2024 Annual Report

Letter from the President

As I reflect on the work of Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota in the past year, I am drawn to the unique role LSS plays in building stronger communities. An LSS community is more than the geographic location of our services.

Building community means creating a sense of belonging, connection, and shared inspiration. A vibrant community is built by fostering healthy relationships and positive collaborations. I love the observation, “everything moves at the speed of trust.” Communities are no different. They thrive on trust and a welcoming spirit. They form wherever people feel valued for both who they are now, and the future they seek to create. Coming together to express faith in a neighbor’s ability to achieve their dreams unleashes boundless energies and greater possibilities.

Constructing networks of caring communities is a long-held touchstone of LSS. In fact, the centrality of community is reflected in our mission and vision statements.

• LSS Mission Statement: “Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota expresses the love of Christ for all people through service that inspires hope, changes lives, and builds community.”
• LSS Vision Statement: “All people have the opportunity to live and work in community with full and abundant lives.”

This vision of community changes lives in a myriad of ways.

In Children & Family Services, we build community by partnering with the Saint Paul Synod of the ELCA to build a new Early Learning Center on the East Side of Saint Paul. The LSS Early Learning Center – East Side offers early childhood education and child services to a community where families sometimes experience profound need, yet limited options. We are so pleased to deepen LSS’ connections with our neighbors on the East Side, and grateful for our congregational partners and supporters whose commitment was key to opening the doors of this beautiful center.

In Economic Opportunity & Youth Support Services, we build community when organizations invest in their employees’ financial health and wellbeing by offering them access to LSS Financial Services’ Financial Choice program. One organization that started using the program in 2024 has had more than 800 employees attend LSS Financial Choice workshops. By partnering with LSS, they are building a community of employees focused on financial health and wellness. As with all of LSS’ Economic Opportunity Services, the financial acumen and confidence our teams instill can change lives and help break generational cycles of poverty.

In Community-Based Services & Supports, we build community when our Minnesota Hands & Voices program provides information, support and referral to families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). Support is available at any point in their journeys but is especially helpful for families who are new to the DHH community. They lean into community building through outreach activities, parent/professional collaboration, and advocacy efforts. On a personal note, a highlight that my wife Luba and I enjoy each August is attending this community’s annual picnic – an event for DHH children and their families. It is a fun, joy-filled day, and highlights the power of connection.

Today, as LSS embarks on its 160th year of changing lives, there is one more community that deserves special reflection – the LSS movement. A movement of 2,500 employees, 10,000 volunteers, and 12,500 donors and funding partners.

Thanks to you, LSS is strong, stable, and growing – innovating and adapting for Minnesota’s next 160 years.

As you explore this year’s sampling of stories and accomplishments – the good things you make possible – I hope you find joy, hope, and the satisfaction that comes from living in a vibrant community of neighbors helping neighbors.

With great gratitude,

Patrick Thueson
President