The Arlington High School Interact Club has discovered the power of community service. In January, the club partnered with our Family Support staff as volunteers for the Point in Time homeless count. Club members met a young woman with a child living in her car and were moved to take action. They collected and delivered…
Advocacy teamwork helped lead to improved protection orders for sexual assault victims in Washington State. With a stroke of Governor Jay Inslee’s pen Friday, May 5, a new law changed protection orders for sexual assault victims. Before that, victims of sexual assault could only get two-year protection orders from their perpetrators. The new law abolishes…
We all celebrate birthdays, wedding anniversaries and other significant milestones. For Kayla Balassone of Tukwila, an annual celebration is her Adoption Day. That day transformed her life. Balassone was just four years old when she entered the state foster care system with her little brother. They bounced around between their birth mother and foster homes…
Help us make stronger, more vibrant communities for us all. Lutheran Community Services Northwest is a pathway back to life for parentless and neglected children, victims of violence and torture, refugees, the mentally ill and addicted and forgotten and voiceless people facing hard times. Your donations will change their lives. You can help people in…
In the fall of 2015, Candy Braget was pregnant with her fourth child, suffering from gestational diabetes, and her family was homeless. Unsure of where to turn for assistance, she called 211 in Snohomish County and was referred to LCS Northwest’s Family Support program. That phone call changed her life. Braget was connected with LCS Northwest…
David has been a Case Manager with the MAI program since 2013. MAI is a collaboration with Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU). Our partnership helps provide intensive, culturally-specific and appropriate services to refugees and immigrants living with HIV. Q1: Have you always worked with the HIV community? I grew up in Uganda and lived…
(Editor’s note: We have changed the name of this story’s subject to protect his family.) Hailu never dreamed that his research work in Ethiopia would make him a political target who feared for his life. Five years ago, Hailu would have described his personal life in his native land as good. He was a young…
Sexual assault is an uncomfortable topic. How sexual assault is handled on campus is a difficult issue for students and universities. A collaborative program between Gonzaga University and Lutheran Community Services Northwest in Spokane takes a unique approach to providing sexual assault advocacy services at the university. Less than two years into the project, initial…
Many clients who seek assistance at our Family Support Centers do so in a crisis and out of desperation. They often feel their lives have spun out of control. Peggy Ray believes her job is to ensure that they leave her office with hope. Peggy is the Family Support Supervisor for LCS Northwest’s Lake Stevens…
By David Duea, President and CEO At Lutheran Community Services Northwest, we have a rich history of welcoming, resettling and meeting the critical needs of refugees. We’ve welcomed more than 35,000 refugees over the past 40-plus years in Washington and Oregon. LCS Northwest remains committed to refugees, especially in light of President Donald Trump’s executive…
Bill Looney didn’t want any senior to feel forgotten at Christmas. A man of action, the Tacoma businessman equipped himself with a Santa suit that he would wear to local nursing homes. He brought gifts and made sure residents felt special. The act transformed Looney and inspired him to launch Santa for Seniors through the…
The Crime Victims’ Advocacy Program in LCS Northwest Program provides advocacy, referrals and information services to the community of Multnomah County, which includes Portland. All services are offered free of charge to victims of crimes. Tatyana Bondarchuk is a Russian speaking crime victims’ advocate based in our Portland Banfield office. Having worked for LCS Northwest…
