NEWS

LFS named a Top Workplace!

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:07:00 GMT

On Sunday, April 15th, the Denver Post published "The Denver Post Top Workplaces" - a list of the best places to work in the Denver Metro Area. We are proud to announce that LFS was named on the list!

LFS was one of 4,000 employers nominated - both for profit and non-profit, in the greater Denver area. The evaluation for the Top Workplace program is based upon feedback from an employee survey that 101 LFS employees participated in.

100 companies have been selected for the Top Workplaces award and we are honored to be included!

LFS staff accepting our Top Workplace Award!

LFS in the News - Refugee Services in Morgan County

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 17:11:00 GMT

On March 15th an article was published in the Fort Morgan Times, regarding refugee services and how area agencies can work together to better meet the integration needs of new immigrants. Vice President of Refugee & Asylee Programs, James Horan and Sub-Office Director, Ryan Gray were part of the discussion!

Read the Full Story

LFS Night at the NUGGETS!

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:48:00 GMT

Join LFS and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans for a
NUGGETS GAME!

Enjoy a night out while supporting LFS. All seats are located in the reserved LFS sections and as an added bonus, $8 from every ticket sold will go directly to LFS.

Denver Nuggets vs. OKC Thunder
Thursday, March 15 @ 7pm

Pepsi Center

LFS Discounts:

Upper Level - $26 (normally $28)

VIP Club Level - $58 (normally $85)

*No taxes or fees added to orders

To order tickets, please follow the link below:

http://www.pepsicenter.com/groups/nuggets/0315lfs/

To order tickets by phone, please contact Brady McIntyre with the Denver Nuggets @ 303.405.7635 or bmcintyre@pepsicenter.com

LFS Assumes Operation of c.a.r.e.s Programs

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 22:06:00 GMT

[GREELEY] Beginning January 1, 2012, the programs and services formally provided by Child Advocacy Resource and Education, Inc. (c.a.r.e.), will begin operating under the administration of Lutheran Family Services of Colorado (LFS). LFS is a statewide multi-service human care organization with regional offices in Greeley, Ft Collins, Denver and Colorado Springs providing services to 20,000 people annually through adoption, foster care, prevention services, refugee resettlement, older adult services and disaster response services.

c.a.r.e was formally dissolved by its Board of Directors as of 12/31/11. The c.a.r.e. Board approached LFS to consider assuming their services and absorbing their remaining staff as LFS has been providing similar services in Weld County for many years and the c.a.r.e. Board was determined to preserve quality programs for the thousands of children and families they have served for the past 35 years. These programs include: Supervised Visitation; Safe Exchange; Parenting Education; Safe Touch School-based Program; and Nurturing Skills for Teen Parents.

LFS has received approval to assume existing grants and contracts for the remainder of the fiscal year from United Way of Weld County; Weld County Human Services; and 19^th Judicial District serving Weld County. LFS has also secured the lease for the former c.a.r.e. offices at 3700 Golden Street in Evans and will soon hire the remaining c.a.r.e. employees and begin planning for the annual Taste of Weld County event scheduled for April, 2012.

“LFS is very grateful for the opportunity to continue programs that have made such a significant difference in the lives of many Weld County families over the past 35 years. While we grieve the ending of this venerable human care agency, we will strive to continue its legacy of quality service and impact under the umbrella of our own premier network of diverse family-oriented services”, said Jim Barclay, President and CEO of Lutheran Family Services. LFS has served Colorado communities and families since 1948 regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, military/veteran status or economic status.

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Colorado Gives Day Extended

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 22:20:00 GMT

Due to high volume and technical difficulties on the Giving First website, Colorado Gives Day has been extended until noon on December 7.

Visit www.GivingFirst.org/lfsco to donate to Lutheran Family Services.

Thank you for your patience and support.

LFS on TV!

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:57:00 GMT

LFS CEO, Jim Barclay appeared on Colorado & Company last week along with Mike Jackson from Community First and LFS foster parent Stacie Upton!

Congratulations to Our First I-STAR Family!

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 20:03:00 GMT

Three months ago, a family from Burma arrived in Denver and were our first refugee family to enroll in the Denver Rescue Mission's (DRM) International Strategic Transitional Assistance Response (I-STAR) program, located at The Crossing.

