Cedar Valley United Way – Weekly Stories

think MTV and United Way of America
Partnering for an Alternative Spring Break

It's not too early to start thinking about Spring Break. In fact, the Cedar Valley United Way is now accepting applications for think MTV and United Way of America's ASB Gulf Coast 2007. If you are 18-24 or know someone who is, apply to help rebuild the region left devastated by the hurricanes in 2005.

This is the second year of this partnership. This past spring, Jenn, a local UNI student was one of the 100 that was selected to experience this event. The need is just as great as before and for 2007, they will be hosting 1,000 young people during the month of March to help rebuild people’s lives.

Applications are being accepted on the Cedar Valley United Way web site at www.cedarvalleyunitedway.org. If you are interested, your application needs to be received by Oct 15. We have reserved 10 slots that we will help to select for this great opportunity. Get your applications in soon as these spots will begin filling up fast. We understand that your plans may change and if you are accepted to participate, you still can decline the invitation at a later date.

You do not have to be a college student to participate in this program. They are looking for young adults between the ages of 18-24 from many diverse backgrounds. All of the expenses will be paid once you arrive on-site. The only costs that you will incur will be the transportation to the Gulf Coast. If you are selected to participate, the Cedar Valley United Way will assist you in fundraising for this expense.

The Nobel Committee announced this year’s Nobel Peace Prize recipient today—Bangladeshi economist Muhammad Yunus and his Grameen Bank who won for their pioneering use of small loans to lift millions of people out of poverty.

Yunus began handing out loans to the poor who did not qualify for loans from conventional banks. No collateral is needed and repayment is based on an honor system. The loans average about $200 and the bank claims to have 6.6 million borrowers, 97% of whom are women. They’ve enabled the poor to pay off creditors, start businesses, enable home ownership and have helped communities with social and economic development.

“Lasting peace cannot be achieved unless large population groups find ways in which to break out of poverty,” the Nobel Committee said in their announcement. “Micro-credit is one such means. Development from below also serves to advance democracy and human rights.”

Right here in the Cedar Valley, Operation Pocket Change is working towards the same goal as this year’s Nobel Peace Prize recipient. Operation Threshold started the program this year to assist people who are in need of a small amount of money to resolve an immediate need—often things most of us take for granted such as driver’s licenses or state issued ID to use as identification to obtain a job, a shower chair to enable the disabled to continue to care for themselves or home winterization materials that will save hundreds in utility expenses.

One of the world’s most prestigious and well respected humanitarian organizations has recognized the type of program Operation Pocket Change is launching as a catalyst for change that will better communities and help eliminate poverty. Let’s do the same here in the Cedar Valley. Help us build a stronger community.

In the upcoming week, the Back to School Project, a Cedar Valley United Way funded program, will be distributing new school supplies to 1,662 children here in the Cedar Valley. Already this year, the program has provided school supplies to 170 students at the Walter Cunningham School for Excellence.

Volunteers work to make sure each student receives the needed supplies for his or her school and grade, allowing each child to start the year out on the right foot.

When you see students headed off to their first day of school, remember your contributions to the Cedar Valley United Way are making a difference in their lives. That’s what matters.

The Empowering Dads program conducted by Family and Children’s Council of Black Hawk County will help over 180 fathers increase their parenting skills this year. Fathers who need information on custody, visitation, or child support issues are linked with qualified attorneys for consultation through the Family Advocacy Project. Father support and parent education groups are also available to any dad who would like to continue to be involved in their children’s lives in a positive way.

Empowering Dads meet each Thursday at 5:30 at the KWWL Building, Suite 409. For more information about this program, visit www.fccouncil.net or call 234-7600.

You never know what it is that can make a measurable difference in someone’s life. A child that attends Devonshire School is a great example. This girl did not verbally communicate with others in her class. She was able to attend an outreach program at Hartman Reserve. During this adventure, the kids were learning how to build bat houses. Who would have ever thought that this animal was this girl’s favorite? When she learned that she was going to get to build a house for a bat, she became vocal and wanted to talk about bats. She loved bats! Teachers and staff were now able to talk with this girl about bats and other things and build a stronger relationship that has carried over to other areas as well.

With the first winter storm of the year, most of us are happy to curl up at home where it’s warm. But too many in the Cedar Valley have no place to call home. They’re homeless. We’d like to think that homelessness isn’t an issue here—only in bigger cities. That’s not the case. In 2005, 21,280 Iowans were homeless.

November 12 to 18 is National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. Ten people will be sleeping outside tonight to raise awareness of homelessness in Black Hawk County. They’re willing to spend this cold, snowy night to make others aware of the real issues here in our community. Let’s help them and work together to eliminate homelessness.

Information from a 2005 study commissioned by the Iowa Council on Homelessness.

