Lutheran Social Services Alaska

1303 West 33rd Street



272-0643

LSSAa@gci.net

www.LSSAalaska.org

Happy Thanksgiving!  I thought it appropriate to highlight an agency that feeds many in our city year-round who would otherwise go hungry.  Thank you, Lutheran Social Services, for loving our city well for more than 40 years!

Practical needs are met here every day…people get rides to / from medical appointments, stranded rural Alaskans are moved from one location to another, bus vouchers are provided, provision is made for those transitioning from homelessness to permanent living situations, a home for those with mental and behavioral problems is operated and maintained, and 25,000 individuals are fed annually via the food pantry and related programs. 

Wrap your head around all of that…wonderful things are done here. 

This visit was different for me.  It changed something in my heart, raised awareness and brought some needed conviction.  I learned more than I will be able to convey in this blog in my short time with Alan Budahl, Executive Director for Lutheran Social Services (LSSAA).   

Mother Teresa said: “Each one of them is Jesus in disguise.”  LSSA is a place where people are treated that way. 

We have all heard staggering statistics about hunger and other needs in our community.  Alan shared many of those numbers with me, but each statistic was tied to a family’s story…including the names of each mother, father, child…and the circumstances that led them to their current state of need.  In other words – he, and the staff and volunteers at LSSA, know these people, they take time to get to know their stories. 

Alan taught me about the changing face of the hungry and homeless in our city – including the men who come to the pantry alone, after hours in their high end cars and very nice clothes…struggling to face the reality that they can’t afford to keep up, and can’t find a way out on their own.  He is very familiar with the statistics behind the stories.  He is currently teaching at a different Lutheran church each Sunday - sharing the results of the End Hunger Anchorage study (including information gathered last year).

I heard story after story about the lack of affordable housing in Anchorage – and the fact that MANY who visit food pantries around town are making a choice between paying rent or feeding their families.  This day was the first of many that I heard a statement that I have since repeated myself: “food provision is homeless prevention.”

This is not intended to be a 'downer'.  It is intended to shed a little light on the reality that many of our neighbors face every day, and to point out how easy it is for each of us to help and make a HUGE difference in someone’s life.

In the midst of the tough situations, there is great joy.  For every tough story, there was an even greater ‘God story’ where the provision for the need was nothing short of miraculous.  There is the story of the woman who came to LSSA for help and five years later became a monthly financial supporter of the ministry.  There are the ‘at just the right time’ stories that we all love to tell – and to hear. 

Here is a BRIEF overview of some of the programs / services offered through LSSA:

Food Pantry

I was able to spend a little time in the food pantry while guests were being served.  LSSA is one of few locations in Alaska where food from The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) is provided.  I learned what the needs are – more donations, upgraded space, and freezer space.  The paperwork and tracking that is involved surprised me.  No one trip to a food pantry will sustain a family for a month.  Most food pantries are only open (at most) one day a week (LSSA is open 4 days a week).  This means that people make multiple trips through out the month to various locations.  LSSA has between 15-20 NEW, FIRST-TIME visitors to their pantry each day.  (Wow.)

Note:

Many who visit food pantries and other locations where food is provided have to take multiple busses.  Did you know that the Anchorage People Mover no longer has transfers?  Each bus is a separate fare…some pay $12 in bus fare round trip to/from a food pantry.  LSSA has the ability to provide some bus passes, but not enough to keep up with the need.

Association for Stranded Rural Alaskan Program

The Association for Stranded Rural Alaskans has been in existence for over 30 years.  ASRAA provides emergency assistance to rural Alaskans who are in Anchorage temporarily receiving medical treatment.  This program provides emergency transportation, housing, food, and orientation to city living.  The course provides information on the public transportation system, shopping, as well as basic safety precautions that many of us take for granted.

Direct Assistance Program

This program assists individuals in obtaining their state id, driver’s license, social security card, etc.  This program also provides assistance for those who need specialized training for a job (sanitation course, CPR, etc.)  They also provide bus and gas vouchers for the first month of employment to help people get ahead. 

Transitional Living Program

LSSA has provided transitional housing for homeless men for more than a decade.  Case managers help men establish new lives and develop plans that lead to self-sufficiency.  The goal of the program is to provide each resident with permanent, sustainable housing and employment.  Clients pay rent while they are in the program and work with a resident and case manager to who help each individual navigate through this time.

