Longtime Friends of LSSI Leave Estate Gift to Help Others

Pastor Kathie Bender Schwich and Pastor Daniel Schwick

For more than two decades, Pastor Kathie Bender Schwich and Pastor Daniel Schwick have maintained a deep connection to LSSI, whose mission aligns closely with their shared values. When they engaged in estate planning, it was only natural the ELCA pastors chose to leave a percentage of their resources to LSSI and join its Cornerstone Society.

Dan, pastor of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mt. Prospect, worked at LSSI for 18 years, starting as director of government relations and becoming vice president for church and public engagement.

“I’ve seen the power of LSSI to impact our communities from the inside,” Dan said. “I’ve seen people whose lives are very positively impacted because of the work that LSSI staff and social workers do.”

Kathie, who has worked at Advocate Aurora Health for 12 years, currently as chief spiritual officer, has also supported the work of LSSI in many ways over 20 years of involvement. She serves on LSSI’s board of directors and has been part of the Women’s Network since the late 1990s.

“For me, the Women’s Network exemplifies how people of God in congregations who see a need do something to meet it,” said Kathie, “the people of God saying ‘Yes, these people on the margins are God’s people, too, and we are called to assist them.’ ”

The couple, married 26 years, included an offering at their wedding for LSSI’s Second Family program, an innovative and timely ministry created by LSSI in 1993 to help parents dying of HIV/AIDS to transition their children to new homes. The program concluded in 2005.

“If I’m fortunate enough to leave behind something of value, I would like that gift to be in line with my values,” said Dan.

“We have been blessed in life,” added Kathie. “Our kids will be well taken care of, so we’d also like to support people who aren’t as fortunate in our community.”