Becki’s life was turned upside-down in 2001, when her husband passed away. She had always dreamed of raising a family but at age 27, her hopes were devastated by the tragedy. As the years went by, she began considering foster care or adoption – providing a home for Iowa children who needed her most. She...
Sama has always had a love of caring for children, and she was committed to building a career as a child care provider. Despite all obstacles, spanning more than a decade and three different countries, Sama can now proudly say she has achieved her goal. Sama grew up in Eritrea and lived there until she...
Perseverance is a familiar quality to Mon, who after spending decades living as a refugee from an early age was finally able to place roots in Iowa and succeed in building a life for his family. Born in Bhutan in 1980, Mon and his family fled his home country amid the outbreak of civil war,...
The day starts with heading to her family’s farmland. It’s warm and sunny outside, and she is surrounded by her parents, husband, and siblings as they work hard to harvest vegetables from their plot. Then, it’s home to share a traditional family dinner with her five children. It’s a normal day for Scolastica, but it’s...
I am not going to let my past get in the way of my success."
The celebration of the holidays and traditions we hold dear will look different for many of us this year. The past few months have been challenging. But they’ve taught us about resilience, about adapting, and about the necessity of looking for the good. The children we are honored to serve at our Bremwood and Beloit...
For years, Cheryl and Dave had wanted to foster or adopt. It was a big step they wanted to be prepared to make, and they were waiting for the right time. But when three family members required temporary foster care, they decided to start the process and become licensed. After the child returned home, Cheryl...
Five years ago, Gaylene’s life looked very different. She was overwhelmed and raising three young boys, Ethan, Cristian, and Alex. Finances were strained, so she and her partner, José, worked hard to make ends meet. Suddenly, well into her second trimester, Gaylene learned she was pregnant with her daughter, Julieanna. Left with less time to...
Earlier this summer, LSI hosted a ribbon cutting for a new 12-acre urban agriculture farm in Pleasant Hill, just east of Des Moines. The land was donated by Phyllis Childers. The land will be used as part of LSI’s Global Greens program, which is offered through LSI’s Refugee and Immigrant Services and provides farming land...
