2021 Annual Report
A Movement of 25,000
In 2021, Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota provided more services in more places to more people than ever before. And we could not have grown services and provided support to more individuals this past year without you. In fact, this year we’ve increasingly described the support of our donors, volunteers and staff as a movement of 25,000 people committed to making our state a better place for ALL people.
2021 accomplishments include:
- Bethany: Thanks to the generosity of key donors, we broke ground on a new facility in May that will replace our current Bethany Shelter in Duluth. The new facility will both provide safe shelter for children along with early intervention services to support families through parent support, education and coaching, behavioral health, family visitation, reunification support and referral to community services.
- Zumbro Lutheran Church partnership: Youth at-risk of or experiencing homelessness in Rochester will be able to access important resources – meals, laundry, computers and a community connection – through a new partnership between LSS and Zumbro Lutheran Church. The Zumbro church building is currently undergoing renovations which will include the new resource center.
- New kitchens: Two new kitchens, built with the generous support of donors, produce nearly 2,300 meals every day for both our traditional recipients (older adults) as well as pre-school and school-age children, adding to our ability to offer meals in communities across the state.
- Pathways 4 Youth resource center: In January, we expanded services to youth experiencing homelessness in the St. Cloud area when we assumed management and operations of Pathways 4 Youth, a resource center founded by the St. Cloud Rotary Foundation in 2018 – assuring ongoing support to more than 330 youth between the ages of 16-24.
- Lifetrack merger: In July, we finalized a merger with Saint Paul-based Lifetrack to continue Employment, Deaf & Hard of Hearing, and Families Together Therapeutic Preschool/Family Visit services under the LSS umbrella. This allowed important services to continue without interruption to 1,200 individuals and families and strengthens LSS’ work in prevention and early intervention services.
View a PDF of the full annual report
LSS walked alongside thousands of individuals in 2021 through our many service areas:
As a Lutheran faith-based organization, we are called to serve our neighbors. LSS of MN takes that call seriously and we understand it to mean that we are called to serve ALL people. Thank you for your unwavering support of our mission, and for being part of the LSS Movement. Thanks to you, LSS services are strong and are creating new possibilities for our neighbors across Minnesota.
View our audited financials