"It was a wonderful time of fellowship and learning. Our team specifically loved how the regional gathering allowed for a more intimate feeling and how individualized it was for each team."
— Always Comfort Dog Team, 
St. Paul - Boca Raton, FL

* * *

"I feel like I am a part of our team and the greater LCC team."
— Zoara Comfort Dog Team, CrossWaters Ministries – 
Hilton Head, SC

*  *  *

"This Regional Gathering was so well organized and thoughtfully prepared.  The initial ice breaker really opened the door for fellowship between everyone and helped us get us outside our familiar team members.  I particularly loved “what’s your name” segment that by simply asking someone’s name you can open doors for conversation - so easy!  Handlers really appreciated the training sessions throughout the weekend. I could go on and on but will finish with these thoughts - I loved Island Lutheran’s church members welcoming spirit and their full support of this ministry.  We felt so special that Pastor Jeff greeted each of us with his presence and gentle shoulder pats. Deaconess Grace also presented such a meaningful message to us. I think I can speak for Seth’s team, we left feeling loved, encouraged and renewed to keep on keeping on!!  Thank you, Anastasia, Becky, Paul, Cathy, and your team for a wonderful weekend!"
— Seth Comfort Dog Team, 
Eternal Shepherd - Seneca, SC
​ 
*  *  *

"Thank you so much for coming out to spend the weekend with us! It was a wonderful time of fellowship and learning. Our team specifically loved how the regional gatherings allow for a more intimate feeling and how you and Becky individualized it for each team in attendance. The devotion where you spoke about a strength of each team meant a lot to us. Ben, who really struggles with forced mingling exercises really liked the name and “who can you find” exercises. I don’t think praise gets much higher than that. This is just what we spoke about briefly on the way home. I have put it out to my team for any additional thoughts and will add those later today."
— Always Comfort Dog Team, 
St. Paul - Boca Raton, FL

*  *  *
 
"The conference was very uplifting and rewarding.  The devotionals and time spent on discussing our names, and the devotion on the concept of comfort led by Grace helped me to think about how to approach the people we visit and also with those we interact with in any situation.  The idea of reflecting Jesus' light, as the moon reflects the sun's light was a beautiful analogy.  I very much appreciated the time spent on refresher handler training.  Anastasia and Becky are such experts, and share their expertise in a kind, affirming way. I very much enjoyed meeting members of the other teams, and the team building activity was a great way to get us all interacting.  The conference was a richly rewarding experience: a good balance of devotions, discussions, group interactions, and handler training.  I just wish it could have been a little longer.  Oh, and the meals were delicious:  thank you team Zoara for your hospitality."
— Always Comfort Dog Team, 
St. Paul - Boca Raton, FL

*  *  *
 
"It was our honor and pleasure to host the Regional meeting this weekend. So many of our team members were able to attend and got the blessing of training with LCC staff. We also grew and learned so much from other teams.

I personally feel renewed, reenergized, and committed to receive comfort as well as give comfort. As Grace said, “we can’t pour from an empty bucket.” The theme “Alongside” was such a good reminder of how we can encourage each other as we serve in this ministry. The support the Comfort Dog Ministry, and especially the SE Region teams, has given to our team and members has been amazing.

The thoughtful words/cards/gifts for Debbie and Ron and the Duff family are so heartwarming. The Comfort Dog Ministry is truly family. I know our team learned so much with the “Say their name” activity, the role playing and the servant event at Shelter Cove. The combination of learning and then putting it into action is so helpful. We definitely feel more confident going out on visits and committed to the challenge to follow Jesus and be changed by Jesus every day.
— Zoara Comfort Dog Team, 
CrossWater Ministries/Island Lutheran - Hilton Head, SC

*  *  *

“The mixture of handler technique with the dogs and the grace and compassion shown individuals was appropriate. The ability to interact with other teams to discuss issues and how they resolved them was a significant benefit. The ability to work one on one with LCC staff was a plus."
— Seth Comfort Dog Team, 
Eternal Shepherd - Seneca, SC

