eye on lssi a look at lutheran social services of illinois · summer 2005 • volume 20, number 2 2...

Eye on LSSIA look at Lutheran Social Services of Illinois

SUMMER 2005

Managing Editor andPhotographerJo Ann Dollard

Art Director Pam Maremont

Contributing WritersNicole Niemi, Cindy Novak,

Dan Schwick, Cheryl SooHoo and Carol VanderMey

Lutheran Social Services ofIllinois is the statewide socialservice agency of the Illinois

synods of the EvangelicalLutheran Church in America.

Frederick Aigner, Pastor President

Mark C. GermanoVice President of Advancement

John William MurphySenior Director of Marketing

M I S S I O N S T A T E M E N TResponding to the Gospel,

Lutheran Social Services of Illinois

brings healing, justice and wholeness

to people and communities.

V I S I O N S T A T E M E N TLutheran Social Services of Illinois,

as one agency with many expressions,

will create community by graciously

serving as both the employer and

provider of choice.

ON THE COVER…Warren Widick, a resident of ShadyOaks, an LSSI program for adultswith developmental disabilities inHomer Glen, was on hand tocelebrate the facility's 10thanniversary in May.

Cover photo: Jerry Daliege

An agency ofthe United Way

Lutheran Social Services of Illinois does notdiscriminate in admission to programs oremployment in compliance with the law.

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www.LSSI.org

Eye on LSSISummer 2005 • Volume 20, Number 2

2Internships at LSSIEager to learn and contribute, students benefit fromserving LSSI clients through the agency’s numerousinternships. And LSSI programs benefit, too.

6Dreams Do Come True

In May, people gathered to celebrate the 10th anniversaryof the culmination of a dream called Shady Oaks, a program for adults with developmental disabilities.

10All About GratitudeGraduates of the Men’s Residence West, an LSSI substanceabuse program, give back and help others nurture theirsobriety.

16Peterson Meadows Retirement CommunityGrows FriendshipsPeterson Meadows offers residents comfortable, maintenance-free housing, built-in companionship andlots of ways to keep active.

From My Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Advocacy Agenda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

The Big Picture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Our People, Our Strength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

12Foster Parenting: Making a Difference in

Children’s LivesThere’s nothing better than to be a foster parent, says

a southern Illinois woman who adopted a specialneeds foster child.

Summer 2005 • Eye on LSSI • • • 1

As Lutherans, we have always had a “preferentialoption” for the poor. This focus comes from theGospel where, throughout his ministry, Jesusemphasizes the poor, widows, children,

strangers, the sick and the dying. This theme iseverywhere in the Gospels — but the book of Luke tacklesit the most.

Many biblical scholars believe that the Gospel of Lukewas written for people in the higher socioeconomicgroups of that day. The writer makes a strong point thatGod has a preferential option for the poor and shows thatany time we are working with the poor, widows, childrenand people in prison, we are doing God’s work.

At this time, more and more people are entering thewelfare system with graver — and sometimes multiple —problems. For example, it’s not just poor women, it’s poorwomen with children. Or look at the PsychosocialRehabilitation (PSR) program based at the Portage CraginMental Health Center in Chicago which offers specialprogramming for Latinos. Here, our clients are not onlypeople living in a country foreign tothem — and one where they may notspeak the language at all, much lesswell — but they also are dealing with achronic mental illness.

Another example is that there aremore ex-offenders out in society now,people struggling to adjust to a new lifebeyond prison walls. Because living inthe world outside of prison is also much like living in aforeign country, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI)has committed itself to serving women going through thisexceedingly difficult transition. Re-Connections, aprogram of Prisoner and Family Ministry which began in2003, helps these women get established in the communitywhen they are released from prison, linking them withother organizations that can provide them with food,clothing, job training, drug treatment and housing.

The problem of caring for people who aredisenfranchised — like a parent with a mental illness orsomeone newly released from prison — is more cryinglyreal than ever before, and the needs are quite great.

This reality, however, doesn’t seem to be recognized bythe government that, in response to revenue shortfalls, hasa tendency to try to “step down” — or limit — the socialservices provided to people in need. I think one of thereasons for this is that they — and we — are averting oureyes from lots of specific needs these days.

We often talk about the hiddenness of Christ in theworld. Theologically speaking, God is hidden in Christ;

Christ is hidden in the church;and the church is hidden in theworld. As a faith-based socialservices agency, we are thehiddenness of God within theworld. And the people we serveare hidden, as well. So, we needto remind people that the poor,the needy, the homeless are stillthere and that they really needour help. We need to lift upthese “hidden people” and help

other people to see them.But even though our services have a preferential option

for the poor, they are not exclusively for the poor. Wewant to reach out to all who are in need. That’s why weoffer fee-based programs, which, in turn, support ourefforts to aid the poorer among us. One example would beour Intouch Home Care Services, which were recentlyexpanded to include 28 counties throughout Illinois.

Seniors who can afford our reasonable hourly rates — aswell as low-income seniors who are eligible for theCommunity Care Program (administered by the IllinoisDepartment on Aging) receive assistance with tasks suchas cleaning, laundry, personal care, shopping, mealpreparation and transportation. This assistance helps themto maintain their independence and live in their ownhomes as long as possible.

One of our supporters and former board member, JimMitchell, puts it well. He says, “It comes down to this: Whatkind of state do you want to live in?” I think most of uswould want to live in a state — and in a country and a world— that works to make all of our lives better. So, if we wantto live in a state that is willing to help people in need andactively nurture the common good, we must see the needbefore that can happen.

from my perspective

Frederick Aigner, PastorPresident, LSSI

“…any time we are working with thepoor, widows, children and people inprison, we are doing God’s work.”

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2 • • • Eye on LSSI • Summer 2005

FILLING A NEED AND PROVIDING REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE

INTERNSHIPS AT LSSIINTERNSHIPS AT LSSI

ver the course of about a year, Brad Booke created a mentoring program for teens served infoster care by Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI) in its education advocacy service.Elizabeth Enciso and a colleague developed a bilingual (Spanish and English) creativeexpression group for participants in LSSI’s Psychosocial Rehabilitation Program (PSR) at the

Portage Cragin Mental Health Center. Jayme Wagley connected families with communityresources via LSSI’s Intact Family Services and Intact Family Recovery programs.

Eager to learn and contribute, these individuals are just some of the students who havebenefited from serving LSSI clients through the agency’s numerous internships. LSSI, in turn, gainsa myriad of opportunities to expand its services and programs and foster new generations of socialservice professionals at the same time — a win-win situation for all involved.

“Filling a need,” explains Elaine Pfluger, program director of the Legacy Corps program housedat P.A. Peterson Center for Health in Rockford, “is where interns come in.”

For example, the launch three years ago of the Legacy Corps — a program that focuses on respitecare for caregivers — might not have gone so smoothly without the assistance of a computer-savvyintern. Studying public health administration at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Pfluger’s firstintern, Melinda Woods, helped design new policies and procedures for the AmeriCorps-fundedprogram. She also created online forms for the tracking of Legacy Corps volunteer hours, data thattoday feeds into a nationwide system overseen by Congress, according to Pfluger.