HOPES is a Cedar Valley United Way funded program run by Lutheran Services in Iowa to help parents learn new skills in parenting as well as encourage other healthy options for their family including immunizations, medical care, education and other activities to support the children and parents. The following is the story of one HOPES client.

When the HOPES staff met this young lady, she seven months pregnant and living with whichever friend would allow her to stay. She was non-trusting and skeptical yet reached out for anyone who could comfort her from her troubled past. She was abused as a child and by her ex-husband who had obtained custody of her older two children. The pain showed as she first described the trauma she had been through.

With the help of the HOPES program, this client has made great progress. She has moved in to her own apartment, got on FIP (Family Investment Program) and was able to save enough money to purchase a car. She then got a good job. Her baby is current on his immunizations and is happy, healthy and thriving. The staff has also noticed the improvement in this client’s self-esteem. She is much more sure of herself and determined. That’s what HOPES is about—helping people reach a happy, healthy solution to what life brings them.

Her future goals include continuing with the visitation rights she has obtained for her older two children and continuing to grow into the best parent she can be. Your contributions to the Cedar Valley United Way are making a difference in this family’s lives. That’s what matters.

Cedar Valley United Way contributions fund Operation Threshold’s housing stabilization program operated though Family Development and Self-Sufficiency (FaDSS), Iowa’s effort to assist families at high risk of long-term welfare dependency to move toward self-sufficiency. The program provides one-time rent assistance for FaDSS participants to leave near homeless, substandard housing or rent burdened circumstances and establish a more stable home environment for their families. This program will provide tenant-based rental assistance in the amount of the full security deposit and 70% of the first month’s rent.

The intended outcomes of the FaDSS program are to promote self-sufficient families, protect children and facilitate change that will produce stable and thriving families. FaDSS appears to break the dependency cycle. Since Operation Threshold began administering FaDSS in 1992, no past participant has had a child enter the program as an adult participant. For graduates who transitioned off welfare, more that 73% remained off welfare one year later. This is the type of success the Cedar Valley United Way is working to achieve in our community.

Kids Café is a program operated by the Northeast Iowa Food Bank to provide nutritional evening meals to children at risk of hunger at nine sites in the Cedar Valley. They also include other educational programming and skill building with the youth. From July 2006 to February 2007, Kids Café has served over 7,214 snacks and 16,662 meals.

At one of the Kids Café sites, fresh apples and oranges were offered for snacks. One young participant asked if she could take home an orange for her mom. The staff said, "Sure, but let's make sure all the kids get a snack first." She then asked if she could take an orange home for her grandma. The staff replied the same. She proceeded to ask if she could take one home for a few other people in her family. The staff asked her if she ever has fresh fruit at home. The little girl said no, and that she really doesn't have that much food. There ended up being extra oranges and she was able to take a few home to her family to share. She was ecstatic.

An orange may not seem like a lot to us, but it meant the world to this little girl. Access to food and proper nutrition are vital to the development of children. Children who have three meals a day as well as food on the weekend do better in school. When they do better in school, they do better in life. And that helps build a stronger Cedar Valley.

Through your generous contributions, the Cedar Valley United Way is able to help fund Operation Family Pack through the Northeast Iowa Food Bank. This program provides “kid friendly” food to students in the Waterloo Community Schools who may not have an opportunity to get nutritious food when school is not in session. Kids are able to pick up backpacks filled with food from family outreach workers. Food included in the packs can be easily prepared by children.

During the past three months, 801 meal sacks have been provided. Operation Family Pack helps school readiness, giving kids a source of nutritious food when school meals are not provided, and keeps children right here in the Cedar Valley from going hungry.

We tend to hear a lot in the media about children and young adults with problems. What we don’t hear often enough are the intervention stories and the work being done to help the youth in our community. Quakerdale is one of the agencies working to make a difference in the lives of these children. The following is a success story from their gender specific residential treatment program, funded by your Cedar Valley United Way contributions.

The quarter’s success story actually began in December 2005 with the placement of a Black Hawk area teen at Quakerdale from a higher-level treatment center. She came here on a 30-day trial to determine if Quakerdale was the appropriate placement for her. She came from a two-parent family and in addition to the teen having mental health issues, it became apparent early on that the mother also suffered from mental health issues complicating the dynamics of the situation.

Hospitalized several times during her first few months at Quakerdale for a variety of reasons, she also exhibited signs of being suicidal. Working intensely with therapists and staff to build her self-esteem separate from her mother, the staff began to see slow but steady progress. With the improvement of her self-esteem, her mental health issues were reduced to now being controlled by medication and continued therapy.

During the summer and early fall, she had improved significantly to be considered for the Transitional Housing Program for older teens. This program provides a more independent living level that helps to provide the teen with the tools and skills to live on their on in the community. The girls in Transitional Housing have a job or attend classes, or both. They learn money management skills and learn how to live on their own. It is apartment living with limited supervision.

