Looking for help? Visit our Get Help Now Page for information on accessing Emergency Services. 

A Heritage of Service 

Josephine 1.jpg

"I ate whatever I could find. It was serious. I'd hit rock bottom and had nowhere to go. But LSS-SW helped me a lot. It was very important. I got to my feet again."

- Josie, overcame homelessness through I-HELP

Emergency Services traces its roots to the 1960s, when a group of Lutheran congregations in Phoenix gathered together to meet the unmet needs they saw in their community. People in their neighborhoods were hungry. Some were homeless. There was brokenness and they remembered their faith called them to serve "the least of these." So their work began.

Today, LSS-SW Emergency Services, in partnership with faith partners and hardworking volunteers, relieves hunger and homelessness for neighbors facing extreme poverty through food pantries, rent & utility assistance,  emergency shelter, and disaster preparedness. 

Emergency Services 4.jpg

Interfaith Homeless Emergency Lodging Program
(I-HELP)

I-HELP is a unique, cost effective program that uses what churches have in abundance (space, volunteers, the desire to help the stranger) to provide overnight emergency shelter to those experiencing homelessness and case management to help them move from crisis to stability.  I-HELP currently operates in Mesa, Surprise, and the Southwest Valley, including Avondale and Goodyear. Click here for intake hours and locations. 


flood.jpg

Disaster Services

Emergencies or disasters can devastate individuals, families, and communities.  Advance planning and preparation can increase survival and minimize suffering.

Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest offers dynamic disaster training programs to help congregations, groups, and community organizations establish effective strategies for preparing and responding to disasters.