Vancouver volunteer guides refugees to self-sufficiency
Former teacher is a bargain shopper, a health advocate and dear friend If you live in the greater Vancouver, Washington area and have ever listed household items on Facebook Marketplace, you may have met Joy Bradley. Joy spends a lot of time on Marketplace, perusing...
Farewell to two champions on the LCSNW Board of Directors
Photo: Lisa Kraft (left), David Duea and Amina Suchoski. The end of 2024 also ends a combined 15 years of service to the Lutheran Community Services Northwest Board of Directors for a pair of dedicated Board members, Lisa Kraft and Amina Suchoski. Lisa makes her home...
Grant Boosts Mental Health First Aid Availability
Access to free Mental Health First Aid trainings is expanding across Benton and Franklin Counties, thanks to the award of a $7,500 grant to LCSNW Tri-Cities. At their annual Celebration of Philanthropy event on December 3rd, the 3 Rivers Community Foundation presented...
Post election, LCSNW’s mission-centered work is more vital than ever
At Lutheran Community Services Northwest (LCSNW), our support for vulnerable refugees and immigrants fleeing persecution is key to our mission. It is an essential part of what it means to "partner with individuals, families and communities for health, justice and...
Portland-Vancouver Winter Welcome gift drive
Looking forward to the upcoming winter holidays, we’re excited to announce our annual end-of-year gift drive for our clients in Portland and Vancouver. This year, the gift drive has a new name, Winter Welcome, to reflect the broad diversity of our clients. Winter...
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....
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...