Our Stories
Protection Orders improve for Sexual Assault Victims
Advocacy teamwork helped lead to improved protection orders for sexual assault victims in Washington State. With a stroke of Governor Jay Inslee’s pen Friday, May 5, a new law changed protection orders for sexual assault victims. Before that, victims of sexual assault...
Adoption Day: A Reason to Celebrate for Former Foster Child
We all celebrate birthdays, wedding anniversaries and other significant milestones. For Kayla Balassone of Tukwila, an annual celebration is her Adoption Day. That day transformed her life. Balassone was just four years old when she entered the state foster care...
Give Local: Online Giving Days in May
Help us make stronger, more vibrant communities for us all. Lutheran Community Services Northwest is a pathway back to life for parentless and neglected children, victims of violence and torture, refugees, the mentally ill and addicted and forgotten and...
One Family’s Climb Out of Homelessness
In the fall of 2015, Candy Braget was pregnant with her fourth child, suffering from gestational diabetes, and her family was homeless. Unsure of where to turn for assistance, she called 211 in Snohomish County and was referred to LCS Northwest’s Family Support...
5 Questions: David Ochan, Case Manager for LCS Northwest’s Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI)
David has been a Case Manager with the MAI program since 2013. MAI is a collaboration with Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU). Our partnership helps provide intensive, culturally-specific and appropriate services to refugees and immigrants living...
America Offers Refuge and Hope to New Asylee
(Editor's note: We have changed the name of this story's subject to protect his family.) Hailu never dreamed that his research work in Ethiopia would make him a political target who feared for his life. Five years ago, Hailu would have described his personal life in...
Teaming Up with Gonzaga for Sexual Assault Advocacy
Sexual assault is an uncomfortable topic. How sexual assault is handled on campus is a difficult issue for students and universities. A collaborative program between Gonzaga University and Lutheran Community Services Northwest in Spokane takes a unique...
