goins on
By Ted W. Goins, Jr. | LSC president
Fuel for the journey
What I’ve learned about self-care and management
How did I become 67 years young? It feels like it happened in the blink of an eye.
Leadership and management were taught differently in the ’70s and ’80s. The boss was the boss; leaders were autocratic and aggressive. More than once, I heard that a manager should throw their weight around occasionally just to demonstrate authority.
I was not raised that way. My family — home and church — taught a different language: love thy neighbor.
My career journey has been easy in the grand scheme, but not without its bumps. I’ve tried to love my neighbor, but I have also labored in a profession where the stakes are high and lives are on the line.
More than once, I told a coworker to “leave your problems at home — we’ve got people to take care of.” In retrospect, I’m ashamed of my ignorance. Teammates with sick babies, domestic abuse situations, or serious illnesses can’t leave their problems at the door. Sometimes, neither can I.
Over the years, the values I was raised with won out over management trends.
My education got another boost when Lutheran Services for the Aging (LSA) and
Lutheran Family Services (LFS) affiliated in 2012, forming Lutheran Services Carolinas (LSC). LSA was older and came out of a more institutional, hospital-influenced culture; LFS came from a social justice perspective. Our affiliation has been successful; the respective ministries and strengths have complemented each other.
In time, the ethic of self-care began to resonate. We built it into The LSC Way, which encourages teammates to stay home with the baby and take their vacation. Teammates know LSC will do its best to provide support through the tough times. And senior leaders know that if we keep our teammates healthy and happy, they will do the same for LSC’s residents and clients.
The LSC Way has been good for me, but when it comes to time off, I’m a slow learner. My wife and best friend, Cheryl, has been the bigger influence. I didn’t realize I could take more than a week off until part of our family moved to England and we caught the travel bug. Then we started
Learn more about LSC
• by following LSC on Facebook and Instagram
• by following LSC President Ted Goins on X at @TedGoinsLSCPrez
• or by visiting the LSC website at www.LSCarolinas.net
taking 10 days or even two weeks.
At age 66 I decided that, if the Board agreed, I’d keep working until age 70. I would stay fresh by taking a couple of twoweek-long vacations a year. That model has worked, and my periodic breaks are helping LSC grow stronger leaders.
Recently, the Board graciously agreed to permit an even longer vacation. After retirement, Cheryl and I had planned to hike the 500-mile Camino de Santiago in Spain. But I have the vacation time now, I can’t take it with me, and who knows what 70 will hold? So, we leave on March 21, 2025, for two months.
The Camino de Santiago is an ancient pilgrimage route. Cheryl and I aren’t doing it as a religious pilgrimage (Luther wouldn’t approve anyway) but there is a spiritual component to it. We’ll spend about six weeks hiking 15 miles a day and staying in hostels, followed by a relaxing visit with our family in England.
The LSC team and mission will not miss a beat — and in today’s connected world, we are never more than an electronic beat away.
Buen camino!
On the cover: Harriet Owsley puts the finishing touches on a pastel drawing in Trinity Landing’s art studio.
Searstone/LSC award $506,750 to Wake-area nonprofits
The Searstone/LSC Community Benefit Committee recently announced $506,750 in grants to 18 organizations in Wake County.
Since 2014, the committee has directed up to 5 percent of revenues from the operation of Searstone, an independent living community in Cary, to Wake County nonprofit organizations serving seniors,
indigent seniors, or other vulnerable populations.
The following organizations received awards for the last grant cycle: Alliance Medical Ministry, Dementia Alliance of NC, Dorcas Ministries, First Cary United Methodist Church, Habitat for Humanity of Wake County, InterAct, Meals on Wheels
Pictured are the grant recipients with Searstone Executive Director Matthew Towler and Searstone Grant Committee member Dave Wolf.
of Wake County, Pretty in Pink Foundation, Rebuilding Together of the Triangle, Shepherd’s Table, Ship Community Outreach, Temple’s Table, Transitions LifeCare, Triangle Aphasia Project Unlimited, Triangle Family Services, Wake Smiles, White Oak Foundation, and Women’s Center of Wake County.
new executive director of New Americans Program named
Nixmarie Ruiz has been named Executive Director of LSC’s New Americans Program.
