Supporting Military Families with Respite Care
Rebekah Graham feels blessed. She has a loving family. She travels and enjoys life. She also has a job she wouldn’t trade for the world.Rebekah provides respite care for military families who have a special needs child. She currently supports three Navy families in...
Taking a Different Path to the American Dream
Jean Paul Mugisha embodies the American dream. By studying and working hard, he has made a better life for himself and his family. What makes Jean Paul’s dream unique is he’s spent most of his life in a refugee camp.Born in the Congo, Jean Paul’s family fled violence...
LJ Nelson: Her Life and Legacy at LCS
Many people remember the Christmas sweaters she started wearing the day after Halloween. Others recall the Looney Tunes knick-knacks that covered her office. We all remember her laughter and the smile she offered to everyone.LJ Nelson passed away unexpectedly on...
Taking on Life’s Challenges in the Tri-Cities
If you met me on the street, you’d experience a warm person who would greet you with a smile. But underneath, I struggle.I was born addicted to cocaine. At six weeks old, I was put up for adoption and my angel in disguise, Lendah, became my mother. We lived in a small...
Out of Tragedy Comes Hope
Some anniversaries you celebrate, and others you reflect. This is about three women who recently reflected on an anniversary that touched their lives.Peggy Ray, Lori Morgan and Caroline Neal work for LCS Northwest at the Arlington Community Resource Center. They...
Collaborating for health, justice and hope
It’s not uncommon for us to collaborate across services to help our clients stabilize their lives and find hope. Meet Ferenc Marsalik. He arrived in the US 30 years ago as a political refugee from Hungary. He worked for many years in the Seattle area until an injury...
Breaking Down Barriers to Behavioral Health in Prineville
Outfitted in her pink Converse sneakers, Behavioral Interventionist Mia Mikelic can’t wait to start her day at Barnes Butte Elementary School in Prineville, OR. Her counterpart, Counselor Emma Saddler, is just as eager to get started each time she walks into the Crook...
Advocates Question Proposed Title IX Changes
The U.S. Department of Education has proposed changes to Title IX of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 that would alter how universities handle sexual violence. Our victim advocates in Spokane who work with Gonzaga and Eastern Washington Universities are concerned about...
Finding the Road to Recovery
Klamath Falls, OR – It took Amber Avitable 20 years to find the road to recovery. It wasn’t easy to find, but now she believes in herself.“I’ve learned that I have a purpose in life,” Amber said with a smile. “Nothing can hold me back in life if I don’t let it.”The...
Gethsemane Welcomes LCS Immigration
Earlier this year, LCS Northwest was invited to house our Seattle Immigration Counseling services at Gethsemane Lutheran Church. We graciously accepted the offer.This urban congregation actively embraces people of many gender identities and expressions, sexual...
Candidate Visits: Message of Hope
By Erin Williams, District Director(Editor’s note: Erin Williams leads our work in Spokane. Prior to that, she was our Director of Victim Advocacy in Spokane.) We don’t endorse candidates up for election, but they can learn about us and we can learn from them. With...
Rapping for Mental Health
Three balloons float in Travis Civic Rybarski’s office. They’re a gift from a coworker celebrating his passion: rap music. “When I come to work, being a rapper is still my first identity,” he said. “I’m also a youth partner when I’m rapping.” As a Youth...
Familias Unidas guides homeless family toward a brighter future
Like any parent, Hilda Rodriguez wanted a better future for her children. It’s what motivated her and husband Gabriel Robles to leave Mexico for a new life in the United States more than 27 years ago. When their son found himself as a single parent raising three...