LFS Carolinas Receives Duke Grant for Capacity Building |
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By: Lutheran Family Services in the Carolinas Posted: 2009-01-22 06:21:49 |
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Lutheran Family Services in the Carolinas (LFS Carolinas) was recently awarded a $750,000 capacity building grant from The Duke Endowment to support the decentralization of the agency's headquarters.
"With a staff of almost 400 members, spread across two states, four hubs and multiple service sites, LFS Carolinas has often experienced the paradox of being a large agency that desires to be relevant locally," said Suzanne Gibson Wise, President and CEO of LFS Carolinas. "Decentralization of the corporate structure gives us the advantage of being locally engaged and connected within the communities we operate, yet able to use our leverage as a large agency to effect social change and act as an advocate for the children and families we serve." The initial plan to create this new corporate structure stemmed from a series of listening events called "LFS Futures," through which LFS leadership and staff as well as other local community leaders shared their desires and concerns for their communities. The conclusion reached by stakeholders involved in this process was that the needs and faces of those they consider most vulnerable are both diversifying and increasing. In order to meet these needs and continue to do the most good for the most people, LFS is moving away from the centralized service model used in the past to a more localized, community-based continuum of care model. The first step in enacting the new model has been to place executive director positions in each of the organization's four hubs: Charlotte, Greensboro, and Raleigh, N.C., and Columbia, S.C. Having leadership in each hub allows the agency to meet the immediate, particular needs of the individual communities it serves while maintaining a set standard of quality. Each director will meet with community leaders and act as ambassadors between LFS Carolinas and the community to support an open flow of communication. Executive Directors Suzanne Gibson Wise President, Chief Executive Officer Interim Executive Director for Triangle John Burns Executive Vice President, Chief Operations Officer Interim Executive Director for Charlotte Michael Andrews Executive Director for Triad Ronnie Huffman Executive Director for South Carolina This grant will also support a greater investment in Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) as well as Partnership Initiatives (PI). While executive directors ensure the specific kinds of programs are pertinent to the community, CQI and PI will ensure the quality of those programs meets the highest level of standards. The total grant will be paid out over the course of three years. In December, LFS Carolinas received the first installment of $300,000. The Duke Endowment, in Charlotte, N.C., seeks to fulfill the legacy of James B. Duke by enriching lives and communities in the Carolinas through higher education, health care, rural churches and children's services. Since its inception in 1924, the Endowment has awarded more than $2.4 billion in grants. LFS Carolinas has served the Carolinas' most vulnerable people since 1976. The agency grew from the roots of Lutheran Orphanage of the South, founded in 1888 in Salem, Virginia. As a social ministry organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, we respond to Christ's call to serve all people, regardless of race, national origin, orientation, religion or creed. LFS Carolinas provides safe haven for children in crisis, adults with special needs, refugees, and individuals and families at risk of becoming homeless or struggling to recover from disaster. Local program sites are coordinated from offices in Raleigh, Greensboro, and Charlotte, N.C., and Columbia, S.C. |
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