In this case, the mother and her problems were part of the overall issue but the mother eventually realized that her daughter would do better on her own instead of returning to the family unit. It has taken many hours of staff time and therapy to achieve this level of success. She will continue to receive support and therapy until is ready for discharge. This type of story is repeated, in one form or another, many times each year.

With three months of the campaign under our belt, results from company campaigns are starting to roll in. To date, $975,000 in pledges have been received. You are doing a fantastic job of building excitement about the Cedar Valley United Way! We’ve heard of everything from Belgian waffle breakfasts and chili cook-offs to tricycle races and dancing pigs. It’s all working to help build awareness about the Cedar Valley United Way and our mission to help people.

There are 12 businesses thus far who have 100% participation from their employees. You read that right—100%! Special kudos to these businesses:

Let’s keep the momentum going to meet the $4 million need here in the Cedar Valley!

Money raised through the Cedar Valley United Way provides funding for emergency shelter services at the Salvation Army for men, women and children in the Cedar Valley. In a three month time span, 184 people have been provided with 2,683 nights of shelter in a crisis situation. Even with these high numbers, people have had to be turned away due to lack of space.

Unfortunately, shelter stays only treat a symptom of the problems people face. This is why the Cedar Valley United Way works in conjunction with many organizations throughout the Cedar Valley to fund programs that will help keep people in their homes and prevent the most common problems that lead people to seek emergency shelter.

In the 2006 fiscal year, Hawkeye Valley Area Agency on Aging provided 13,958 rides for seniors, enabling them to attend to medical needs, get to senior centers for meals and do grocery shopping. This services allows seniors to stay self-sufficient and in their homes.

Recipients of the transportation service have been very thankful for the rides provided, knowing these rides help them retain their independence. Many sincere thanks have been received by the HVAAA staff including the following:

Your contributions to the Cedar Valley United Way are making a difference the lives of senior citizens in our community. That’s what matters.

The Cedar Valley United Way hears many different success stories of the programs it funds. Often times, as in the case of the YWCA’s Summer Daze and Y’s Kids programs, success stories are best told by those who witness the everyday impact your contributions have in our community. Here is one such story told by the YWCA staff.

There is a young girl (7 years old) that we serve both in Y’s Kids and Summer Daze and we have worked with her and her family the last 2 ½ years. This child has multiple disabilities, but is withdrawn to such a degree that a true evaluation and diagnosis has not been able to be completed. She displays severe developmental delays in all areas of development. Her verbal communication is almost non-existent and her gross motor is delayed to the point she often needs assistance going down a flight of stairs. She is very withdrawn and most often chooses to blend in to the woodwork as best she can.

We have also hired a young man this last year who is fabulous with the kids, and as an African American male from this community, represents a positive male role model. This young man graduated from high school with support from special education services. There was such pride in his voice as he shared with us in the interview that he was the first in his family to ever graduate from high school. He even got teary eyed when we offered him a job. It really was a special moment. He was placed at the school that this 7 year old girl attends. His learning disabilities do not impact his ability to maintain a safe environment or establish positive relationships with children.

On the fourth day of our summer program, we took a field trip to the Waterloo Trampoline & Tumbling Center. It was there that I witnessed an amazing event. As I was watching all the children run, jump, and bounce, I noticed that this male staff member was running along side this little girl; encouraging her to participate in this very new, very physical activity. As I continued to watch I saw her actually running, crawling, jumping, and to my amazement smiling and laughing out loud (she of course put her hand to her mouth to disguise this, but it was there!). The staff member was laughing with her and encouraging her and the results were truly unreal.

Success stories come on many levels I guess, from community wide to the individual. Being able to share this little girl’s “breakout” triumph with her parents that day certainly was a success story for her and the staff member involved. It was also a huge “feel good” moment for those of us who got to witness it.

There has been much talk in the last week about the Kibe family, who were handed keys to their new home Sunday afternoon courtesy ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The family, whose house was lost to fire just days before Christmas 2005, had been living out of a camper. Insurance had paid off the mortgage on their house but did not leave enough to build again.

Right here in our very own back yard was a family struggling to survive. And it took a wake-up call from Hollywood for the problem to be fixed.

If volunteers can chip in a build a home from the ground up in a week, what can we do in a month or even a year?

Let’s help our neighbors. Volunteer. Give. Don’t know where to volunteer? Don’t know what agency resources are available? Call 2-1-1 and get connected with both volunteer opportunities and service providers.

Let’s not wait for another visit from Hollywood to take a look at who needs help here in our own backyard. Make the Cedar Valley a home that makes us all proud.

