May 2, 2024 – St. Louis, Missouri – Lutheran Senior Services (LSS) has received a three-year Lutheran Services for the Elderly Endowment Grant of $73,293 from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). This grant will support LSS Aging Answers’ Care Management services for 165 low-income older adults living in the St. Louis metropolitan area.
Because the aging journey is different for everyone, the Aging Answers Care Management program helps older adults navigate individual challenges and connects them to community resources to help them remain independent, wherever they live. This program plays an important role in the continuum of care that LSS provides by enabling more people to access the support and services they need.
Assistance is provided through an initial needs assessment, ongoing assistance with accessing benefits/programs, spiritual care services, and/or financial assistance with needed safety equipment or services.
“We are grateful for this support because it will enable us to help so many people live fuller lives,” said Erin Hentz, LSS Director of Annual Giving. “Aging Answers’ Care Management services meet clients where they are to fill the gap and help them live well independently.”
ECLA selected the LSS Aging Answers Care Management program as a recipient because the impact of the program aligns with the ELCA mission. “The ELCA is committed to making the world a more just and peaceful place to live. This aligns with the work of LSS helping older adults to have access to the services and care they need to live more fully,” said Naomi Sonne, Social Ministry Organization Engagement Manager of the ELCA.
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 3 million members in more than 8,700 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of “God’s work. Our hands.,” the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA’s roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
Lutheran Senior Services (LSS) is a mission-driven, nonprofit network that specializes in housing, care, and supportive services for older adults 62+. With 18 locations in Missouri and Illinois, LSS serves more than 13,000 seniors a year through options that include Senior Living Communities offering all levels of living, Affordable Housing for those with limited incomes, and Home & Community Based Services. LSS builds upon more than 160 years of excellence in living out its Christian mission of Older Adults Living Life to the Fullest.