Liberty Lutheran recently participated in a survey conducted by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Civil Society Studies, called “What Do Non-Profits Stand For?” (click here for more details) The survey identified seven core values of non-profits: Productive, empowering, effective, enriching, reliable, responsive and caring. We were then asked by Johns Hopkins University to write a blog post on how we demonstrate one of these values. We have chosen “caring” because of the wonderful acts of kindness that we see from our staff and volunteers each and every day. The following blog post is also published on the Center for Civil Society Studies blog. Click here to download the image above

Liberty Lutheran faithfully provides vital resources for individuals facing life-changing situations, from the earliest stages of life through the many stages of aging. Liberty’s eight families of service provide quality, compassionate care to more than 50,000 individuals every year. Here are just four examples of how our organization demonstrates the value of “Caring.”

Lutheran Children and Family Service (LCFS) provides a broad scope of services to diverse clientele throughout eastern Pennsylvania, including refugees.

Helping refugees who have just arrived in America is a passion for Helen Tobin, a member at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in North Philadelphia, and a volunteer with LCFS’s refugee resettlement program.

Prince of Peace partners with LCFS to operate the “Welcome Home” house. The congregation rents a house next door to the church, and new refugee families live there for about three months while they gain citizenship, register children for school, look for jobs, learn English and adjust to the American culture. Prince of Peace also helps them find permanent housing.

Artman provides compassionate care to our residents through personal care, skilled nursing, short –term rehabilitation and hospice services

Laura Raggi, a medication technician, has worked at Artman, for more than 10 years. Laura is committed to “Culture Change,” and to making Artman feel like a home to our residents. “Culture Change” transforms the traditional hospital model to one that nurtures the residents’ individual preferences and needs.

For example, Laura recently had the idea to start a “knitting circle” at Artman. She noticed that several residents enjoy knitting and crocheting, and thought that they should get together in the comfortable “fireplace” room, just as they would at their own homes. Residents and staff participate in the “knitting circle,” and Laura learned how to make hats for her son from one of the residents.

Paul’s Run Retirement Community is a Continuing Care Retirement Community offering Independent Living, Personal Care, Skilled Nursing, Hospice and Short-term Rehabilitation.

Iris Taylor has worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) at Paul’s Run for more than 10 years. Recently Iris was given the leadership position of a household coordinator in Skilled Nursing. Iris is always thinking of new ways to bring joy to the residents, and has served as a role model to her peers. She takes a personal interest in every resident. She learns about their favorite foods and prepares them, and she surprises them with visits after her shift or on the weekends when she isn’t working. Iris talks to the residents about what feels like “home” to them, and shops for and decorates her household.

Because Iris genuinely knows and cares for her residents, her leadership has influenced decision-making that far exceeds the impact of what one would assume is a typical CNA role. She provides valuable insight whenever decisions about resident care need to be made.

Lutheran Congregational Services is the agency designated by Lutheran Disaster Response to oversee disaster preparedness and response in Eastern Pennsylvania.

Mark Staples has been a long time supporter of Lutheran Disaster Response as a volunteer and leader. Mark started volunteering to help with disaster response after Hurricane Agnes in 1972.

More recently, he assisted in coordinating volunteer efforts and advocacy for flood recovery after three major floods along the Delaware River in 2004 and 2005. Following Hurricane Katrina, Mark and his wife Lynn participated in several volunteer trips to Gulf Coast. Mark continues to be a strong advocate for community resiliency and has organized two community groups that work cooperatively to respond when disasters hit.

To share with us and Johns Hopkins University how an organization that you are involved with demonstrates caring, click here.