On Jan. 22, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois announced program and staff reductions due to the state’s inability to pass a budget for the past seven months. Thirty programs and more than 750 staff positions will be eliminated, ending agency support to approximately 4,700 Illinois residents. The organization reports it is owed more than $6 million in government grants for services already delivered, with “no foreseeable prospect of prompt reimbursement.”
Holy listening
The woman hadn’t spoken for 20 minutes. Her weathered hands clutched a well-worn tissue, and her eyes were fixed on the sterile white floor of the hospital waiting room. As…