“I believe in being there for people in their time of need. There are many opportunities to receive and give grace in faith,” said Dan Fennewald, Lutheran Senior Services (LSS) Hospice Social Worker.
With a Core Value of “We receive and give grace in faith,” we believe in embracing a spirit of forgiveness, healing, humility, and acceptance, and welcoming others with open arms in a generous spirit of service and compassion.
To Dan, living this value means engaging with others openly and graciously and acting with compassion and hopefulness. “I believe that when God calls upon us to do something, we have purpose. We should do that as he would want us to do.”
A little more than a year ago, Dan changed gears in his Social Work career, moving from case management for foster kids to joining the LSS Hospice Care team. Here he spends time supporting people and their families through the end-of-life process.
“I have a lot of experience in scenarios where someone’s emotions are high, and they have a lot at stake. They need reassurance and hope. That is true of both my work in the foster care system and in my work here,” said Dan.
“Being emotionally present for people is something I really appreciate having the opportunity to do. It is such a meaningful part of my job,” said Dan.
Spending time with people who are at the end of their life journey has provided Dan with opportunities to gather wisdom from those he serves. “I was just talking with a 102-year-old man about how your career and the money you make; none of those things are as valuable as the relationships and the emotional connections you make,” he said. “These moments with someone in their time of need outweigh things like money and status. These connections are invaluable.”
Explore this core value further in this video from Angie Wilson, Executive Director of Laclede Groves and Richmond Terrace and LSS Values Taskforce member.