LSC’s New Americans Program is designed to welcome refugees to the United States and help them on their journey to achieve self-sufficiency. LSC offers the New Americans Program in Raleigh, Salisbury, and Asheville, North Carolina, and in Columbia, Charleston, Myrtle Beach, and Greenville, South Carolina.
“Nixmarie is a passionate advocate for refugees and immigrants, and a proven, collaborative leader,” LSC President and CEO Ted Goins said.
Ruiz has over eight years of experience in
the human services field. She holds a bachelor’s degree in forensic psychology from the University of Puerto Rico in Ponce and a master’s degree in organizational leadership from
Anderson University.
Ruiz joined LSC in 2019 as the home study and post-release case manager for unaccompanied immigrant youth in South Carolina. She was named Immigrant Services Program Director in 2022.
In that role, Ruiz oversaw LSC’s Survivors Assistance Program and its Home Study and Post-Release Services.
“I have been deeply inspired by the organization’s mission and vision. My commitment to LSC has only grown stronger over the past five years as I have witnessed the profound impact we have on the lives of the most vulnerable, helping them achieve the abundant life they deserve,” Ruiz said.
Hurricane recovery
Work continues, aided by generous grants
Several directly impacted LSC teammates received emergency support. They include: above, from left: Emily Sawyer, Keavon Jones, Guy May, Jessica Stallings; right, from left: Jeremy Shurtleff, Melanie Dixon, and April Maguder.
Several LSC communities, programs, and teammates received grants to help with Hurricane Helene relief.
A $100,000 grant from Lutheran Disaster Response paid for a temporary case manager to augment LSC’s disaster response efforts, temporary water solutions for Aston Park and Trinity View, and emergency support for impacted clients, teammates, and community members in Asheville, North Carolina and Greenville, South Carolina.
“Over 40 of our newest arrivals from Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Nicaragua were evacuated from their hotel. Others were displaced from their residences or lost jobs or vehicles,” said Hanna Demarcus, resettlement
director with LSC’s Asheville New Americans Program. “We were so grateful for the grant, which enabled us to provide emergency financial assistance.”
A $25,000 grant from The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina helped defray the cost of generator fuel, water deliveries, and portable handwashing stations and toilets at Aston Park.
“The grants allowed us to treat residents in place and avoid unnecessary transfers,” said Aston Park Executive Director Marsha McClure. “We were able to maintain services, comfort, safety, and well-being for both residents and teammates. We are tremendously grateful.”
In addition, the LeadingAge North Carolina Foundation supported relief efforts at Aston Park and Trinity View and provided direct emergency support to several area teammates who suffered major losses. (A few are shown above.) Teammates were able to repair their homes or find new housing, replace lost food and personal possessions, and restore their transportation to and from work.
LSC supported affected teammates in several other ways: delivering shelf-stable Thanksgiving meals, providing a small bonus to each teammate, and paying over $7,000 in counseling fees related to the disaster. Longterm recovery efforts will continue over the next several months.
Trinity at Home celebrates 10th anniversary
Ten years ago, Teresa Dakins had just joined Trinity at Home, LSC’s fledgling home care service for seniors based in Salisbury, North Carolina.
“A former colleague from another inhome care agency said, ‘Let me know when you’re ready for us to buy you out,’” recalled Dakins, Trinity at Home’s community outreach coordinator.
Most independently owned healthcare agencies don’t make it past the three-year mark. But Dakins was determined to succeed — and today, Trinity at Home has about 60 clients and 50 caregivers across Rowan and parts of Cabarrus County.
The agency has just announced an expansion to New Hanover County, North Carolina, where it will round out the continuum of care already provided by Trinity Landing and Trinity Grove.
The most meaningful aspect of Trinity at Home’s success, however, isn’t numbers — it’s lives changed.
Rev. Darrell Norris’s parents were the agency’s very first clients.
“I learned about Trinity at Home from
Bill Johnson and Beth Huber (the executive directors of Trinity Oaks and Trinity Living Center, respectively),” said Rev. Norris. “At first, my dad was in worse health than my mom. She focused on caring for him, and Trinity at Home helped with household chores three hours a day, three days a week.”
“Over time, my mom’s health declined, and Trinity at Home cared for both of them,” Rev. Norris continued. “My dad passed in 2017 and my mom passed in June of 2024, so we had three years of help for both of them and seven years of help for Mom. They were lifesavers.”
