The Lutheran Services in Iowa (LSI) Board of Directors has tapped Renee Hardman, City Councilwoman of West Des Moines, as its next leader. Hardman begins her work as President and Chief Executive Officer with LSI, one of the state’s largest human services agencies, serving all 99 Iowa counties, on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. Regarded as...
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 camp in 2018 and eventually led to the family's resettlement near Dan's home in Marshalltown. Three years after first meeting, in 2021, Kahamu’s family was...
As Kellie Collins, Early Childhood Family Support Worker, reflects on her over two decades of successes in her position, one fact remains true: Kellie was called to service. Kellie has been with LSI for over 26 years, serving the Sioux City area. In her role, among many other services, Kellie holds groups in LSI’s Teen...
“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 LSI. LSI’s Child Care Business Development program helps individuals like Teta, a single mother of three, start her own in-home child care business and support...
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 start and grow what is now known as LSI Global Greens. Inspired by his experience in college when he spent time in El Salvador...
After fleeing the Congolese Civil War, LSI resettled the Kaamu family in Marshalltown thanks to a local man and family friend. Pictures of Rashidi and Salima Kaamu'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 camp in...
Overcoming obstacles that seemed impossible, John, a resident at LSI’s Bremwood Campus in Waverly, has a bright future ahead of him. As a young child growing up in Tanzania, John’s life was like most other kids. He loved soccer, played with his siblings, and went to school. His parents taught him education was essential to...
by Grace Johnson, LSI Communications Coordinator At LSI, there are countless opportunities to volunteer and always more to learn about the work our 550+ team members do across the state. As I began to work on social media plans for National Volunteer Week (April 16-22, 2023), I realized I wasn’t entirely sure what our volunteers...
