On March 23 and 24 Rita Livingstone, In-Home Support Specialist in the Monroe Home Care Services office, took her client, Melina King,to Grand Rapids for the special Olympics. It was the first time the Monroe group attended the Special Olympics“Melina was so excited that she laughed on and off the whole time,” said Rita. “There were many activities including dancing, arts and crafts, a dental checkup, a smile class (to teach people to smile no matter how bad things are), souvenirs, and a meeting with state beauty contestants. We all enjoyed our time there.” It’s obvious from the photo that Melina enjoyed the outing! Lutheran Social Services’ Monroe team won a medal for basketball.

The West Region, Services for Persons With Disabilities, has published a cookbook, Cooking as an Expression of the Love of Christ, to raise funds for the group homes. Sales of the books will benefit the Brooks, Ducey, East Bay, Hansen, Lincoln, Ludington, McIntyre, Scottville and Woodridge homes. The wire-bound book contains 257 recipes for appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, desserts and more, as well as helpful hints (including how to do fancy napkin folds). Books are $10 if purchased from the regional administrative office in Muskegon, or $13 including shipping and handling. To purchase, send a check made out to Lutheran Social Services of Michigan to Jennifer Sandoval, 425 W. Western Ave., Suite 410, Muskegon, MI 49440. For more information, contact Jennifer by email or call (231) 722-2400.

The residents of Woodruff Home in Rockwood love to spend a week at Camp Indian Trails for persons with disabilities every summer. But camp can be quite costly, and most of the residents have limited funds. To raise funds, staff and residents are holding a can and bottle drive. If you live near Rockwood, drop off your returnable cans and bottles before June 9. If you live elsewhere, turn in your bottles and cans and send a check for the refund money to Regan Sheridan, home manager, at 21886 Woodruff Road, Rockwood, MI 48173-1008. One hundred percent of donations will be used to help Woodruff Home residents.

(Source: Public News Service - MI) Mental health workers fought it, but many now embrace the end results. A decade ago, then Michigan Governor John Engler closed most state mental hospitals because of budget constraints, forcing many patients into group home settings. And in recent years, case workers have been transitioning from group to in-home programs that allow patients, especially kids, to stay with their families.

Tammy Hynes, program manager for Lutheran Social Services in mid-Michigan, says case workers are able to customize care for kids with disabilities or mental illness and provide support for their parents when they live at home.

"It's a world of difference. I mean, just think about it: it's a much better social environment, you have one-on-one care, you have the feel of family. It's not an institutional setting. An institutional setting is not a personalized setting."

Hynes says keeping clients at home is proving to be much more cost effective than operating group homes or institutions.

"If we can keep kids from going into institutions, keep a healthy relationship with the mom, or whatever that parental unit is, my gosh, what a job we are doing."

Hynes says the program has doubled in size in the last three years. Lutheran Social Services contracts with the federal and state governments to provide the in-home care.