Rev. Norris especially appreciated Trinity at Home’s “personal touch.”
“Teresa (Dakins), Angie (Harrison, RN, BSN, agency director), and Nicee (Cuthbertson, office manager) were so helpful — especially toward the end, when Mom wanted to manage her own care,” said Rev. Norris. “We were truly a team. They helped us balance all the moving parts and stay within our budget.”
“When we had some tough decisions to
make, they offered expertise — not just the care itself,” he added. “One of the biggest benefits was the sense of reassurance. My wife and I knew that if we needed to go out of town, Trinity at Home would check on my mom and make sure she had everything she needed.”
Toward the end, Trinity at Home caregivers provided overnight support for Rev. Norris’s mother. She was able to stay at home until the last three months of her life.
“She developed a close relationship with several of her caregivers,” he recalled. “She really came to trust them.”
“I’ve known a lot of church members, colleagues, and friends over the years who have gone through this process with loved ones,” Rev. Norris added. “With many of these home care agencies, retirement centers and nursing homes, it’s just a business. It’s about how much you can pay. That’s not true with Trinity at Home. Our family was more than just a client.”
To learn more about Trinity at Home, visit https://trinityathome.net/ or call 704603-2776.
Community Outreach Coordinator Teresa Dakins and Agency Director Angie Harrison, RN, BSN, cut the ribbon at Trinity at Home’s 10th anniversary celebration with help from the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce. Teammates, volunteers, and clients’ family members applauded as Dakins announced the opening of the agency’s second location in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Philanthropists
You are likely familiar with LSC’s mission statement, “Empowered by Christ, we walk together with all we serve.” What you may not realize is how many generous supporters walk alongside us in fulfilling that mission: over 2,400 individual contributors in 2024! Every gift helps LSC ensure abundant living for the communities we serve. Each year, LSC recognizes individuals, families, and organizations in North and South Carolina that have demonstrated extraordinary financial commitment and whole-hearted support for our work. These are our Philanthropists of the Year.
NC: Eric & Grace Hoyle
“Grace and Eric Hoyle are LSC family,” says LSC President and Chief Executive Officer Ted W. Goins, Jr. “Grace is a member of the Efird family — the founders of Trinity Place in Albemarle — and her Uncle Oscar received care there. Eric helped raise funds for LSC, then served on the Board of Trustees for nine years, including three as chair. He is now on our Board of Advisors. Eric and Grace have supported LSC financially, with their time, and through their advocacy. They have truly given their all.”
Eric Hoyle accepted LSC’s North Carolina Philanthropist of the Year Award on behalf of himself and his wife, Grace, at the Triad Shepherd Society Dinner held at Trinity Elms in Clemmons on September 30, 2024.
“My initial involvement with LSC was in 2013, as a volunteer soliciting gifts for Lutheran Services for the Aging’s Keeping the Promise Capital Campaign, which funded four new nursing homes,” Hoyle recalled.
“I was then invited to join the LSC Board,” he continued. “It gave me an indepth education in how competence and caring combine in a not-for-profit Christian setting to truly accomplish LSC’s mission: ‘Empowered by Christ, we walk together with all we serve.’
“Grace and I know that LSC lives its mission daily. It is an outstanding opportunity for the investment of our time and resources.”
Eric Hoyle received LSC’s North Carolina Philanthropist of the Year Award on behalf of himself and his wife at the Triad Shepherd Society Dinner held last September.
of the Year
SC: Home Depot
It takes a village to ensure newly arrived refugees and other legal immigrants feel warmly embraced. That village includes nonprofits, faith communities, individual volunteers, and businesses.
In 2024, Home Depot Store #1106 of Lexington, South Carolina, and Home Depot Exteriors played a key role in LSC’s Work of Welcome: they helped renovate the New Americans Program’s Columbia Welcome House through in-kind donations, financial support, and hands-on labor.
Ashley Layton and Flossie Knight of Home Depot Store #1106 worked closely with LSC Business Developer Rachael Fulmer and Jason Hill, director of the home
repair service ministry Second Saturday, to secure the materials needed for the renovation.
Home Depot not only donated the necessary supplies; they also organized employees and families to lend a hand at LSC’s onsite workday in May. In total, over 60 volunteers participated.
