LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry was honored to be invited to give a presentation on the outreach services the LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry provides as well as send LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs and their handlers to greet, comfort and love the critical care nurses that attended the Annual Northern Illinois Chapter of American Association of Critical Care Nurses (NIAACN) Trauma Symposium for the Northern Illinois Chapter of American Association of Critical Care Nurses. Becky Kilvinger, who coordinates LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Charity and the team at Brookfield Lutheran Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin gave an informative and emotionally impactful presentation on how the ministry extends into the communities and nationally, specifically serving nurses, hospitals and other first responders. There was so much joy in the room as the critical care nurses spent their breaks between sessions, snuggled up in the warmth of LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs Charity (Brookfield - Brookfield, Wisconsin) and Mary (St. Paul's - Janesville, Wisconsin), LCC Kare 9 Military Ministry Dogs Brutus and Nigel (LCC Staff), and LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs in Training Abednego, Meshach, Olive, Saul, Shadrach, Zechariah, and Zion. Upon seeing the Comfort Dogs, the nurses lit up the room with their beautiful smiles. It was wonderful to see them relaxing as they spent time with our Comfort Dogs and their handlers. A small Heart of Mercy & Compassion from LCC was presented to each of the critical care nurses at the NIAACN Trauma Symposium as encouragement and thanks for all they do. We give thanks to God for these skilled, compassionate, and trained nurses who provide essential and immediate care to their patients. Their days are ever-changing, with extended hours and significant stress. We lift them up for God’s protection from the strain of their workload and to be comforted by His love, peace, and presence so they can continue forward with the much-needed care and assistance they provide to so many people. May 6 through May 12 is National Nurses’ Week, a moment to recognize, celebrate, encourage, and support all the nurses for their dedication to caring for others and improving the health of their patients. "May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands." (Psalm 90:17) LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs Provide Solace to Families During National Crime Victims Rights Week in Chicago4/29/2024
Over the weekend, on Saturday, April 27, LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs, Emma, Grace, and Hannah (LCC Staff) provided solace to families who have lost loved ones to gun violence in Chicago this year. The Chicago Police Department (CPD) organized a vigil for 45 families during National Crime Victims Rights Week, allowing them to share their stories and unite as a community to offer support and access resources provided by the CPD. The presence of the LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs, known for their ability to bring smiles in the midst of tears, particularly lifted the spirits of the children present at the event.
LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry Recognized for Impactful Support Provided to Old Quarry Middle4/29/2024
On Wednesday April 24th, the LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry was recognized at the District 113A Board Meeting for their impactful support provided to Old Quarry Middle School in Lemont, Illinois. The principal, Joe Sweeney, expressed deep appreciation for their presence following the loss of 7th grade student, Joey Fornero, in March. He remarked, "I couldn't thank this organization enough for bringing their dogs and bringing the comfort to our students." The LCC K-9 Ministry responded to the call for comfort, visiting the school for four consecutive days and even attending Joey Fornero's wake. The principal emphasized the significance of their presence, especially for students experiencing loss for the first time, particularly the loss of a peer, which can be incredibly difficult to navigate. The timing of the acknowledgment aligned perfectly with National Volunteer Week, a fitting tribute to our amazing LCC K-9 Comfort Dog handlers, who truly exemplify the spirit of volunteerism and compassion. Present at the meeting were LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs Jael (Trinity - Hobart, Indiana), Jeremiah and Michael (LCC Staff) with their handlers, along with LCC Kare 9 Military Ministry Dogs Brutus and Nigel (LCC Staff) with their veteran handlers. The principal commended each handler for their exceptional qualities, stating, "each one of you handlers are truly amazing individuals," and recognizing their ability to interact with students, provide comfort, and demonstrate key attributes that he looks for in educators and people working with his students. We are so honored that Principal Joe Sweeney and the District 113A Board took time to express their gratitude to the LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry and give praise to God