“We needed help getting the program off the ground,” says Pfluger, “and the intern got to play a

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major role in starting a pilot projectand seeing it succeed.”

Learning while making acontribution

Depending on the nature of theinternships, LSSI works with a range ofacademic institutions to fulfill thesupervised non-clinical and clinicaltraining requirements of its interns andintroduces them to relevant in-the-fieldexperiences. Schools demand excellentteaching and learning environments fortheir students, and LSSI compliesthrough committed and trained fieldinstructors who mentor, supervise andevaluate the performance of theirinterns.

“There is always more work thanwe can do. Interns extend our servicesto areas that we may not find the timefor without them,” explains Keri Silk,an education liaison supervisor andstatewide coordinator. Based at LSSI’sAugustana Open Arms, her team of twoensures that the educational needs ofchildren in foster care are met in theChicago area.

Silk’s intern for the 2004-05 academicyear, Brad Booke, 27, started hisinternship at LSSI with little knowledgeof the foster care system, let aloneeducation advocacy. In the process ofvisiting schools, learning about clients’educational plans and advocating fortheir needs, this social serviceadministration graduate student at theUniversity of Chicago came to realizethe importance of keeping adolescentsfrom dropping out of school.

“I was very ignorant of what wasgoing on with the education of kids inthe foster care system,” says Booke.“The numbers are low for those whofinish high school, and less than fivepercent of those who do [graduate] goon to college.”

mentors accordingly.“There is a lot of responsibility riding

on the shoulders of these mentors interms of behavior facilitation,” explainsBooke. “They need to know how toreact as a non-parent if, for example, achild acts out in public.”

Booke’s program proposesrecruiting former foster parents whomay not want the full responsibility ofanother foster child but wouldconsider mentoring; individualsthinking about foster parenthood; andstudents from nearby colleges anduniversities needing credit hours in thehuman services field. Booke presentedhis project to LSSI staffers at the endof May. There are plans to make thementoring program a permanent partof LSSI’s education services in the nearfuture, according to Booke, whocompleted his internship in June. SaysSilk, “This is a project we hope tocarry forth long after Brad is with us.”

“Pick of the crop” internsAt Portage Cragin, LSSI’s outpatient

mental health center on Chicago’snorthwest side, interns gain valuableexperience as they assist clients. Interninterviews usually begin in January forstudents who will start after Labor Dayfor the academic year. Acceptingmaster’s-level candidates, the programfeatures seven spots in individual andgroup counseling services and twointernships in psychosocialrehabilitation.

“In the past decade, the market forLCPCs (Licensed Clinical ProfessionalCounselors) and LCSWs (LicensedCertified Social Workers) has openedup with schools offering many moredegreed programs,” says Ken Hallas,internship coordinator at PortageCragin. “We at LSSI really have thepick of the crop. We try to select a

There is always more work than we can do. Interns extend ourservices to areas that we may not find the time for without them.

Intern Elizabeth Enciso (opposite page, atright) shares a moment with Lucy, a memberof the “Latinos sin Banderas Unidos” (Latinoswithout Boundaries Together) group thatmeets at LSSI's Portage Cragin Mental HealthCenter, in Chicago. Karl Kottke (below) alsowas an intern at Portage Cragin.

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Focusing on eighth and ninthgraders, Booke developed a mentoringproject to give guidance and stabilityto a population of foster care kidsmost vulnerable to leaving theiracademic studies for good. Heresearched different agency mentoringsituations around the country andapproached University of Chicagofaculty member Thomas Keller, aformer director of the Big BrothersBig Sisters program in Seattle.

Booke used the Big Brothers BigSisters model to lay the groundwork forhis project. The program matches kidsto mentors, who ideally spend one half-day a week with their young chargesand participate in activities ranging fromhelping with homework to expandingtheir worldview. Designed to meet theparticular needs of LSSI clients, theprogram takes into account the uniquecharacteristics of the foster carepopulation, such as abuse or behavioralproblems, and recruits volunteer


good blend and diverse group ofinterns, who often range in age fromtheir mid-20s to 40s. Some have agreat deal of experience in the field,and some are at the other end of thespectrum with little exposure.”

While internships provide studentswith the skills and tools they requireto become competent professionals,the learning process is a two-wayroad, or even a multiple-avenuejourney. LSSI staff members have thechance to teach students, which helpsthe seasoned professional to betterconceptualize what he or she is doingon a day-to-day basis as a counselor,according to Hallas.

“The staff looks forward to the energyand newness that interns bring withthem,” remarks Hallas. “It is refreshingto listen to their ideas and the theoriesthat they have learned in school.

No amount of classroom learning,however, can replace the wisdom thatcomes with experience. Hallas and hiscolleagues gladly pass on the techniquesand shortcuts they have picked up andrefined over time. Recent intern KarlKottke, 26, for one, appreciated thementorship he received during hiscounseling services internship atPortage Cragin this past academic year.

“Each week I met with supervisorEllen Blattner, and we would have in-depth discussions about all of myclients. She showed a lot of care andconcern and wanted to know how Iwas personally handling my cases andwhether they were causing anyreactions in me,” says Kottke, whorecently completed his master’s ofsocial work degree at the Universityof Chicago. “During my time at LSSI, Itook advantage of being a student andlearning as much as I could.”

Clients expand interns’knowledge, understanding

Clients, too, can offer support andunderstanding. Elizabeth Enciso, 29, acounseling psychology graduate student

at Northwestern University, had neverdealt with persons with persistentmental illness before her recentinternship at Portage Cragin. Relying onher Spanish-language skills and herMexican-American heritage, she workedwith Latino groups participating inpsychosocial rehabilitationprogramming at the center. With littleclinical experience or a background inpsychology, Enciso initially had toovercome her own trepidation relatingto individuals coping with mentalillnesses such as schizophrenia,depression or bipolar disorder.

“In the beginning, I was intimidated. Ididn’t want to speak and sound foolishand have my comments fall dead to thefloor,” recalls Enciso. “The groupmembers, however, demonstrated a lotof warmth and patience. They knew Iwas an intern and were very acceptingof me.”

Enciso started her internship co-leading groups and keeping track ofseveral select client cases. Severalmonths later, she began to lead groupson her own, as well as develop uniqueprogramming with a fellow intern tobridge the Latino group with theEnglish-speaking one.

“Our group composed a poem aboutwhat it is like to live with and recoverfrom mental illness,” describes Enciso.“The members also wrote a songbased on the Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’ music,which communicated their feelingsabout their illnesses.” The groupperformed the song, complete withguitar accompaniment, at the end ofEnciso’s internship at LSSI this June.

Exposure to the real world Giving back to society and ensuring

the maintenance and expansion ofsocial services serves as a greatmotivator for LSSI as an agency andfor staff members as professionals inthe field. Julie Hanson, seniorsupervisor for Intact Family Servicesand Intact Family Recovery Programs,

has mentored several students fromher own alma mater, LoyolaUniversity Chicago, where she earnedher master’s of social work. “I had aninternship with LSSI, when I was astudent, and it was a greatexperience,” says Hanson. “It isimportant for us to further theeducation of others entering the field.”

