Based upon our many years of serving children and families, LFS Carolinas understands that long-term healing and wholeness cannot be achieved by a single organization. The love and support of the greater community is absolutely essential in this journey. The purpose of Partnership Initiatives is to assist congregations and community organizations in the development of innovative social ministry programs that will support the clients we serve throughout their lives. The outreach ministries created and supported by these partnerships are wide-ranging in focus and reach. LFS Carolinas is at the heart of a variety of life-changing ministries that strengthen communities and serve the most vulnerable among us.

There are several ways your congregation or group can partner with LFS Carolinas:

• If you are interested in learning how to reach out to a population served by LFS, we can help guide you through a process of self-study and community exploration that will help point you towards a particular type of outreach. For ideas, check out our “Guide to Involving Your Congregation in Social Ministry.”
• We can then help walk you through the development of your own project that reaches out to a population served by LFS.
• There may also be opportunities to create a shared project, where your group and LFS would work together as equal partners to serve the vulnerable in our communities.
• Or, there are many opportunities for volunteer relationships, where individuals can plug into the ongoing work of LFS through a variety of activities. Please contact 1-800-HELPING for more details on volunteer opportunities in your area.

Examples of Partnership Initiatives:

Lutheran Disaster Response. LFS is the local designated partner agency of Lutheran Disaster Response. Join LFS and other non-profits, governmental entities, and faith communities in your area to reach out to survivors of disasters in a timely and compassionate manner through a coordinated, community-based system.

The Lutheran Support Group of Gaston provides ongoing support for the LFS Carolinas programs in Gaston County. These include Faith Farm, a transitional housing facility for women veterans in Dallas, and Mountain Ridge, a group home for developmentally disabled adults in Gastonia. This coalition of 15 Lutheran Churches provides needed support for facility rehabilitation and upkeep, offers hospitality for residents in their congregations, and meets day-to-day needs in the facilities, such as stocking pantries and collecting hygiene and cleaning supplies.

Project SPLASH (Students Playing, Learning, and Staying Healthy) is a collaborative summer program created by Reformation Lutheran Church in Columbia, SC that serves refugee and immigrant children in the community. LFS Carolinas provides program support for this ministry.

The Serving Cup Ministry, an outreach project of Good Shepherd Lutheran in Raleigh, serves developmentally disabled adults, including many LFS clients. Their “Coffeehouse” ministry offers regular hospitality to disabled adults and their caregivers, including entertainment, special events, support groups for caregivers, and connection to local resources. The Ministry has partnered with LFS to build independent living apartments for disabled adults in Cary.

For more information on Partnership Initiatives, contact 1-800-HELPING.