for this great partnership. Rev. Marty Marks of Immanuel Lutheran Church, DeKalb, Illinois, shared that because of your generous support, the Nelson family was able to purchase a much-needed vehicle. Thank you for being there for this family in need. The Nelson family purchased a new (to them) car last week. Immanuel Lutheran in DeKalb cut a check to the car dealer for over $9,000 to assist them in this purchase. These funds came from the generous gifts of God’s people both at Immanuel from abroad through the efforts of Lutheran Church Charities. On behalf of the people of Immanuel I offer my sincerest appreciation for the support shown to this dear brother and sister and their children. Their new van gives them the ability to continue to serve in their vocation as parents and family and also as leaders in our congregation . Danika has included this note of thanks for me to share with all of you: Dear Lutheran Family, My family and I would like to wholeheartedly thank you for your prayers, support, and donations toward our new vehicle. The peace of mind we now have in getting to my medical appointments and the kids to school and activities is removing a huge stressor in our lives. God is with us and we pray blessings return to you all tenfold. Praise Be, Danika, Keith, Nora, and Jude Rev. Marty Marks Immanuel Lutheran Church DeKalb, Illinois At LCC, we are incredibly grateful for the dedication and passion of our volunteers who work tirelessly to make a difference in their local communities. Our HMC Affiliate Churches are thriving with volunteers who are deeply committed to the ministry. We recently had the opportunity to ask them why they chose to be a part of the HMC ministry and what it means to them. Their heartfelt responses truly reflect the spirit of compassion and service that defines our organization. We are blessed to have such dedicated individuals supporting our mission, and we look forward to continuing to work together to bring hope and support to those in need. Below are the responses we received:
LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs Devorah and Zacchaeus (Redeemer - Fort Collins, Colorado) were invited by Weld County’s Victim Assistance Coordinator to be present at a “Missing in Colorado” event this past Friday, April 19. It was a gathering to bring “options, services and hope for crime survivors” in honor of Victim’s Rights Week. Redeemer's team has been to “Missing in Colorado” events before in the state of Colorado and this is a new location for them in northern Colorado. They got invited due to the fact that they just started bringing Zacchaeus Comfort Dog to Greeley Police Department and the Weld County Sheriff’s office records department and they could see the impact he had to bring comfort and calmness to these agencies. Comfort Dogs Devorah and Zacchaeus and their team greeted the attendees and stayed for a short portion of their program. They also reunited with two FBI Agent Supervisors who invited them to be with the “Evidence Investigators” from the King Soopers mass shooting in Boulder, Colorado in 2021. "They remembered us and loved on the pups and thanked us so much for being there today for this important event," says Bonnie Fear, Comfort Dog Ministry Leader at Redeemer. "National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, or '911 Appreciation Week' as we call it, is one of our favorite weeks for the LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fort Collins, Colorado," says Bonnie Fear, Comfort Dog Ministry Leader and handler for LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs Devorah and Zacchaeus (Redeemer - Fort Collins, Colorado). Early in their ministry, Redeemer's team came up with an idea on how to connect with these special people. One of the things they have found is how difficult it is sometimes to describe the LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry over the phone to someone unfamiliar with it because it is a unique ministry of presence. So, the team called local police departments and asked if they could drop off some items to show their love and support for their 911 dispatchers. "Oh, and we let them know that we have two Golden Retrievers who would also like to show their thanks. That got us in the door immediately," says Bonnie. Now, Devorah and Zacchaeus visit once a month, and local police departments and 911 dispatch are their regular visits. "We are branching out and adding two more police departments on our calendar by the end of May," adds Bonnie. To present day the Redeemer team calls their 911 “friends” at three of their local police departments and schedules three different “shift” times during the second week in April to spend time with all dispatchers and bring them a small token of their love and appreciation for what they do. "They told us, 'Gifts aren’t necessary; just bring Devorah and Zacchaeus.' That works for us!” says Bonnie. This year, they dropped off appreciation gifts without the dogs to one of their local 911 agencies, which are currently working on getting us approved to bring Devorah and Zacchaeus on regular monthly visits. "I think they found out we were serious about how thankful we are for them by not bringing