Lutherwood has become a quiet leader in strengthening the lives of people in Waterloo Region and Wellington County. What started as a centenial project in 1970, Lutherwood has grown with these communities to offer children’s mental health, employment, housing and family counselling services to more than 18,500 people annually. Its programs are built on a foundation of compassion, best practice and innovation, and are delivered by professional staff in a caring and supportive environment.

 

 

Lutherwood began as a centennial project sponsored by the Lutheran Church – Canada. Recognizing the need for an alternative to incarceration for boys coping with severe mental health issues, trees were cleared in 1969, to make way for a small residential treatment centre on Benjamin Road in Waterloo, Ontario. Today, that site houses three residential programs, a school and a children's mental health centre of excellence for boys and girls requiring mental health services.

 

Gainful employment can help youth with mental health challenges build a sense of belonging, self-worth, self-confidence and achievement. So Lutherwood developed a specialized department to work with local employers and find appropriate job placements. In 1998, Lutherwood merged with CODA (Community Opportunities Development Association) which delivered adult employment, self-employment and housing programs in Waterloo Region and Wellington County, to offer a more complete set of employment and self-employment services to the entire community.

 

Through its work with people who are unemployed or under-employed, Lutherwood recognized a need to help those who were also at risk of being homeless. To support this need, a group of employees now invest their time and energy offering housing services to individuals and families searching for affordable and sustainable housing.

 

With a team of skilled mental health counsellors on staff, Lutherwood recognized an opportunity to open its counselling services to benefit all people living in the community through a second merger in 1998 with Cambridge Interfaith. Today, Lutherwood Family Counselling Service helps individuals, couples and families make positive life changes to better manage the fast pace and stress of today’s world. In addition, it offers an accredited training centre for pastoral counselling education.

 

In 2001, the Sisters of St. Joseph and a group of community agencies were struggling with the financial burden of running the Betty Thompson Youth Centre which included a temporary shelter for youth living on the streets. Named after the late Betty Thompson, a community advocate dedicated to service and children, the Safe Haven youth shelter risked permanent closure. Lutherwood was invited to operate it and today, the shelter is open 24/7 and continues to serve 12-15 year old children at risk of being homeless.

 

Lutherwood continues to work with businesses, agencies, funders, donors and volunteers to deliver effective services that meet the specific and growing needs of the communities it serves. Its programs focus on the needs of each individual, because a strong, healthy and vibrant community is founded on the combined strength of each individual citizen.

 

“We strengthen lives in our community, because we care about our community.” John Colangeli, CEO Lutherwood.

 

In celebration of its 40th anniversary, Lutherwood created a video to cature its milestones.