Bob Avino and John Williams of Home Depot Exteriors also worked with Fulmer and LSC Columbia Resettlement Director Seth Hershberger to replace all the original 1950s-era windows, making the home more secure and energy efficient. The windows and installation labor were made possible by a grant from Home Depot.
Representatives from Home Depot accepted the South Carolina Philanthropist of the Year Award at LSC’s Columbia Shepherd Society Luncheon on November 4, 2024.
“Being named Philanthropist of the Year is a testament to our unwavering commitment to not just fixing homes and community centers through Team Depot, but also strengthening our communities,” said Layton and Knight. “This honor reflects the passion and dedication of our team, who work tirelessly to make a positive impact — creating spaces where people thrive and building a legacy of support and service that extends far beyond the aisles of our store.”
Pictured from left: John Williams, Ashley Layton, Flossie Knight, and Robert Downs of Home Depot with Rachael Fulmer, Seth Hershberger, and Ted Goins of LSC.
Rise and shine
Asheville area refugees build new lives, and modular homes, through an LSC partnership
As the morning sun peeks over the Blue Ridge Mountains just outside Asheville, North Carolina, a crew of young and middle-aged men skillfully load tools and materials onto a shiny white truck. Chatting quietly in Russian, these men are more thankful than most for a peaceful start to the day — because almost all of them are recent refugees from the war in Ukraine.
“I had my own metal fabrication business
in the Donbas region. Everything was great until Russia invaded,” recalls Andrii Korsun, who arrived in the United States in fall 2022 with his wife and three children.
“I was a shipbuilder,” adds Anton Nahornyi, who immigrated in early 2023 with his wife and young daughter. “I was based in Odessa but traveled all over Europe building ocean liners and rescue ships.”
Korsun, Nahornyi, and a handful of their colleagues are among the 450-plus
Ukrainian immigrants to the Asheville area who have been assisted by LSC since 2022.
For over 30 years, LSC’s New Americans Program has worked with the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) and nonprofit partner Global Refuge to help refugees, asylees, and other legal immigrants build productive lives in the United States. All New Americans have been carefully screened by international agencies and have entered the country with the full blessing of the
Andrii Korsun and Anton Nahornyi fled Ukraine with their families after the Russian invasion. They resettled in the Asheville, North Carolina, area with help from Lutheran Services Carolinas. Today, they have good construction jobs with Quartz Properties Management.
federal government. Once they arrive in the Carolinas, LSC helps them find homes and jobs, apply for benefits if they qualify, adapt to American culture, and become U.S. citizens.
PARTNERING FOR SUCCESSFUL CAREERS
Today, Korsun and Nahornyi work for Quartz Transport, a subsidiary of Quartz Properties Management — a national real estate developer that builds attainably priced modular homes. Quartz’s completed communities in Western North Carolina include Padgett Place in Black Mountain and Cascade Ridge in Fairview. Belle Meadow in Asheville is currently in progress, and work on Allison Acres in Waynesville will begin in 2025, with other communities in the works.
As of this writing, Quartz is one of six local employers collaborating with LSC through a public-private partnership made possible by an $861,000, three-year grant from ORR.
“The Employer Engagement program is open to any employer within a 100-mile radius of our office that hires an ORR-eligible worker,” says Hanna Demarcus, resettlement director for the Asheville New Americans Program. “Employers sign an agreement with LSC, and then their eligible workers enroll in the program. We provide English Language Learning and work skills training to help them integrate into the workforce.”
A WIN FOR WORKERS AND EMPLOYERS
Local employers often cite the lack of English language proficiency as the largest barrier to advancement for immigrant workers. Around Asheville, LSC has helped legal immigrants from Afghanistan and Ukraine find jobs with construction, manufacturing, hospitality, and retail employers. The Employer Engagement program helps them advance from entry-level positions such as crew member, assembly line worker, dishwasher, and housekeeper to more highly skilled jobs such as supervisor, quality control, front desk receptionist, and CDL driver.
The program is a boon to employers too.
“The construction industry nationwide is understaffed,” says David Roover, Quartz Properties’ chief growth officer. “Our New American employees have been a real boost to our ability to grow our business.”
“It’s been very refreshing building a relationship with LSC and Alla (Kolomiyets, an LSC case manager who works with Quartz’s New Americans),” says Quartz Transport General Manager Jarrett Sullivan. “We’ve hired several Ukrainians full-time. Max Chernous was our first; he is bilingual and advanced quickly. Now he manages our entire team, not just the Ukrainians.”
