For more information:

www.atfcareers.org or www.itfcareers.org

 Thank you to the 3,000 volunteers that took part in the
Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service! 

Montgomery County celebrated another successful Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. Volunteers participated in service projects at our two signature locations, Bethesda North Marriott, and the Silver Spring Civic Building as well as other projects all across the County.

Volunteers crocheted blankets for Project Linus, assembled 1,500 bag lunches for area shelters and soup kitchens with Whole Foods Market, assembled 500 Meals on Wheels Snow Day boxes, constructed 250 fleece scarves and 30 fleece blankets for Montgomery Hospice, made over 200 bookmarks for Friends of the Library, designed hundreds of Valentines Day cards for seniors and so much more!

29,255 lbs of non perishable food items was collected at the 27 Montgomery County Giant locations for Manna Food Center with an additional 348lbs collected at the two service locations on Monday.  There were also many projects happening around the County such as park clean ups, blood drives, and a volunteer orientations. 

Thanks to all the hard work from volunteers like you, Montgomery County was able to touch the lives of so many and truly make this a day ON, not a day off.

For more photos and information about the day, click here to see our website. 

The Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSS/NCA) is an independent non-profit serving the greater Washington, DC region. Our mission is to walk with those in need and mobilize community partners to provide services that offer hope and rebuild lives. We work with newly arrived refugees, families affected by HIV/AIDS, disaster victims, and caregivers. 

Each year, LSS/NCA resettles as many as 350-400 refugees, asylees, and victims of trafficking throughout the greater National Capital area. From the moment a new family arrives at the airport, we are at the gate waiting to provide guidance and encouragement. Whether from Iraq, Iran, Burma, Bhutan, Eritrea or elsewhere, all families come hoping to rebuild their lives in America and regain a sense of security after years of strife. At LSS/NCA, we support our clients during this important transition by mobilizing community partners and, offering a comprehensive range of services to newcomers.

  From our experience, refugee integration is more successful when families have deliberate and meaningful opportunities to connect with the broader community. Partners of LSS/NCA generally describe sponsorship as an exceedingly meaningful opportunity.

Check out some of the current volunteer opportunities: 

• Welcoming a Family: The first few months in the United States are the most intensive for refugees and immigrants. To ease the transition, LSS/NCA matches refugee families with local groups (ie. your family, church group, book club, etc.) to help provide additional support for a short period of time. 
• Volunteering Your Time: From welcoming families at the airport to teaching parents how to access public transportation, our volunteers are wonderful local ambassadors. Daytime drivers for occasional requests are especially needed.  
• Donate Your Dishes or Dollars: Arriving with nothing more than a small suitcase, families must rebuild their homes from scratch. You can help by donating, or organizing a supply drive at your office, school or place of worship. Please click here for a full list of items you can donate.

To learn more about what we do and hear moving stories of hope and courage, please attend one of our regularly scheduled Compassion in Action Tours.  We would love to meet you!

Contact: Lily at 703-698-5026 x113 or HamburgerL@lssnca.org

Website: www.lssnca.org