Together We Play allows for community training on inclusion of youth with disabilities into programs in the Cedar Valley as well as funding for staff buddies to assist youth in these programs. The program, run by the Family YMCA of Black Hawk County, works with community agencies and schools to ensure that youth with disabilities are able to participate in the same after-school and extra-curricular activities as their peers. These activities enhance the youth’s ability to bring their classroom knowledge to the after school hours as well as to further develop important social and interpersonal skills.

In the past, Together We Play has partnered with the Cedar Falls School District, Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, Girl Scouts, Hearst Center for the Arts, St. Ed’s Church and Waverly Parks and Recreation to make sure youth with disabilities are offered the same opportunities as their non-disabled peers.

Your contributions to the Cedar Valley United Way are making a difference in children’s lives. That’s what matters.

Community Home Nursing, a service run through the Visiting Nurses Association (VNA), helps seniors remain in their homes following an illness or accident by allowing home health care visits to occur to low income seniors. Below is a recent success story from the VNA.

A 73 year-old male was admitted for services from physician referral. This gentle man had been a diabetic for 30 years and was on insulin. His diabetes seemed to be out of control. After nursing visits to reinstruct on disease process, diet and medication administration, his blood sugars improved greatly. The good collaboration between the VNA nurse and with the physician improved this patient’s health status a great deal. The patient now feels that he understand what he is supposed to do and has demonstrated that he does understand.

To contact the Visiting Nurses Association about this program, call 319-235-6201.

Young Parents Together (YPT) allows for young parents to learn new skills regarding parenting and encourages them to delay their second birth. The program is a collaborative effort between the YWCA and Together for Youth.

Recently two program participants, Jordan Fischer and Larry Pratchett, received the Rose McCay Parenting Achievement Award and Scholarship. This honor is given to young parents who have achieved a major goal such as moving from homelessness to safe, permanent housing; completing school; moving from welfare to self-sufficiency; or in some way, turning their life around.

Jordan is a teen mother of a two-year-old son. She began attending YPT three years ago for support during her pregnancy. She continues to attend to learn more about raising a child and what to expect as a parent. “I enjoy coming so that Blake can have a chance to play with other children,” Jordan says. “I learn about stress management and realize that I’m not alone.” Jordan graduated from high school in 2005. She holds a full time job and has moved into her own home. Her goal is to attend college to earn a degree in athletic training once Blake begins pre-school.

Larry heard about YPT through a former YWCA volunteer when his girlfriend became pregnant. “This program has helped me a whole lot,” says the father of four-month-old twin girls. “It makes you more prepared and a better father.” Larry works part time while studying at UNI for a degree in sports psychology with a coaching minor. He, his girlfriend and daughters have their own home together. Both parents can’t say enough about the program.

Funding for programs such as Young Parents Together not only makes a difference in the lives of parents today, it affects future generations as well. That’s what matters.

You don’t know where to turn. Your child is refusing to return home. As a parent you don’t feel that you can let your child return home. You feel that your child is beyond your control. They are not in trouble with the law. You are not working with the Department of Human Services. Where do you turn for help? Youth Crisis Intervention Services through Lutheran Services in Iowa has an on-call counselor that is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week to support your family and assist you in getting the help that is needed. Eighty-five percent of the families that utilize this program are showing success in keeping the children in their home.

To get in touch with this program call 319-233-3579 Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or after business hours, the crisis cell phone number is 319-239-0469.

