Lonnie Larsen’s commitment to social outreach began as a young adult with a heart to serve the poor and vulnerable. She spent her twenty-first birthday doing ministry at an orphanage in Burkina Faso, West Africa.  Later she served in the American Southeast with AmeriCorps’ National Civilian Community Corps; volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympic World Games, National Parks, Charleston Public Schools, Sisters of Charity of our Lady of Mercy and others to strengthen developing communities. For ten years, she served the YMCA of Greater Seattle working with children, families and homeless young people in the University District. She earned a degree in Elementary Education from Central Washington University and taught special ed preschool and 3rd grade in Highline Public Schools.

Lonnie, her husband, and three sons live in Auburn and are parishioners at Holy Family Church. They share their home with a dog, a cat, two rabbits, three chickens, a duck, two fish, three snails and a frog. She spends as much time as she can growing food in the backyard. She’s currently a graduate student at Pacific University in Portland, Oregon where she’s pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Writing. She writes creative nonfiction and has a special interest in the history of Catholics in the American West.