Roosevelt House

Roosevelt House is fro people with behavioral issues.  They receive care from outside mental health service providers while living in a safe, supportive environment.

Medical Transportation

LSSA contracts with a local cab company to provide rides to/from medical appointments.  They have offered a reduced rate for up to 110 rides per month.  LSSA limits the number of these allotted rides each guest may use in order to maximize the resource for all those in need.

Listening Post

The Listening Post, located downtown at the Bus Accommodation Center, provides individuals an opportunity to sit in a quiet location (Meditation Room), enjoy a light snack, and tell their story.  Volunteers (not counselors) listen to individuals share.  Forty volunteers took time to hear over 1,700 life stories last year.  

There is much to be done, and it is so easy to help:

• Volunteer at a Food Pantry
• Contact Alan Budahl at LSSA and invite him to present the “End Hunger Anchorage” study at your church, Elders meeting, staff meeting, or other venue
• Get training and spend an hour or two every month at the Listening Post
• Grab food & drop it off at the next food drive your church / grocery store, etc sponsors – or at LSSA any time
• Call LSSA (272-0643) and ask how you can pray specifically
• Sponsor a bus pass or gas voucher & pray for that person in his/her new job for that first month
• Mark your calendar!  September is Hunger Awareness Month – watch for events, get involved
• Visit www.LSSAalaska.org and LEARN MORE

Happy Thanksgiving, friends!  Wherever this finds you I pray you are inspired to give to a local ministry.  I encourage you to give of your time along with whatever physical provision (canned food, money, bus pass, etc) you may be able to provide.  I can’t put into words how much it has impacted my heart to see how much a smile can encourage someone in need. 

Be Jesus to someone...anyone...TODAY!  Imagine what would happen if we really did treat people as if “each one of them is Jesus in disguise."

NOTE: Read LSSA's full story online.

Lighthouse Christian Fellowship

www.lighthousealaska.org

Service Times: Sun 8:30 & 11 AM; Wed 7PM

629 Hollywood Drive

The church family at Lighthouse is joy-filled, outgoing and receptive.  From the very beginning of this visit, I felt welcome.  Once inside, two ushers directed us to two seats that seemed to miraculously appear in the midst of a full sanctuary. 

The song service was powerful.  As Dr. Ken Friendly explained, “…the song service is designed to clear the atmosphere…”  It certainly did that.  I had two words jotted in my notes for the song service: joy & move.  I couldn’t stand still...I wasn’t alone (which is a good thing).

This church family has a lot going on – something for everyone to receive from and to pour into.  Many of the ministry opportunities are listed in the bulletin, and several others were included in the pre-service slideshow and video announcement portion of the service. 

One particularly beautiful thing that this church family does is include reports from weekly outreaches, the names of those celebrating anniversaries as well as the names of those who are serving in the Armed Forces.  This adds to the atmosphere of celebration that is undeniable in that place.  Announcements and giving were both celebrated…I love it when an entire room full of people celebrate a great report back, as well as the opportunity to give back to God. 

I had two pages of notes from announcements – not about what is happening, but about WHY each of these things – prison ministry, worshiping in song, giving, etc. – is important and part of this church family’s life.  The reason behind the way this church family worships and serves were made crystal clear.  It was encouraging to see how, in practical daily living, the Word of God is put to work in the life and ministry of the Lighthouse family.

The teaching was great.  I’ve seen Dr. Friendly on tv, so I was a little surprised at just how animated he is.  I have never heard the story of David & Goliath told quite like that – I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was engaged the entire time and left feeling challenged and like I’d seen the story from a different perspective.  A great deal of the message centered around just how amazing, powerful, and life-altering it is to have a covenant with the Living God.  It is HIS covenant…He will not break it.  Amen.  Very encouraging teaching, encouragement, and reminder – when you know your covenant, you can run AT your problems….”God’s got ya.”

It was wonderful to be present as several people in attendance chose to accept Christ for the first time, or rededicate their lives to Him.  It is always an honor to pray with people, no matter how few or how many, in that moment.  Praise God for new brothers and sisters!

Lighthouse is a wonderful, vibrant church family!  Get there early, make some new friends (it won’t be hard in that place), and worship the Living God with them sometime soon.  You will be glad for the experience!

