Lutheran Social Services Of Southern California

Ignited by faith, we live out God’s love by embracing, equipping, and empowering vulnerable individuals, families, and communities toward self-sufficiency.

Lutheran Social Services of Southern California was founded in 1944 when congregations in San Diego and Los Angeles came together to organize a non-sectarian Lutheran Welfare Commission at the tail end of World War II. The goal was to address challenges that arose during post-war transitions among veterans and families– as a result, LSSSC launched its first emergency assistance program and solidified the agency’s mission to live out God’s love by equipping, embracing, and empowering vulnerable people throughout Southern California to become self-sufficient. Since then, LSSSC has expanded to 15 sites across six counties, offering integrative, holistic, and trauma-informed care to under-resourced individuals and families. These vital services prioritize whole–person approaches that provide culturally congruent care. Agency-wide programs include Emergency Assistance; Housing Services; Care Coordination; Community Education and Support; Health, Wellness and Recovery; Senior Services; Services for Individuals with Disabilities; Educational Services, and Workforce Development.

Lutheran Social Services of Southern California aims to help communities become places where the vulnerable are safer and stronger; the dependent are self-sustaining; the isolated dwell in a loving community; and the weary are given hope. Our values are: Compassion (for the less fortunate); Advocacy (for the disadvantaged); Respect (for every member of our society); Collaboration (with each other); Innovation (in serving the needy); and Stewardship (of our precious resources).

During the 2020 Homeless Point-in-Time survey, data revealed California’s sharp 7% increase in the number of individuals experiencing homelessness. Since then, due to various challenges during the pandemic, many more have experienced homelessness for the very first time. The high rent burden on low-income households, coupled with rising living costs, contributes to millions of Southern California residents being at-risk of homelessness. Families often have to choose between basic necessities such as rent, food, utilities, and health care, resulting in other systemic issues of trauma, hunger, health inequity, and chronic poverty.

Our aim is to establish access to trauma-informed and holistic services in the communities where the largest socioeconomic disparities in Southern California reside. The agency strategically designs programs and implements community collaborations to reduce the negative impacts of systemic challenges, eliminate barriers to health equity and community wellness, and stabilize crises prevent chronic poverty in families.

Orange County, Los Angeles County, San Diego County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, and Ventura County