LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs just know — they have a sense when someone needs comfort, a moment of close connection. ​

At last week’s Northern Wisconsin District LWML Convention, Samaria Comfort Dog pulled in close to a woman who had stopped by to visit. As the Golden Retriever nuzzled in, the woman stopped chatting and put her head down to pet her head. 

No words exchanged. Just 30 seconds of tenderness. A holy moment.

The woman shared later that she was recovering from an illness and was moved by Samaria’s canine intuition. Somehow, the comfort dog knew she needed a brief respite to be cared for. 

God’s presence at the end of a leash. 

Last week, LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs Hagar (Faith – Appleton, WI) and Samaria (Shepherd of the Hills – Greenville, WI) greeted attendees at the Northern Wisconsin District LWML’s Convention, bringing moments of peace, encouragement, and care to Lutheran women who serve the Lord in their own callings. 

With the theme “Joy In Jesus, Our Rock,” the gathering of 250 Lutheran women was the scene for numerous reactions to Hagar and Samaria’s caring presence.

“The woman Samaria connected with just checked out for a few moments. I could feel a shift,” Samaria’s handler recalled. “Samaria pulled in close and she stopped talking. They had a few moments together and then she politely went back to chatting with me.”

Samaria opened the door for other conversations, too. A couple related to a member at Shepherd of the Hills. A pastor who’d married a friend. Someone who has known Shepherd’s youth pastor since he was a baby. Each encounter a “small world” revealed.

“These unexpected connections reminded me of how God weaves people together through His church family — no matter the distance,” Samaria’s handler said.

Many convention guests remembered LCC Comfort Dogs from previous meetings. Noah from St. Louis. Abraham from New York. “People love and remember comfort dogs dearly,” she said.

Hagar had her moments too.

One woman stopped several times and locked eyes with her sat on the floor next to her.

“On her last visit, she kissed Hagar’s head and said, ‘Thank you for being here.’” ​

Earlier this month, LCC K-9 Volunteer Apprentice Trainers and 13 K-9 Comfort Dogs in Training gathered for an evening of fellowship, fun, and food. 

Trainers from three classes in Northbrook and East Dundee worked together and cheered each other on in various training games with family and friends also participating.  

“It was so fun to share in the joy that being part of this ministry brings,” said Becky Kolzow, LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry Training Coordinator, who organized the event with LCC Trainer Sophia Apodaca.

The theme for the gathering was “Fill Your Bucket.”

Prior to the training event, each person wrote words of encouragement on rocks. At the training, each apprentice trainer mixed the rocks around and picked five words to fill their bucket.

“The words, written by their peers, serve as a reminder that they are not alone, photos that they have each other’s support, and that they are all beloved children of God,” Apodaca said. 

The evening ended with planting flowers in the buckets as a reminder that everyone at LCC is still learning and growing in faith.   

LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs in Training as young as 4 months to 20-month-old veterans took part in the training event, including Blessed, Enoch, Forgive, Found, Harmony, Journey, Love, Samaritan, Sarah, Seven, Trinity, Trust, and Zebedee.

During the event, the dogs and trainers worked together to balance water in buckets in a relay race.  In the game Bozo Buckets, the dogs had to practice a ‘sit-stay’ command while the trainers tossed tennis balls into various buckets for points.

"LCC staff is so grateful for all the volunteer Apprentice Trainers and their families for opening their homes and their hearts to these dogs and this ministry," Kolzow said.  

The damage is heartbreaking. ​

Roofs ripped off. Houses torn apart. Trees toppled. Powerlines strewn everywhere.

The nation’s new tornado alley might be in LCC’s backyard. 

The severe storm system that hammered Northern and Central Illinois and Northwest Indiana on June 10-11 included a derecho with 80-90 mph winds followed by at least 20 tornadoes, including three EF-3 twisters of 136 to 165 mph that struck the towns of Streator and Washburn in Illinois and Hebron and Kouts in Indiana.

Heavily populated Merrillville, IN, took a direct hit from an EF-2 tornado with estimated winds of 100-120 mph, according to the National Weather Service. Other areas suffered damage from EF-1 tornadoes. 

This week, Lutheran Church Charities Disaster Response staff and volunteers are deploying across both states to bring chainsaw assistance, dragging, and debris removal.

Multiple towns and churches in the Northern Illinois District have reached out to LCC for assistance, including Streator, where LCC will help when it is declared safe. Over the weekend, Lutheran Early Response Team (LERT) volunteers completed work at seven sites that suffered damage from straight-line winds and will continue to help at two more sites near Chicago churches today.  ​

In both states, LCC responders are trained to bring care, compassion, and the presence of Christ to these hurting communities in the midst of cleaning up.

In Northwest Indiana, Pastor Josh Osbun, Indiana District Disaster Response Coordinator, invited LCC to provide chainsaw assistance to multiple towns after three separate tornadoes struck the area. In Merrillville, an EF-2 twister destroyed more than 200 structures, including a local high school and middle school.  

Osbun and Deaconess Kathy O’Day, director of LCC Disaster Response, have begun assessments of the damage this week and met with Merrillville officials, who expressed gratitude for the help. 

“You are the only volunteer group so far offering free skilled labor to help our residents,” they told LCC.

The storms’ destruction appears widespread with large trees uprooted, roofs torn apart, power poles snapped, and wires strewn everywhere. Some areas are still restricted for traffic, as of this morning. 