The Intact internship programfrequently accepts first-year graduatestudents and exposes them to theworkings of social work in the realworld. Serving families with childrenwho face a gamut of problems fromdrug or sexual abuse to environmentalneglect or physical violence, those whowork with Intact clients give interns arealistic snapshot of helping thispopulation.

“We help interns learn whatsystems are or are not available tosupport families,” explains Hanson.“We are exposing them to experiencesthey are not going to obtain in aschool or a hospital setting.”

Intact intern Jayme Wagley, forexample, not only honed her skillstaking case notes and social historiesand working with communityresources, but she also acquired acertain degree of patience dealingwith a somewhat challenging clientbase. “There were many times whenscheduled appointments would fallthrough,” recalls Wagley, a social workmaster’s degree candidate at LoyolaUniversity. “I learned that everyonehas a story, and families can oftenface difficulties with transportation orchild care.”

At age 22 and a recent collegegraduate, Wagley at first felt vulnerableand very young when working withLSSI clients. Yet, her youth worked toher advantage. Many of the teen momsviewed her in a different light. “Theydidn’t feel as if I was judging them,”says Wagley, who plans on a career inschool social work. “They understoodthat I was there to help them.”

Lutheran Social Services ofIllinois (LSSI) is a ministrythat provides human servicesto people in need in our state.

Our Office of Government Relationsand Advocacy works diligently to tryto convince state government leadersto strengthen state-funded programsthat serve people with special needs.So how is it that LSSI has becomedeeply involved in a non-partisancampaign to change the tax structurein Illinois? What do taxes have to dowith human services?

For many years, LSSI has worked toexpand state support for the public-private partnership by which people inneed are served. Under thispartnership, the state sets the overallpolicy regarding who will be servedand the outcomes that are expected asa result of those services. The statealso takes responsibility for the fundingof those services. The state thencontracts with private organizations,such as LSSI, to provide the hands-oncare for disabled, at-risk or otherwisevulnerable people. The problem is thatover time, the cost of providingservices has risen much more sharplythan the state’s reimbursement rates toprovider organizations. The providerorganizations end up having to raisefunds to subsidize under-funded stateprograms.

The main culprit in this disturbingtrend is what is known as thestructural deficit in the state budget. Astructural deficit occurs when thenormal growth in state revenue doesnot increase at the same rate as thegrowth in the cost of state-fundedservices. The cost of providing stateservices — education, lawenforcement, transportation, healthcare, human services, state parks,economic development, etc. — grows

because of inflation and populationincrease. Tax revenue does not growenough to keep pace with costs. Thecurrent tax structure is largely based onour former agricultural andmanufacturing economy of manydecades ago. Current tax law barelytouches the service sector of oureconomy, by far the fastest growingpart of this state’s economy.

When state revenue (taxes) doesn’tkeep up with the growth in the costsof essential state programs, thegovernor and state legislators considercutting existing state services tobalance the budget. Most of the humanservices the state funds are directedtoward low-income people. Poorpeople tend to have little or no voicewhen the state budget is beingconsidered. Too often, the programsthat serve the most vulnerable peopleare the programs that are cut.

In the face of these complexdynamics, LSSI and our partnerministry, Lutheran Network for JusticeAdvocacy (LNJA), have become part ofa huge non-partisan coalition oforganizations advocating forfundamental tax and budget reform inIllinois. The A+ Illinois coalitionsupports several principles for tax andbudget reform:

1. Overcome the state’s structuraldeficit

2. Increase the state’s share of fundingfor public education

3. Decrease reliance on local propertytaxes to fund education

4. Protect low- and moderate-incomehouseholds from additional taxes.

LSSI and LNJA, along with ourfriends at Lutheran Child and FamilyServices of Illinois and ourcollaborators at Protestants for the

Common Good and Voices for IllinoisChildren, support these reformsbecause we believe that such reformsare necessary to provide a soundfiscal basis for the state’s budget.

Our support for the A+ Illinoisprinciples was one of the centralmessages that we conveyed tolawmakers at Lutheran Day 2005 lastApril in Springfield. The budget recentlypassed by the Illinois General Assemblyand signed into law by GovernorBlagojevich did not adopt the A+Illinois principles. Instead, the state’sfiscal year 2006 budget that went intoeffect on July 1 relies yet again onshort-term and one-time-only schemesto postpone the need for fundamentalfiscal reform to another year. It isimportant to note that the next budgetcycle will be played out in the midst ofthe 2006 election campaign. It is ourintention to do everything we can tomake sure that fundamental tax andbudget reform become key issues inthat campaign — both the campaign forgovernor and local campaigns for thestate legislature. It is likely that the A+Illinois principles will be prominent atLutheran Day 2006, now tentativelyscheduled for April 19, 2006, inSpringfield.

For details about the A+ Illinoiscampaign are at www.aplusillinois.org.

To learn about LSSI GovernmentRelations or the Lutheran Network forJustice Advocacy, visitwww.LSSI.org/advocacy andwww.LutheranAdvocacy.org, orcontact Pr. Daniel Schwick, LSSI’sdirector of Government Relations andAdvocacy, at 847/390-1418 [email protected].

advocacy agenda


Why LSSI Supports Fundamental Tax Reform in Illinois

metro chicago DREAMS DO COME TRUE


Metta Marrello and her son Mark, 50, one of theoriginal Shady Oaks residents. “We planned forthis home [Shady Oaks] when Mark was 10 yearsold,” says Metta. “We were so excited at thegroundbreaking.”


Marilyn Harrington thought on July 22, 1992 — the dayLutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI) broke ground for Shady Oaks, twointermediate-care facilities for adults with developmental disabilities in Homer Glen.

Marilyn, her husband Bob and numerous other parents of children withcerebral palsy and other developmental disabilities attended the Shady Oaksgroundbreaking that day with a sense of excitement — and accomplishment.Excitement because their beloved children would soon have a new place theycould call home and receive the specialized care they need. Accomplishmentbecause this dream, called Shady Oaks, was more than 20 years in the making.

Perhaps the message that best sums up the parents’ feelings that groundbreakingday was the inscription on Shady Oaks’ 10th anniversary cake — Dreams Do ComeTrue.

“It was a dream we had worked for so hard that finally came into being,”Marilyn recalls. “Even though we had a lot of setbacks, we never gave up. Wekept plugging along — we were determined.”

Concerned about what would happen to their children after they were nolonger able to care for them, the Harringtons and several other parents cametogether in March 1969 to consider the possibility of building a home designedespecially for their children. Each pledged $500 toward the dream of buildingsuch a facility.

Over the next 20-plus years, the group experienced a roller coaster ofemotions as they encountered obstacles, including their proposal being turneddown by several not-for-profit agencies. With advice from an individual at theIllinois Department of Public Health, the group approached LSSI for help. Theirpersistence paid off: LSSI agreed to take on the project. Actual constructionstarted in 1993, and the first building, Shady Oaks East, was opened in May1994. Shady Oaks West began accepting residents in October 1995.