*  *  *

"What a blessed filled weekend with the Southeastern Region Teams. It started with the family walking up to Zoara’s banner on Friday, followed by the Saturday outing and the final dinner. In between we were reminded of the ministry’s values and goals. It was really a treat meeting, sharing and interacting with all the teams.
— Zoara Comfort Dog Team, 
CrossWater Ministries/Island Lutheran - Hilton Head, SC

*  *  *

“The conference was a great refresher that helped maintain connections with other teams in our area. It’s Always nice to get the teams together to help build our relationships and gain strength from each other.” 
— Always Comfort Dog Team, 
St. Paul - Boca Raton, FL

*  *  *

I liked the content and flow of the meeting: Devotional and prayer, networking, getting to know each other, training and role playing, practical application at Shelter Cove, great food throughout. I feel like I am a part of our team and the greater LCC team.
— Zoara Comfort Dog Team, 
CrossWater Ministries/Island Lutheran - Hilton Head, SC

*  *  *

“The conference was a great refresher that helped maintain connections with other teams in our area. It’s Always nice to get the teams together to help build our relationships and gain strength from each other.” 
— Always Comfort Dog Team, 
St. Paul - Boca Raton, FL
 

In another special moment, the Hearts of Mercy & Compassion team at CrossWaters Ministries crafted a Heart of Celebration for Debbie Groteluschen, a ministry partner for the hometown congregation’s Zoara Comfort Dog team.​

Debbie (pictured with husband Ron) had recently finished chemotherapy treatment, including ringing the bell! Island Lutheran members were joined by K-9 Comfort Dog volunteers from the region to surround her with joy and energy.

“This heart will always hold a special place in our hearts!” Debbie’s husband Ron, a handler for Zoara, said. “We truly appreciate all the prayers and support from the Comfort Dog Ministry — locally and nationally. We could not have made it through this past six months without that support. It really is a blessing to share God’s love through the dogs and teams. God truly hears our prayers and answers them to His will. It was a great a blessed weekend!"

With boom lifts, heavy equipment, and a lot of sweat and muscle, more than 50 Lutheran Early Response Team (LERT) volunteers from churches in Indiana and Illinois have made substantial progress in helping multiple areas in both states clean up from the derecho and tornadoes that hit the area June 10-11. 

Led by Deac. Kathy O’Day, LCC Director of Disaster Response, and Pastor Josh Osbun,  Indiana District Disaster Response Coordinator, the teams in Merrillville, IN, and Streator, IL, have assessed 81 sites and completed chainsaw and debris removal at 60 locations over the last 2½ weeks.   

“We were able to bless homeowners served with gift cards given to us from LCMS Disaster Response,”O’Day shared. “Serving as the hands and feet of Christ, these volunteers brought Christ’s presence, hope, and compassion to many hurting people.”

LERT volunteers completed multiple sites in several of the hardest-hit neighborhoods. 

“As we would move from site to site, people would stop our vehicles and thank us for our service and for caring for their neighbors,” O’Day said. “The homeowners were very appreciative for what they felt was over and above in helping them remove trees and dangerous hanging limbs from their yards.”

As a thank you, one family put out a lunch spread for volunteers helping at their home. Another homeowner at the end of a hot day gave everyone popsicles. 

One of our homeowners sent an email of thanks. 

It read: “We will be forever grateful to all of you. We pray that others will experience the relief that we felt knowing that we are on our way back to recovery. We pray that you and your families are blessed for your kind hearts. Thanks again and we are so appreciative.”

Elsewhere in Merrillville over the weekend, 15 LERT volunteers helped at the home of Mr. and Mrs. K, an elderly couple who are disabled and live at the dead-end of a small, winding road off the highway. They had many trees that had fallen and were damaged in their large yard. 

