families avoid burnout, and experience success.
All your questions can be answered with a visit to FosterInTexas.org. Call 877-747-8110 for an information packet, or submit an interest form.
More help, more homes, are needed. Because all children deserve a hopeful future!
Here’s a home-run of a deal for you: You can choose from over 20 home games, in any section, and receive up to a 50% discount on your tickets for games from April 27 through September 26 (see below for schedule)*. The Rangers will donate $5 from each ticket to our Foster In Texas program. What a great double-play … you’ll be helping children in need and having fun watching the American League Champions knock the cover off the ball.
Want to go to bat for the kids? Here’s how you do it:
Making a donation has never been easier… or more fun! See the schedule below for available games and be sure to get your tickets early. Contact Kristy Simpson at 800-938-5777 or Kristy.Simpson@LSSS.org if you have any questions.
* Game Schedule:
Friday, April 27th vs. Rays – 7:05 Post-Game Fireworks Show
Sunday, April 29th vs. Rays – 7:05 Snapple Napoli Red Jersey (First 10,000, 13 & under)
Friday, May 11th vs. Angels – 7:05 Post-Game Fireworks Show
Sunday, May 13th vs. Angels – 7:05 JCPenney Mother’s Day Pink Retro T-Shirt (First 25,000, 14 & older)
Wednesday, May 16th vs. A’s – 7:05 Dollar Hot Dog Night, Dr. Pepper Autograph Wednesday
Saturday, May 26th vs. Blue Jays – 2:05 Casting Crowns Post-Game Concert
Wednesday, May 30th vs. Mariners – 7:05 Dollar Hot Dog Night, Dr. Pepper Autograph Wednesday
Wednesday, June 13th vs. Diamondbacks – 7:05 Dollar Hot Dog Night, Dr. Pepper Autograph Wednesday (13 & under)
Sunday, June 17th vs. Astros – 2:05 Hamilton BBQ Apron (First 25,000, 14 & older)
Sunday, June 24th vs. Rockies – 6:05 Texas Beach Towel (First 10,000, 13 & under)
Sunday, July 1st vs. A’s – 6:05
Saturday, July 7th vs. Twins – 6:15 Coca-Cola Rangers 40th Anniversary Mug (First 30,000)
Friday, July 27th vs. White Sox – 7:05 Post-Game Fireworks Show
Saturday, July 28th vs. White Sox – 7:05
Wednesday, August 1st vs. Angels – 7:05 Dollar Hot Dog Night, Dr. Pepper Autograph Wednesday (13 & under)
Friday, August 10th vs. Tigers – 7:05 Post-Game Fireworks Show
Saturday, August 25th vs. Twins – 3:05 Washington Bobblehead (First 30,000)
Sunday, August 26th vs. Twins – 2:05
Wednesday, August 29th vs. Rays – 7:05 Dollar Hot Dog Night, Dr. Pepper Autograph Wednesday (13 & under)
Wednesday, September 12th vs. Indians – 7:05 Dollar Hot Dog Night, Dr. Pepper Autograph Wednesday
Saturday, September 15th vs. Mariners – 7:05
Wednesday, September 26th vs. A’s – 7:05 Dollar Hot Dog Night, Dr. Pepper Autograph Wednesday
May 13th is Mother’s Day.What a great excuse to get together for some fun and games while honoring our own mothers and the amazing women in our lives.
If you already gather with neighbors and friends for regular meet-ups such as book clubs, bunco groups, poker nights, tennis teams, Bible studies, or bridge groups, you are half-way there! These opportunities are custom-made to pay it forward and do some “fun-raising” for children in crisis, while honoring moms everywhere. The date of the event is entirely up to you; your get-together does not have to be held prior to Mother’s Day.
If the children of LSS are a cause you believe in, inspire your friends to join in and help out – by hosting a party or by taking a few moments at your regular monthly get-togethers to share the plight and hope of these children. We call them the “Children of Promise.” They are the abandoned, abused, and neglected children served by LSS – very few of whom had caring mothers of their own.
In 2011 alone they were:
· The 1,871 children provided foster care in 16 communities across Texas;
· 500 children who had been severely abused or neglected and received help at LSS residential treatment centers;
· 444 unaccompanied child refugees served at Bokenkamp Emergency Shelter in Corpus Christi, and 184 in foster homes in El Paso.
· 148 Texas children adopted through our domestic adoption program, and 52 children adopted through the international program;
· 31 youth aging out of the foster care system in a pilot program in New Orleans.
