Immigrant and Refugee Community Services

LSI announces $10,000 challenge grant made possible by the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa and Marv and Helen Schumacher to support recently arrived refugee families.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 13, 2025 Contact: Leah Nelson | Leah.Nelson@lsiowa.org Waterloo, IA – Lutheran Services in Iowa (LSI) is excited to announce that a $10,000 challenge grant has been made...

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Press Release: LSI Celebrates Historic Milestone in Refugee Resettlement

LSI Celebrates Historic Milestone in Refugee Admissions  Des Moines, IA – LSI (Lutheran Services in Iowa) celebrates a historic year in immigrant and refugee resettlement – in Iowa and nationwide....

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Firmin’s Story

Firmin Ntakimazi was born in Burundi, where he grew up, received his education, and made a living teaching elementary school. When civil war broke out in 1993, he fled to...

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Ahmad’s Story

When Ahmad Tamim Sahel realized the need for halal products in his community, he knew he could help. Ahmad moved to the U.S. from Afghanistan in 2017, so he knew...

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Zoya’s Story

When she heard about the news of the war in Ukraine, Zoya Staroselsky felt compelled to support her fellow Ukrainians, in more ways than one.   Zoya, who moved to the...

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Pree’s Story

From dreaming of big cities, tall buildings and lots of cars, Pree, a former refugee, is now making her dream a reality.  “I’ve always seen the U.S. in movies. I...

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Thomas’s Story

In 1996 Congolese civil war broke out in the present-day countries of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Republic of the Congo, forcing then two-year-old Thomas Mbuthu into exile...

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Lwe’s Story

When Lwe Paw traveled from a refugee camp in Thailand to Iowa in 2012, she knew the path ahead would be rocky. Arriving in a foreign land as a senior,...

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Rahsidi’s Story

Pictures of Kahamu Rashidi's children hang on Dan Bean's fridge next to snapshots of his grandchildren. It symbolizes a father-son bond formed during a chance meeting in an African refugee...

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Teta’s Story

“Thinking back to where I was a few years ago, barely able to pay my bills, compared to where I am now, I feel blessed,” said Teta, a client of...

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