Lutheran Services in Iowa

The 4th of July is coming up! 🇺🇸 Test your knowledge of U.S. facts with our mini U.S. Citizenship test. Take the test: https://lnkd.in/gQ-quDcg Individuals studying to take their U.S. Citizenship test study 100 possible questions. On the day of the test, 10 questions are randomly selected. Participants must answer 6 of the 10 questions correctly to pass. How did you do on the test?

We were SO Inspired by Dr. Dau Jok's keynote address at our Empower event! Thank you, Dr. Jok, for sharing your story of coming to Iowa from South Sudan.    We are honored to be dedicated to helping people like you make a new home in Iowa.    #WeStandWithRefugees

Local 5 News We Are Iowa (WOI-DT) stopped by to interview LSI at Des Moines World Refugee Day. Sara Hilgenberg, LSI Refugee Education Coordinator, encouraged community members to learn more about our refugee neighbors including their culture, stories, and important contributions to Iowa. Thanks, We Are Iowa, for taking the time to interview our team! Check out the interview here: https://lnkd.in/gFGddnNZ

We’re so excited to announce a current LSI team member and former refugee, Patrick, is now a U.S. citizen! What a great way to celebrate World Refugee Day!    Patrick came to the U.S. from the Democratic Republic of Congo about five years ago as a winner of the Diversity Visa lottery. In October 2019, Patrick was hired as an administrative assistant at LSI where he quickly became popular with guests, volunteers, and staff due to his friendly smile, cheerful demeanor, and love for helping others.     At the end of 2021, as LSI started to bring its resettlement program back to Des Moines to support the incoming families from Afghanistan, Patrick was hired as one of the first resettlement caseworkers, a role he still holds today.     Moments like these are why we do what we do at LSI. We are so proud of Patrick and all he has accomplished personally and professionally here at LSI. Congratulations Patrick! #WorldRefugeeDay  

Last night we celebrated our 13th annual Empower event in Des Moines, and what a celebration it was! We’d like to extend a sincere thank you to all who attended to celebrate immigrants and refugees and the incredible and important impact they have on our communities.     We’d especially like to thank our sponsors:   Foster Group MidAmerican Energy Company Bankers Trust GuideOne Insurance Polk County Iowa West Des Moines Human Rights Commission   Check out our Facebook for photos from the event! https://lnkd.in/gBK6yrjn

What a great day in Waterloo!   Thank you to all who came out for our open house in Waterloo yesterday! We are so excited to bring our resettlement services back to the area to join our existing services – Early Childhood, Mental Health, and Respite Care – in our new location at 3640 University Ave.    A special shout out to Grow Cedar Valley for helping us celebrate the occasion with a ribbon cutting.  We’re proud to partner with organizations like you to better serve the Cedar Valley community.  

Renee Hardman, MBA, SPHR, LSI President & CEO, and Nicholas Wuertz , LSI Director of Immigrant and Refugee Community Services, were featured on Iowa Live on Channel 5 in Des Moines. Renee and Nick promoted the upcoming Empower event on Thursday, June 13. They also shared information about LSI and services offered to immigrants and refugees in Des Moines and throughout the state. Thanks to Lou Sipolt, Iowa Live host, the Channel 5 crew, and Renee and Nick! https://lnkd.in/eCWYbkWJ

Our friends at Principal Charity Classic (Principal Financial Group) know the special impact of supporting kids in Iowa. Members of Team LSI were excited to attend the tournament last week in support of the golfers and mission.     We are honored to be a qualifying organization benefitting from Birdies for Charity. Thank you to everyone who donated!    #PCC  #principalcharityclassic  #PGATourChampions  

We are excited to welcome Terri Mork Speirs, M.F.A. as our new Chief Development Officer! At LSI, Terri will direct all philanthropy and church relations activities to support our mission, vision, and values. Terri brings with her a wealth of nonprofit experience with local, statewide, nationwide, and international agencies. “I am honored to serve the community through this key role with an organization I’ve long admired. Joining the LSI team is an opportunity I accept with both humility and confidence,” said Terri. “I am passionate about addressing complex social needs with practical solutions. I can’t wait to collaborate with stakeholders to tell the stories, increase the support, and boost the brand of LSI.” Learn more about Terri here: https://lnkd.in/gjw9vt8w Welcome to Team LSI, Terri!

Kylee Hoffman, a senior at Grand View University, recently completed her internship with LSI’s Immigrant and Refugee Community Services team. This month, she'll graduate with a degree in social work. Kylee worked with the refugee resettlement team, helping update case files, assisting clients, and working with our senior immigrants and refugees. “My favorite part about my internship is helping in citizenship and English classes. I get so excited when a client is able to write a sentence, speak a sentence, and answers correctly in the 100 questions mock citizenship test,” said Kylee. Congrats on completing your internship and graduating, Kylee!