Title: Lutheran Ministries Benefit from LSE Endowment Fund
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

October 7, 2002

LUTHERAN MINISTRIES BENEFIT FROM LSE ENDOWMENT FUND
02-236-DM*

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Seven Lutheran ministry organizations were
recently awarded a total of $240,000 from the Lutheran Services for ther
Elderly (LSE) Endowment Fund of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA).
     The awards were the first distributions made from the endowment
fund, which was created in 2001 from the assets of Lutheran Services for
the Elderly, also known as Fair Havens Center in South Florida.
     LSE served older adults for nearly 40 years through assisted
living and skilled nursing care.
     The decision to sell the assets was made by the LSE board and
staff. They sold the facility to a local hospital which continues to
operate it as a residential program for the elderly.  Proceeds from the
sale were used to create an $8.1 million endowment through the ELCA
Foundation.
     "We say a tremendous word of thanks to Lutheran Services for the
Elderly for this remarkable gift to the church and its ministries," said
the Rev. Donald M. Hallberg, executive director, ELCA Foundation.
     Commenting on why LSE sold its assets, Hallberg said that it had
become difficult for LSE to provide high quality services at a time when
state government funding was falling behind actual cost.
     Distributions from the fund are made to ministries that
demonstrate plans for service, education and research to benefit the
elderly and their families or services to the elderly.
     Annual distributions from the fund provide "seed money" for
ministries which offer innovative and replicable programs for the
elderly.
     "This decision to use a successful ministry to give birth to
multiple ministries was really a decision of stewardship," said William
D. Cole, former president of LSE, "We wanted to give birth to something
new."
     The 2002 LSE Endowment Fund recipients were:
     + Community Family Life Services, Washington, D.C.
     + Immanuel Health Systems, Omaha, Neb.
     + Lutheran Counseling Services, Inc., Winter Park, Fla.
     + Lutheran Family Services of Virginia, Roanoke, Va.
     + Lutheran Outdoor Ministries of Florida, Tampa, Fla.
     + Tabitha Health Care Service, Lincoln, Neb.
     + Lutheran Services of Florida, Tampa, Fla.
     "We received so many fine applications for these awards that the
selection process was difficult," said Ruth A. Reko, director for
relationships with social ministry organizations, ELCA Division for
Church in Society. "We look forward to the ministries that will grow as
a result of Lutheran Services for the Elderly's vision and generosity in
establishing this endowment."
     "Through it, LSE continues to give new life to other ministries
that serve this church and the greater society," Reko added.
-- -- --
     Information about the ELCA Foundation can be found at
http://www.elca.org/fo on the Web.

     *Diana Mavunduse is a communicator with the World Council of
Churches, Geneva, Switzerland. This fall she is serving as a volunteer
with the ELCA News Service.


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