Two Major Michigan Nonprofits Combine as Wellspring Lutheran Services; Offer Intergenerational Approach to Human Care
Frankenmuth, Mich. / Bay City, Mich. (PRWEB) August 07, 2013 -- On Tuesday, Aug. 6, the boards of Lutheran Homes of Michigan and Lutheran Child & Family Service of Michigan announced the two nonprofits will join together in mission and purpose under a new name, Wellspring Lutheran Services. The new name and brand will be official in October.
“By joining together under the Wellspring Lutheran Services brand, we will be able to serve people and communities in new ways,” says David Gehm, president and CEO. “It’s a new brand and philosophy of caring for people that has really been 120 years in the making.”
Both organizations have been serving Michigan residents for more than 120 years. In June 2012, Lutheran Homes of Michigan and Lutheran Child & Family Service of Michigan announced their intent to merge into a single nonprofit organization, designed to serve more people in need with services for Michigan seniors, caregivers, children and families.
Historically, human care services have been disconnected from each other, with separate organizations serving children, families and seniors. Through engaging people at every stage of life, Wellspring Lutheran Services will take an intergenerational approach to helping people discover and embrace their own potential, regardless of age or circumstance.
“Our new name is symbolic of our commitment to changing lives, strengthening families and transforming communities,” says Gehm. “We want to pour into the lives of the people we serve — individuals, communities, congregations and more — so they emerge stronger than ever, with a renewed sense of hope and purpose,” says Gehm.
Through its mission, “Motivated by Christ’s love, we engage people as they experience and embrace their God-given potential,” Wellspring Lutheran Services can come alongside people with the services and tools they need to help them envision a brighter future.
Strategic positioning, identity, website, social media channels and collateral materials will be part of the official brand rollout in October.
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATIONS
Lutheran Homes of Michigan and Lutheran Child & Family Service of Michigan were both started more than a century ago by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod as a way to serve children, families and seniors from within their congregations. Today, LHM and LCFS serve people, regardless of faith affiliations.
Collectively, LHM and LCFS serve over 15,000 children, families and seniors each year. With a combined budget of $65 million, the two nonprofits employ over 1,400 people and have locations in more than 30 cities across the state.
Lutheran Homes of Michigan has been caring for Michigan seniors and their caregivers since 1893. Today, LHM offers these services, with significant growth projected in its short-term rehab services:
• Affordable Housing
• Home Care
• Hospice & Grief Support
• Independent & Assisted Living
• Memory Care
• Short-term Rehabilitation
• Skilled Nursing Care
Lutheran Child & Family Service of Michigan has been helping Michigan children and families since 1899. Today, LCFS offers these services designed to help strengthen families:
• Adoption Resources
• Counseling
• Family Preservation
• Foster Care
• Parenting Support
• Residential Care
• Supportive Housing
For more information on Lutheran Homes of Michigan, visit http://www.agingenriched.org. For more information on Lutheran Child & Family Service of Michigan, visit http://www.lcfsmi.org.
ann tschirhart, http://agingenriched.org, +1 (989) 293-4786, [email protected]
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