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Community Matters Story Archive Check Out Previous Stories Alternative Spring Break Back to School Project Changing Lives with Pocket Change Empowering Dads Hartman Reserve Homelessness HOPES Housing Stabilization Kids Café Operation Family Pack Quakerdale Residential Treatment Raising Money & Awareness Salvation Army Shelters Senior Tranpsortation Summer Daze & Y's Kids Taking Care of our Neighbors Together We Play Visiting Nurses Association Young Parents Together Youth Crisis Intervention Services Return to This Week's Story		think MTV and United Way of America Partnering for an Alternative Spring Break It's not too early to start thinking about Spring Break. In fact, the Cedar Valley United Way is now accepting applications for think MTV and United Way of America's ASB Gulf Coast 2007. If you are 18-24 or know someone who is, apply to help rebuild the region left devastated by the hurricanes in 2005. This is the second year of this partnership. This past spring, Jenn, a local UNI student was one of the 100 that was selected to experience this event. The need is just as great as before and for 2007, they will be hosting 1,000 young people during the month of March to help rebuild people’s lives. Applications are being accepted on the Cedar Valley United Way web site at www.cedarvalleyunitedway.org. If you are interested, your application needs to be received by Oct 15. We have reserved 10 slots that we will help to select for this great opportunity. Get your applications in soon as these spots will begin filling up fast. We understand that your plans may change and if you are accepted to participate, you still can decline the invitation at a later date. You do not have to be a college student to participate in this program. They are looking for young adults between the ages of 18-24 from many diverse backgrounds. All of the expenses will be paid once you arrive on-site. The only costs that you will incur will be the transportation to the Gulf Coast. If you are selected to participate, the Cedar Valley United Way will assist you in fundraising for this expense. The following is a message on the 2006 Storm Corps blog from a participant: “SO! I basically had not only the best spring break ever, which is saying a lot, but the best week of my life with the United Way and MTV's STORM CORPS! A little under 100 extremely diverse people gathered in Biloxi, MS a few Saturdays ago, not knowing what to expect, to unite with one common goal of rebuilding the MS and AL gulf coasts. And that we did! I had never met so many genuinely amazing young people, all of which ranged from 18-25 years of age, in such a short span of time. I don't even think that words can do justice to how extraordinary my experience was...” Return to top Changing Lives with Pocket Change The Nobel Committee announced this year’s Nobel Peace Prize recipient today—Bangladeshi economist Muhammad Yunus and his Grameen Bank who won for their pioneering use of small loans to lift millions of people out of poverty. Yunus began handing out loans to the poor who did not qualify for loans from conventional banks. No collateral is needed and repayment is based on an honor system. The loans average about $200 and the bank claims to have 6.6 million borrowers, 97% of whom are women. They’ve enabled the poor to pay off creditors, start businesses, enable home ownership and have helped communities with social and economic development. “Lasting peace cannot be achieved unless large population groups find ways in which to break out of poverty,” the Nobel Committee said in their announcement. “Micro-credit is one such means. Development from below also serves to advance democracy and human rights.” Right here in the Cedar Valley, Operation Pocket Change is working towards the same goal as this year’s Nobel Peace Prize recipient. Operation Threshold started the program this year to assist people who are in need of a small amount of money to resolve an immediate need—often things most of us take for granted such as driver’s licenses or state issued ID to use as identification to obtain a job, a shower chair to enable the disabled to continue to care for themselves or home winterization materials that will save hundreds in utility expenses. One of the world’s most prestigious and well respected humanitarian organizations has recognized the type of program Operation Pocket Change is launching as a catalyst for change that will better communities and help eliminate poverty. Let’s do the same here in the Cedar Valley. Help us build a stronger community. Return to top Back to School Project In the upcoming week, the Back to School Project, a Cedar Valley United Way funded program, will be distributing new school supplies to 1,662 children here in the Cedar Valley. Already this year, the program has provided school supplies to 170 students at the Walter Cunningham School for Excellence. Volunteers work to make sure each student receives the needed supplies for his or her school and grade, allowing each child to start the year out on the right foot. When you see students headed off to their first day of school, remember your contributions to the Cedar Valley United Way are making a difference in their lives. That’s what matters. Return to top Empowering Dads The Empowering Dads program conducted by Family and Children’s Council of Black Hawk County will help over 180 fathers increase their parenting skills this year. Fathers who need information on custody, visitation, or child support issues are linked with qualified attorneys for consultation through the Family Advocacy Project. Father support and parent education groups are also available to any dad who would like to continue to be involved in their children’s lives in a positive way. Of those fathers who’ve participated in the course: 86% say they have learned new ways to help their children learn. 93% say they have learned new discipline techniques. 93% say they have used new community resources as a result of the program 95% say they have learned new ways to manage stress. 