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Lutheran Services in America, one of the largest health and human services nonprofit networks in the United States, has announced the public launch of its Lasting Change Campaign, a nationwide initiative to achieve healthier, more equitable futures for low-income Americans. The Lasting Change Campaign expands Lutheran Services in America’s efforts that work across the public, private and philanthropic sectors to assist local communities in creating a future that benefits all Americans, regardless of faith, race, age, gender, income or ZIP code.

A longtime trusted voice and leader in issues tied to strengthening people and communities, the Lasting Change Campaign builds on Lutheran Services in America’s successful efforts including improving equitable outcomes for children and families; filling significant gaps in care for low-income older adults; and empowering local health and human services leaders with additional skills and opportunity to drive transformational change for people and communities throughout the nation.

A major focus of the Lasting Change Campaign is to address inequities in the child welfare system via Lutheran Services in America’s successful Results Innovation Lab, including the disproportionate number of children of color who are removed from their home more often, stay longer in foster care, and have poorer outcomes. The initiative engages Lutheran Services in America’s network of health and human services providers that serve one in 50 Americans in collaborative learning projects, and connects them with thought leaders, experts, partners and resources from foundations, healthcare and academia.

Lutheran Services in America’s collective efforts for children, youth and families have delivered impressive results to date. For instance, over 1,500 youth of color avoided re-arrest in South Dakota, over 100 children exited foster care to permanent families in Illinois, and over 350 youth of color exited homelessness to safe housing in Minnesota. The collective work of 18 Lutheran Services in America organizations in 17 states also led to the improvement of over 7,000 children’s lives.

Thrivent, a diversified financial services organization that helps people achieve financial clarity, enabling lives full of meaning and gratitude, donated a generous matching gift of a quarter million dollars to the Lasting Change Campaign. The donation will enable Lutheran Services in America to attract additional partners to fulfill its mission of driving transformational change in communities throughout the nation, and will enable more Americans to thrive.

“We’re honored to support Lutheran Services in America’s work to significantly improve the lives of Americans who are economically insecure,” said Karen Himle, senior vice president of Corporate and Government Affairs with Thrivent. “At Thrivent, we believe humanity thrives when people make the most of all they’ve been given. We’re inspired by Lutheran Services in America’s important efforts to improve the lives of one in 50 Americans and drive toward equitable outcomes for individuals across the U.S. We hope this matching gift magnifies the impact the organization has in this important work.”

“Thrivent’s generous support of our ongoing efforts to help so many people grow and thrive throughout America is unique, and aligns perfectly not only with our mission, but with our Lutheran heritage as a whole,” noted Lutheran Services in America President and CEO Charlotte Haberaecker. “Both of our organizations also have long been committed to addressing the economic disparities that significantly affect communities of color, and the racial inequities that are directly tied to fewer opportunities. Thrivent’s important matching gift will help us engage additional stakeholders to not only change the odds for people but beat those odds.”

Lutheran Services in America’s Lasting Change Campaign, dedicated to expanding the efforts of its 300+ member organizations throughout America, is uniquely positioned to make a significant impact given the organization’s breadth of reach and longtime reputation of trust. Thrivent is equally proud to take action through funding from the Thrivent Foundation for the Lasting Change Campaign to spur investment in a better future for everyone. For further information about the Lasting Change Campaign, contact Deborah Hoesly at dhoesly@lutheranservices.org or Ph: (202) 499-5835.

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About Lutheran Services in America
Lutheran Services in America is the national network of Lutheran social ministry organizations — connecting over 300 health and human services nonprofit service providers located throughout the country. Recognized by The Chronicle of Philanthropy and Forbes as one of the nation’s largest nonprofits, the Lutheran Services in America network operates with more than $22 billion in annual revenue and over 250,000 member employees. Together, the network lifts up the nation’s most vulnerable people from children to seniors — making a difference in the lives of one in 50 Americans every year. To learn more, please visit www.lutheranservices.org.

About Thrivent
Thrivent believes money is a tool and not a goal. Driven by a higher purpose at its core, Thrivent is a membership-owned, holistic financial services organization that is committed to providing financial advice, investments, insurance, banking and generosity programs to help people make the most of all they’ve been given. For over 100 years, Thrivent has been helping people build their financial futures and live more generous lives. Today, it’s a Fortune 500 company that offers a full range of expert financial solutions, serving more than 2 million clients, as well as the communities in which they live and work. Thrivent has also been recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for over nine years by Ethisphere, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices.