advocacy - Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri

LFCS Rallies Around Kids During This Election Season

beanstalk — Tue, 01 Oct 2024 16:14:09 +0000

As election season approaches, we encourage you to focus on what truly matters: the well-being of children and families in our community. While we may be passionate about our politics, there’s one thing we can all agree on—every child deserves the chance to thrive. Lutheran Family and Children’s Services stands at the forefront of providing life-changing support for all children, couples, and families across Missouri.

Abuse, neglect, infertility or depression doesn’t care about who you vote for. These challenges can affect anybody, anywhere. LFCS offers critical services like pregnancy testing and support, parenting education, counseling for children and families, adoption services, foster care, and child development programs. These services aren’t just important; they are essential in helping children grow up safe, supported, and empowered.

By choosing to support LFCS, you’re casting your vote for a brighter future where every child has the tools, love, and care they need to succeed. Your gift is a direct endorsement of hope and healing for families who rely on LFCS to overcome the hardships they face.

In a time when divisions run deep, let’s unite over something that transcends politics: the well-being of our children. Please consider donating to LFCS to help us address the issues that are plaguing our communities. This year, vote with your heart. Choose kids. Choose LFCS.

Make a Gift

The post LFCS Rallies Around Kids During This Election Season first appeared on Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri.

Emily’s Essay

beanstalk — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 01:53:21 +0000

“Emily” is a brave girl who works with one of LFCS’ behavioral health therapists. She suffers from having extreme social anxiety and struggles in many common social settings. Recently, Emily had to write an essay for her class that would be presented in front of everyone. Fighting through nervousness and fear, Emily and her therapist used this situation to work through her anxiety. Emily practiced speaking her essay in session (which in itself was a huge accomplishment for her) and built up her confidence for the big moment. When the day came, Emily stood in front of her class and successful shared the following speech:

“Mental health is extremely important. Just like anything else, it will deteriorate if you don’t take good care of it. According to SIRS, “Mental health is a state of cognitive or emotional well-being that affects how an individual copes with stress and life experiences.” Unfortunately, a stigma persists around mental health issues that prevents people from getting help. One of the many issues that increases this stigma are work ethics.

Work Ethics instill a stigma in workers that prevents them from seeking help. According to the New York Times, “In a 2017 paper, nearly 40 percent of physicians reported being hesitant to seek mental health care because they worried it would harm their chances to get or renew their medical licenses.” This shows that the expectations set by the medical field paints a perspective in the physicians’ minds. It makes them think that if any higher ups in the field figure out that a physician’s mental illness is impacting their ability to work in any way, the opportunity of that physician attaining or keeping their job could plummet. But you’re probably thinking, “The fact that only 40 percent of them felt that way probably means that the other 60 percent wasn’t nervous to seek out help.” While that could be true, the fact that a large percent of people were still uncertain about seeking help is shocking. With how things are now, you would think that being able to seek mental help would be the least of people’s worries, but no. The ethics established in the medical field push physicians to limit, to the point where they’re skeptical about trying to improve their own mental health! If they don’t make sure their health is in check, how can they help with someone else’s’ health?

Sadly, the ever-expending stigma surrounding mental health issues continues to restrain people from seeking the help they need. Even though stigma persists and surges, there are ways to help reduce it. Talking about your struggles and how you handled them could help someone else find the courage to overcome theirs. When you see someone struggling, help them out. Encourage them. Cheer them up. It might make their day even just a little bit better.”

Emily, on behalf of Lutheran Family and Children’s Services of Missouri, we are so incredibly proud of you! We are proud of your courage, determination for improvement, and passion for mental health advocacy. Thank you for being an example of success to those who are struggling with their own mental health issues.

The post Emily’s Essay first appeared on Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri.

Your Opinion Matters!

beanstalk — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 18:39:56 +0000

Your opinion matters at LFCS!

The mission of Lutheran Family and Children’s Services is to help families, children and individuals experience greater hope and wholeness of life. One way we achieve this mission is through advocacy, but we need your help! What issues matter most to you? Affordable health care? Mental health services? Or maybe, pregnancy assistance? Tell us! Your feedback will allow LFCS to be effective in our advocacy efforts.

Please complete this brief survey to help us determine our focus in the upcoming years.

Thank you for helping LFCS raise public awareness about issues in our communities! Together, we can be the voice for those that cannot be heard.

The post Your Opinion Matters! first appeared on Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri.

Join Our Advocacy Network

beanstalk — Fri, 19 Aug 2016 16:00:45 +0000

“Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?” In Hollywood playgrounds, it’s easy to spot the villain, because they’ll be bullying someone who can’t defend themselves. The hero immediately steps in to deliver justice, saying their good guy catchphrase. The hero’s actions ensure that the victim is given the right to eat their lunch, play sandlot baseball, or not have a wedgie, just like everyone else. Advocacy. It’s simple, right?

In real life, things simply aren’t that black and white, and problems are rarely fixed by a good guy swooping in to save the day. Instead, it is on every person’s shoulders to protect those who are unable to protect themselves, to step up, to do the right thing. Advocacy doesn’t get glorified quite the way that you may have thought it did when you were a child, but that doesn’t make it any less important. There are so many people that need help.

When you advocate, first you identify something as unfair or wrong, then you recognize that the people it impacts cannot fix it by themselves. Lastly, you make a commitment to helping them. When some people hear that, they respond “That sounds like a lot of work.” I’ll be honest with you, it is a big job, but here’s the thing: the more people who commit to advocacy, the easier making change gets.

