Dear friends,

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In the communities that Lutheran Community Services Northwest calls home, we are blessed to have trees all around us. Firs, hemlocks and cedars tower over the “wet side” of Washington and Oregon. Pines, aspens and fruit trees trees dominate the east side and Idaho. Trees loaded with hazelnuts reign over the Willamette Valley.

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This environment has surrounded me since childhood, and it has shaped me in different ways.  It might explain why recently, when speaking to LCSNW leaders, donors and other audiences, I have used a metaphor about planting trees. ​I am powerfully influenced by an old Greek proverb, author unknown: “A society grows great when old leaders plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.”

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While I prefer not to think of myself as an old leader, I know I’m much closer to the end of my social-service career than the start of it. Some trees I help plant now may not reach their full potential until I’m gone.

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This can be a hard truth to reckon with. But it also serves as a helpful metaphor while reflecting on the 12 years I have led this agency so far and while considering the legacy I will eventually leave. I feel tremendous responsibility to set LCSNW up for continued growth. It starts with good stewardship, which goes hand in hand with accountability. We take both very seriously.

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We must stand firm through the financial headwinds that our whole sector is facing right now. And we will. Because LCSNW has proven resilient for more than 100 years, through all kinds of trials and tempests, thanks to deep-rooted trees planted by our predecessors.

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Tree planting is also an apt way to think about key decisions we have made to strengthen our continuum of care. At the top of the list is completing our merger with Compass Housing Alliance, our longtime affiliate, on January 1, 2026.

 

In the numbers and charts in this report, you can see the valuable resources that our Compass Division brings to LCSNW. Expanding the Compass model across the Northwest will require great patience and hard work. But the homes we provide to thousands of vulnerable people will be like shade in a desert of housing insecurity. It will be worth the time and effort.

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The idea of planting trees for longevity also surfaced as we completed our 2026-2028 Strategic Plan.  Each of the plan’s three pillars – Growing Community Impact, Ensuring Performance Excellence, and Engaging our Workforce – is designed to hold up against pressure and time, like an old-growth Northwest tree.

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In the meantime, I’m proud of all the ways that LCSNW cultivated health, justice and hope for our clients this year, thanks to so many people, including you. In this annual report, you’ll see life-changing examples of fruit produced and shade created in the communities we love and serve. Communities where we’ve put down roots and call home.

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​With deep gratitude and hope,

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David Duea

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