Danny Demery has a biological mother, an adoptive mother and a foster mother, Danielle Anderson. Anderson is the only one Demery calls “mom.”

Demery, 22, has been in and out of Anderson’s north Moorhead home since he was a baby. Though he’s “termed out” of the foster system, he remains there under an agreement Anderson has with his parents.

“It’s the only home that I've ever had ... considering that a home is loving and caring,” he said.

The Results Innovation Lab from Lutheran Services in America (LSA) is equipping leaders to improve health, safety, stability and education for 20,000 at-risk youth by 2024. The lab employs a group-learning model in which participants develop new approaches for achieving results and engaging partners in their work.

“Through intense, interactive trainings with outside experts, Results Innovation Lab is providing participants with the skills to foster stakeholder relationships and create strategic partnerships,” said Charlotte Haberaecker, president and CEO of LSA.

Property owners take on many roles in their work with tenants – from collecting rent and leasing units to managing repairs and troubleshooting tenant issues.  Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, an organization that partners with property owners to provide housing for families who have experienced homelessness, will offer a free workshop on addressing tenant issues with help from two attorneys on Wednesday, January 8 from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at the Center for Changing Lives, 2400 Park Avenue in Minneapolis. 

The Children's Home Society of Minnesota is distributing gifts to children in foster care, birth families and relatives caring for kids unexpectedly this holiday season. But the greatest gift they can give a child is a forever family, like Ben and Wendy's.

This is the first time Ben and Wendy have been together over the holidays with the two birth mothers who agreed to the open adoptions that made their family possible.

Donna Johnson, 80, waited in the lobby last Thursday to collect the lunchtime Meals on Wheels delivery for herself and three others who live at Storybrook Apartments in Pipestone.

Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota will be serving the F-M community from a new location in Moorhead.

The social services organization is no longer running out of the Family Service Center of Clay County building on 11th Street.
Its new location is at 3101 South Frontage Road near Target.
Six services will be located in the new space including behavioral health, caregiver and companion and LSS meals.

Two new mental health professionals have joined the Behavioral Health team at Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (LSS) in Mankato. Kaylie Erickson and Jackie Wood bring a wide range of specialization to LSS Behavioral Health including for individuals, children, families and couples.

“Kaylie and Jackie provide a safe, non-judgmental space to receive support on your journey to wellbeing,” said Amanda Luedtke, LSS Behavioral Health Regional Director. “Both counselors offer a calm presence that puts others at ease so they can better process their thoughts and feelings.”

Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (LSS) moved to a new location in Moorhead that provides increased office space to expand services, greater accessibility with all services on one level and additional parking.

The community is invited to an open house on Thursday, December 12 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. with tours and light refreshments at the new offices, located at 3101 South Frontage Road in Moorhead.

A Mankato fence is providing a helping hand for those who need winter clothing.

The fence in front of the REACH Drop-In Center is decorated with donated scarves, hats and gloves for anyone who may need them.

Staff says they got the idea about three years ago from a Pinterest post, so they decided to utilize their outdoor fence.

Alexis Oberdorfer, a longtime adoption expert and child welfare advocate, became president of Children’s Home Society of Minnesota (Children’s Home) on November 14. She was also named as associate vice president for adoption and foster care at Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (LSS). The two organizations have been partners in Adoption Services since 2012.