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...
8 Lakes Bike Ride Moves to June
Enough of the smoke already! Our 8 Lakes Leg Aches annual fundraising bicycle ride in Spokane will take place in June instead of August starting in 2019. Next year’s ride will be June 22, and will take place the Saturday after Father’s Day in upcoming...
Coping with Panic Attacks
Right as the interview started in our Prineville office, Christopher Koontz made it clear he had a rough night. “I had a really bad panic attack last night,” he said. “It’s always tough for me to think clearly the next day.” But for the next hour, Koontz talked about...
Reform Ride for Refugees: The Backstory
In the summer of 2016, two friends who lived in Kitsap County (WA) were following the plight of Syrian refugees. They discussed how they could support their refugee neighbors. As triathletes who biked frequently and Lutherans who were aware that 2017 marked the...
Osbaldo Hernandez’s journey to citizenship
Hundreds of Spanish-speaking residents in Snohomish County pass through the doors of our Familias Unidas center in Everett each year. Some seek food, housing, health care and other basic needs. Others are looking for jobs, English language classes, citizenship classes...
Providing Foster Care for Unaccompanied Children
We have been providing foster care for unaccompanied children and youth in need of safety and support here in the United States for more than 30 years. LCS Northwest has two programs that provide these services: Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URM) in Spokane and...