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Photo by Margareth Jaeger

Lori Zurcher and Terry Anderson’s business has been featured lately in the Real Producers Magazine.  A portion of the article features their relationship with University Lutheran Church.

To Read the Full Article, you can Download a PDF copy by Clicking this Link.

In addition to their work at the Tempe Chamber of Commerce, Terry and Lori proudly serve University Lutheran Church. Just outside Arizona State University’s Tempe campus, the church has become a huge part of Terry and Lori’s lives in service by helping the students nearby. Every Sunday and Wednesday during the school year, the church provides homecooked meals for them, and it is a beacon for students whenever they need help. Terry and Lori are proud to be a part of that.

Within the church campus – which is over an acre – lies “Peace Park,” a place where people can practice a form of Tai Chi, called Qi Gong. Other activities and featured at the church are writers’ workshops, painting classes, and a talented, student-led band.

Recent email from Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest

What does it mean to be a refugee?

By definition, a refugee is a person who has been forced to leave their country due to persecution, war, or a natural disaster. It is usually a decision made in time of desperation when options are limited to one: escape. Refugees could be anyone, people like you and me, who are forced to make the decision between facing persecution or fleeing their homes.

Refugees are different from asylum-seekers, because they have qualified for their status as refugees before entering the United States. 

Asking ourselves the bigger questions… 

Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest has a long history of serving those in need, and this extension of Christ’s hand is not limited to refugees. However, in 2019 the number of allowed refugees into the U.S. was dropped to 30,000 from the historical average of 95,000. For LSS-SW, that meant we went from serving 1300 refugees in Arizona to only 400. Meanwhile, over 25.4 million refugees around the world pray for mercy.  

What Can I do?

• Attend an informational session this month (hosted in Tempe, Tucson, and the West Valley,) where you can learn about the current refugee resettlement crisis – register here
• Sponsor a newly arrived refugee family (more information will be shared at the session above.)
• Share a personal story about sponsoring a refugee or volunteering with refugees
• Participate in our No Refugee Left Behind campaign and write a postcard or attend a legislative meeting
• Plan your 2019 gift to Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest, and take advantage of the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit

To LCM alum (2007) Ian Lee, now living in London with wife Holly and working for CBS. 

He has recently been nominated for an Emmy award for his reporting of the Genoa Bridge collapse. 

Ian has previously won both an Emmy and Peabody Award for Journalism. 

View Ian’s Bio on CBSNews.com

to Natasha Cote, daughter of Dave and Bobbie Cote, who graduated from NAU with her Master’s in Cultural Anthropology May 2018. She did her internship in Tucson helping with asylum seekers. She is now working with Lutheran Social Services here in Phoenix. Her job is to work with people that have come to the United States and have been here less than 20 years, have good conversational English and wish to advance their careers. If you know of anyone that falls into this category, please contact Dave and Bobbie Cote.