Wellspring Lutheran Services

What happens when you find yourself having to care for an aging parent/loved one while at the same time, raising your own children and family at home? We call this the sandwich generation, when you are effectively "sandwiched" between these two generations. ​ On this episode of Real People Real Hope, we talk with Laura Thomas who spent many years caring for not only her parents, but also her husband’s parents. With young children of their own at the time, how did Laura, her husband and children make it work? What kind of conversations did they have with their parents, with their children and with other family? What support is out there for people who find themselves in this same situation?

On this episode of Real People, Real Hope we introduce you to Wellspring's Camp Hope - a free grief camp for kids supported 100% from generous donors. The grieving process is hard enough as an adult, but imagine what it’s like for a 12-year-old who’s just lost his mom to cancer. Knowing what to say and do – or feel – is so hard. It may seem almost easier to feel lost and alone. But that’s not healthy for anyone. That’s when Camp Hope steps in. Camp Hope is a three-day camp designed to help children and teenagers, ages 6-17, learn how to grieve. Camp Hope provides a safe place for children and teens to interact with peers who have experienced similar losses. Campers can express their feelings of grief, learn coping skills and most importantly, begin a healthy healing process.

“Happy 40th Birthday! You’re now over the hill.” It seems “normal” to read this phrase, doesn’t it? In fact, we have all said things like this without realizing that it promotes ageism. Ageism is the stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination against people on the basis of their age. On this episode of Real People, Real Hope we have the privilege of speaking with Katie Smith-Sloan, the president and CEO of LeadingAge and executive director of the Global Ageing Network, about this very topic. Katie is a dear friend of Wellspring, and a national thought leader and advocate for aging services and innovation. She travels the country bringing light to ageism. After hearing from Katie, it will certainly open your eyes to some of the ways we are adding to this dialogue without even knowing. Katie also shares her own story of why this work is so personal to her. This is a subject that unfortunately can easily be dismissed, but its impact is greater than you know. Tune in and educate yourself. It will certainly change the way you think!

This is a first for us! On this episode of Real People, Real Hope you will hear part two of our interview with Family Services Division Director, Jason Sroufe. When it comes to our work with families there is a lot to talk about! Jason spends time with Dave and Sean sharing real-life stories of families we have served. I hope you are as inspired as we were hearing about the incredible work that is being done in more than 40 counties throughout Michigan.

On this episode of Real People, Real Hope, you will hear from our Family Services Division Director, Jason Sroufe. The concept of family is something we can all relate to on many different levels. We all struggle as families from time-to-time, and so we sit down with Jason to talk about how Wellspring supports families through some of life’s biggest challenges. This episode will have you laughing, crying and everything in between. Wellspring is the largest provider of family preservations services in the state of Michigan, serving families in more than 40 of Michigan’s 83 counties.

On this episode of Real People, Real Hope, you will hear from Chris Reed and Leonica Erwin. These two staff members are from different parts of the state and do very different work. However, there is one thing that unites them -- and really all of our staff: their belief that together we can change lives, strengthen families and transform communities. Dave and Sean dive deeper into their stories, and we get an inside look at Chris' and Leonica's roles at Wellspring. And we also hear what makes them stay with our statewide nonprofit. We were so blessed to have this time with them, and we think you will be encouraged to hear more about what makes Wellspring different when it comes to the way we care for our employees.

On this episode of Real People, Real Hope, we are joined by one of our real-life super heroes, TJ Stewart. While TJ might not wear a cape, he certainly has the super power of loving some of Michigan’s most vulnerable children as a foster dad. TJ opens up about what it was like to make the decision to move forward with getting licensed, and he even gives us an inside look at his partnership with a birth mom who was determined to get her kids back. He is an incredible source of hope and strength. This is an episode you won’t want to miss! As we approach Father’s Day, we would like to recognize the men who help provide stability in a child’s life. Whether you are a birth father, foster dad, step father, uncle, brother, mentor, friend or anything in between—you are making a difference by loving a child. With more than 13,000 children in need of a loving home, it's our hope you will consider opening your heart and home to a child in foster care. We have a team of caring people who would love to answer your questions and offer support to you while you explore whether fostering is right for you. Join us through chat or visit our website for more information at wellspringfostercare.com.

On this episode of Real People, Real Hope, things get personal as we discuss a very important topic: hospice. Wellspring vice president of mission advancement, Jill Haiser, along with president and CEO, Dave Gehm, share their very personal stories of losing a parent. It was through that loss they both learned that talking about hospice was less about dying and more about living—and digging deep into what is truly important to those around us. These are conversations all of us should be having, whether we are caregiving for a loved one or not. Having that conversation is one of the most important things you can do as a family. We hope you will go on this journey with us as Dave, Sean and Jill talk about a topic that should interest us all: finding our life’s purpose and what really matters. Wellspring Lutheran Services hospice serves people in the following Michigan counties: Saginaw, Sanilac, Bay, Genesee, Tuscola and Lapeer. Wellspring is the only Christian hospice provider in the areas we serve in. Also, it's important to note, when it comes to choosing a hospice provider for your loved one, each person has the choice of what hospice provider they want to walk with them on this very important journey. Learn more: https://www.wellspringlutheran.com/senior-services/hospice

For more than a decade Wellspring’s president and CEO, Dave Gehm, has served on the board of LeadingAge. During his time as board chair, Dave had the opportunity to travel the country and hear from seniors and leaders in aging about how the process of aging continues to shift from generation to generation. On this episode, Dave and Sean discuss Wellspring’s commitment to not only our seniors, but their caregivers. In everything we do, Wellspring incorporates best practices, models and state-of-the-art technology to ensure our seniors are living a vibrant and active life each and every day.

For more than 125 years, Wellspring Lutheran Services has been serving children, families and seniors in Michigan. When Lutheran Child and Family Service of Michigan and Lutheran Homes of Michigan joined together to become Wellspring in 2013, we did so with the promise that we would be better together rather than apart. On this episode you will hear about the journey to become Wellspring, and how coming together has truly impacted those we serve. Wellspring takes a person centered approach on everything from the way we approach our staff to the way we provide services to our clients and families. Our vision is a powerful one, because we truly believe that together we will change lives, strengthen families and transform communities. We hope you will join us in this effort.

In this episode you will get an inside look at the lives and hearts of our hosts and Wellspring leaders, president and CEO, Dave Gehm, and senior vice president and COO, Sean de Four. Our vice president of mission advancement, Jill Haiser, has an in-depth discussion with Dave and Sean, and two very important people in their lives: their wives! You get to hear about the life experiences that have shaped their work, and learn a little bit more about their childhood, their mentors, and most importantly, their families. A special thank you to Elaine Gehm and Lori de Four for joining us on our first episode of Real People, Real Hope. It wouldn’t have been the same without the two of you!