This program is designed to be an intensive, extended orientation to the United States that consists of weekly assignments that result in higher levels of language, cultural and community integration. Essentially, this family has been put on the fast-track to self-sufficiency.

We are happy to report that the family now has an apartment of their own, the father is employed and they have qualified for a car donation from the DRM!

Many thanks to the DRM and the I-STAR program, and all those involved in making it a huge success!

LFS and the DECC

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 20:10:00 GMT

The Denver Employee Combined Campaign (DECC) was created in 1988 by Mayor Federico Pena, to provide City workers a “responsive and convenient system of charitable giving through payroll deductions.” The first DECC campaign raised $281,618 and served 144 charities. Today over $10 million has been raised and over 400 charities are served.

This week, LFS is being featured as a participating charity on the City of Denver website - we're proud to be a part of this great Denver tradition!

Click for full article

LFS receives Award!

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 16:17:00 GMT

LFS was recently awarded $1,000 for education services from Group Publishing in Loveland, CO.

This award money was granted to the LFS Ready or Not? Teen Pregnancy Prevention program. The Ready or Not? program is a unique educational curriculum that teaches teens about realities and consequences of teen pregnancy and parenting. Since the fall semester of 1999, LFS has offered this program to more than 14,000 teens in middle, junior and senior high schools in northern Colorado.

Group Publishing is a Loveland-based publisher of church ministry materials. They gave away $61,000 to 29 nonprofits and church organizations and LFS is extremely grateful and proud to be one of them!

Click here to read full article in the Loveland Reporter-Herald

Colorado Gives Day 2011

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 19:41:00 GMT

We are busy getting ready for the 2nd Annual Colorado Gives Day - December 6, 2011!

Coloradans made history last year by donating a stunning $8.4 million online for local charities - all in a 24 hour period. Out of 529 Colorado nonprofits, LFS came in 5th for top number of donations!

We are excited about participating again this year and would love to move up to the top 3 - Mark your calendars for December 6th and help us get there!

For more information about Colorado Gives Day, please visit www.givingfirst.org

Did You Know?

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:59:00 GMT

What Services LFS Offers!

Lutheran Family Services of Colorado (LFS) has around 125 staff members with new staff people being hired monthly which makes it difficult for staff members to be aware of the variety and far reaching services that the agency offers.

In 1948 LFS started as an adoption placement agency, and now provides 70 distinct services.

Executive Office

Finance
Resource Development
Information Technology
Special Events
Human Resources
Major & Planned Gifts
Program Support
Communications
Grants
Social Media
HIPAA Compliance
Church & Community Relations

Family and Children’s Services

Adoption
Designated
Domestic Open
International
Infant Adoption Training
Options Counseling
Adoption
Parenting
Referrals
Cradle Care

Care Management Solutions

African American Caregiver Support
Ongoing Care Management
Counseling
Fall Prevention Referrals
Volunteer Care Teams
AmeriCorps Volunteer

Foster Care

Traditional Foster Care Families
Sibling Foster Care
Therapeutic Foster Care
Case Management
Family Services
Children’s Therapy
Independent Living Skills
Unaccompanied Refugee Minors
Education

Specialist Services

Foster Care to Adoption
Medical Foster Care
Special Needs Adoption

Prevention Services

Nurturing Parent Classes
Community Parenting Classes
Larimer County Community Corrections Classes
Community Awareness Activities
Ready or Not? Teen Pregnancy Prevention
Emergency Shelter in Rural Host Homes (Basic Center)
Support Services Referral in Rural Areas ( Basic Center)

Refugee and Community Services

Volunteer Support Teams
Household Donations Program

Refugee Resettlement

Housing
Case Management
Medical Case Management
Financial Assistance
Volunteers/Interns
Volunteer Support Teams
Household Donations Program

Asylee Services

Secondary Migrant Services
Victim of Trafficking Services

Community Work Experience

Cleaning Job Training Program
Worksite Internships
Intensive Job Skills Program

School Programs

After School
Academic Support
Summer Language Camps
Soccer Camps

Women’s Programs

Craft Cooperative
Women’s Life Skills Care Groups
Cultural Orientation

Employment Services

Employment Development
Employment Navigation
Job Placement & Follow up

Immigration Legal Services

Adjustment of Status
Naturalization
Family Reunification

Disaster Response

Check out the great Online Auction for the Harvest of Hope Event

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 20:22:00 GMT

Start your Christmas shopping early - great items for great prices. All to benefit the programs and services of LFS.