the dogs! They said it won’t be long before we get them in the door," says Bonnie. As the years have passed, the Redeemer team developed trust and personal human relationships with this special group of people. They are “on call” to bring Devorah and Zacchaeus Comfort Dogs after critical incident situations to bring calmness and quiet to their hearts and minds. "We have a bond and understanding of each other and our passion for serving people. This is a very important part of what we do to bring comfort to first responders," says Bonnie. The situation in Haiti is critical, with millions of people starving and in desperate need of assistance. Thank you for joining LCC in supporting our mission to aid the vulnerable in Haiti during these challenging times. Your contribution, no matter how big or small, can make a difference and help alleviate the suffering of those affected. Together, we can make a meaningful impact and help save lives in Haiti. Because of your unwavering support, LCC has been able to make substantial donations for food and medicine to Mission Haiti and Habitat For Children Ministries. We received the following updates from Lophane Laurent, Mission Haiti and Meschac St Amour, President, Habitat For Children Ministries: It is a pleasure for me to write you this note on behalf of the people in Haiti to explain what this food package represents for us now. I want to thank God for his mercy and love, and I want to thank all of the members of LCC, especially the donors and sponsors who never stop supporting LCC with their prayers and money. You can imagine how hard it is right now to feed your family, where the food is very expensive and not easy to find because of gang violence. Before, when the inflation was 15%, I used to buy a bag of rice for about $15, and now, with the inflation of 60%, it costs $45 to $50, and you can’t find it everywhere. In our food package, we give rice, spaghetti, cream corn, sugar, and oil vegetables, and each family receives one and has food for about four or one week, depending on how many people there are in the family. Please continue praying for Haiti because almost 6 million people are starving or are homeless because they don’t have a job, and 80% of businesses are closed or destroyed by the gangs. Most of the owners left Haiti, so this is a part of the situation in Haiti now. But Mission Haiti never stopped its job in Haiti and kept going on all our projects even though it was difficult for us. My friends, now you can understand why I say this donation is more than a blessing for my people. Our airport is closed because of gang violence and all the shipping also, and we export almost 90% of the products we use in Haiti. In the name of the parents and the kids in our scholarship program, especially in my name, I say thanks so much, and May God bless your families and your ministries. Christ is Risen. He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia! Lophane Laurent Mission Haiti On Sunday, April 7, 2024, Habitat For Children Ministries organized a prayer day for Haiti. During that time of prayer, we prayed to God for the situation of violence to calm down and stop. The prayer was called "Habitat Unity Group Day of Prayer." We asked God to be merciful to the people of Haiti because they are hungry, and everything is getting so expensive. The people can't afford to buy food anymore. The trucks that carry merchandise to the countryside are forced to pay gang members at every stop. Many hospitals have started closing their doors, and patients are forced to return home because there is no medicine and gas for the hospitals to work as they should. We also offered up praises and thanks to all the people who help us and our organizations to continue with God's work while everything is going on in Port-au-Prince. Habitat For Children Ministries is still working diligently in the countryside to deliver food and take care of sick people. We praise God for that opportunity! Speaking with a friend from Port-au-Prince last week, he said to me humanitarian colleagues emphasized that these departments do not have sufficient infrastructure, and host communities do not have sufficient resources to cope with the large number of people fleeing Port-au-Prince. Also, speaking with a police friend over the weekend in Port-au-Prince, he said that of the 53,125 people who fled Port-au-Prince from March 8th-27th, nearly 80% already had been forced to abandon their homes and were living with relatives or in crowded and unsanitary makeshift shelters across the capital. The countryside is getting filled quickly, and now we are dealing with a lack of everything. More than 85% of Haitians leaving the capital have been crowding into buses, risking travel through gang-controlled territory where gang rapes have been reported arm gunmen have been known to open fire on public transport. The transitional council, which will be responsible for choosing a new Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, has yet to be formally established. "So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:18) Meschac St Amour President Habitat For Children Ministries, Inc. |
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