Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio Newsletter
Volunteering Brings Healing and Hope
Summer Quarter Colleen and her thearpy dog Zephyr
Expanded Assistance with Health Care Needs Recently health care case managers have been added to the Faith Mission clinic. They provide case management services for people using the clinic who have ongoing medical or behavioral health needs. This is accomplished by identifying and accessing resources to maintain physical and mental health or housing stability, and to prevent or manage future episodes of illness. With medical issues being an obstacle for many of our clients, these case managers will help them with their specific issues and can lessen future reoccurrences of homelessness.
Summertime Produce pg. 2
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Inside President’s Message pg. 2
Tracing its roots to 1912, LSS is a nonprofit social service agency affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and recognized by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. LSS provides human services for all people according to their needs. These services include food pantries, emergency shelters, affordable senior housing, retirement living, skilled nursing care and other services that strengthen communities.
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One of CHOICES for Victims of Domestic Violence’s most popular volunteers has dark hair, soulful brown eyes… and four legs. Zephyr, or “Z” for short, is a six-year-old Great Dane/Lab mix who visits the shelter every week with his human companion Colleen Shockling Dent. Zephyr is a certified therapy dog, and Colleen is a MPH-VPH student at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, class of 2016. She is also a Zoetis Student Representative in the Education Alliance Program and an Albert Schweitzer Fellow. Colleen and Z love visiting CHOICES and interacting with the families who are staying in the shelter. They are helping to create a safe, nonjudgmental and peaceful environment that promotes healing. “Zephyr has a calming effect on the children as well as the adults,” Nina Lewis, director of operations, said. “He is a gentle giant!” We thank this very special duo for making a difference with their presence at CHOICES.
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Together We Move Forward pg. 3 A Calming Presence pg. 4 Expanded Assistance with Health Care Needs pg. 4
Carroll began visiting and volunteering at the LSS Delaware County Food Pantry shortly after it opened last August. A long-haul truck driver for years, Carroll had been dealt a series of health blows that left him unable to keep his job. A near-fatal heart attack resulted in open heart surgery, and shortly after that, doctors discovered a blood clot and a leg blockage. As if that weren’t enough, he was diagnosed with of two types of cancer within months of each other. These ailments, and the resulting treatments, literally knocked him off his feet— he was confined to bed for weeks at a time. Throughout it all, he tried to stay positive, but without steady income, his budget was stretched to the max. Family members stepped in to help, but times were still tough: he needed help to put nourishing food on the table for his wife and children, especially in light of his health. “We were surviving, but barely,” Carroll recalls. The first time he visited the pantry, he saw healthy, fresh foods to help feed his family. He also saw a sign that volunteers were needed, and immediately offered to help. Still recovering and taking 16 different medications, he began volunteering once a week. “I had some slow days, but it made me feel good to help other people,” he said. After a few weeks, he noticed that he felt better with the social interaction and exercise he was getting at the pantry, and started coming in twice a week. And, as many of the pantry’s staff and regular volunteers will tell you, the rest is history. Soon, Carroll was coming in five days a week and including his family. They volunteer together when their schedules permit.
The pantry gives Carroll purpose. This past February, Carroll and his family were shocked by the unexpected death of his eldest daughter. In his fragile physical and emotional state, he drew strength and nourishment from visiting the pantry, both as a client and as a volunteer. “The pantry helped me in many ways when things in my life were at their worst,” he says. “If sharing my story inspires someone else to donate, volunteer or visit the pantry if they are in need, it will be worth it.” Carroll recently got the news that he is cancer-free. He’s down to three medications, and has been cleared to go back to work— he’ll be back on the road this month. On his one free Saturday, he’ll be volunteering at the pantry. Your support is critical year-round, but especially in the summer months when school breakfasts and lunches aren’t available for most children. Nearly 40 percent of our food pantry requests are for kids, making summer our highest season of need.
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Creating a Better World by Serving People in Need
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