86% say they are satisfied or very satisfied with being part of the program. Empowering Dads meet each Thursday at 5:30 at the KWWL Building, Suite 409. For more information about this program, visit www.fccouncil.net or call 234-7600. Return to top Hartman Reserve School Trips You never know what it is that can make a measurable difference in someone’s life. A child that attends Devonshire School is a great example. This girl did not verbally communicate with others in her class. She was able to attend an outreach program at Hartman Reserve. During this adventure, the kids were learning how to build bat houses. Who would have ever thought that this animal was this girl’s favorite? When she learned that she was going to get to build a house for a bat, she became vocal and wanted to talk about bats. She loved bats! Teachers and staff were now able to talk with this girl about bats and other things and build a stronger relationship that has carried over to other areas as well. Helping you help children...that’s what matters! Return to top Homelessness in the Cedar Valley With the first winter storm of the year, most of us are happy to curl up at home where it’s warm. But too many in the Cedar Valley have no place to call home. They’re homeless. We’d like to think that homelessness isn’t an issue here—only in bigger cities. That’s not the case. In 2005, 21,280 Iowans were homeless. Looking at our own community: In 2005 in Black Hawk County: · 957 people were homeless · 141 homeless students were enrolled in the Waterloo and Cedar Falls School Districts During the last quarter (July to September 2006), 217 different people were served by shelters in Black Hawk County. There are 72 beds available in shelters in Black Hawk County. The four most cited circumstances leading to homelessness: · Inability to find affordable housing · Eviction or foreclosure · Domestic Violence · Loss of employment or continued unemployment November 12 to 18 is National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. Ten people will be sleeping outside tonight to raise awareness of homelessness in Black Hawk County. They’re willing to spend this cold, snowy night to make others aware of the real issues here in our community. Let’s help them and work together to eliminate homelessness. Information from a 2005 study commissioned by the Iowa Council on Homelessness. Return to top Healthy Opportunities for Parents to Experience Success (HOPES) HOPES is a Cedar Valley United Way funded program run by Lutheran Services in Iowa to help parents learn new skills in parenting as well as encourage other healthy options for their family including immunizations, medical care, education and other activities to support the children and parents. The following is the story of one HOPES client. When the HOPES staff met this young lady, she seven months pregnant and living with whichever friend would allow her to stay. She was non-trusting and skeptical yet reached out for anyone who could comfort her from her troubled past. She was abused as a child and by her ex-husband who had obtained custody of her older two children. The pain showed as she first described the trauma she had been through. With the help of the HOPES program, this client has made great progress. She has moved in to her own apartment, got on FIP (Family Investment Program) and was able to save enough money to purchase a car. She then got a good job. Her baby is current on his immunizations and is happy, healthy and thriving. The staff has also noticed the improvement in this client’s self-esteem. She is much more sure of herself and determined. That’s what HOPES is about—helping people reach a happy, healthy solution to what life brings them. Her future goals include continuing with the visitation rights she has obtained for her older two children and continuing to grow into the best parent she can be. Your contributions to the Cedar Valley United Way are making a difference in this family’s lives. That’s what matters. Return to top Family Development and Self-Sufficiency—Housing Stabilization Program Cedar Valley United Way contributions fund Operation Threshold’s housing stabilization program operated though Family Development and Self-Sufficiency (FaDSS), Iowa’s effort to assist families at high risk of long-term welfare dependency to move toward self-sufficiency. The program provides one-time rent assistance for FaDSS participants to leave near homeless, substandard housing or rent burdened circumstances and establish a more stable home environment for their families. This program will provide tenant-based rental assistance in the amount of the full security deposit and 70% of the first month’s rent. The intended outcomes of the FaDSS program are to promote self-sufficient families, protect children and facilitate change that will produce stable and thriving families. FaDSS appears to break the dependency cycle. Since Operation Threshold began administering FaDSS in 1992, no past participant has had a child enter the program as an adult participant. For graduates who transitioned off welfare, more that 73% remained off welfare one year later. This is the type of success the Cedar Valley United Way is working to achieve in our community. Return to top Kids Café Kids Café is a program operated by the Northeast Iowa Food Bank to provide nutritional evening meals to children at risk of hunger at nine sites in the Cedar Valley. They also include other educational programming and skill building with the youth. From July 2006 to February 2007, Kids Café has served over 7,214 snacks and 16,662 meals. At one of the Kids Café sites, fresh apples and oranges were offered for snacks. One young participant asked if she could take home an orange for her mom. The staff said, "Sure, but let's make sure all the kids get a snack first." She then asked if she could take an orange home for her grandma. The staff replied the same. She proceeded to ask if she could take one home for a few other people in her family. The staff asked her if she ever has fresh fruit at home. The little girl said no, and that she really doesn't have that much food. There ended up being extra oranges and she was able to take a few home to her family to share. She was ecstatic. An orange may not seem like a lot to us, but it meant the world to this little girl. Access to food and proper nutrition are vital to the development of children. Children who have three meals a day as well as food on the weekend do better in school. When they do better in school, they do better in life. And that helps build a stronger Cedar Valley. Return to top Operation Family Pack Through your generous contributions, the Cedar Valley United Way is able to help fund Operation Family Pack through the Northeast Iowa Food Bank. This program provides “kid friendly” food to students in the Waterloo Community Schools who may not have an opportunity to get nutritious food when school is not in session. Kids are able to pick up backpacks filled with food from family outreach workers. Food included in the packs can be easily prepared by children. During the past three months, 801 meal sacks have been provided. Operation Family Pack helps school readiness, giving kids a source of nutritious food when school meals are not provided, and