Anchorage Grace Church

www.anchoragegrace.org

Service Times: Sun 9 & 10:45 AM

12407 Pintail Street

Hospitality.  Community.  Laughter.  The church family at Anchorage Grace Church goes out of its way to create opportunities to enjoy all three.  (Homemade goodies, coffee, and an encouragement from Pastor Jeff Crotts to consider the sanctuary ‘…a big living room’ immediately after service made the room seem very homey as the sounds of conversation and laughter filled the air…and great (did I mention homemade) goodies were enjoyed.  That’s just a preview – this visit ended well! 

Back to the beginning:

Anchorage Grace Church (AGC) meets in the gymnasium at Grace Christian school.  I enjoyed a warm greeting and was provided a nametag before being directed to the sanctuary with a super-informative bulletin in hand.  (Side note: THANK YOU for nametags – I am a fan.) 

I was impressed with the variety of instruments represented on the worship team.  I’ve heard violins and flutes, but a clarinet and a trombone, too?  It’s wonderful to see so many different musicians enjoy an opportunity to use their talent to serve and glorify God.  Another highlight of the music service was that three of the worship leader’s children were in the band.  (He joked that he learned to play marbles rather than piano.  I’m glad his son stuck with the lessons!)  What a beautiful principle to model – serving as a family.   I also learned two new verses for “Above All” – how have I never heard those before?

AGC is very involved in their community.  They partner with Mountain View Baptist and help keep their food pantry stocked as well as to assist with their Coat and Blanket Drive.  In addition, AGC has a goal to provide 1,300 boxes of stuffing, volunteers, and $9,000 for the upcoming Thanksgiving Blessing.  Church partnerships are a beautiful thing…I think Jesus would smile (John 17).  The bulletin also outlines several weekly opportunities for everyone in the family to get involved and grow in this community. 

I appreciated the way that AGC lays out their missions commitments.  “And you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth.”  Acts 1:8  This scripture is broken down into “Our Jerusalem =Anchorage, Our Judea = Alaska, Our Samaria = Pacific Rim, and Our Uttermost Parts of the Earth” with a list of ministries supported in each of those areas. 

The teaching was great – God’s Wrath.  I know, it doesn’t sound like it, but it really was an encouragement!  (The sign of a great teacher…making God’s Wrath an enjoyable topic!)  It was a blessing to be reminded that God (not me – or you) will pay back every evil act, that there is a reason for suffering, and that my eternal outcome is secure.  What a relief to sit back and let God be…God!  The sermon was brought to a close with “Take Home Points.”  “Bottom Line” people (myself included) love that!  The main points of the sermon were available in print upon request, and sermons are available online.

I met several people and enjoyed the genuine warm welcome I received on the day of my visit.  I was further blessed to receive a phone call and offer for a visit – including homemade cookies – from one of the staff pastors.  (Note the running theme of homemade treats here…) J

If you are in south Anchorage and have the opportunity, make it a point to visit this church family.  The warm hospitality at Anchorage Grace will leave feeling embraced and offer you several opportunities to show Christ’s love to our city in practical ways.  (Did I mention the cookies?)

Thanks for a wonderful visit, Anchorage Grace Church!

Beacon Hill

Read on and file this information away.  You or someone you love may benefit from this in the future…

Beacon Hill

Beacon Hill provides temporary housing to single mothers who need “a time for peace” while they get on their feet again.  Beacon Hill opened their doors to clients in January, 2010 and since that time more than 20 families have called these two remodeled single-family houses ‘home’ for a season.

Charity Carmody (Acting Executive Director, President, Beacon Hill Board of Directors) gives God all the glory when she tells the story of a ‘club’ that turned first to realization of a need, then to an idea, a dream, and then very quickly to a well-respected ministry collaborating with AWAIC, Salvation Army, Clare House, The Office of Children’s Services, and more.

“The Give Club” was a group of several couples who met once a month.  The idea was to identify needs in their church family and anonymously meet them with the designated sum of money each couple ‘chipped in at each meeting.  They needs varied – a dentist bill here, a month’s rent there…  They were stretched to go outside their comfort zone and really get to know people and they eventually felt led to do more….they at first considered signing on for rent at a unit or a hotel for shelter. 

Charity spoke to a realtor about a hotel that she saw and he put her in contact with an influential member of the community who had property available. He showed Charity the property that is now Beacon Hill.   Charity remembers ‘…the presence of God was so heavy.  I decided that I was going to sign on it right away.’ 

Charity didn’t know that the elders at Anchorage City Church (ACC) had been praying and asking the Lord for direction on how to reach out to the city, specifically to the poor.  They had all agreed that single mothers were the group He was directing them to reach out to, but they didn’t have a specific plan.  They had already saved some money for the right time and project. 

