LCSNW partners with Whatcom County to open winter shelter in Bellingham
PHOTOS AT RIGHT: David Duea (standing left), CEO of Lutheran Community Services Northwest, and Marc Hander, LCSNW's Community Engagement Manager in Bellingham, stand outside the former Central Lutheran Church building, which has undergone a complete transformation....
Veteran, Native American, Advocate
Meet Tricia (Trish) Longhorn, Advancement Specialist for our Tri-Cities District. The journey that led Trish to her current role is a testament to her resilience and commitment to serving others, shaped by her experiences as a former Marine and discovery of her Native...
LCSNW mourns death of former President/ CEO
(Photo, left) Former President and CEO Roberta Nestaas at an LCSNW fundraising event in 2005. (Photo, right) Roberta at her desk in Spokane more than 20 years earlier. For nearly 40 years, Roberta Nestaas served Lutheran Community Services Northwest with distinction,...
LCSNW brightens Ukrainian family’s construction work prospects
Sitting at their kitchen table on a recent sunshiny Saturday morning in Vancouver, Washington, Serhii and Tamara beamed with happiness. The couple, through an interpreter, said they had exciting news to share. The day before, they’d received a state license that will...
Uptick in arrivals of refugees fleeing humanitarian crises
Some of LCSNW’s most recent refugee resettlement clients arrived within the last several days. Our Program Manager is pictured here greeting a mom and dad with their three young sons who arrived at Portland International Airport after leaving Afghanistan. This family...
Teens, seniors take Time to Talk through LCSNW Santa for Seniors program
Middle school students and seniors are spending time together and getting to know each other through a new program from Tacoma-based Santa for Seniors. The new program is called Time to Talk and it matches middle school students from Annie Wright Schools with clients...
LCSNW Tri-Cities team responds in big way after school shooting
Photo at right: The entrance to Wiley Elementary School after the April 22, 2024 school shooting. (Tri-City Herald photo) The importance of LCSNW’s school-based mental health program came into sharp focus after a recent crisis on the campus of a Tri-Cities elementary...
Mother and daughter fleeing Ukraine find refuge in Portland, support from LCSNW
Last year, 32-year-old Marianna Liashenko was living in an area of Ukraine bordering Crimea, at the heart of Russia’s aggression into the territory. “Rockets were exploding directly over my city,” Marianna explained recently. “Russian troops had come to our city in...
Pride is more than a month at LCSNW; it’s a mindset to serve LGBTQ clients
Photo at right: LCSNW employees participated in the annual Spokane Pride Parade on June 8 and staffed a resource table there, as they do every year. Pride Month is a good time to reflect on the wide range of services that LCSNW provides to LGBTQ clients every day, all...
Emillie’s first welcome to America came from LCSNW; now she’s a Pastor and Board member
Where Emillie Binja is from, relationships are more valuable than time. Emillie grew up in a refugee camp in Uganda after fleeing the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo with her family at age 8. She was 24 when she and her three brothers and mother arrived in...
Two staff represent LCSNW on state refugee council
As of April, two staff people from LCSNW represent the interests and needs of refugees at a statewide level. Olesia Dmytriieva recently was selected by the Washington State Refugee Advisory Council as its newest member. She joins Yuliya Parenko on the council, who has...
LCSNW ready to assist South King County asylum-seekers
Lutheran Community Services Northwest (LCSNW) is excited to partner with King County and join other area nonprofits to relieve the suffering of our new neighbors seeking asylum in the Puget Sound region. Over the next 18 months, LCSNW will implement a two-pronged plan...
LCS grows services with employment support in Tacoma and Vancouver
LCSNW is helping refugees and other immigrants find work— more than two dozen, so far — in a new program operated by our Multicultural Community Services District (MCS). It is available to people living near Tacoma (Pierce and King counties) and in Vancouver (Clark...