Glenda Miller’s Journey of Overcoming Depression
Prineville, OR – Healing happens, just ask Glenda Miller. A year ago, Miller had filed for disability and was struggling with mental illness. Communicating was tough, leaving home was a challenge, and she couldn’t hold a job. One day she talked to her bible study...
Back to School Fairs Start Kids Off on the Right Foot
Returning to school can be an exciting time for a child. It brings classmates back together for another year of growth and learning. Back to school time can also be a financial hardship for some families. Children need school supplies, immunizations and health care,...
Syrian Family Finds Peace in Portland
(Editor's Note: With the announcement from the White House this week that the United States has accepted 10,000 Syrian refugees this year ahead of schedule, this is the story of the first Syrian refugees resettled in Oregon. This story appeared in our most recent...
8 Lakes Leg Aches: It Takes a Village to Put on a Bike Ride
The 2016 8 Lakes Leg Aches Bike Ride was cooler than normal this year but still plenty warm. This Eastern Washington event—a fundraiser for LCS Northwest’s programs in Spokane—has become a tradition and drew approximately 600 riders from around the Pacific Northwest....
LCS Northwest Refugee Work Literally Goes Global
(Editor’s Note: Beth Farmer is the Director of Refugee and Asylum Services for LCS Northwest’s North Puget Sound Region. Andrew Kritovich is the Director of International Counseling and Community Services in SeaTac and Kent. They both started new roles with LCS...
Owning Addiction and Moving Forward in Klamath Falls
On May 4, 2015, Holly Ruiz was arrested for possession of methamphetamine in Klamath Falls, OR. She thought her life was over. “Little did I know that my life was just beginning,” Ruiz said. “I was tired of the ball and chain that is methamphetamine.” Ruiz was...
5 Questions: LCS Northwest’s Mike Bricker on Changing Field of Addiction Recovery
LCS Northwest partners with people in drug and alcohol addiction recovery. We offer recovery services to people in Central Oregon and Klamath Falls. Mike Bricker works in our Klamath Falls office as the Adult Substance Use Disorder Treatment Team Leader. Bricker is in...
Change the Life of a Refugee Youth
LCS Northwest is always looking for foster parents in the Seattle area who will open their homes and hearts to children and youth. This short video highlights the need for foster parents for refugee and immigrant teenagers. These older youth have been forced to flee...
Celebrating with Color and Style in Klamath Falls
The bright colors of Klamath Falls’ Latino community were on display during our annual Cinco de Mayo Parade and Festival Saturday, May 7. Held during the first Saturday in May, this was the 14th Cinco de Mayo Parade. The parade is sponsored by LCS Northwest’s Hispanic...
Patrick D’Amelio: A Dad at Heart
Patrick D’Amelio knew what he wanted to be. “At the most basic human level I understood in my heart that I wanted to be a dad,” D’Amelio said. “It was no more complicated than that.” The youngest of 10 kids from a Catholic family, he had a deeply held spiritual belief...
Forever Young at Heart: Doris Matthews
With her globetrotting days behind her, 95 year-old Doris Matthews is determined to maintain her independence. She also maintains her annual donation to Lutheran Community Services Northwest. “I just believe in what you believe in,” she says firmly and without...
Empathy Key for Caregiver of the Year
The role of a caregiver is to provide assistance to elderly clients, but the key to doing the job well is empathy. “As a good caregiver, you have to be patient and understanding and have compassion, but being able to empathize is vital,” says LCS Northwest’s Ninibeth...
Making McMinnville a Better Place for Children and Families
They work as a team without pay. Satisfaction comes from knowing they’re helping some of McMinnville’s youngest and their parents. L.V. VanBlaricom and Vicki McConnachie are friends. When VanBlaricom retired three years ago, she decided to volunteer at A Family Place,...