Part of the impetus for Lutheran Social Services of Alaska was the 1971 federation between the Lutherans (Lutheran Youth Center), the Baptists (Baptist Receiving Home) and the Methodists (Jesse Lee Home) which became Alaska Children's Services. The Lutheran Youth Center dated back to the early 1940's when Nettie Hansen opened an orphanage in Cordova for boys with help from the Norwegian Lutheran Church in America. The ophanage was badly damaged in the 1964 earthquake and with the help of the American Lutheran Church they purchased a 300 acre farm in Wasilla which became the Lutheran Youth Center. LYC functioned until 1973, two years after the federation of Alaska Children's Services was initiated. It was then sold in 1973 with the proceeds retained in an endowment originally managed by the ALC and used to support the work of Native Outreach ministry and Alaska Children's Services.
Historical documents also cite chaplaincy and social work services in Nome among Alaska Natives and preschool services at Central Lutheran Church in Anchorage as precursors to Lutheran Social Services of Alaska.
Lutheran Social Services of Alaska officially began in Ocotober 1973 and functioned primarily as a clearing house both financially and programmatically for Lutheran social action in the state, including the Lutheran relationship with Alaska Children's Services. Late in 1974, LSSA began direct services to Alaska Natives who found themselves in Anchorage with the urban setting, unable to deal with provider agencies, lacking in transportation and housing. Additionally, efforts were initiated to provide chaplaincy services to those in hospital settings and to persons involved with the building of the Alaska pipeline.
In 1985 what had begun as a program of Lutheran Social Services of Alaska, namely Anchorage Native Outreach, became an agency unto itself as Native Outreach Ministry. A renewed interest in LSSA happened in 1988 and after several years of reflection and study it was decided that Native Outreach Ministry and LSSA would again merge as one organization. The revitalized LSSA organization became official in October 1991. It was in September of 1992 that LSSA merged with the Association for Stranded Rural Alaskans in Anchorage adding to the services provided to Alaska Natives.
Native Outreach Ministry is now known as Alaska Native Lutheran Church which is the largest American Indian/Alaska Native congregation in the United States. Alaska Children's Services continues as a mission of the United Methodist Church, the American Baptist Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.
Today Lutheran Social Serivces of Alaska remains a social ministry organziation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. LSSA is part of Lutheran Services of America which is one of the largest social and health service networks in the United States.
