OUR MISSION

In response to God's love in Jesus Christ, Lutheran Services Florida, as an agent of its participating church bodies, serves to bring God's healing, hope and help to people in need.

Read more about LSF's mission, vision and values by clicking here.

OUR HISTORY

In 1975 when the Vietnam War ended, thousands of refugees sought safety in the United States arriving with nothing more than the clothes they wore. The needs of the refugees were tremendous and the Lutheran Church responded quickly providing them with immediate aid in the form of food, clothing, and temporary homes. This assistance was vital; however, it soon became apparent that a larger, on-going, and more organized effort was necessary to help the newcomers adjust to life in a new country.

As a result, the Lutheran Church sponsored employment programs to help refugees find jobs so they could truly begin building new lives in America. In 1980, when thousands of Cubans came to the United States during the Mariel Boatlift, the Lutheran Church responded once again helping refugees with resettlement needs and employment assistance.

When Lutheran Services Florida (formerly Lutheran Ministries of Florida) was established in 1982, the agency assumed responsibility for the employment programs started by the Lutheran Church in Miami and Tampa. Whereas initially the greatest demand for assistance came from the Vietnamese and the Cuban refugees, soon LSF counselors were helping refugees from Central America, Haiti and other parts of the Caribbean, Bosnia, the Sudan and many other countries. As the number of refugees increased dramatically throughout the years, LSF responded to the growing demand for services by expanding its programs. Today LSF has Employment Programs in Miami, West Palm Beach, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Lakeland, and New Port Richey and Refugee Resettlement programs in Tampa and Miami.

Other programs located throughout the state include: the Guardianship Program, Youth Shelters, Youth and Family Counseling Programs, the Child Care Food Program, the Church and Community Relations Program, the P.E.P.P.I. Head Start Child Development Program, the Housing Program, the Refugee and Immigration Program, and the Disaster Response Program.

Continuing its mission, LSF continues to expand each division of services to meet existing needs and to "Bring healing, hope, and help to people in need" throughout Florida.