Volunteers were able to begin clearing their property on the same day they performed the damage assessment. With a lift and two mini-Bobcats, they cleared the yard in several hours. 

“First, he couldn’t believe that we had found their home and then he couldn’t believe we could help them right away,” O’Day said. “At the end of the day, he was amazed that everything was done. Then he prayed with each volunteer and asked for a blessing over each of us.”

Earlier this week, crews met Ms. C. who was initially reluctant to ask for help but sought their assistance after she injured herself while a team was serving another homeowner on her street. 

Seeing much worse damage to her neighbors’ homes, she decided to cut up a fallen tree in her yard herself when the chain came off her chainsaw. She didn’t know how to put it back on and began using an axe to finish the job. 

Unfortunately, she missed the tree limb and hit her foot, causing extensive damage that would require surgery and several days in the hospital.

A LERT team finished the work in her yard, removing a fallen tree and a large brush pile she had started, plus some other work around her home. 

“She told us that God sent us to her at that moment in time because He knew she needed help, to have her hope restored and her spirits lifted,” O’Day recalled. “She gave each of us hugs as we were leaving, and we all felt blessed for having met and helped her.”  

Meanwhile in Streator, IL, where an EF-2 tornado had hit June 10, LERT crews worked at two homeowners’ homes, felling and removing four trees that were damaged. It had felt like a long wait, but the homeowners greatly appreciated the assistance in making their properties safe again and taking the time to be present with them on a very hot day. 

LCC extends our sincere thanks to Trinity Lutheran Church and School in Crown Point, IN, for graciously housing and hosting volunteers over the past two-plus weeks. 

Just love and comfort. 

That’s why Lizzie Comfort Dog visits the FACTOR Pediatric Osteosarcoma Conference year after year. 

The hugs. The smiles. The joy of the brave young warriors and their families, plus the medical professionals and researchers working to help them. It’s inspiring, and if Lizzie and her team can bring some additional warmth, calm, and hope, then all the better. 

Lizzie (Trinity – Savannah, GA) and her handlers have attended the conference in 2023 and 2024. This year, after missing the 2025 gathering, she was back — this time in Columbus, OH, with furry pals Claudia (Trinity – Toledo, OH), Lazarus(Trinity – Toledo, OH), and Saul (Bethany – Parma, OH). 

The dogs visited families in the main common area and then made a short stop outside the general session during a break to greet medical professionals.   

“The kids are always so appreciative to meet the K-9s!” Cindy Baldwin of Team Lizzie shared. 

They also met a grief counselor (pictured below).

“I said to her that her job must be very difficult,” Baldwin said. “She replied that she loves what she does, but at the end of the day, she needs to go home and hug her dog.”

A reminder that LCC Comfort Dogs serve a very important purpose.    

The tornado struck with considerable force — passing directly over the Romanian Orthodox Church in Merrillville, IN.​

The damage it left was significant, splitting multiple large trees on the property, impaling the roof of the parish house, and throwing debris around the church’s main building.  

The church’s priest, Father Daniel Radu, and parishioners began the cleanup effort but were quickly overwhelmed at its scope and complexity.  

Then LCC Disaster Response volunteers from Trinity Crown Point, IN, arrived.

“They gave us one of the most generous gifts we have ever received — their time, their labor, and their hearts,” Father Radu wrote in a message to his congregation. ​

The damage required two lifts and some of the most technical rigging skills possible. After two 9-hour days of cutting, clearing, and removing debris, the grounds of the church and its parking lot were restored and safe. 

“These extraordinary volunteers worked without stopping. … They asked for nothing in return. Their work was a pure act of Christian love and neighborly kindness that moved our entire parish to tears of gratitude,” Father Radu shared in his message. “We are humbled and deeply grateful. Their generosity is a shining example of faith in action.”

LCC also left a keepsake — a slice of wood from one of the fallen trees, signed by all the volunteers.  

A reminder of the day faith and community came together. 

