The Safe Route Immigration team of legal advocates, including Director Alma Jean (right), had a re-brand kickoff event on March 1.

Lutheran Community Services Northwest has provided empathetic, accessible legal guidance to immigrants and refugees since 1979. This month, we are switching to a new logo, a new look, a new website and a new name for the legal services program – Safe Route Immigration.

But make no mistake, we will remain the same trusted resource for humans seeking refuge. Last year the team served 5,264 clients from 120 countries.

Safe Route replaces the program formerly known as Immigration Counseling and Advocacy Program (ICAP). The rebrand seeks to reduce confusion and better reflect the collective work of Director Alma Jean and his team of 24 legal advocates in Portland, Beaverton, McMinnville, and Salem, Oregon, and Vancouver, Tacoma, Seattle and SeaTac, Washington.

LCSNW President and CEO David Duea met with the Safe Route team at their March 1 launch event in Portland. He said uniting several formerly separate immigration legal offices under one banner has already stabilized program funding over the past year.

The rebranding sends a message that is memorable, hopeful, and truthful. “The logo, as you can see around the room, represents not just Safe Route Immigration,” Alma said at the kickoff meeting. “It symbolizes a guiding light over the horizon, a pathway that will help families achieve reunification, achieve a goal together of being safe here in the U.S.”

The sub-brand is compatible with the look and feel of the larger LCSNW brand. It’s also in line with our mission and vision as an organization. The fact that Safe Route is a program of LCSNW will be a point of emphasis.

As a whole, the changes represent the program’s ability to meet clients where they are in their immigration journey and provide them with the appropriate legal guidance.

“The rebrand as Safe Route Immigration allows us to show the shared humanity in immigrants and refugees, and effectively fight for their rights,” Alma said.