keeps children right here in the Cedar Valley from going hungry. Return to top Quakerdale Residential Treatment We tend to hear a lot in the media about children and young adults with problems. What we don’t hear often enough are the intervention stories and the work being done to help the youth in our community. Quakerdale is one of the agencies working to make a difference in the lives of these children. The following is a success story from their gender specific residential treatment program, funded by your Cedar Valley United Way contributions. The quarter’s success story actually began in December 2005 with the placement of a Black Hawk area teen at Quakerdale from a higher-level treatment center. She came here on a 30-day trial to determine if Quakerdale was the appropriate placement for her. She came from a two-parent family and in addition to the teen having mental health issues, it became apparent early on that the mother also suffered from mental health issues complicating the dynamics of the situation. Hospitalized several times during her first few months at Quakerdale for a variety of reasons, she also exhibited signs of being suicidal. Working intensely with therapists and staff to build her self-esteem separate from her mother, the staff began to see slow but steady progress. With the improvement of her self-esteem, her mental health issues were reduced to now being controlled by medication and continued therapy. During the summer and early fall, she had improved significantly to be considered for the Transitional Housing Program for older teens. This program provides a more independent living level that helps to provide the teen with the tools and skills to live on their on in the community. The girls in Transitional Housing have a job or attend classes, or both. They learn money management skills and learn how to live on their own. It is apartment living with limited supervision. In this case, the mother and her problems were part of the overall issue but the mother eventually realized that her daughter would do better on her own instead of returning to the family unit. It has taken many hours of staff time and therapy to achieve this level of success. She will continue to receive support and therapy until is ready for discharge. This type of story is repeated, in one form or another, many times each year. Return to top Raising Money and Awareness With three months of the campaign under our belt, results from company campaigns are starting to roll in. To date, $975,000 in pledges have been received. You are doing a fantastic job of building excitement about the Cedar Valley United Way! We’ve heard of everything from Belgian waffle breakfasts and chili cook-offs to tricycle races and dancing pigs. It’s all working to help build awareness about the Cedar Valley United Way and our mission to help people. There are 12 businesses thus far who have 100% participation from their employees. You read that right—100%! Special kudos to these businesses: A.G. Edwards Cedar Falls Public Schools – Administration City of Waterloo – Planning & Zoning Community National Bank First National Bank of Cedar Falls Heaton Adams PDCM Liberty Bank ME&V Modern Painting Sedona Staffing UAW Local 838 Let’s keep the momentum going to meet the $4 million need here in the Cedar Valley! Return to top Shelter Services Money raised through the Cedar Valley United Way provides funding for emergency shelter services at the Salvation Army for men, women and children in the Cedar Valley. In a three month time span, 184 people have been provided with 2,683 nights of shelter in a crisis situation. Even with these high numbers, people have had to be turned away due to lack of space. Unfortunately, shelter stays only treat a symptom of the problems people face. This is why the Cedar Valley United Way works in conjunction with many organizations throughout the Cedar Valley to fund programs that will help keep people in their homes and prevent the most common problems that lead people to seek emergency shelter. Return to top Elderly Transportation In the 2006 fiscal year, Hawkeye Valley Area Agency on Aging provided 13,958 rides for seniors, enabling them to attend to medical needs, get to senior centers for meals and do grocery shopping. This services allows seniors to stay self-sufficient and in their homes. Recipients of the transportation service have been very thankful for the rides provided, knowing these rides help them retain their independence. Many sincere thanks have been received by the HVAAA staff including the following: "It’s wonderful to not have to worry about getting to doctor and dental appointments. I really appreciate the help and service I receive when I really need it. Thanks so very much.” Your contributions to the Cedar Valley United Way are making a difference the lives of senior citizens in our community. That’s what matters. Return to top Summer Daze & Y's Kids The Cedar Valley United Way hears many different success stories of the programs it funds. Often times, as in the case of the YWCA’s Summer Daze and Y’s Kids programs, success stories are best told by those who witness the everyday impact your contributions have in our community. Here is one such story told by the YWCA staff. There is a young girl (7 years old) that we serve both in Y’s Kids and Summer Daze and we have worked with her and her family the last 2 ½ years. This child has multiple disabilities, but is withdrawn to such a degree that a true evaluation and diagnosis has not been able to be completed. She displays severe developmental delays in all areas of development. Her verbal communication is almost non-existent and her gross motor is delayed to the point she often needs assistance going down a flight of stairs. She is very withdrawn and most often chooses to blend in to the woodwork as best she can. We have also hired a young man this last year who is fabulous with the kids, and as an African American male from this community, represents a positive male role model. This young man graduated from high school with support from special education services. There was such pride in his voice as he shared with us in the interview that he was the first in his family to ever graduate from high school. He even got teary eyed when we offered him a job. It really was a special moment. He was placed at the school that this 7 year old girl attends. His learning disabilities do not impact his ability to maintain a safe environment or establish positive relationships with children. On the fourth day of our summer program, we took a field trip to the Waterloo Trampoline & Tumbling Center. It was there that I witnessed an amazing event. As