Please encourage everyone you know to make a donation to support the “Children of Promise.” Collect the donations at your party or gathering and send them to:
Mother’s Day Celebration
c/o Lutheran Social Services
PO BOX 140767
Austin, TX 78714
You can also spread the love by sending an e-card or making a donation online.
Now let’s get this party started … Get your group inspired to help, raise a glass, and celebrate the spirit of Mother’s Day!
Contact Susan Rang if you have questions: susan.rang@lsss.org; 512-706-7512 or 800-938-5777 ext 7512
“Chicktime” has a new chapter in Houston/Katy that will hold monthly events for the girls at Krause Children’s Center. Lori Rhodes, who started the first Chicktime group at New Life Children’s Center in Canyon Lake, has launched 15 Chicktime groups throughout Texas, including one in Corpus Christi that organizes events at our Bokenkamp Children’s Shelter. (That’s Lori third from the right in the photo.)
Chicktime partners with local nonprofits to support girls of all ages, exposing the girls to a wide array of creative and fun opportunities, gifts, and talents, so that they can look inside themselves and identify their own. Chicktime leaders help these young women develop their passions and use their gifts to make the world a better place for the next generation.
“Volunteers are the only human beings on the face of the earth who reflect this nation’s compassion, unselfish caring, patience and just plain love for another.” – Erma Bombeck
This week of April 15-21 is National Volunteer Week 2012. In President Obama’s presidential proclamation to kick off the week, he cited the more than half a million hours of volunteer service that followed the devastating tornadoes in Joplin Missouri.
At LSS, our own volunteer stats are pretty impressive too: In 2011 alone, 9,430 volunteers made life better for the young victims of abuse and neglect residing at New Life, Krause, and Bokenkamp, our children’s treatment facilities. We know that volunteers will get involved when a cause is close to their hearts, and at LSS that often involves troubled children.
Our volunteers go above and beyond to help kids in crisis every day. Chicktime, we’re talking about you! Gala and golf committee members, this means you! Church and service-driven youth groups, three cheers for you!
The Central Texas wildfires last fall inspired so many in-the-trenches volunteers, who helped LSS Disaster Response during and following the fires in and around Bastrop. Haylift to Texas volunteers pitched in (and are still pitching in) to help the ranchers affected by these fires and the drought feed their livestock.
At this moment in time, this week, we want to celebrate and shine the spotlight on our volunteers. They are the ones who have quietly taken action to improve the lives of others through service.
Volunteers, know that we honor and appreciate you – not just this National Volunteer Week, but every day of the year.
Keeping the kids occupied this summer just got easier! Our Caring for Kids event May 5th, features an outstanding silent auction, and you can start the bidding online NOW. The Online Auction is jam-packed with entertainment the whole family will enjoy. Whether your idea of fun is a water park or Shakespeare in the park, there’s something for every taste and temperament. If you’re a spectator or active participant, we have tickets from A (American Airlines) to Z (the Zoo). If you’ve got game or just appreciate those who have it, you’ll find some outstanding sports memorabilia up for bid, including a Texas Rangers 2011 American League Championship ball signed by Texas legend Nolan Ryan.
Oh, the possibilities: take a trip on the Grapevine Railroad, take a dip at Schlitterbahn, or just take a nap with a handmade quilt. The ladies of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Dallas made and donated five beautiful quilts for this auction.
This is a great way to shop – not only are these items irresistible and tax deductible, every penny will go toward helping and healing the more than 250 deserving children in the Metroplex who have suffered abuse and abandonment – the children served by Nelson Children’s Ministries.
After the online auction closes, further bidding for the auction items will take place at the Caring for Kids fundraiser May 5th at the American Airlines C. R. Smith Museum in Fort Worth. [Note: We can bid on your behalf at the event through absentee bidding when you give us your maximum bid amount. Email Kristy.Simpson@LSSS.org for specifics.]
About the Caring for Kids Event:
Saturday, May 5, 2012
American Airlines C. R. Smith Museum, 4601 Texas Highway 360 at FAA Road, Fort Worth, Texas
Cocktails & silent auction: 6:00 p.m.
Dinner & live auction: 7:00 p.m.
Other: Visitors can take a flight through aviation history with interactive exhibits at the museum, including a flight lab and flight simulator
Individual reservation: $50
© 2010 Lutheran Social Services of the South, Inc.8305 Cross Park Drive, Austin, TX 78754
