Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota has expanded its foster grandparent services in Northeastern Minnesota to St. Louis, Cook, Carlton, Lake and Pine counties.

Foster grandparent volunteers are older adults who offer one-on-one mentoring and academic support in classroom settings to children who may be falling behind in school, according to a news release from Lutheran Social Service. Their presence and reassurance is meant to help boost children’s self-esteem, improve social and emotional development, and perform better in literacy and math.

LSS Meals in Mankato recently received financial support from Consolidated Communication community fund to help in any way possible.

The money was used to buy a new freezer for the project which helps out with the meals on wheels program. The nonprofit is grateful and excited to use the freezer.

A new partnership in Wright County is helping support families who may not have anywhere to turn. The county is now working with Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota to provide its Crisis Nursery, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

“There’s a lot of need in the area,” said Kate Hengy-Gretz, the crisis nursery facilitator for LSS.

Wright County has operated a crisis nursery since 1992. In the fall, however, the organization running the program was unable to continue doing so because budgetary limitations. 

April Sanderson, a credit counselor with Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota's Financial Counseling services, gives helpful tax advice and offers a reminder of the filing deadline July 15, 2020.

Listen to April's interview on KBEM. 

Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (LSS) is teaming up with Wright County to offer Crisis Nursery services that support the safety and wellbeing of area children and families.

The Wright County Area Crisis Nursery provides short-term child care to families during medical emergencies, child care challenges or other difficult situations.

Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, one of the largest social service organizations in our state, has a responsibility to Minnesotans in all 87 counties we serve – to stand for opportunity, equity and justice. We show this through person-centered services and programs that support more than 100,000 Minnesotans every year. This includes supporting individuals with disabilities to live their best lives, youth experiencing homelessness to find stability, and older adults to continue living safely in their own homes – among many other examples. 

COVID-19 has impacted many aspects of our world, but one thing it hasn’t changed is that there are children in need of loving homes.

There are more than 900 children in Minnesota’s foster care system who are waiting to be placed with adoptive families. The pandemic hasn't changed the need for foster families, but it has changed how state and private adoption agencies are currently operating.

Many residents in Minneapolis, impacted by grocery store closures, damage to businesses, job loss and transportation challenges need help with basic needs.

Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (LSS) will be organizing a collection of basic needs on Thursday, June 4 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Center for Changing Lives, 2400 Park Avenue South in Minneapolis.

45 Million Americans are in the process of paying off mountains of student loan debt.

But financial experts say the COVID-19 pandemic provides many with a unique opportunity.

According to the Institute of College Access and Success, Americans have compiled $1.6 trillion in student debt.

But many who have college loans recently got some good news when the CARES Act was signed in March. 

Those with federal student loans would be granted forbearance.

Through a new federal grant that is part of the CARES Act, Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota is now able to provide older Minnesotans ages 60+ two meals a day, seven days a week through its LSS Meals service – up from one daily meal.

Since the start of the pandemic, Lutheran Social Service has experienced a dramatic increase in meals requested. More than 120,000 meals have been served since mid-March, an increase of 30 percent over the same period last year.