Lutheran Services Florida

We need you. Hurricane season is hitting hard. The impact of Hurricane Milton, making landfall this coming Wednesday, is expected to be exponentially disastrous due to unsecured debris left behind by Hurricane Helene. We need your help to support structural reinforcements to reduce building damage, and temporary to long-term housing for children who have evacuated our group homes and shelters, and we anticipate considerable damage in the aftermath. Please help. We need your support in this emergency. Visit https://lnkd.in/emxDSsKP to learn more about how your contribution can rebuild lives.

The Soiree of Hope has officially been rescheduled for Friday, October 25 at 5:30 pm! We are so excited to come together at Centre Club Tampa to celebrate the LSF mission of bringing healing, hope and help to people in need. This mission feels particularly important after the impact of Hurricane Helene. We hope you will join us as we continue to celebrate resiliency, compassion and having hope through all of life's challenges. To get your tickets, visit https://lnkd.in/ewvppqMV

LSF is asking for your help as we work to support the victims impacted by Hurricane Helene. From our staff to our clients, numerous members of our LSF family are experiencing the devastating aftermath of this massive storm. Our LSF Program Director of Pinellas Diversion Services lost her home and both vehicles. Two staff members from LSF Pinellas Head start experienced complete flooding of their homes. In the St. Petersburg area, we have a refugee family of 9 living in a hotel after their home was flooded and most of their belongings were destroyed. We know Hurricane Helene's destruction has been felt far and wide across the southeast. As we continue to help serve our community through this difficult time, we are asking you to join us in extending a helping hand to your neighbors as they rebuild their lives. Visit https://lnkd.in/emxDSsKP to learn how you can join us in this effort.

Hurricane Helene made landfall near Perry, Florida last week, and our hearts go out to everyone affected by this devastating storm. LSF is actively working to support our neighbors on Florida’s Gulf Coast as they begin to rebuild their lives. From our dedicated staff to refugee families and all those impacted by the storm, we urgently need your help. By donating, you can make a direct difference in the lives of those who have experienced unimaginable loss. To contribute to our relief efforts and help support our clients and employees, visit https://lnkd.in/emxDSsKP Donations to the relief fund will directly aid the recovery of the children and families we serve, as well as our frontline staff who have been deeply affected.

In light of the devastating impacts from Hurricane Helene, we have made the difficult decision to postpone the Soiree of Hope, originally scheduled for October 3rd. Directly assisting our clients and staff who were impacted by the storm is currently our number one priority. We look forward to updating you soon with new plans for the Soiree of Hope and for continuing our shared mission of providing healing, hope and help to those in need!

We spotted Mike Carroll, former Secretary of Florida Department of Children and Families, and Christy Daly, former Secretary of Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, spending time together at the Florida Network of Youth and Family Services annual summit. These two are still advocating on behalf of children and families. Great to see!

There's less than a week left before our annual Soiree of Hope! We can not wait to see you all at the Centre Club Tampa on October 3. We will be celebrating the LSF mission of bringing God's healing, hope and help to people in need during a night filled with all things hopeful. Do not miss out on this celebration. Get your last minute tickets and check out any remaining sponsorship opportunities by visiting, https://lnkd.in/ewvppqMV

We had the pleasure of watching a few LSF Hands of Mercy Everywhere residents take part in a fashion show! The girls were able to model fashions from Patchington Boutique and did a fabulous job on the cat walk! Proceeds from the fashion show were used to support Hands of Mercy Everywhere. This is an annual event hosted by the Catholic Daughters of America at St. Mark the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church. Thank you Patchington Boutique and Florida State Regent Christine McClain, Regent Letsea Noller and Vice Regent Laura DeLillo with the Catholic Daughters of America at St. Mark the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church for your continued support.

LSF is closely monitoring the impending landfall of Hurricane Helene. We will continue to prioritize the safety and well being of our clients and staff during this storm. To stay up to date on LSF program closures, please visit https://lnkd.in/eji_5hXB

We are excited to announce LSF Head Start will be expanding to Okaloosa County! LSF Head Start serves more than 5,400 children and families each year in Duval, Hillsborough, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties through our Head Start and Early Head Start programs. We are eager to continue providing comprehensive services and early education in the Florida panhandle. With four existing centers in Okaloosa County, we look forward to further serving this community and creating lifelong learners. Thank you Robert Bialas, EVP of LSF Head Start, for showing us around some of the centers!