MEDIA ALERT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 20, 2007

Lutheran Family Services holds open house and ribbon cutting for Josiah Place
Josiah Place is a welcoming home for those living with a mental illness

Contact: Jane Simpson, Director of Public Relations
(402) 978-5646 or cell (402) 690-7344 jsimpson@lfsneb.org

After nearly three years of planning, Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska (LFS) has opened Josiah Place, a U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 811 program. Josiah Place opened for residents on June 6 and consists of 10 one-bedroom apartments for very-low income persons with a chronic or persistent mental illness.

Lutheran Family Services will host an open house from 1 to 3 p.m. at the facility located at 1137 Linda Court in North Platte. A brief program will be held, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony beginning at 1:15 p.m. Rick Kolkman, Josiah Place Board Secretary and President of First National Bank, North Platte, will serve as emcee, Rev. Judy Gifford, Assistant to the Bishop, Nebraska Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, will offer a blessing, and the North Platte Chamber of Commerce will lead the ribbon cutting ceremony. Refreshments will be served and the public is invited to attend.

Josiah Place provides a housing solution that is affordable, safe and accessible to other supportive services that may be required for achievement of independence and economic empowerment. A multi-purpose commons area includes a residential style kitchen and can be used for parties, exercise classes, holiday functions and volunteer training. No LFS staff members reside at the facility.

Tenants of the complex will have differing needs for support services, so upon the initial screening, LFS staff conduct assessments to determine the need for additional services to support independent living for each person.

Josiah Place is funded in part by the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development and Region II Human Services. For more information, contact Dave Lund, LFS Regional Director, at (308) 532-0587.

LFS has served North Platte and the surrounding communities since l978. North Platte area services include individual and family counseling; substance abuse and gambling addiction services; and family support and community treatment home-based services.

LFS is a statewide agency serving thousands of families of all faiths through a variety of programs within the three broad categories of Behavioral Health, Adoption and Services for Children, and Outreach within Communities. Learn more at www.lfsneb.org.

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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.