Lutheran Social Services
Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota is a private non-profit
agency that provides social services statewide. Their motto is, "With
Christ as our Shepherd, helping people experience wholeness, hope and
justice." They offer a variety of programs, including Adoption,
Pregnancy Counseling, Child Care Resource and Referral,
Multi-Cultural Children's Services, Addiction Outreach for Recovery,
Senior Companion, Svee Rehabilitation Home, Great Plains Food
Bank/Daily Bread, Native American Outreach, and Refugee Resettlement,
among others (LSS of ND). They advocate equal opportunity, which can
be seen when noting a number of non-Christian employees. As well, at
least 50% of the refugeees they have assisted in the past two years
have been Muslim.
Darci Asche currently serves as Resource Development Coordinator
for the LSS refugee program. Her main responsibility is to access
human, material, and financial resources in the surrounding
community. This includes funding, places to stay, food, and clothing.
Darci grew up in southern ND, and feels she has been "lucky" enough
to have always been curious and globally aware. She is a Christian,
and appreciates LSS's philosophy that their services are not to be
used as conversion tactics. She believes that humanitarian assistance
should not be "crammed down throats" or "used as a weapon." Each
employee or volunteer may share their beliefs, but must be sensitive
to not alienating the individuals they work with. Darci says that she
personally makes it clear that her responses are due to her faith,
and that if anyone wants to know more, they may ask. She quotes the
Bible, Matthew 5:14, "Let your light shine before others, so that
they may see your good works," as one of her favorite passages.
Darci considers the Fargo-Moorhead area an excellent place for
refugees to be relocated. Darci recounts that according to
individuals who have had experiences elsewhere in the nation, this
place is described as a "haven." Darci believes that a large church
community and a predominantly Scandinavian population that "doesn't
get too excited about things," contributes to this. Though the latter
may not always be a positive quality, it can facilitate an amiable
atmosphere.
Darci describes the refugees she comes into contact with as
"definitely survivors." She believes that those who have made it this
far are willing to continue to move forward. For many, paralysis has
meant death. She comments on the realizations she has come to through
her work with refugees. She experiences setbacks and bad days like
everyone else, but interacting with refugees on a daily basis has put
the more trivial tribulations in perspective for her.
Lutheran Social Services hires as many multilingual case managers
to assist with specific groups as they can. LSS has relocated
approximately 2000 refugees since 1989. Around 80% of those people
have been settled in Fargo. Some of the most significant factors
taken into account when determining where new refugees will be
settled are employment opportunties, the level of community support,
and the clustering of groups similar to themselves to prevent
feelings of isolation. Refugees have come from Vietnam, Russia,
Armenia, Bosnia, Haiti, Sudan, Somalia, Togo, Central African
Republic, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Kurdistan, and Cuba. Their refugee
statuses have been the result of everything from war to ethnic or
religious persecution.
This page hosted by 
Get your own Free Home Page