“Our New American employees are dedicated, hardworking, quick-learning, and
reliable,” adds Sullivan. “They really want to succeed and provide for their families. And that benefits us as well.”
With LSC’s help, Quartz has further invested in its New American employees by translating its written and video training curriculum into Russian.
FINDING A FOOTHOLD
Korsun and Nahornyi feel good about their progress and their work with Quartz. They are grateful to the people and organizations who helped them find a foothold.
“I’m working with Americans and I’m becoming an American,” says Korsun. “My family is doing well. My older daughter works at Walmart, my younger daughter graduates high school this year, and my son is still studying. We are very active in our church, and I hope to have my own LLC one day.”
“My daughter just finished second grade, and she already knows English well,” Nahornyi beams. “We had a baby boy last year, and my wife is studying to be a dental assistant. LSC helped my wife’s uncle and aunt become U.S. citizens about 15 years ago, and now they are helping us.”
“Coming to the United States was a big change, but we are really glad we did,” adds Nahornyi. “God gave me one life. I could have spent it on war — and be buried somewhere in Russia right now. I chose to live for my family.”
New Americans: A Snapshot
New Americans received help from LSC in Asheville in fiscal 2024*
504 7
3,310
New Americans were served by LSC in North and South Carolina in fiscal year 2024
Reasons for resettling in the United States include religious and ethnic persecution, war, and political violence
LSC New Americans Program offices: Raleigh, Salisbury, and Asheville, North Carolina and Columbia, Greenville, Myrtle Beach, and Charleston, South Carolina
* October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024
New Shepherd Society Members
LSC’s Shepherd Society stands as a pillar of support and dedication within the organization, comprising a community of donors and volunteers whose unwavering commitment fuels the advancement of LSC’s vital services.
The Shepherd Society encompasses three categories:
• The Shepherd Giving Society honors donors whose financial contributions total $1,000 or more within a calendar year — as well as lifetime members, now known as Golden Staff members, whose cumulative giving reaches exceptional milestones, such as $50,000 for individuals and $100,000 for organizations. These donors not only sustain but amplify LSC’s ability to provide essential services.
• The Shepherd Legacy Society recognizes individuals who have generously included LSC in their estate planning, ensuring a lasting impact that extends far into the future.
• The Shepherd Volunteer Society is comprised of individuals who epitomize the spirit of service by contributing 100 hours or more per calendar year to LSC ministries. They directly enhance the organization’s capacity to support and uplift neighbors in challenging circumstances.
LSC welcomes the Shepherd Society’s newest members: those who have joined since October 2024.
WELCOME TO THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS:
• Anonymous (4)
• Gill B. Abernathy Fund of Schwab Charitable, San Francisco, CA (Ms. Gill B. Abernathy)
• Eleanor Ahsler & Linda Pillard, Wilmington, NC
• Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Anfinson, Whittier, NC
• Dr. David Bachman & Ms. Marjorie Rath, Mt. Pleasant, SC
• Susan Corey Batts, Eatonton, GA
• The Benevity Community Impact Fund For Give with Microsoft, Safety Harbor, FL
• The Bernheim Foundation, Inc., New York, NY
• CAPTRUST Community Foundation, Raleigh, NC
• The Carson Charitable Fund of Vanguard Charitable, Warwick, RI (Chadwick & Kari Carson)
• Cavysi, LLC, Summerville, SC
• Mrs. Dyan R. Cohen & Dr. Alex Cohen, Darlington, SC
• Jim & Brena Conley, Wilmington, NC
• Jennifer Conner, Candler, NC
• Kate DeMott, Columbia, SC
• Ms. Jean F. Dunne, Matthews, NC
• Mary Dunning, Asheville, NC
• E2D, Inc., Davidson, NC
• enCircle, Roanoke, VA
• A. Fred & Georgiann George, Wilmington, NC
• Jeremi Gill, Huntersville, NC
• Green Standards, Toronto, ON
• Gary L. Green, Asheville, NC
• Janet & Michael Gresh, Winston-Salem, NC
• Noel Helms, Roebuck, SC
• Mr. & Mrs. James C. Hoffman, Raleigh, NC
• Hope Services LLC, Raleigh, NC
• Mark Lanoue, Matthews, NC
• LeadingAge North Carolina Foundation
Inc., Raleigh, NC