A heartfelt celebrationOn May 14, Shady Oaks celebrated its 10th anniversary with an outdoor party,

not far from where the groundbreaking ceremony took place nearly 13 yearsearlier. Residents, family members and friends enjoyed the cool, sunny springafternoon eating lunch, taking tours of the grounds, socializing and listening tospeakers.

For some, the day was a reunion for parents who had known each other fordecades, first meeting when their young children attended the Shady Oaks

“We finally did it!”

MS DO COME TRUE

We’ve known each other for so many years.The staff takes uswherever we want to go. Shady Oaks is my home. —Mickey, 62, one of Shady Oaks’

original residents.

Shady Oaks celebrates 10 years of serving adults with developmental disabilities

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Camp for Cerebral Palsy Children,which adjoins the 10-acre Shady Oakscampus. For others, it was a day tosay thank you.

Florence Bayci told the crowd sheappreciated the “wonderful” care her23-year-old son, Nicholas, receives atShady Oaks. Nicholas, who hashydrocephalus, cannot walk, talk orsee and requires specialized carearound the clock. “Shady Oaks givesme peace of mind. I can sleep at night,knowing so many people care abouthim,” Florence said. “I’m pleased withthe amount of care — and tendernessof care — Nicholas is receiving.”

A sense of familyMarilyn says one of the dreams of

building Shady Oaks was to “createanother family” for the children. Thisdream has been realized.

“There is definitely is a sense offamily here,” says Kristen Stockle,Shady Oaks program director. “For theresidents, Shady Oaks is home.”

Stockle says Shady Oaks’ “highcaliber of staff” and home-likeenvironment help create that sense offamily. “The dedication, commitmentand personal investment [the staff]makes to the residents is veryobvious,” she says. “They treatresidents like members of their ownfamily… nobody here is lonely.”

Beyond meeting residents’ physicalneeds — including bathing, shaving,dressing, feeding and dispensingmedication — staff members also dospecial things to make life enjoyablefor the 29 residents who currently liveat Shady Oaks. For example, staffmembers have arranged, andsometimes even funded, specialoutings for residents. Some havebrought residents to their own homeson holidays and special occasions; setup holiday gift-giving programs;


invited residents to family weddings,baptisms and other celebrations; andmade sure residents who have lostparents visit the cemetery onimportant holidays or anniversaries.

Stockle says staff members do an“excellent” job at providing emotionalsupport — a primary need, she says —for residents. “What would strikesomeone, during mealtime ordowntime, is the normal conversationsbetween residents and staff,” she says.“Staff members adapt the conversationsto the cognitive level of the residents.They speak to them like they aretalking to a friend or family member.It’s normal, home-like.”

Cheryl Rajtar, a nurse, saysresidents also play a role in creating afamily atmosphere at Shady Oaks. “Ilove the residents,” she says. “They arevery caring and devoted. I give a lot tothem, but they give a lot to me, too.”

Rajtar says she appreciates howresidents inquire about her threechildren and family, or how residentsoccasionally call her on her days offjust to say ‘Hi.’

Rajtar says while strong bonds existbetween staff and residents, theresidents also are close-knit. “Theresidents all stick together and are soloyal to each other,” she says. “If oneresident is sick, they all worry.” Sherecalls the time a resident repeatedlyrefused to take a bath. Finally, she ledthe nurse down the hall to anotherresident’s room, where his pillow wasmislaid and needed readjustment.Once the nurse fixed his pillow, shefinally agreed to take a bath.

In good handsMary Yurchik says she is pleased

with the care her husband’s cousin,Roger Froehlich, receives at ShadyOaks. Roger’s parents, like theHarringtons, worked hard years ago toestablish Shady Oaks and have bothpassed on in recent years.

“Shady Oaks is like a family — it’s aterrific group,” Mary says. “HereRoger has quality of life — we can justcome and visit without worryingabout his care. Now we understandwhy Roger’s parents worked so hardto make Shady Oaks a reality.”

Looking back on the struggles she,her husband and many other parentsencountered when trying to establishShady Oaks years ago, Marilyn saysthe efforts were worth it. “A lot ofparents lost hope, but those whostuck with it now say how gratefulthey are and how wonderful they feelabout the whole situation,” she says.

Recently, Marilyn’s son, Kevin, 49,who has cerebral palsy, returned toShady Oaks after a lengthy illnessrequiring hospitalization and threemonths of recuperation at a nursinghome. When Kevin returned to ShadyOaks, residents and staff warmlygreeted him. “I can’t tell you how goodthat made me feel,” Marilyn says.“Knowing Kevin’s at Shady Oaks, Idon’t have to worry about him — he’sin good hands. I can rest knowingthere are people there who love him.He’s being protected and cared for.”

For more information on ShadyOaks, call 708/301-0571, ext. 11; orvisit www.LSSI.org.

Kristen Stockle, Shady Oaks program

director, says since the program began

serving adults with cerebral palsy and

other developmental disabilities 10

years ago, staff members have learned

to adapt to residents’ changing needs.

“We really try to make a lifelong

commitment to our residents,” Stockle

says.“When their medical needs become

more involved, we try as hard as possible

to accommodate them and keep them

here, as opposed to moving them to a

more restrictive nursing home.”

For example, when one resident

became unable to eat food by mouth,

staff members learned how to feed him

using a pump and feeding tube. Also,

when residents’ physical needs become

greater, case managers help to secure

funding for more expensive and higher-

tech adaptive communication devices or

wheelchairs.

LSSI recently made changes to

better accommodate residents. It

replaced carpeting with more

wheelchair-friendly laminate flooring;

purchased more functional furniture,

including reclining chairs; and installed

automatic doors so residents can

independently enter and exit buildings.

Shady Oaks continues to provide a

variety of care and support services that

meet residents’ physical, social and

spiritual needs, including individualized

day-to-day care, social activities, outings

and worship services from visiting

clergy. Residents learn self-care

techniques to foster independence and

also work five hours a day at a

vocational training program, located on

Shady Oaks’ campus.

THROUGH THE YEARS:MEETING AND ADAPTING

TO RESIDENTS’ NEEDS

Mickey Laird, resident, (top) gets a chance tovisit with Kelly Robertson, a former Shady Oaksstaff member at the anniversary celebration,while (below) resident Maggie Duffy greets her four-legged friend, Levi.

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volunteers

The lessons learned at theMen’s Residence West, aprogram of LutheranSocial Services of Illinois(LSSI), are not just simply

about sobriety, but about giving back.And that’s where the “alumni” step in.

The Men’s Residence West, locatedin an unassuming red brick building in Elgin, is a safe environment for men coming out of a substance abuseprogram. This 16-bed halfway houseincludes a professional staff, but morethan that, it is supported by a corps ofalumni/volunteers.

After successfully completing a 28-day inpatient program forsubstance abuse, the men have anopportunity to nurture their sobriety

All About Gratitudeby transitioning back to regular lifewhile living at the residence.

“The Men’s Residence West is part ofthe continuum of care,” says VeronicaWittenbrink, clinical supervisor.“There’s a greater recovery outcome ina supportive and caring environment.”

The men are asked to give a verbalcommitment to stay 90 days at theresidence as they continue tostrengthen their sobriety and shift into post-treatment life.