ACC’s Pastor and elders visited the site and agreed – immediately and unanimously - that this was the Lord.  A very favorable lease was signed in October 2009.

The two houses needed to be remodeled and changed into multi-family units (3 in one, 2 in the other).  Materials, labor, volunteers to make it livable and get it running were all necessary to make it happen. 

One Sunday telling the story you just read in services at ACC and:

170 volunteers came forward

All materials were donated

Skilled laborers came forward and volunteered their time and services

Three weeks later the house was ready – completely remodeled and set up for occupancy.  (3 weeks – 21 days – incredible)

In the meantime, the Lord worked out the zoning issues, and Beacon Hill was ready for residents.

Nita Thomas is the next miracle in this story.  Nita had just returned from running an orphanage in the Sudan.  She felt that God was telling her to stay.  She asked…”are you looking for a resident manager?”  Due to various life experience, and her heart and passion, Nita was a perfect fit.

Beacon Hill runs on a budget of $8,500/month (posted on website) with a full-time resident manager and part-time case manager.  Volunteers mow the 2-acre lot, clean, paint, and maintain the property.  There is a “Welcome Team” that prepares the units for new residents – which includes setting up each unit to meet the needs of each family (numbers of beds in bedrooms, etc). 

Another volunteer team provides each family a Welcome Basket with age-appropriate toys for each child and treats for the mother.  The team also delivers a warm meal for each family’s first two nights at Beacon Hill.  Each resident family is also matched with a “Support Family” to come alongside each mother as a surrogate aunt and uncle.  These families receive training on what it is like to be homeless, and how to minister to them effectively.

Beacon Hill has a great working relationship with the Office of Children’s Services.  If the only thing keeping a mother from being reunited with her kids is housing, they will move kids in to Beacon Hill with their mother.  (As you can imagine, those reunions are particularly sweet.)

How does the program work?

Mothers:

·       Must be referred by church or agency (such as AWAIC)

·       Must have custody of their children (or an agreement with OCS as explained above)

·       Must be working (at least part-time)

·       Must not have a history of ‘high lethality’ domestic violence

·       Length of stay: 3 months with 1 month extensions after that

o   Rent is charged (sometimes split or sponsored by church or other agency)

o   $250 month 1; $350 month 2; $500 month 3 & all additional months in extension

§  This helps the mother to ‘buy in’ to the program

§  Gets residents used to the idea of paying rent

·       Must submit to drug tests when they first arrive, and random tests after that (all family member 14 and older)

·       Must work with case manager to move toward transitioning to public or permanent housing

·       All children may stay with their mother – even teenage boys

·       Families will feel like they are living on their own with a lot of support. 

The success stories are amazing.  There was a woman who called to see if she could move in.  When she learned that Beacon Hill does not accept self-referrals, she was asked if she attended a church.  She did.  The church was not aware that she was struggling and rallied around her.  She had the referral and more support than she imagined from her church family.

Just last month nearly $20,000 was raised (in 3 days mostly on Facebook – originally asked 163 families to donate $100 each) to purchase a home for a resident – a single mother who moved to Anchorage form Sudan with her 7 children.  Local businesses heard about the project and chipped in materials and labor to move the home to its present lot, provide flooring and installation, painting, a deck…the list goes on.  (See full story on the Beacon Hill website).

“We don’t know where the money comes from…a little here, a little there and God is faithful to provide our needs.”

Beacon Hill is an amazing ministry meeting very real, practical needs every day.  They provide a place of solace for children and provide a time of peace for mothers while they take that last necessary steps to be able to stand on their own – all while being showered with the love of Christ.

This all started with a group of friends who looked at people around them, chipped in and anonymously met the needs they could.  Little did they know that 20 + families, countless children, and generations would be impacted. 

I’m inspired.  Are you?  Call some friends – chip in $5, $20, $100 (any amount you can) and meet a need.  I have a feeling it’s contagious.  You may have the next Beacon Hill miracle story in your circle, and our city needs all the miracles it can get!

By the way, the land that Beacon Hill sits on is already zoned for more buildings.  How many more buildings, ministries, and outreach opportunities will be birthed out of this?  I don’t know…but I’m looking forward to watching it unfold. 

Want to help or contribute?  Visit their website: www.beaconhill.org.   Do you know a single mom who needs a place to stay?  The referral form is also available online.