LUTHERAN AGENCY WINS DRUCKER AWARD
Lutheran Social Services of Illinois has won the sixth annual
Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation. The $25,000
award honors LSSI's Second Family Program, which combines the
agency's child welfare and HIV-AIDS services. "Through Second
Family, HIV-infected parents are linked with AIDS services in
their communities to help them develop permanent placement plans
for their children, enabling them to choose second families for
their children without giving up custody," said Tracy Sadlon,
director of resource development for LSSI. HIV-infected parents
often fear that at their death, or even before, their young
children will become wards of the state. A permanency plan would
allow the birth parents to choose from a pool of prospective
parents recruited and trained by LSSI to care for the special
mental and physical needs facing children in such situations.
The "second family" becomes more involved in the care of the
child as the HIV-infected parent's health deteriorates. LSSI
works with government services to ensure that legal, financial
and counseling assistance is available. The agency is one of
more than 250 social ministry organizations affiliated with the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Drucker Award will
be presented Nov. 1 in San Francisco.
For information contact: Ann Hafften, Dir., ELCA News Service,
(312) 380-2958 or AHAFFTEN@ELCA.ORG; Frank Imhoff, Assoc. Dir.,
(312) 380-2955 or FRANKI@ELCA.ORG
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 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.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
