“Practicing compassion will change the world.” The team at Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota lives by the promise of addressing the needs of its community with compassion for all, working to connect people with opportunities to live and work with dignity, safety and hope.
LSS’s passion for transforming lives and building community is evident at its Center for Changing Lives in Duluth, which provides holistic care for all individuals, no matter their background. The center offers transitional housing and supportive apartments, life skills training, counseling support and wellness education, amongst other services, to 880 young people each year.
“We’re really here to help them build the skills and connections they need to be successful in life,” Kelly Looby, LSS’s program director in youth, children and family services, said in an interview with the Duluth News Tribune. Many young people migrate from location to location before arriving at the center. “This could be the first time they’ve ever had a home,” Looby said.
The center follows a wraparound model in which it offers comprehensive services focused on providing young people with what they need, all from a holistic standpoint that speaks to its core mission for more than 150 years of inspiring hope while responding to the changing needs of Minnesotans.
The Center for Changing Lives is but one significant component in a broader effort by LSS to transform the lives of young people. LSS participates in the Lutheran Services in America Results Network, a cohort within our Results Innovation Lab that focuses on stabilizing families in their communities and preventing the unnecessary placement of children into out-of-home care. Through this program, LSS is helping to improve equitable outcomes with the goal of making a measurable difference in the lives of 20,000 children and youth by 2024.
Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota is a member of Lutheran Services in America, a network of 300 health and human service organizations located in more than 1,400 communities across the United States. Together, the network makes a difference in the lives of one in 50 Americans every year.
Learn more about Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota.
By Christopher Findlay, Senior Marketing Manager
