Who We Are
Since 1917, Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA), a human services and immigration relief and refugee welcome agency, has accompanied those in need throughout Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. to foster resiliency, self-sufficiency, and access to opportunities. We provide services that last beyond the initial arrival for families, youth, children, and individuals rebuilding their lives in the D.C. metro area.
Motivated daily by our belief in the inherent dignity of all, LSSNCA’s innovative participant-informed programs serve refugees, forced migrants, immigrants, children and youth, and underserved communities by filling in the gaps. Piloting initiatives like the area’s first camp for kids impacted by the HIV/AIDS crisis, originating local pro se asylum workshops for Afghan Allies, launching a Resource Center to serve as a community hub for all recently arrived program participants, and offering myriad trauma-informed mental health support services, LSSNCA strives to create thriving communities.
In Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24), LSSNCA served over 4,300 individuals from over 48 countries living across the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
From the Newsroom
When the Taliban banned education for girls and women in 2021, Freshta lost the future she had spent years building.
Four years ago, the seizure of Kabul changed everything. For Afghan allies like Hajimurat, who had worked shoulder to shoulder with the U.S. missions, it marked not just the collapse of a government but the unraveling of safety, stability, and any sense of a future.
On the fourth anniversary of the seizure of Kabul, LSSNCA honors Afghan allies, reflects on America’s promise of safety, and calls for renewed action to protect and resettle those still at risk.
