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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
“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...
Zac Couture is celebrating 10 years with Lutheran Services in Iowa’s Immigrant and Refugee Community Services! He started volunteering with LSI to teach English to immigrants and refugees before helping...