• Mr. & Mrs. Mac Lentz, Laurinburg, NC
• Mr. & Mrs. Nels Lindquist, Wilmington, NC
• Marsha W. McClure, Candler, NC
• McMillan Pazdan Smith, LLC, Greenville, SC
• The Rev. & Mrs. L. Alfred Mullen, II, Lincolnton, NC
• N. E. Miles Early Childhood Development Center, Charleston, SC
• Rebecca Palmer, Williamsburg, VA
• William O. Prescott, Asheville, NC
• William T. Richgels & Jessica M. Greenwood, Charleston, SC
• Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, Walnut Creek, CA
• St. John’s Lutheran Church Women of the ELCA, Spartanburg, SC
• St. Michael Lutheran Church, Greenville, SC
• The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, Asheville, NC
• Vi & Mike Townsend, Lumberton, NC
• Mr. & Mrs. John C. Tucker, Columbia, SC
• J. Daniel Waggoner, Jr., Salisbury, NC
• Mrs. Candace Wallace, Apex, NC
• Louise C. and James R. Whitley Fund of Fidelity Charitable, Cincinnati, OH
(Mrs. Louise C. Whitley)
• Ms. Nelda Wicklund, Salisbury, NC
For more information about the Shepherd Society, contact LSC Director of Development Emily Dubay at edubay@lscarolinas. net.
A Go with the flow Trinity Landing’s Driftwood Art Studio builds well-being and community
s you stroll the sidewalks and boardwalks of Trinity Landing in Wilmington, North Carolina, it’s no surprise to see carefree residents walking dogs, playing pickleball, and paddling kayaks. Nestled along the Intracoastal Waterway, Trinity Landing is a paragon of healthy, active senior living.
But you don’t have to be outdoors — or even wear spandex — to achieve a Zen state of mind at Trinity Landing. Countless residents are finding their bliss, and just possibly extending their lifespans, in Trinity Landing’s renowned Driftwood Art Studio.
A CREATIVE RX FOR AGING WELL
It’s well known that artistic expression is good for the mind. A 2005 study in the American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias found that older adults who participate in the arts demonstrate greater interest, longer attention, and more pleasure and self-esteem.
And neurologists Anne Bolwerk and Christian Maihofner have found that participating in the visual arts for as little as 10 weeks increases the brain’s connectivity and resilience, improving self-awareness and memory processing.
“The art studio was one of the things that attracted me to Trinity Landing,” says resident Harriet Owsley, who chairs the Life Enrichment Committee. “I don’t do much art at home these days because I’d rather be in the studio.”
Owsley and her husband moved to Trinity Landing two years ago. While he is out on the water in his fishing kayak, she’s in the studio with her watercolors, pastels, and colored pencils.
Art can also build social bonds.
“What I like most about the studio is there are other people to do things with,” says Owsley. “We hold an open studio on Tuesday afternoons, but there are always
people coming and going. You’re welcome to use the studio whenever there is not a class — in fact, I know one resident who comes down here at night when she can’t sleep,” Owsley adds.
A MULTITUDE OF MEDIA
The studio has offered a wide variety of classes including oil and watercolor painting, drawing, ceramics, fiber arts, and origami. And even those who don’t participate reap the benefits of art appreciation.
“One of our artists donated gallery-type, movable display panels. We display our work on the panels outside the studio. So many people stop by to view it that we’ve started offering two-week solo exhibitions,” Owsley notes.
EXPERIMENTATION ENCOURAGED
“The talent in this community is breathtaking,” says Candy Haynes, Trinity Landing’s campus life enrichment director. “Our residents include illustrators, painters, ceramicists, metal workers, and weavers. And
whether they’re professionals or amateurs, all of our artists are active.”
That said, artistic experience is not required.
“Everyone is welcome in the studio,” says Owsley. “We’ve held a number of one-day workshops that are geared toward beginners. We try to make it a no-pressure environment.”
FINDING YOUR FLOW
Why is making art so beneficial to the aging brain? For artists of all abilities, it appears to induce a flow state.
Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi defined flow as “a state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter... so enjoyable that (they) will continue to do it even at great cost.”