"It was a scary night,” O'Day said.

In a survey of a few parts of town, residents told Osbun and O'Day that they feel overwhelmed and unsure of what the future holds. 

“As we walked the neighborhoods, we met several homeowners and had the opportunity to share the hope of Christ and pray with them,” she said. “They couldn’t believe we were offering to return to help remove their uprooted and damaged trees from their homes and yards.”

LCC volunteers and LERT crews began a two-week deployment today throughout Illinois and Indiana that will last until at least June 27. Trinity Lutheran Church in Crown Point, IN, will host the volunteers. LCC anticipates additional volunteer help from churches in South Bend, IN, and southern Indiana.  

For O’Day, this deployment hit close to home — literally. The areas damaged by the Merrillville EF-2 tornado are four miles from her home, and the EF-3 twister in Hebron was about five miles away.

“This is very personal for me," she said.

As the school year was ending in early June, Principal Paula Dixon found out the South Campus of Blessed Savior Catholic School in Milwaukee, WI, would be closing permanently. 

The last day of school would be the last day for the campus. 

For Blessed Savior’s 187 students and 13 staff, the K4 through 8th grade school was a wonderful home. And for a proper goodbye, Ms. Dixon called on LCC’s K-9 Comfort Dogs to help celebrate and mourn together. ​

Answering the call were K-9 Comfort Dogs Gethsemane (Lord of Glory – Grayslake, IL), Sage (Concordia University Mequon, WI), and Samaria (Shepherd of the Hills – Greenville, WI). 

Just a few months ago, we shared the exciting news that Lutheran Church Charities was partnering with Tabor Lutheran Church in Chicago to establish a fourth LCC Hospitality House—a place where families experiencing housing instability can find safety, stability, and the love of Christ.

Today, we are grateful to report that significant progress is being made, thanks to volunteers from Tabor Lutheran Chicago, St. James Lutheran Chicago, Trinity Lutheran Roselle, IL., Trinity Lutheran Church Lisle, IL, Immanuel Lutheran East Dundee, IL, and Grace Lutheran Western Springs, IL, plus students from Concordia University Chicago. 

What was once a house in need of extensive repairs is steadily being transformed into a welcoming home through the dedication of volunteers, skilled tradespeople, generous donors, and faithful supporters who believe every family deserves a place to heal and rebuild.

​The work has not been easy, but every repair completed brings us one step closer to opening the doors to families in need.

Progress Made So Far

Thanks to your support, critical infrastructure improvements have already been completed.

A licensed electrician has rewired the home's electrical system, ensuring a safer environment for future residents. A plumber repaired damaged pipes hidden within the wall between the bathroom and kitchen, resolving issues that had prevented further renovation work.

In the bathroom, we undertook the difficult task of removing a damaged wall so the area could be thoroughly cleaned and properly remediated for mold. After the remediation was completed, a brand-new wall was installed, and is ready for tiling to create a fresh, healthy space for future guests.
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As you view the accompanying photos, you'll see the remarkable transformation already underway. What may look like construction work is actually something much greater — the creation of a refuge where families can begin again.

More Than a House

​The Hospitality House ministry is about far more than providing shelter.

When families enter this home, they will be surrounded by a dedicated care team committed to walking alongside them with compassion, encouragement, and practical support. Together, they will work toward goals that help the family move toward greater self-sufficiency and long-term stability.

Just as importantly, families will be welcomed into the loving community of Tabor Lutheran Church. Through relationships, fellowship, worship, and genuine care, they will have the opportunity to experience the love of Christ in a very real and personal way.

Every room being repaired today will soon become a place where hope is restored, prayers are shared, and lives are changed.

What Still Needs to Be Done

​While much progress has been made, important work remains before the Hospitality House can welcome its first family.

We still need to:

• Install new flooring throughout the home
• Tile the bathroom floor
• Tile the shower walls
• Install kitchen flooring
• Install kitchen cabinets
• Refinish living room floor
• Purchase and install countertops
• Paint the entire house

Each of these projects brings us closer to opening the doors and providing a safe, comfortable, and dignified environment for families facing difficult circumstances.

You Can Help Open the Door

The vision is clear. The progress is visible. But we cannot complete this work without continued support from people who believe that God's love can transform lives.

Your gift today will help provide the materials, labor, and finishing touches needed to prepare this home for the families who will soon call it a place of refuge.

Every dollar given helps turn construction into comfort, repairs into restoration, and a house into a home filled with Christ's love.

As we continue this journey, we thank God for every volunteer who has swung a hammer, every skilled professional who has donated expertise, every congregation member who has offered encouragement, and every donor whose generosity is making this ministry possible.

Together, we are building more than walls—we are building hope.

Please prayerfully consider making a gift today to help complete Lutheran Church Charities' Fourth Hospitality House at Tabor Lutheran Church and prepare a place where families can experience safety, stability, community, and the life-changing love of Jesus Christ.

PHOTO GALLERY: https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipOTvYhT5UTM5rdxjcT7A8ZL4VqDcq5WtmxG1NvQcf0ejaAm6ZWqptTNKVKMcWleJA?key=bFM2TC1YajIzR2RBb240ODFWZ3M5eXhSdHdJMEZR
 
VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wbKVum1cOk