“The house is only as strong as itsalumni,” Wittenbrink explains. “Thereis a dynamic group of men willing to

serve as alumni and that helps currentclients with their recovery process.”

“It’s a gift,” says Dean L., an alumniof the residence who is now avolunteer. “I cannot thank LSSI enough.They saved my life.”

Dean has been sober for nearly ayear. After completing an inpatientprogram, he lived at the Men’sResidence West. Now, he has comefull circle and is a dedicated alumnus,which he says helps him as much asthe current clients.

“It’s all about gratitude,” Dean says.“I’m thankful for what I have and

volunteers

JOHN KAVOURIS


that easier.”Wittenbrink says there is a strict

schedule at the residence regardingdinner at 5:30 p.m., daily chores, and aregime of therapy and group meetings.But, with alumni participation there is time for socializing and bonding on a group and individual level. Thepositive and welcoming atmosphere at the residence allows the clients to come together to discuss issues in the house, personal struggles and triumphs, and to have a sense of community.

Dean says that sense of communityhas continued from his time as aresident to his current alumni status.

“I can go to meetings and attendfunctions that help me, but I’m alsoable to give back by helping newmembers,” he says. “I’m a phone callaway and am ready to give examples ofhow certain steps work to the newer

to independent living, and we allow for that in a comfortable, safe setting.”

There is a fundraising componentof the alumni group as well. Currently,Dean is in charge of the candy sales,with the profits used to support theresidence. He says the money raisedcan go toward anything from buying avacuum cleaner or television for thehouse to funding activities such asbowling or retreats for the currentresidents and alumni.

Another volunteer alumni member,Tom H., says something he’s especiallylooking forward to this year is a two-night camping trip to Starved Rock inUtica. Last year, he attended thecamping trip as a client of the Men’sResidence West; this year, he is attending the outing as one of thealumni organizers.

Tom says he feels a deepconnection to both current clients and alumni based on the constantsupport, both when he was a residentand now as an alumnus.

“You develop a common bond with other men suffering from thesame disease,” he says. “Once youleave, you’ve created a peer groupwith a built-in support system, whichalso teaches you to rely on yourself.”

Tom also said that the weekly

meetings he attends at the Men’sResidence West seem like a reunion —a chance to reconnect with a newgroup of sober friends.

“It comes naturally to become analumni volunteer,” Tom says. “You’reexcited about the fact that you feel sogood about yourself and your recoverythat you want to help someone else.”

For more information, contactVeronica Wittenbrink at 847/741-2600or visit www.LSSI.org.

TREATMENT PROGRAM ALUMS GIVE BACKt Gratitude

what was given to me. Now, I’m hereto help in the same way.”

One of the core principles of theresidence is support. The clients andalumni have a common network todraw strength and guidance from oneanother and a common accountabilityas they work toward the same goals.

“There is a real sense of communityhere,” Wittenbrink says. “The ultimategoal is independent living, and therelationships built here help make

clients. I try to be a ‘big brother’ but amalso here for rides to job interviews orother daily life tasks.”

Wittenbrink, who has been withLSSI for 11 years, the last eight at theMen’s Residence West, says the alumninetwork is a major factor thatcontributes to the success of mostclients.

“It’s important to teach clientsdignity,” she says. “Outpatient care is the next step before returning

Members of LSSI’s Elgin Center alumni teaminclude (from left); Wes D., Greg V., Scott S.,Tom H., Don R., Carl E., Dean L. and Jeff M.“You develop a common bond with other mensuffering from the same disease,” says Tom.


Michelle Hutchinson of Vienna hadn’t planned on becoming a foster parent.

But after she accompanied a friend to a seminar on foster care for special

needs children, she went home to her husband Greg and said, “This is what

we are going to do.” He agreed enthusiastically.

Dealing with special needs kids was familiar ground for Michelle and her

husband, whose three biological children have special needs. One has an

amputated leg, another was diagnosed with autism at the age of 18 months

and with deafness at the age of 3 years, and a third was born prematurely.

After the couple went through about 90 hours of “fairly intense” training,

they were ready for a child to be placed with them.

“We went into foster care [with the intention of fostering] a girl. We’re on

our sixth boy,” Michelle says with a laugh.

The family’s first placement was a 12-year-old boy, who “had whole new

world of experiences to weave through.”

Michelle noticed that he seemed confused during the first meal the family

had together. It was a simple meal, just hamburgers from the grill. But he had

never been in a family that sat down to eat together. And then, during the

Fourth of July celebration, he didn’t seem to be enjoying it. “Finally, he asked

when we were going to get the beer out and start the party,” Michelle says. She

told him, “No party; we’re just going to bed.”

central/southern illinois

FOSTER PARENTING

Making a Difference in Children’s Lives


Victor shows off his sunny disposition as he sits with his mother, Michelle Hutchinson, on their home’s sundeck. She says, “Victor’s personality is suchthat nobody who meets him doesn't love him.”

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Fostering a special child leadsto adoption

After that child was placed in apermanent home, the next childMichelle fostered turned out to bevery special. “We went to meet him,walked in the door, and [I knew] hewas my kid,” Michelle remembers.

The foster care agency theHutchinsons were working with at thetime said that the four-year-old wasn’texpected to live long. “They said hedidn’t talk and would never walk,”Michelle says.

Under the agency’s protocol, shewas required to meet with the childfour times and have him or herovernight once before placementwould occur. After she met Victor forthe first time, Michelle says when theother family that was currentlylooking after him left with him, they“took my child” home.

Not surprisingly, Victor went to live

with the Hutchinsons, who adoptedhim after two and a half years.

“We wanted to help him spend thetime he had left the best way wecould,” Michelle says, adding that thefamily spoiled him extremely well.

And surrounded by love, Victorsurvived. Now, at 10 years old, he islearning to walk and “talks very well.”

“He’s just a delightful child,” Michellesays. “He has been just a joy for us.”

“Victor’s personality is such,” sheadds, “that nobody who meets himdoesn’t love him. And he has suchempathy for anyone who is hurt,”perhaps because of his medicalproblems. “He has a harem at school— including teachers.”

Nothing better than being afoster parent

Adopting Victor hasn’t stoppedMichelle from fostering other children.Currently, she’s caring for another boy.

She cares for each child for as long asis needed. One boy stayed with her for11 months before finding a permanenthome with an aunt. Another was withthe family for 16 months and thenwent back to live with his mother.

When her husband died in early2004, Michelle worried that LutheranSocial Services of Illinois (LSSI), thefoster care agency which she was nowworking with, wouldn’t place specialneeds kids with her because she wasnow a single parent. But it didn’tmatter. LSSI accepts both single andmarried people as foster parents. “Youdon’t have to be a two-parent home[to be a foster parent],” she says. “Youjust have to make sure there arefather figures in the children’s lives.”

Michelle receives a lot of supportfrom other parents who have specialneeds children. “There’s kind of asubculture of parents of special needskids,” she laughs. She says she can

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reach out and call someone for answersto problems she is having. “[It’s great]being able to draw on the resources ofthe other people. In no time, you canhave 30 responses to a question or [tipson] how to handle a situation.”