Harvest of Hope Online Auction

LFS receives special gift!

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 21:04:00 GMT

LFS was honored with a very special gift from Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Denver.
Unfortunately this church closed its doors with a final service on July 24^th. Funds from the proceeds of the sale of the church building and other assets were shared with 13 organizations, LFS general fund and LFS Refugee program were both awarded checks with a combined total of $47,194! The people of Good Shepherd ask us not to recognize the gift as a memorial of their church but rather as an appreciation of the opportunity to continue to care - through the work of LFS – for the weak, the poor, the sick, the lonely and all persons who suffer for any reason, so that they are comforted!

Staff Spotlight

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 23:15:00 GMT

Please join us in welcoming Renee Teague as our new Director of Adoption & Pregnancy Counseling.

Renee joins us after 12 years with Adams County, serving as their adoption recruiter and trainer.

She is looking forward to working with and growing our open adoption and international adoption programs.

We are excited to have Renee and her enthusiasm for adoption!

If you have any questions about adoption or pregnancy counseling, please contact her at renee.teague@lfsco.org or 303.217.5863.

Foster Parent Spotlight

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 23:03:00 GMT

Cathy doesn’t know exactly when it happened, but she remembers wanting to either foster or adopt children when she was 12 years old. Cathy ‘just knew’ that God put her on this earth to change the life of one child. As an adult Cathy thought she would fulfill that calling through teaching, and did that for many years until her decision to become a foster parent 11 years ago would forever change her life.

Cathy knew from the beginning that she only wanted older children, based on her work schedule and her desire for them to be old enough to understand the concepts of serving God and serving others.

Over the years Cathy has come to specialize in fostering teenage boys—she loves teenagers! Cathy is drawn to them because of their ‘brokenness’. After being in the system for many years they have built up many walls. Her success with these kids may be in her method. She doesn’t try to break down their walls, but rather tries to help each individual child build their own unique way over their walls into a new life. “All they want is someone to support them, no matter what. They’ve lost sight of what their talents are and how great they are—someone has to fight for them.”

Cathy is currently fostering four teenage boys, ages 14 to 18. When asked what the biggest challenges are, she says that it’s learning to love a child without expecting the same kind of love in return. Because of their pasts they have never learned to show love in traditional ways. They show it in other ways, which for Cathy is also the greatest reward. Little things like the 18 year-old stopping on his way home from work and buying milk–“That is so great!”–it shows that he appreciates his family and is proud to be a part of it. The younger boys use their allowance to buy candy for the others, showing how much they love and appreciate each other. They treat each other like brothers; living together has helped them build compassion for other people and understand and respect each other. Cathy says, “You can’t force them to be a family, you have to keep an open mind and not get stuck in traditional family roles,” but she does insist that they eat at least one meal a day together to connect and talk about the next day’s schedule.

The boys at Cathy’s house are required (by Cathy) to do some type of volunteer work and give back to others as well as to be involved in some type of extracurricular activity. It doesn’t matter what type of activity, they just have to try something they’re interested in.

When talking to Cathy, you quickly realize how passionate she is about these children and being a foster parent. She loves to talk to other people and encourage them to become foster parents. Her best advice for those that are thinking about foster parenting is to talk to other foster parents, meet their families. Know that you can’t just go by what is in the child’s official file–you have to go by what’s in your heart, not solely on their behaviors. “Foster parenting is about celebrating the smallest of successes,” what others might not see as significant is huge in the life of a foster child!

Cathy’s last words of advice are, “Keep your sense of humor and stay positive...and attend a foster parent information meeting”!

There are thousands of children in Colorado in need of safe, nurturing foster homes. Lutheran Family Services is always recruiting new foster parents, particularly those who are interested in fostering older children and sibling groups.

If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a
foster parent, please call us at 800.579.9496 for information about the next local meeting.