Planned Giving Gift Summary - Lutheran Church-Canada

year, we began building the addition and revitalizing
other areas of our aging Children’s Mental Health
Center. Upon completion we will have a more modern
building with a new heart that will provide easier access
to therapy rooms, meeting facilities and recreational
areas, with less disruption to classroom activities. The
expansion will provide additional space for music and
art therapy programs, create an environmental
classroom, help youth transition back into the
community, and help teenagers develop employment
skills. It will also house a new family resource center
and provide a welcoming environment for families of
children struggling with mental health issues. This
investment in the future of mental health services in our
community will ensure continued excellence in service,
and create a legacy to serve future generations of
children.
Families who have complex and sometimes multiple
needs are better served when they can access help at a
central location instead of being sent to multiple
agencies and forced to describe the difficulties they are
having over and over again. To address this community
need, we have opened a new location, “Front Door”
Center For Children and Families in partnership with
local agencies where we cooperate in serving the clients
together. Children and families experiencing mental
health problems are now seen by staff members in a
warm, inviting environment which is central to the
Waterloo-Kitchener-Cambridge public transit corridor.
There is a link between mental health problems in
today’s youth, and gang membership. Lutherwood,
together with the five community partners, developed a
gang prevention proposal which received $3.4 million
in funding over a three-year timeframe. Using
evidence-based approaches modelled after successful
projects in Canada and the United States, the Street
Gang Prevention Project is a proactive strategy to offer
positive alternatives for youth at risk of entering gangs,
as well as those looking to exit gangs. Once
implemented, it will provide mental health, substance
use, education, employment and family supports along
with mentorship and recreational opportunities as
alternative directions for their time and energy. The
strategy is in keeping with our belief that prevention
and treatment - rather than punishment - is the best way
to reduce gang-related crime.
Employment Services
In early 2010, our primary funder of employment
services, the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and
Universities completed an overhaul of its employment
services delivery model. We were honoured to hear that
it identified Lutherwood as one of the main providers of
employment services in our area that will continue to
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receive funding. Being selected as one of the ongoing
service providers is a testimony to the hard work and
effort of so many of our staff. The Ministry’s funding
will support nearly 4,000 job seekers annually, which is
a sad reflection of how heavily our region was hit
during the recession, due to a past reliance on a
manufacturing-based labour market. The new model
enables us to offer a more streamlined and targeted
service to people who turn to us for support in finding
meaningful employment.
Last year we also purchased a building in Cambridge
(downtown Galt), which we have developed into a
bustling center for employment and mental health
services for children and families. This center has
become an important resource to Cambridge families
requiring help from Lutherwood.
One means of finding meaningful employment may be
found in a three-year pilot program we recently
launched. Transitioning in New Times is designed to
address the disproportionate levels of unemployment in
Waterloo Region. By developing partnerships with
technological and other local major employers, we
intend to help highly motivated manufacturing workers
find jobs in local sectors that are experiencing growth,
such as high-tech, insurance and food processing. By
working directly with these companies, we can develop
specific training programs that address the skills gaps
experienced by laid off youth, immigrants and older
workers, and offer realistic opportunities for future
employment. Our hope is to develop a model that can
be replicated across Ontario.
Seniors’ Services
Twelve years ago, Lutherwood opened a retirement
community. Luther Village on the Park is a unique
blend of social enterprise and an extension of our
mission to serve others. Last August our assisted living
services for seniors received the highest accreditation
award possible from CARF (Commission on
Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) International
Accreditation. This was the first time we sought
accreditation and this achievement is the result of
collaboration amongst our staff, residents and their
family members to review standards, implement new
systems, and integrate new procedures into our work
with seniors. In their report, CARF stated, “Your
organization should take pride in achieving this high
level of accreditation. This achievement is an indication
of your organization’s dedication and commitment to
improving the quality of the lives of the persons
served.” We do take pride in our work, because we care
about people.