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ADVERTISEMENT teams have provided pandemic stress relief through over 400 virtual visits with people from twenty-eight states. They have also visited assisted living residents and their staff caregivers through window visits. LCC disaster response teams served in Illinois, Missis- sippi, and Tennessee to help with tornado damage re- covery, and did extensive storm clean-up from Tropical Storm Cristobal, and derecho storms in Iowa. Doing life together is the most important, and often the hardest, work of our lives. It takes grit, determina- tion, stamina, and intimacy with God. Family is where God has done His finest work shaping me into who He wants me to be by revealing (up close and personal) my faults, failures, and misaligned priorities. Here, Jesus meets me with His cross and forever changes each step of my way. I am a work in progress. So is the crew I live with. Q: What doors open for LCC during crisis or disaster deployments? A: LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs are a bridge for compassion- ate ministry to interact with people of all ages and cir- cumstances. More than 100 LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs and their ministry teams in twenty-eight states serve every day in their communities. When invited, they deploy in times of crisis and disaster to bring comfort to all those affected. Nine LCC K-9 Ministry teams deployed over two weeks to Boulder, Colorado, and eight teams deployed to Indi- anapolis, Indiana, in response to mass shootings. They brought comfort and hope to devastated communities. LCC Disaster Response Ministries include Lutheran Early Response Team (L.E.R.T.) training and teams with chainsaws and heavy equipment for debris removal, flood recovery, and emotional and spiritual care exper- tise. LCC Disaster Response sent food and financial do- nations in response to the Texas winter storms and L.E.R.T. chainsaw team members deployed for two weeks to Alabama to help homeowners and a residen- tial school for children and adults with developmental disabilities recover from widespread property damage caused by a tornado. Q: How can churches serve others outside of their walls to reach people in need? A: Lutheran Church Charities has strong partnerships with churches and Christian mission societies across the United States and internationally. LCC Human Care Ministries works with pastors and congregations to pass through donor financial assistance, in-kind dona- tions, and volunteer people resources to help individu- als and families. Since March 2020, with our Haiti Mission Partners, LCC sent $145,000 in emergency funds to Haiti to purchase critical items needed to help save and improve Haitian lives while working diligently to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Hearts of Mercy & Compassion (HMC) and Crosses for Losses provide a physical and spiritual symbol through the giving of hearts and crosses to families and friends who have suffered a loss, experienced illness, celebrat- ed a victory, or honored. They are encouragement in the face of adversity. More than three hundred HMC have been presented—twenty-five for police officer deaths. Q: How can people Make A Difference in the lives of others through LCC Ministries? I believe that if you stay focused on what God wants you to do, He will provide just what you need. God has always provided LCC with exactly what we need to do what He would have us do each and every year. LCC operates with a dollar in-dollar out funding process, where every dollar given for a cause goes directly to that cause or need. LCC never charges those we serve. We are able to do that with the support of donors. Help us to be your hands and feet every day in sharing the comfort, love, hope, and presence of Jesus Christ with those who are suffering and in need! w For more information about Lutheran Church Charities or ways to donate to LCC ministries, please contact us the following ways: LCC@LutheranChurchCharities.org www.LutheranChurchCharities.org Lutheran Church Charities 3020 Milwaukee Ave., Northbrook, IL 60062 866-455-6466 Lutheran Life 21

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