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Lutheran Services in Iowa warns local refugee programs face cuts, seeks local backing
Summary
Lutheran Services in Iowa told the Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors that federal grant reductions have curtailed refugee and immigrant programs serving Waterloo and Black Hawk County and urged local support to sustain case management, childcare and employment services.
Lutheran Services in Iowa leaders told the Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors on April 28 that recent federal funding cuts have forced reductions to local refugee and immigrant services and that the agency is seeking local partners to sustain key programs.
"My name is Nick Wartz and I serve as the vice president of programs for Lutheran Services in Iowa," Wartz said, opening the presentation and outlining the agency’s local work in early childhood home visiting, disability services, foster care and mental health. He noted LSI’s Waterloo office at 3640 University Avenue and said LSI has served Iowa communities for 160 years.
Omar Balde, the local service coordinator for Waterloo and Black Hawk County, told supervisors the agency served about 64 individuals in the past fiscal year in the Cedar Valley; 41 of those clients were served through refugee resettlement programs. Balde described enrollment in employment and case‑management programs and a small "match and save" savings program for newcomers preparing to buy a first home or car.
Balde said, "We have served about 64 individuals here in Waterloo and the Black Hawk County. Forty‑one of them are part of refugee resettlement." He and other LSI staff also described a child‑care provider training program designed to help immigrant and refugee women start in‑home child‑care businesses, and they showed a short video produced by a local foundation highlighting a client success story.
Wartz and colleagues told the board that federal funding reductions — including an unexpected loss of Office of Refugee Resettlement and other federal grants — have led to canceled contracts and program reductions. "This is a pivotal year for LSI and other immigrant‑serving organizations," Wartz said, urging local investment if federal support is not restored.
In response to supervisors’ questions about local demographics and employer support, LSI staff said they do not have a precise count of the local Haitian population but estimated a substantial presence in the Cedar Valley, and that employer funding has been limited recently (LSI cited a past pilot grant from Tyson but said there is no current employer support). LSI asked the board to consider local partnerships, including support for English classes for early learners and other community investments to maintain services now financed largely by federal pass‑through funds.
The presentation closed with LSI thanking the board for a recent small county grant that purchased safety gates and supplies for home providers. Supervisors thanked the presenters and offered to consider future proposals if LSI brings a formal request to the board.
The board then moved on to other agenda items.