The wood slice now hangs in the church as a permanent reminder.​

Still not fully understanding what had happened the previous week, camp students readily accepted Eternity, Magdalene, and Rachel, lying down beside the dogs with comforting strokes of their fur.

The next day, the three dogs from Illinois and Indiana were in neighboring town Urbana, IL, for Ashton’s visitation and memorial service at Vineyard Church.

With many children attending, the mood was sorrowful — but many were grateful to see the comforting presence of Eternity, Magdalene, and Rachel again.

One young boy approached Magdalene for a few moments of cuddles.

“You guys are awesome. I love you,” he told the dogs.

It was a comment that stuck with the three dogs’ handlers.

“It reminds us once again why God has called us into this ministry,” one of Magdalene’s handlers said. “It is the love of Jesus we take with us that transforms hearts and minds. Thank you all for allowing us to be a part of this wonderful journey.”
 
LCC thanks the teams who went both to the day camp and to the memorial service and bringing the light and hope of Christ in a time of mourning and sorrow.
 
Eternity Comfort Dog
Jane Callahan and Ashleigh Glynn

Magdalene Comfort Dog
Judy and Chuck Mihalik

Rachel Comfort Dog
Chuck and Ronda Lowell

The veteran war hero inched slowly through the crowd at Dulles International Airport. ​

Then he stopped — awestruck by the magnitude of the welcoming scene and the outpouring of gratitude surrounding him. With stately valor, he turned around in amazement, deliberately soaking in the moment, the scene. 

The red, white, and blue mass of people were there to cheer him, to thank him along with the 107 other U.S. military members who served in Vietnam more than a half-century ago. All of them aboard three evening flights from Milwaukee, WI, to Washington, DC.

It was June 20 — Flight of Champions Day for Stars & Stripes Honor Flights — and eight LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs from Illinois, Maryland, Virginia, and Wisconsin were on hand to celebrate with them at two airports more than 1,000 miles apart. 

“It was a touching reminder that these moments of presence, appreciation, and connection can mean so much to those who have given so much in service to our country,” shared a handler for Amos Comfort Dog. 

Wisconsin-based Stars and Stripes Honor Flight, Inc. recognizes veterans with a life-changing trip to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorials and experience a day of gratitude and appreciation — and then return home to more celebration of their service.  

Six LCC K-9 Comfort Dog teams saw three flights of veterans off from Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee in the afternoon — Charity (Brookfield – Brookfield, WI), Gethsemane (Lord of Glory – Grayslake, IL), Mary (St. Paul’s – Janesville, WI), and Sage (Concordia University Wisconsin).

The city lit up Hoan Memorial Bridge in festive red, white, and blue lights to recognize the service members.

Waiting for them at Dulles International Airport outside of Washington, LCC Comfort Dogs Amos (Our Savior’s Way – Ashburn, VA) and Kezia (Emmanuel – Baltimore, MD) with flags, firm handshakes, and wagging tails.

“Once again, we invited members of Our Savior's Way Lutheran to join Team Kezia and Team Amos in welcoming Honor Flight veterans home, and we were blessed with a wonderful turnout,” one of Amos’ handlers said.

The teams set up near the bus loading area, where the veteran’s and their volunteer guardians have time to linger before they get onboard.

“As we looked these heroes in the eyes and shared a handshake or a hug, each veteran received a warm greeting and heartfelt thanks for their service,” a member of Team Kezia said. “We also witnessed the emotions of their guardians, many of whom were moved to tears as they saw just how deeply their loved ones were honored and appreciated.”

LCC thanks the following volunteers for showing their appreciation and gratitude for some of our nation’s veterans:

Amos

Charity
Becky Kilvinger
Patti Kilvinger
Sandi Dolab
 
Gethsemane
Nichole Todd
Chelsi Todd

Kezia
Ric Durham 
Edgar Cohen

Mary
Cheryl Skelly      
Tom Skelly  

Sage
Billy Matt
Abigail Matt