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...
You see so much negative, but people are good. People were willing to put money towards someone they don’t even know just to make a difference."
Sometimes life surprises you. Abby, a western Iowa social worker, was starting her journey to become a foster parent when she learned she was pregnant. “My first foster placement was when I was 36 weeks pregnant as a single mom,” Abby says. “It’s not easy, but anybody can do it and it’s always the right...
Sarah Green joined Team LSI earlier this summer as our new Vice President of Philanthropy and Church Relations. She has a heart for this work, and is truly dedicated to LSI’s mission of providing hope and healing to so many of our neighbors. She comes to LSI from Blessman International, where she worked as the...
By George Hanusa LSI has had many notable executives in its long history, but none as outstanding as Leonard C. Larsen. He lived service. In the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict, his training as a psychiatric social worker enabled him to help those suffering from PTSD. After his military service, he and his wife,...