A great way to advocate is through contacting your policymakers. Joining Lutheran’s Online Advocacy Network makes it easy! Notifications will allow you respond to Action Alerts when your voice can make a difference for children and families. Doing so will protect and grow programs that make such an impact in the lives of vulnerable children and families.

Want to share the opportunity to get involved? Try a post like one below on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Do you want to be an advocate for foster children, at-risk families, pregnant women, individuals with mental health concerns, or those impacted by natural disasters? I am, and Lutheran Family and Children’s Services’ Online Advocacy Network makes it easy. I get Action Alerts when my voice can make a difference. Join at http://bit.ly/advocateonline

#Iadvocate for kids & families, and you can too! Join Lutheran Family & Children’s Services’ Online Advocacy Network at http://bit.ly/advocateonline

The post Join Our Advocacy Network first appeared on Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri.

LSSI Announces Major Cuts

beanstalk — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 20:04:32 +0000

As many are aware, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois recently announced major cuts – with plans to close 30 programs and eliminate more than 750 positions (over 40% of their work force). Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI) is the largest statewide provider of social services in the state, providing critical programs to the state’s most vulnerable residents including;

foster care
adoption
mental health services
alcohol and drug treatment
affordable senior housing
residential programs for people with developmental disabilities
programs that help formerly incarcerated individuals integrate back into society

LSSI has been around since 1867, and last year served 73,000 people through 190 programs at 85 sites across Illinois…so what happened??

To answer that question we look to Springfield (Illinois’ state capitol) and the decisions, or lack of decisions, made by the Governor and the Illinois legislature last year. Illinois’ fiscal year began July 1, 2015, however due to the inability of the Governor and the Legislature to agree on and pass a state budget, social service providers like LSSI have not been paid for contracted services with the state in 7 months.

“The state’s budget deadlock has severely challenged LSSI’s ability to provide services to those in need,” said Mark A. Stutrud, LSSI President and CEO. “Over the past months, LSSI has relied on a bank line of credit and available resources from our foundation to compensate for the state’s inability to pay its bills. Currently, we are owed more than $6 million by the state for services delivered. After seven months, we can no longer provide services for which we aren’t being paid.”

As we empathize with our Lutheran partners in service as they navigate this tragic situation, we are once again reminded of the important role public policy and advocacy plays for nonprofits organizations like Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, and Lutheran Family & Children’s Services of Missouri. While we recognize that advocacy does not guarantee the ideal results – LSSI has been a strident advocate at the capitol for the clients and their programs – it is still a very important instrument available to nonprofits and one that cannot be ignored.

At Lutheran Family & Children’s Services of MO, our Advocacy program works to support our mission by promoting public education and policy changes that benefit our clients and our programs. Like LSSI, a significant focus of our advocacy efforts are related to budget. We also work with legislators on other important issues like ensuring adequate supports for pregnant women, as well as the safety and wellbeing of children in child care settings.

Please consider joining us in these efforts – the more voices we have the more influence we wield. Join the LFCS Online Advocacy Network to receive Legislative Updates, Calls to Action and to become a part of a statewide effort working to improve the lives of millions of Missourians.

With your help, we can work to ensure that Missouri programs stay funded and supported.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE LFCS ADVOCACY NETWORK

For more information about Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, please click here

The post LSSI Announces Major Cuts first appeared on Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri.

LFCS Advocacy Week ~ April 20 – 27

beanstalk — Sat, 18 Apr 2015 23:37:45 +0000

What does advocacy mean to you?
Advocacy: the opportunity to influence those you’ve elected into government office for the benefit of you and your community. You took the time to vote for these officials, so make sure they know what is important to you! As part of our Mission, Lutheran Family & Children’s Services is called to help families, children and individuals experience greater hope and wholeness of life … and issues around child welfare & adoption, health & mental health care, youth protection & development and Missouri’s budget are vital components of that. LFCS Advocacy works to support the programs and clients of the agency and we can use your help.
Your voice makes a difference!
LFCS provides incredible services such as counseling, adoption, crisis/ unplanned pregnancy assistance, foster care, child care, youth mentoring and disaster response services, which spans nearly every walk of life! We are asking for your support in ensuring that our government officials keep in mind what is best for ALL Missourians, particularly those listed above. Whether they are a client, a friend, a family member, neighbor, or a church member – this is your chance to make a difference and speak up for those in need. Join the Online Advocacy Network and respond to Action Alerts when your voice can make a difference for children and families. CLICK HERE
What else can you do?
Advocacy is a crucial component of what we do here at LFCS, but it often goes unseen. Well, today we are asking for your attention and for your support to change that!

1. Schedule an advocacy presentation at your church or group. Please contact Megan Payne (meganp@lfcs.org) if you’re interested or want more information!

2. Use Facebook and Twitter to encourage others to join the Advocacy Network. Just copy and paste the samples below to share via Facebook, Twitter or email.

Sample Posts/Tweets

Make your voice heard! Join Lutheran Family and Children’s Services Online Advocacy Network today to help ensure policies that support Missouri’s children. CLICK HERE

Do you want to be an advocate for foster children, at-risk families, pregnant women, individuals with mental health concerns, or those impacted by natural disasters? Join Lutheran Family & Children’s Services Online Advocacy Network today, CLICK HERE

LFCS Advocacy works to support the programs and clients of Lutheran Family & Children’s Services and improve policies that impact our clients. Become part of LFCS’s online Advocacy Network today, CLICK HERE.

The post LFCS Advocacy Week ~ April 20 – 27 first appeared on Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri.