NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

It is an absolute pleasure to welcome you to ENGAGE Magazine as we start our first year of publication. This publication has been conceived and designed by my department’s team of passionate professionals who wanted to create a vehicle to Engage others living in the Southern California area in the heartwarming stories of hope we are privileged to hear and see each day.

We hope you will become loyal readers and are so thankful you are here reading now. Our desire is to educate, inform and inspire you to get involved. Perhaps you will do that in your own way, or perhaps you’ll choose to partner with one of many great organizations like Lutheran Social Services of Southern California, who are on the frontlines of compassionately meeting the basic needs of others.

We are inspired by the voices and stories of our clients, our staff, and more specifically, the multitude of voices like your’s – one of our valued LSSSC supporters. The origin and intentionality behind our name, ENGAGE is simple: “engage” means involve (someone’s interest or attention). We are further grounded in sharing the views, perspectives, and stories of those touched by LSSSC’s social service efforts.

Our mission is to bring thoughtful and engaging commentary on social issues and the people working to solve them, while also displaying the mission of LSSSC’s goal to Embrace, Equip and Empower the vulnerable of Southern California. Anyone is welcome to submit a story, photo, or story idea that reflects our vision of sharing the love of Christ while forming a community where the vulnerable are safer and stronger, the dependent are self-sustaining, the isolated dwell in community, and the weary are given hope.

As a publication, we will not advocate for any specific ideology, but as a Christ-centered organization. We have set standards regarding the posting of harmful and denigrating pieces as it relates to minority’s or any group. We see our platform as a sacred space of community voices, and thus, view that it is our responsibility to highlight the diversity of our organization and to use our platform as a space of learning.

As a new publication, we would like to be as transparent as possible. For this reason, we gladly welcome any comments and critiques you may have as a reader. Letters to the editor are also highly encouraged and will be considered for publication on our website or in print.

I am elated to be furthering the mission of sharing the love of Christ and look forward to hearing your stories. I’d be remiss in my duties of gathering funds to equip this great mission without reminding you of the opportunity to also donate online or through the envelope enclosed in the printed version of the magazine --

Blessings,

LORI BUTLER, CFRE & THE ENGAGE STAFF