Lutheran Community Care Centre

There is a long history of Lutherans working together to provide spiritual and social services to people beyond congregational members in the Thunder Bay area. As early as 1959, a Lutheran institutional chaplain existed. Organizations such as the Lutheran Welfare Committee and Lakehead Lutheran Social Services were forerunners to Lutheran Community Care’s establishment in 1979.

For the first five years a managing board utilized volunteers and project funding to offer services to the community. In 1982, the fledgling agency received its first permanent government contract from the Ontario government to employ an Adult Protective Service Worker to serve adults with a developmental disability. In 1983 a “Forward in Remembrance” grant from the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod enabled the agency to employ its first Executive Director. That same year Lutheran Chaplaincy Services became a program of Lutheran Community Care solidifying the three-fold focus on social, developmental and spiritual services.

As the credibility of the organization grew so did service contracts with the Ontario government. Services to adults with a developmental disability became a significant focus of the organization but other service areas included trusteeship services, social services to seniors and counseling. Helping individuals with their housing needs grew to the point where in 1988 a separate corporation, Lutheran Community Housing Corporation, was started.

In the mid-1990’s the social work staff became unionized and was represented by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union. The increasing complexity of the organization moved the Board gradually toward a policy governance structure and the adoption of the Relationship ModelTM of governance.

Throughout its history, Lutheran Community Care has remained responsive to changing community needs by introducing new programs and winding down others. Street Reach Ministries was established in 2004 expanding pastoral care from long term care facilities to the streets of Thunder Bay.

In July 2011, Lutheran Community Care was designated as the Application Entity for the Districts of Kenora, Rainy River, Thunder Bay, Algoma, Manitoulin and Sudbury under the Services and Supports to Promote the Social Inclusion of Persons with Developmental Disabilities Act, 2008. Across the province, the Application Entities became known as Developmental Services Ontario or DSO for short.

In 2011, the agency also became the provider for the direct funding program called Passport for the same Districts. The number of individuals receiving Passport funding has grown each year and exceeds 3500 individuals. The invoice reimbursement process for Passport has now been centralized for the entire province at Family Services Toronto.

Other regional functions have been assigned to the agency by the province such as Transition Coordination for youth with developmental disabilities that are in extended care agreements and Housing Navigators with the DSO. The agency also administers a specialized equipment, furnishing and training fund for Adult Developmental Service agencies throughout the North Region.

The regional services meant new satellite offices were established in Dryden, Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury joining an already existing satellite office in Marathon.

In 2018, additional funding from the Thunder Bay District Social Services Administration Board expanded tenant supports beyond existing programming at Luther Court to other social housing providers, all with a focus on homelessness prevention.