MEDIA ALERT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 10, 2006

Contact: Dave Lund, (308) 532-0587

Lutheran Family Services to Break Ground for Josiah Place
Josiah Place will be a welcoming home for those living with a mental illness

After two years of planning, Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska (LFS) will break ground for Josiah Place, a 10-unit apartment complex in North Platte for low-income persons with persistent mental illness. The organization will host a ground breaking on Friday, August 11 at 1:00 p.m. on the building site, located at 1137 Linda Court (from Dewey, 1 mile east on Phillip, 2 blocks south on Bryan). The public is invited.

“A community is measured in several ways,” said Rick Kolkman, Josiah Place Board Secretary and President of First National Bank, North Platte. “It is measured by how it is growing and developing, the quality of life for its citizens but also by how we take care of our citizens who aren’t quite so fortunate. Josiah Place is a glowing demonstration of how we take care of these citizens. Projects such as this allow us to be recognized in all aspects of those areas that truly make us a community.”

Josiah Place will provide safe, affordable housing within walking distance to many necessary services residents can utilize in the North Platte community. In addition to the single unit apartments, the complex will also host a commons area for residents to host guest, relax and socialize.

“There’s been a lot of energy and support around this project and we are all excited about moving forward in our commitment to some of our North Platte neighbors who have lacked the resources required to afford acceptable housing,” said Dave Lund, LFS Regional Director. The complex is funded in part by the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Region II Human Services. For more information contact LFS at (308) 532-0587.

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About Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska:
Thousands of families of all faiths are served through Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska (LFS) programs and services that include confidential counseling for stress, anxiety, depression, mental illness, marital issues, and abuse; community services that include immigration legal services, refugee resettlement, prison aftercare services and congregational support services; and children services that include foster care, infant, international and foster care adoption, respite care, and parenting programs. Learn more about Lutheran Family Services at www.lfsneb.org or call (402) 342-7038.