Asked why she fosters specialneeds children, Michelle says she just“really enjoys the challenge.”

“I don’t know that there is anythingelse better in life than to be a fosterparent,” she says. “There is nothingmore rewarding than seeing a kidrespond whether medically oremotional[ly].”

Simple milestones create “highs”Those “highs” are often the result of

simple milestones, such as when achild behaves properly while in astore, or the first time the child rollsover at age 7. “If you wait seven yearsfor that to happen, when it doeshappen, you throw a party,” she says.She adds that she has friends whohave kids with some of the sameissues, and they share the samefeelings.

“It’s just such an incredible high,”Michelle says. “You know you’remaking a difference [in a child’s life].”

That “high” doesn’t come withouta lot of work. Michelle says her weeksare very full. For example, in oneweek she might have to take a child toeight or nine therapy sessions, a watertherapy session and, of course, go tothe doctor’s office. In addition,because a foster child may not haveexperienced such things as going tothe zoo or a movie or a museum, shetries to organize something like thatonce a week. But fostering is verymuch a family effort, and the childrenhelp each other.

“I am really blessed,” she says.“[My sons] are helpful. They maygrumble [when I ask them] to dothings, but they want to do it anyway.”

She adds that her teenage sons gaveher a T-shirt that says “I don’t sufferinsanity, I enjoy it.”

“That pretty much sums up things,”she says.

Patience, a sense of humor areessential

Michelle says that to be a foster oradoptive parent, a person has to bepatient and strong-willed, and have asense of humor.

“You have to be patient — and notjust with the kids,” she says. “Youhave to be patient with the courtsystem. You want what you see asbest for the child, and sometimes thecourt system doesn’t see it that way.”

A person also has to be prettystrong-willed. “It’s not a job for peoplewho take ‘no’ for an answer,” she says.“Sometimes you have to fight forwhat’s best for the child — testing,

school system, whatever.”A sense of humor is also

important, “especially when you walkinto the living room to find a childpouring chocolate syrup over whippedcream that was going to be for dessertin his lap,” Michelle says. “Or whenyou see a child walking the dog acrossthe living room with dog’s front pawson the floor and the back legs aroundchild’s shoulders.”

“I have had people ask me if [these]are my real children,” Michelle says.“Of course, they are. None of them ismade of Play-Doh. Vic is as much mychild as the other three. When youadopt a child, make sure it’s your kidand you love him — or her. Love isthicker than blood.”

And as for the future, Michelle isstill looking for that girl to foster.

For more information on LSSI’sfoster care and adoption programs, e-mail [email protected], orvisit www.LSSI.org orwww.AdoptionIllinois.org.

18,084 – the number of children in “substitute care” homes as of June 30,2005, according to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).

2 to 6 months – the time it takes to license and train people tobecome foster parents according to DCFS.

580 – the number of children who found permanency with the help of LSSI in2003, including 288 foster care children who were adopted.

37 – the percent of foster children in Illinois who live with a relative.

21 – the maximum age for Illinois foster youths to receive benefits

FOSTER CARE FACTS & FIGURES

Victor enjoys a pool workout with Amanda Sullivan (right), a physical therapy assistant at RealRehabilitation and Fitness in Vienna. His mother, Michelle Hutchinson (left), laughs as she tries toavoid being splashed.


northern illinois

But now, after living there since thefall of 2004, he says, “The residentsare the greatest assets PetersonMeadows has. They are friendly andkind, and help one another.”

Ruth Lukawski, Peterson Meadowsmarketing coordinator, agrees. Shesays, “When I take people on a tour, Ihear the same three comments: howbright, how clean and how friendlyPeterson Meadows is.”

Located on 34 acres on thesoutheastern side of Rockford,Peterson Meadows is a retirementcommunity operated by Lutheran SocialServices of Illinois (LSSI). About 140residents live in apartments or duplexeswithin the community. Presently, thereare 75 apartments, ranging from 440-square foot studios to 1,070-square foottwo-bedroom units. In addition, 40duplex units of 1,150 square feet aresprinkled around the campus. Thenumber of units will increase with the

Nancy Meyer enjoys tending the flowers hanging outside the cottage-style duplex, where she's livedwith Bob Culbertson since October 2004.

PETERSON MEADOWS RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

Grows Friendships“When I moved here — a stranger among strangers — I was anxious about the social

experience of sitting down for dinner at night with people I didn’t know anything about,”

says Frank Bergen, a resident of Peterson Meadows in Rockford.

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planned expansion currently takingplace (see “Peterson Meadows BeginsExpansion” on page 19).

One of those strangers at dinnerwho became one of Frank’s friends isJohn Manning.

“It’s amazing how sharp the peoplein this place are — the residents, thatis,” says John, who has been living inone of the apartments since thebeginning of September 2004. “Thestaff is very accommodating,” he adds.

John decided to move to aretirement community after his wifeLil became ill and moved to P.A.Peterson, a long-term care nursingfacility in Rockford that is also anLSSI program. “The house was big for the two of us,” he says, “and I was also looking at some medicalproblems. So I wanted to move to anapartment setting.”

John’s son and daughter helped himin his search and “once I checked thisplace out, I said ‘This is the place,’” he remembers.

Decision to move in “very easy”Frank also chose Peterson

Meadows after doing some research.He says that the decision to move toPeterson Meadows “was very easy.”He and his wife Lynn decided to lookat retirement communities and spentthe fall of 2003 visiting all of them inthe Rockford area, most of them atleast two times.

“It was an easy decision,” he says.“Peterson Meadows seemed to be themost attractive one we saw.”

Sadly, his wife died in 2004, soFrank was alone when he moved intohis apartment. But he easily madefriends and became involved in someof the various activities offered atPeterson Meadows.

“I find the activities more beneficialthan I anticipated,” he says. “We haveexcellent groups that paint and doceramics and other crafts. Instructor

“I like the quiet,” says Bob Culbertson, of the atmosphere at Peterson Meadows. “And I like everyonethat I have met here.”

FriendshipsA

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their condo,” Nancy says. But theyalso were looking for a cottage-typeresidence, and not too manyretirement communities in Rockfordoffered cottages. Peterson Meadowsdid, and the community fit the bill forthem in other ways. The couplemoved in early in October 2004.

“I like the quiet,” Bob says aboutPeterson Meadows. “And I likeeveryone that I have met here.” Heespecially likes the birthday party heldonce a month, which offers cake,conversation and usually some sort of

music or other type of entertainment.Nancy said that the couple first

visited Peterson Meadows to visit somefriends. “I remember thinking, ‘It’sbeautiful here, but I don’t think I couldlive with all those roses!’” she says.

The roses are just one of thefeatures of the grounds. The wide-open campus area includes walkingpaths, a gazebo and even gardens forthose who want to exercise theirgreen thumbs.

Nancy is also enthusiastic about thebus transportation available to takeresidents to the symphony and other

Pat Johnson is our intrepidcheerleader.”

Frank also enjoys trips to variousentertainment venues, including theFireside Theatre in Fort Atkinson,Wisconsin. He is also involved in aneffort to start a pool league. “We’restill working on that,” he says with agrin.

