OSLC members likely know Lutheran Social Services of Illinois as a leading provider of foster care services in Illinois or as a provider of substance-use treatment, mental health services and affordable-housing services. But few people recognize the scope of the impact that the 158-year-old organization has - or what a lifeline it is to those served, says Our Saviour’s David Novak, chief advancement officer at LSSI.
“We're one of the largest providers of human services in the entire state,” David says - and, indeed, LSSI is the state’s largest private provider of foster care services. “LSSI took care of 56,000 people last year,” he says. “And out of those 56,000, 92% had incomes below $25,000.”
That last point is especially important, David says, in light of proposed federal cuts to programs that LSSI clients rely on - programs like Medicaid and Head Start, the latter of which provides early childhood education and health services to low-income families.
“The key word right now is uncertainty,” says David. “It’s not only for our staff in dealing with uncertainty around our budget, but for those we’re serving - they wonder, ‘Golly, Head Start might be closing; what do I do now?’”
In a time when so much is up in the air, David says, LSSI is working to bridge the gap between population needs and available resources.
“With our budget, a significant part comes from the government,” he explains. “The federal part is around 7%, which is still big for us. However, with our state funding (which is a larger share), it's federal funds that are flowing through the state. So cuts really, really add up.”
He points to a substance-abuse recovery home in Elgin that LSSI established and the difficult circumstances that the home now finds itself in. “We were approached by the state to help out” in establishing such a facility, he says. “We've all heard the news stories about substance-use issues, including the opioid crisis, and here's a situation we were specifically asked to respond to, and we did. And now there's just this uncertainty around it as far as the ability to continue.”
Churches and individuals “have really helped step up” amid the wait-and-see of the moment, David says, and LSSI’s 158-year history is a testament to the organization’s perseverence through pandemics, economic turmoil and more. But given the wide range of potential funding cuts that would affect LSSI as well as families throughout the state, continued support for LSSI and the overwhelmingly low-income households it serves is crucial, he says. “When we think about some of the potential cuts or reforms that are being suggested, just think about how that's going to affect some of them,” says David.
One way that Lutheran faith communities across the state support LSSI is through Good Shepherd Sunday, which Our Saviour’s will mark the weekend of May 17-18. Good Shepherd Sunday “is a day every spring when congregations lift up LSSI programs” and celebrate “the opportunity to open our hearts and arms to welcome all into Jesus’ abundant life,” LSSI states on its website. And beyond financial contributions, as federal budget issues evolve, opportunities for legislative advocacy may arise.
“We are getting a little bit of momentum especially with our Lutheran churches saying, 'What else can we do? How can we support (LSSI)?' ... If something were to happen with (for example) cuts to Medicaid, certainly advocacy would be a key piece for us.”
To give online anytime to LSSI, go to onrealm.org/oslc/-/form/give/lssi (available via our Online Giving page), and save the date(s) for Good Shepherd Sunday May 17-18.