Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota

Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota

Abbreviation	LSS
Type	Social services
Tax ID no.	41-0872993
Headquarters	Saint Paul, Minnesota
Region	Minnesota
Key people	Eric Norelius, founder Jodi Harpstead, CEO
Affiliations	Lutheran Services in America
Budget	$72,282,044
Staff	2,300
Volunteers	10,000
Website	http://www.lssmn.org/

Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (LSS) is a social service organization headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota, with programs in each of the state's 87 counties. As the largest non-profit organization in Minnesota, LSS employs over 2,300 staff and has 10,000 volunteers. The organization traces its roots to 1865 when Vasa Lutheran Church in Welch, Minnesota opened its doors to care for four orphaned children and became the Vasa Children's Home.

Mission

LSS "expresses the love of Christ for all people through service that inspires hope, changes lives, and builds community." Its vision is that "[a]ll people have the opportunity to live and work in community with dignity, safety, and hope."

Further, the organization's employee vision is that "LSS employees have deeply meaningful work that changes lives, the opportunity for their unique gifts to shine and grow, and abundant and balanced lives."

History

Vasa Children's Home

Four children were taken in by Reverend Eric Norelius, who had the ambition to purchase ten acres of land near the Vasa Lutheran Church in Welch, Minnesota in order to dedicate a building meant for orphans and ample room for farming. His vision was realized with the construction of the Vasa Children's Home. Norelius managed the institution until 1876, when the Minnesota Conference took over the home. After being rebuilt twice due to environmental and fire safety issues, the home relocated to its present location in Red Wing, Minnesota. Currently, the building houses children and young adults aged 7–22 years old with disabilities.

Services

LSS reaches children, youth, families, people with disabilities, and older adults through 23 distinct lines of service. Among these are programs that target youth homelessness, adoption, senior nutrition, immigration, and financial wellness. In 2012, LSS merged adoption services with Children’s Home Society of Minnesota, which now handles all of their adoption needs. LSS offers behavioral counseling services at 14 of its sites. It also operates Camp Knutson and Knutson Point Retreat Center in Crosslake, Minnesota.

Center for Changing Lives, Duluth

In May 2015, LSS broke ground in Duluth, Minnesota for a shelter that will house 20 youth and act as a central location to dispense youth homeless services. The center opened in June 2017.

Affiliations

LSS is a member of the Lutheran Services in America (LSA) network. LSSMN President and CEO Jodi Harpstead is on the LSA Board of Directors. It is partnered with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and most Region 3 ELCA synods. Other faith-based partners include Thrivent Financial and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service. Target is a corporate partner.