Both Frank and John live inapartments in the three-story mainbuilding. A one-story buildingconnected to the main building is thehub for the community’s activities. Itincludes dining rooms, exercise, craftand computer rooms, a library, a parlorand alcoves for small get-togethers.

“One of the most popular areas isthe Meadow Mart, which offersresidents the opportunity to purchasebreakfast and lunch,” says Lukawski.While all of the units have kitchens,residents of the apartments have amain meal once a day included intheir monthly fee. (Residents make aninitial buy-in payment and then pay amonthly fee.)

Couple chooses the cottagelifestyle

Nancy Meyer and Bob Culbertsonlive in one of the cottages on thePeterson Meadows campus.

“We had a nice condo that we livedin for 22 years,” Nancy says. “Wedidn’t mind going up and down thestairs for the first 20 years.”

When the couple decided to move,they “didn’t want anything larger than

“The residents are the greatest assetsPeterson Meadows has. They are friendly and

kind, and help one another.”


places. “It is just wonderful,” she says.Beautiful grounds, locationattract residents

Dorothy Blackledge moved to anapartment in Peterson Meadows nineyears ago. She had retired to herhometown of Belvidere, but decidedthat the upkeep to her house wasgetting to be too much.

“So, I started looking around,” shesays. “At that time, there weren’t manyretirement communities in the area.But when I walked into this place, withits beautiful grounds, I said, ‘That’s it.’”

“And over the years, I havediscovered that the community is justas beautiful [as the grounds],” she adds.

Peterson Meadows’ location closeto Belvidere also attracted Dorothy,who is involved in volunteer work inher hometown. The community is alsolocated in a part of Rockford that isconvenient to shops and restaurants,

and “alive with commercial business,”Lukawski notes.

A single person, Dorothy says that for someone who has beenindependent all her life, the sense ofbeing cared for in the community canbe a double-edged sword. “I welcomethat sense of caring,” she says, “but Iwant more explanations about whythings are the way they are.”

She is particularly happy thatPeterson Meadows has a full-timedirector available to help answer herquestions and explain things. She also noted that the community has aresidents’ council that works withmanagement and brings any concernsto management’s attention.

Dorothy also enjoys the manyactivities that Peterson Meadowsoffers, including opportunities to hearthe local symphony and see plays, aswell as going on mystery trips where

“we don’t know where we are going.”There’s also a “movers and shakers”group for those who want to exercise,as well as bridge clubs, ladies’breakfasts and a “Red Hat” group.

Comfortable, maintenance-freehomes

In short, Peterson Meadows offersits residents comfortable,maintenance-free housing, built-incompanionship and lots of ways tokeep active. Residents enjoyhousekeeping, maintenance and repairservices; one main meal; 24-hoursecurity; all utilities except telephone(duplex residents pay gas and electriccharges); and transportation tomedical appointments, as well asoutings and shopping trips.

In addition, residents receive up to60 days in P.A. Peterson Center forHealth if needed, and have priorityaccess to it. P.A. Peterson offers 24-hour-a-day nursing services to olderadults, including intermediate andskilled nursing care; short-term andoutpatient rehabilitation; assistedliving; and specialized Alzheimer’sdisease care.

Finally, LSSI’s Intouch Home CareServices has an office at the facilityand offers residents fee-based, home-care services, such as assistance withdaily personal care, meal planning andcompanionship.

Underground parking is availablefor residents living in the mainbuilding. Pets are allowed on thecampus, although dogs are notallowed in the main building. AndPeterson Meadows has a full-timeactivity director, Stacy Hirsch, whocoordinates in-house programming aswell as trips and other outings.

For more information on PetersonMeadows, contact Ruth Lukawski at815/229-0390.

PETERSON MEADOWS BEGINS EXPANSION

eterson Meadows, a program of Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI), celebrated the expansion of the retirement community with a June

14 groundbreaking.“We are building 40 new units — six single and 34 duplexes,” says Vicky

Beard, program director. “It’s an exciting time for us.”The new units will be one of two floor plans: 1,391 or 1,416 square feet. Each

two-bedroom, two-bath unit will have a full basement, four-season room, eat-inkitchen, main floor laundry and a two-car garage.

On the day of the groundbreaking, there was a ribbon-cutting, refreshments andtours of the facility. “We wanted to have an opportunity to celebrate PetersonMeadows’ growth,” says Beard.

For more than a decade, Peterson Meadows, located at 6401 Newburg Road,has been the premiere retirement community in Rockford. Peterson Meadowsfeatures lovely apartments and cottages, elegant dining areas, a snack shop, garagefacilities, a full array of residential programming and group outings, as well asother activities and amenities.

For more information about the Peterson Meadows expansion project, call815/229-0390 or visit www.LSSI.org.

P

A “thank you” to foundations and organizations for their generoussupport of LSSI programs: Advocate Health Care, $5,000; Allstate,$565; Bethel Baptist Church, $500; Bethel Wholistic Health Center,$250;The Chicago Community Trust, $25,000; Chicago Foundation forWomen, $7,500; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, $5,005; G. J.Aigner Foundation Inc., $50,000; Helen Brach Foundation, $10,000;Hospira Employee Giving Campaign, $1,500; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation,$15,000; Lutheran School of Theology, $500; Lutheran Women of

Greater Peoria, $3,500; Moline Foundation, $1,500: Mutual of America,$1,500; Neighborhood Center of Cicero, $2,500; Northern TrustCharitable Trust, $10,000; Poshard Foundation for Abused Children,$260; St. John’s Women of the ELCA, $400; Sterling Rock Falls Clinic,$500;Thrivent Financial – Matching, $2,500;Tom Russell CharitableFoundation, $5,000; UNILOCK Chicago, Inc., $2,500 and WohlersFoundation, $200,000. Special thanks to Communications Four LLC forits in-kind support of www.AdoptionIllinois.org.


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Communications Four LLC and Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI) have teamedup to redesign LSSI’s adoption website: www.AdoptionIllinois.org.

Emmy-nominated Communications Four, a Chicago-based digital communicationscompany, generously donated its services to record and host streaming video featuringadoptive parents sharing their experiences with adoption and about working with LSSI.

“LSSI appreciates Communications Four’s help and guidance in this project, especially theleadership, generosity and expertise of Paul Torrey, Communications Four vice president,” saysJohn Murphy, senior director of marketing.“We are especially hopeful that having streamingvideos on our website will be helpful to families seeking to adopt as well as to birthmothers.”

Be sure to visit the new www.AdoptionIllinois.com. For more information onCommunications Four, visit www.communicationsfour.com or call 312/421-0113.

New home for PFM programs in Chicago

In August, FamilyConnections and Re-Connections, programs of

LSSI’s Prisoner and FamilyMinistry, moved to 2907 S.Wabash Avenue, Suite 100, inChicago’s historicBronzeville neighborhood.

Re-Connections is aninformation and referralcenter for women returningto the Chicago area fromprison. Services includecounseling, a support group,and referrals to housingresources, food pantries,education, employment/training services, substanceabuse treatment and mentalhealth services.

Family Connections offerstwo programs: Relatives AsParents Program (RAPP) andVisits to Mom/Visits to Dad.

