27 Volunteers Honored by LSF

at Miami Dinner

Honorees Are 16 to 99!

12 June 2008 - TW

Twenty seven volunteers from Miami-Dade area Lutheran Churches were honored by Lutheran Services Florida (LSF) at a Good Samaritan Dinner on June 1.  The dinner was held at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Miami.  344 people attended, representing 23 church partners in LSF ministries.

The Good Samaritan award is presented by LSF to exceptional volunteers whose faith is an extension beyond the usual and normal activities of their life and is an expression of the love of God through helping others. 

Those honored in Miami represented an entire outreach group from their home churches.  In addition, the honorees ranged in age from 16 to 99!  Sixteen year old Darrell Jackson Warren of St. Timothy Lutheran Church in Miami Gardens was presented with a Good Samaritan certificate, as was Lynnette Brown who accepted the certificate on behalf of her 99 year old father, Col. Tom Roberts of St. Andrews Lutheran Church, Homestead, who was hospitalized at the time of the dinner, "but doing well," according to Ms. Brown.
 

The complete list of those honored by LSF at the Good Samaritan dinner were:

• Ruth Baker - Lord of the Seas Lutheran Church, Big Pine Key

• Pam Bradshaw - Martin Luther Chapel, Coral Gables

• Austin and Joyce Ebanks - Faith Lutheran Church, Hialeah

• Al and Grace Engler – St. Thomas BY the Bay Lutheran Church, Miami

• Robbie Hall – Our Savior Lutheran Church, Miami, LCMS

• Steven Hennessy – Christ the King Lutheran Church, Miami

• Mary Ruth Johnsen – Christ Lutheran Church, Biscayne Park

• Walter Kolomyski – Lord of Life Lutheran Church, Miami

• Harvey Kottke – St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Hialeah

• Migdalia Lozano – San Pedro Lutheran Church, Miami

• Meredith Mills – South Miami Lutheran Church, Miami

• Mission Esperanza – Principe de Paz Lutheran Church, Miami

• Maria Perez-Arche – Bay Shore Lutheran Church, Miami

• Mario and Sara Perez-Arche – San Pablo Apostol Lutheran Church

• Jennifer Pierre – St. John Lutheran Church, Miami Shores

• Col. Tom Roberts- St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Homestead

• Amy Siegel – St. Paul Lutheran Church, Miami

• Christine Taylor – Messiah Lutheran Church, Miami

• Juan and Caridad Torres – Hospital del Alma, Leisure City

• Darrell Jackson Warren – St. Timothy Lutheran Church, Miami Gardens

• Debbie Zander – Grace Lutheran Church, Miami Springs

The Rev. William A. Sielk brought greetings from President Gerhard Michael, Jr. of the Florida-Georgia District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.  The Rev. Paul Lutze brought greetings from Bishop Edward Benoway of the Florida-Bahamas Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.  LSF Vice President for Operations David Yarborough presented the awards. Masters of Ceremony were Ms. Laurel Marc-Charles and Pastor Sielk.

A Silent Auction was also held at the dinner.  Monies raised will benefit LSF programs in Miami.

Many thanks to the Miami-Dade Advisory Council for their assistance in planning and coordinating this event for the last nine years.

Lutheran Services Florida is a statewide, social services organization with more than 60 programs located across the state that assist at-risk children, the frail elderly, troubled youth and families in crisis, refugees and immigrants, homeless families, and victims of natural disasters.  LSF served more than 62,000 people in Florida in 2007.

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