I was watching all the children run, jump, and bounce, I noticed that this male staff member was running along side this little girl; encouraging her to participate in this very new, very physical activity. As I continued to watch I saw her actually running, crawling, jumping, and to my amazement smiling and laughing out loud (she of course put her hand to her mouth to disguise this, but it was there!). The staff member was laughing with her and encouraging her and the results were truly unreal. Success stories come on many levels I guess, from community wide to the individual. Being able to share this little girl’s “breakout” triumph with her parents that day certainly was a success story for her and the staff member involved. It was also a huge “feel good” moment for those of us who got to witness it. Return to top Taking Care of our Neighbors There has been much talk in the last week about the Kibe family, who were handed keys to their new home Sunday afternoon courtesy ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The family, whose house was lost to fire just days before Christmas 2005, had been living out of a camper. Insurance had paid off the mortgage on their house but did not leave enough to build again. Right here in our very own back yard was a family struggling to survive. And it took a wake-up call from Hollywood for the problem to be fixed. That’s unacceptable. If volunteers can chip in a build a home from the ground up in a week, what can we do in a month or even a year? Let’s help our neighbors. Volunteer. Give. Don’t know where to volunteer? Don’t know what agency resources are available? Call 2-1-1 and get connected with both volunteer opportunities and service providers. Let’s not wait for another visit from Hollywood to take a look at who needs help here in our own backyard. Make the Cedar Valley a home that makes us all proud. Return to top Together We Play Together We Play allows for community training on inclusion of youth with disabilities into programs in the Cedar Valley as well as funding for staff buddies to assist youth in these programs. The program, run by the Family YMCA of Black Hawk County, works with community agencies and schools to ensure that youth with disabilities are able to participate in the same after-school and extra-curricular activities as their peers. These activities enhance the youth’s ability to bring their classroom knowledge to the after school hours as well as to further develop important social and interpersonal skills. In the past, Together We Play has partnered with the Cedar Falls School District, Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, Girl Scouts, Hearst Center for the Arts, St. Ed’s Church and Waverly Parks and Recreation to make sure youth with disabilities are offered the same opportunities as their non-disabled peers. Your contributions to the Cedar Valley United Way are making a difference in children’s lives. That’s what matters. Return to top Community Home Nursing Community Home Nursing, a service run through the Visiting Nurses Association (VNA), helps seniors remain in their homes following an illness or accident by allowing home health care visits to occur to low income seniors. Below is a recent success story from the VNA. A 73 year-old male was admitted for services from physician referral. This gentle man had been a diabetic for 30 years and was on insulin. His diabetes seemed to be out of control. After nursing visits to reinstruct on disease process, diet and medication administration, his blood sugars improved greatly. The good collaboration between the VNA nurse and with the physician improved this patient’s health status a great deal. The patient now feels that he understand what he is supposed to do and has demonstrated that he does understand. To contact the Visiting Nurses Association about this program, call 319-235-6201. Return to top Young Parents Together Young Parents Together (YPT) allows for young parents to learn new skills regarding parenting and encourages them to delay their second birth. The program is a collaborative effort between the YWCA and Together for Youth. Recently two program participants, Jordan Fischer and Larry Pratchett, received the Rose McCay Parenting Achievement Award and Scholarship. This honor is given to young parents who have achieved a major goal such as moving from homelessness to safe, permanent housing; completing school; moving from welfare to self-sufficiency; or in some way, turning their life around. Jordan is a teen mother of a two-year-old son. She began attending YPT three years ago for support during her pregnancy. She continues to attend to learn more about raising a child and what to expect as a parent. “I enjoy coming so that Blake can have a chance to play with other children,” Jordan says. “I learn about stress management and realize that I’m not alone.” Jordan graduated from high school in 2005. She holds a full time job and has moved into her own home. Her goal is to attend college to earn a degree in athletic training once Blake begins pre-school. Larry heard about YPT through a former YWCA volunteer when his girlfriend became pregnant. “This program has helped me a whole lot,” says the father of four-month-old twin girls. “It makes you more prepared and a better father.” Larry works part time while studying at UNI for a degree in sports psychology with a coaching minor. He, his girlfriend and daughters have their own home together. Both parents can’t say enough about the program. Funding for programs such as Young Parents Together not only makes a difference in the lives of parents today, it affects future generations as well. That’s what matters. Return to top Youth Crisis Intervention Services You don’t know where to turn. Your child is refusing to return home. As a parent you don’t feel that you can let your child return home. You feel that your child is beyond your control. They are not in trouble with the law. You are not working with the Department of Human Services. Where do you turn for help? Youth Crisis Intervention Services through Lutheran Services in Iowa has an on-call counselor that is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week to support your family and assist you in getting the help that is needed. Eighty-five percent of the families that utilize this program are showing success in keeping the children in their home. To get in touch with this program call 319-233-3579 Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or after business hours, the crisis cell phone number is 319-239-0469. Return to top


Cedar Valley United Way \| 425 Cedar Street, Suite 300, Waterloo, IA 50701 \| 319.235.6211 \| unitedway@cvuw.org