Twice a month, RAPP helpsto provide free transportationfor children of incarceratedwomen and their caregiversfrom Chicago to two prisonsfor women in Lincoln andDecatur. While the childrenvisit with their moms, thegrandmothers and othercaregivers meet in a supportgroup.

In Visits to Mom/Visits toDad, each weekendvolunteers help to transportchildren and theircaregivers to prisons to visitthe children’s incarceratedparents. Volunteers drivethe families to and from theDwight, Kankakee andSheridan CorrectionalCenters. Twice a month,other volunteers act aschaperones on buses that

take children and caregiversfrom Chicago to the Lincolnand Decatur CorrectionalCenters.

“Through our FamilyConnections and Re-Connections programs, weare helping not justindividuals but wholefamilies,” says Lynn Grant,program director. “Byhelping these mothers stayconnected with theirchildren, we hope toimprove the odds of themsuccessfully returning tosociety, staying off drugs andout of prison.” Eightypercent of the approximately3,000 women in Illinoisprisons are mothers. About1,000 children are servedeach year through LSSI’sFamily Connections.

For information, call312/567-9242.

LSSI’s New and Improved Adoption Website• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •


On November 5, Lutheran SocialServices of Illinois (LSSI) will honor RotaryInternational for the organization’s effortsin eradicating polio worldwide at the 24thannual Amicus Certus Award Dinner. Thedinner, hosted by the Women’s Network,will be held in the Grand Ballroom of theFour Seasons Hotel Chicago.

In 1985, Rotary launched the PolioPlusprogram to protect children worldwidefrom polio. Since 1988, the efforts ofRotary and its partner agencies, includingthe World Health Organization, the UnitedNations Children’s Fund, the U.S. Centersfor Disease Control and Prevention, andgovernments around the world, haveachieved a 99 percent reduction in thenumber of polio cases worldwide.

LSSI gives the annual Amicus Certus

award to individuals ororganizations that havemade significantcontributions to the human community.Former Amicus Certus honorees includeMary Nelson, former president and CEO ofBethel New Life; the Rev. Dr. CharlesInfelt, pastor of Holy Family LutheranChurch and co-founder of Holy FamilyMinistries; and the late Paul Simon, formerU.S. senator from Illinois. Proceeds fromthis year’s Amicus Certus event will benefitLSSI’s Family Connections program.

Tickets may be obtained by advancereservations and cost $275 per person or$2,750 for a table of 10. For moreinformation or to register, contact EdNewton at 847/635-4591, [email protected].

LSSI to present Rotary Internationalwith its Amicus Certus Award

The Josh SycksMemorial Golf Classictakes place September

19, at the Calumet CountryClub in Homewood. Thisouting supports LSSI’sBehavioral Health Center inElgin. The goal for thisevent is to raise$65,000, the cost ofone year ofresidentialrehab at theElgin facility.

The outing wasorganized for the first timelast year as a memorial toJosh Sycks, a Genevaresident, who died of aheroin overdose in 2002. Hisparents, Randy and SueSycks, see the fund-raisingevent as one way to fight theaddiction that claimed thelife of their son. “We’re justhoping this opens up morespace for somebody to getinto treatment,” says Sue.

The fee per golfer is$250, which includes 18holes of golf with cart,lunch, dinner, and prizes, aswell as the opportunity toparticipate in silent and livesilent auctions. Guests mayattend the dinner andauction for $50.

For more information,contact Mark Germano at847/635-4680. To register, visitwww.sycksgolfclassic.kintera.org.

Lutheran Social Servicesof Illinois (LSSI) has newcontracts with the state ofIllinois to provide home careservices for low-incomeseniors through the IllinoisDepartment on AgingCommunity Care Program.New areas served include:

four counties in theRockford area (Jo

Daviess,Stephenson,

WinnebagoandDeKalb),

two countiesnear Peoria

(Tazewell and Woodford),DuPage County and 16counties around Champaign.At the same time, LSSI isexpanding its private-payhome care services for theseareas, which nowencompass 28 counties.

As part of theCommunity Care Program,LSSI will be looking forvolunteers to providecompanionship to seniorclients. Volunteers who signup to work 400 hours a yearwill receive an annualstipend of $2,000 to helppay for expenses, such as

gas. For more information,visit www.LSSI.org, or call877/709-9177 toll-free.

We welcome letters to the editor from our Eye on LSSI readers. To share your thoughts,contact Managing Editor Jo Ann Dollard at [email protected] or write her at LutheranSocial Services of Illinois, 1001 E. Touhy Ave., Ste. 50, Des Plaines, IL 60018.

Josh SycksMemorial GolfClassic

LSSI’s Intouch Home Care Services Expands

• • • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • •

Your Feedback Needed!

Our People, Our Strength“God gives everyone a different story,”says Ami (Amariah) Hays.

When you talk to her, she soundslike the typical cheerful, busy collegestudent. She is looking forward to hersenior year at Lincoln ChristianCollege and then marriage next year.But she is far from typical.

A foster child and client of LutheranSocial Services of Illinois (LSSI) fromSeptember 1993 through October 2002,Ami was abused by her stepfather. Hermother told the school and hergrandparents that Ami was lying, butschool officials — and her grandparents— listened to and believed her. Amiwent to live with her grandparents, whohave continued to provide her withencouragement and love.

Marie Rehburg, Ami’s grandmother,says, “We can’t thank Lutheran SocialServices enough. We have had peoplebattle and fight for us. We were blessed.”

Like many college students, Ami isbusy. In late spring, she took a studytour in Italy and Greece, to see someof the things that she learned about in

classes and to experience the culturethere.

After returning from Europe, Amiworked at a summer day camp, “myfavorite job in the whole wide world.”She has been working at the camp forsix years. “I love the kids,” she says.

It’s her love of children — anddesire to help them — that encouragedher to major in social work in college.

“My grandparents weren’t sure Ishould go into social work,” she says,“but I kept thinking that someonesaved me.”

“It’s not fair that [bad] thingshappen to little kids,” she adds. “Iwish I could tell kids that life isn’t likethat. It’s hard to see past the onlything you know. And sometimes kidscan’t see beyond their story.”

But Ami wants to change that.Aspiring to be a social worker, shehopes to be more of a mentor and toencourage them to write their ownstories.

In August, she moved closer to herdream as she started her internship

with Lutheran Youth and FamilyServices in Cleveland, Ohio, workingin adoption services.

Eventually, she hopes to work at afaith-based agency. “My faith is reallyimportant to me,” she says. “I justhope I can be as good as [the peoplewho helped me].”

“Our People, Our Strength” is aseries of profiles of individuals whohelp LSSI fulfill its mission ofbringing healing, justice andwholeness to people and communities.

Central Services Office1001 East Touhy AvenueSuite 50Des Plaines, Illinois 60018

Lutheran Social Services of Illinois Nonprofit OrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDChicago, IllinoisPermit No. 7162

Ami:Writing Her Own Story

Amariah Hays

Share your strength with people in need by supporting

LSSI’s Strength to Strength Campaign

eye on lssi a look at lutheran social services of illinois · summer 2005 • volume 20, number 2 2...

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