Serving the most vulnerable: Lutheran Family and Children's Services work for children, elderly in need

The Cape Girardeau chapter of Lutheran Family and Children's Services offers help and support to both young and old alike.

"Our goal is to provide help and support to vulnerable people in our community," says Evelyn Beussink Martin, regional director of LFCS. "We want safe and stable homes for kids in our communities and if an expectant woman feels that she can't raise a child on her own, we want to prepare other families to be able to do so."

LFCS' goal is to help older adults live a happy, stable life, as well.

"We want (them) to be safe and happy and to be able to stay in their own homes for as long as possible," says Martin.

For Martin, the organization's goals are something she's always been passionate about.

"Even as a child, I always wanted to help people," she says. "The help we give here [at LFCS] is helping the most vulnerable. ... We're here to show God's love to our neighbors in their most difficult time. We have a great team of women here who feel passionately about the work that they do."

Two of those women are Melody Anderson and Whitney Quick.

Anderson is the director of regional development for LFCS, a role that includes handling all of the fundraising efforts in Southeast Missouri and managing the fundraising efforts in Columbia and Springfield, Mo.

"I had been a volunteer for LFCS for about five years and served on the agency advisory board before I came to work here," she says. "So, I was very familiar with the services that they provided. When a position came open, I was actually trying to help them hire someone and it just seemed like a good fit for me. I really admire the organization because it has a mission and sticks with that mission. With every dollar spent, we try to meet the needs of the most people possible."

Quick started with LFCS as an intern before joining the staff as regional development coordinator in March 2011. Now she handles event planning -- including Boas & Bling, the Holiday Home Tour and annual auction -- managing social media, working with tax credits and working with volunteers for the events.

"During my internship, I was able to see all of the different services that (LFCS) provided," Quick says. "I didn't realize that they did things like Memory Matters for people with Alzheimer's, and the assisted custody exchange where parents (who share custody of their children but may not be on good terms) can use the office here as a place to drop off and pick up their kids instead of doing it at the police station. I just thought of LFCS (primarily as a service that assists with) adoptions. I think the unique thing about LFCS is that we cover a lot of needs in the area that not a lot of other services cover."

LFCS offers services for adults dealing with dementia and their caregivers, crisis pregnancy counseling and adoption advice and counseling.

"We offer a program for older adults with memory loss, Alzheimer's and dementia, which includes counseling, in-home (visits) and two weekly memory groups," Martin says. "It gives older adults some socialization, they get a meal and it (offers) a break for their caregiver. They also do (activities) during the memory groups that help them to maintain their memories."

LFCS' crisis pregnancy counseling program, WINGS (Women in Need Growing Stronger), provides counseling, help and support to any woman with an unplanned or crisis pregnancy.

"We help women of any religious background, not just Lutheran (women)," Martin says. "In fact, the greatest majority of women we serve are not (of) Lutheran (faith.)"

LFCS offers expectant women referrals to resources to help them through their pregnancy and beyond.

"If there is a woman with an unplanned or crisis pregnancy who is interested in placing that child for adoption, we will help her with that process," Martin says. "We will also help couples who are wanting to adopt with the adoption process."

For couples considering adoption, Martin recommends the monthly Power Hour at the LFCS office.

"The Power Hour is a good place to start for someone who is just learning about adoption," she says.

LFCS, which has main offices is St. Louis, Columbia, and Springfield as well as Cape Girardeau, helped place 16 children in adoptive homes in Missouri in 2012.

For additional information on any services offered by LFCS, call their office at 573-334-5866.

How to help

* Donate: To donate to LFCS, visit lfcsmo.org/donatenow or call the local office at 573-334-5866.

* Volunteer: To volunteer with LFCS, stop by the Cape Girardeau office at 3178 Blattner Drive or call 573-334-5866.