“Some people find their flow by running or swimming or gardening,” says Owsley. “My husband finds it when he’s out in his kayak. For me and my fellow artists, we find it in the Trinity Landing studio. And the whole community gets to enjoy the art we make.”
Trinity Landing resident Mary Whitehurst with some of her oil paintings.
Sowing kindness, reaping love
A
visit with foster-to-adoptive parent Joseph Hildebran
Just outside the small city of Morganton, North Carolina, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge lies a quaint stone farmhouse. Cheerful flowers adorn the front yard, and as you pull into the driveway, Joseph Hildebran and his little white dog, Lou, bound off the porch to greet you.
Hildebran is a regional foster care recruiter for LSC, covering Iredell, Catawba, Caldwell, Burke, Wilkes, Lincoln, Cleveland, and Gaston counties. He is also a single dad extraordinaire: Hildebran has poured his heart and soul into creating a place of comfort and creativity for his own foster-to-adoptive children in the town where he grew up.
Hildebran’s first opportunity to foster came in 2014. He was studying to become a teacher when a neighbor who had fallen on hard times asked him to care for her son, one of seven children.
“She was struggling with substance use disorder and completely overwhelmed,” Hildebran said. “He stayed with me for a year.”
Later, Hildebran was licensed as an emergency foster parent. He has since fostered several more children and adopted three.
Hildebran’s son Brayden came to him as a toddler. The two were settling in when Hildebran received an urgent call from the local Department of Social Services (DSS): Brayden’s birth father and his partner had just had a baby girl, Rachel-Ann, and an emergency home was needed.
“Most people have nine months to prepare; I had nine minutes!” Hildebran quipped.
The community rallied around Hildebran and his growing brood. Some women from a local church donated baby supplies and a helping hand. “They rocked the baby so I could sleep,” he recalled fondly.
It is not uncommon for multiple children from a biological family to enter foster care.
It is less common to be able to keep them together. Hildebran is glad to do his part: in addition to Brayden and Rachel-Ann, he has since adopted their cousin, Rebekah.
Hildebran fixed up the Morganton farmhouse himself. On the first floor, musical instruments, Bible quotes, and a woodstove give the impression you’ve stepped back in time. Upstairs, whimsical colors adorn the children’s bedrooms, while toys, books, and shoes are lined up neatly in the playroom. There’s even a “secret room” Hildebran found in the girls’ bedroom wall.
Hildebran is proudest of the fact that his children are well-adjusted. “When you look at them side by side with other children in
their grades, you can see they are good, caring kids. I have tried to plant kindness,” he said.
The house swells with youthful exuberance as the children return home from school. It’s Friday, cause for celebration. A squabble erupts over television — half an hour, Rebekah’s turn to choose — and where to eat dinner.
Like all families, Hildebran’s is not immune to occasional discord. Like the best families, it is deeply rooted in love.
For information on foster parenting with LSC, email NCFosterCare@LSCarolinas. net for North Carolina or SCFosterCare@ LSCarolinas.net for South Carolina.
LSC Regional Foster Care Recruiter Joseph Hildebran and his family.
PART ONE
2024 HIGHLIGHTS
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• LSC completed construction on Trinity Village independent living in Hickory, North Carolina. This new addition to the Trinity Village campus features 72 affordable apartments that will provide older adults with a fulfilling, faith-based lifestyle.
• The seven offices of LSC’s New Americans Program resettled 1,222 refugees, 319 Special Immigrant Visa holders, and 67 Cuban and Haitian humanitarian parolees in North and South Carolina. They also served 213 Ukrainian walk-in clients.
• In May, LSC opened the Upstate Day Services for Youth program on the campus of Thornwell Home for Children in Clinton, South Carolina. This is the second location in LSC’s growing partnership to better serve foster children with the South Carolina Department of Social Services.
• LSA Pharmacy — which provides prescription and other medications to the 1,100-plus residents of LSC’s assisted living, skilled nursing, rehab, and memory care communities — became a joint venture with Neil Medical as of October 2024. The newly named Leading Care Pharmacy has already transitioned to more modern and efficient medication administration and distribution systems.
• LSC expanded its Senior Total Life Care PACE partnership (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly) to Shelby, North Carolina. LSC is a partner in five PACE locations including Hickory, Charlotte, Greensboro, Gastonia, and Shelby. Locations in Kannapolis and Winston-Salem are currently in the permitting and construction stages, respectively.
