* Today is Giving Tuesday, and I have a story to tell.

A few years ago, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois told me they wanted to give me an award for raising them some money and highlighting their good works. I thanked them for the nice gesture, but said I wasn’t really into that sort of thing. I eventually told them I would accept it only if I could dedicate the evening to Lynn Greenholdt.

Lynn was my former sister-in-law who passed away in 2014 after a bout with cancer. At one time, Lynn ran an LSSI group home for teen boys. I knew what LSSI was at the time, but Lynn showed me what the organization was really about. The kids were from troubled backgrounds, but you could truly feel the love in that home. I was beyond impressed by the work Lynn and LSSI were doing.

Later, Lynn started a small business which supplied family-style meals to LSSI’s group homes, but she constantly struggled because the state had such horrible problems paying vendors on time. I had written about the bill backlog, but Lynn’s experience showed me how the backlog did so much harm to small businesses.

A big part of my speech at that awards ceremony was about Lynn’s work and how it had informed my own views. At the end, I asked everyone to turn around in their chairs. The LSSI folks staged it so that Lynn’s dad Hank was standing on another stage at the opposite end of the room under a large projected photo of his late daughter. Hank then sang a song in her memory: Sinatra’s “My Way.”

It was a powerful moment.

* All those memories came rushing back the weekend before Thanksgiving when Lynn’s sister Kathy performed a song in Chicago which she wrote not long after Lynn died…

Wow.

Lynn was such a remarkable person. She was fun, smart, caring and strong. As you can tell from Kathy’s song, we all leaned on her.

After the show, I told Kathy that I’d like to use that song about Lynn to kick off our annual LSSI fundraising drive. She loved the idea. So, I’m gonna lean on Lynn’s strength one more time.

* We raise money every year on this website to help Lutheran Social Services of Illinois buy Christmas presents for foster kids. LSSI currently has 2,530 children in its foster care network, and each present costs about $25. Others donate toys and/or help the group raise money, but all of us have become an essential part of LSSI’s annual effort. Please, click here to help.

I’ll match the first $2,000. Let’s help those kids!

*** UPDATE *** I was busy doing other things and didn’t notice we had already surpassed $2,000 in contributions and were actually closing in on $3,000. So, I made my promised donation. Thanks to all! Let’s keep it up! Please, click here.