Lippman Shelter Gets

Makeover for Game Room

Community Donates Items for Youth, Staff

22 December 2009 - TLW

During the last months of 2009, the game room at Lippman Youth Shelter in Broward County, operated by Lutheran Services Florida (LSF), got a makeover with labor and various items donated by community businesses.  A number of other items were donated to shelter youth and staff by businesses, individuals and families of former clients.

Among the items donated were $1,000 from Old Navy for the makeover and a Wii gaming system with extra controllers from Best Buy.  Also assisting youth and staff at the shelter were 30 assorted bagels from Panera Bread, a $40 gift card from Winn Dixie, and a $150 Publix gift card for the staff from Ms. B. Kennedy, a former client’s grandmother.

About the same time, Payless ShoeSource donated 150 gift certificates worth $15 each for shoes for shelter youth and children of the Miami Supportive Housing Program.  (Click here to read a separate story on this donation.)

"All the donations will help the shelter residents feel a little more at home and cut down on some of the shelter’s overhead," said Trudy Mondon, Supervisor at Lippman.

Lippman Youth Shelter is one of five such shelters operated by Lutheran Services Florida as part of the state's system of more than 30 shelters.  The shelters provide short-term residential and non-residential assistance and counseling for youth ages 10-17 who are runaways, truant or ungovernable.  The program includes youth assigned to counseling by the courts through the Department of Juvenile Justice's Children in Need of Services/Families in Need of Services (CINS/FINS) program.

"Lippman Youth Shelter on average houses between 16-18 youth," said Mondon.  Residential stays can be from one night to 21 days, she added.  The shelter is served by a staff of 23.

"We are so grateful to everyone for their donations to Lippman this year," said Joan Shaw Davis, LSF Director for the Southeast Region, "especially because we had to tighten our belts this year due to state-wide budget cuts."

Mondon commented on what it means to have such support from the community. 

"When you work with your community, they will work well with you.  Working together as a team benefit’s the youth we serve."

To read more about LSF's Youth Shelter programs, click here.

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