• LSC entered a new assistance agreement with Tsali Care Center in Cherokee, North Carolina in January 2024. Under the agreement, LSC provides an administrator and comprehensive operational support. Longtime LSC teammate Marcheta Campbell, formerly the administrator of Trinity Village, is now the administrator of Tsali Care Center.
• LSC came together as never before to prepare for and recover from Hurricane Helene. Teammates across the Carolinas pitched in to help affected communities, residents, and clients in Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina.
AWARDS AND RANKINGS
• LSC’s Lutheran Family Services and Lutheran Services for the Aging earned Candid’s Platinum Seal of Transparency for the third year running. This is the highest level awarded by the nonprofit research organization formerly known as GuideStar.
• LSC’s Lutheran Services for the Aging received a BBB investment-grade rating with a stable rating outlook from Fitch Ratings, a leading provider of credit ratings, commentary, and research for global capital markets. An investment-grade rating indicates that LSA is a low to moderate credit risk.
• LSC continued climbing the ranks of nonprofit senior service providers — moving to 37th largest in the nation, up from 40th last year, according to the LeadingAge Ziegler 200 list. LSC is ranked 18th nationwide for the number of nursing care beds, up from 20th last year.
In May, LSC opened the Upstate Day Services for Youth program on the campus of Thornwell Home for Children in Clinton, South Carolina.
LSC continued to improve Board and workforce diversity in 2024.
LSC came together as never before to prepare for and recover from Hurricane Helene.
• Eight LSC senior living communities received the Bronze — Commitment to Quality Award from the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL). Recipients included Aston Park Health Care Center, Trinity Elms, Trinity Glen, Trinity Grove, Trinity Oaks, Trinity Place, Trinity Ridge, and Trinity Village.
• LSC’s Trinity Place senior care community received a deficiency free rating from its most recent state census, as did Moretz Manor group home. LSC’s nursing facilities average a 4-star rating compared with the North Carolina state average of 2.6; LSC facilities also receive far fewer citations than the state or national average.
CULTURE
• LSC’s most recent Teammate Engagement Survey took place in August 2024 with a High participation rate (74%) according to the Institute for Organizational Excellence (IOE) at The University of Texas at Austin. The anonymous survey gauges teammate opinions of LSC’s strengths and areas for improvement. In response to past surveys, LSC has increased pay by over 30% across most positions; contained costs for health insurance and other benefits; aligned its mission, vision, and values through The LSC Way; and created the Teammate Services department.
• In alignment with the organization’s strategic goals and the core value of Justice, LSC continued to improve Board and
workforce diversity in 2024. The overall percentage of nonwhite teammates currently stands at 48.56%, well above the strategic goal of 38%, and LSC’s Board is now 45% persons of color, significantly higher than the goal of 35%. This year, LSC also began tracking Senior Leadership Team diversity, which increased slightly to 14%. LSC intends to continue its progress in these areas.
• LSC awarded a total of $65,966 in scholarships to 20 teammates. Through four different scholarship programs, 12 teammates are pursuing their nursing degrees, five are pursuing master’s degrees, and three are working toward other professional degrees that will enhance LSC’s ability to serve.
LSC completed construction on Trinity Village independent living in Hickory, North Carolina.
(Lutheran Services for the Aging, Inc.)
Post Office Box 947
Salisbury, North Carolina 28145
Phone: 704-637-2870
Toll free: 1-800-HELPING www.LSCarolinas.net
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“Empowered by Christ, we walk together with all we serve.”
Donna Groce of Trinity Oaks wins volunteer award
Congratulations to Trinity Oaks Learning for Life Director Donna Groce for receiving the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce’s Paul E. Fisher Volunteer of the Year Award. Groce was selected as the winner due to her exceptional leadership and dedication to the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce. Read more about Groce in an article written by The Salisbury Post by scanning the QR code.
At right, Groce is pictured with Trinity Oaks Executive Director Bill Johnson.
Voices is a publication of Lutheran Services Carolinas, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit health and human services organization and a social ministry serving children and families in North and South Carolina and older adults in North Carolina. Content for Voices is written by Erin Kidd, director of communications, and Susannah MacNeil, communications manager. Questions or comments should be directed to Erin Kidd at ekidd@lscarolinas.net
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