The AIDS Project of Central Iowa assists people living with HIV to achieve the highest quality of life available; and prevents future infections in our community. Care services include case management, information & referral, advocacy, housing assistance and food pantry. Prevention services include community outreach, education, supplies, HIV testing, and group level interventions.

The Red Cross provides basic necessities to families recovering from disaster. It acts as the communication link between military personnel and their families. Health & Safety programs teach swimming, CPR, first aid, babysitting and the facts about HIV and AIDS. United Way partners with the Red Cross to provide information, referral and telephone counseling services through its 2-1-1 hotline. Critical Incident Stress Management debriefings help emergency services personnel and company employees to cope with the emotional aftershocks of a critical incident.

Bernie Lorenz Recovery, Inc. is a state-licensed half-way house for women in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. Named after one of the pioneering women in recovery in central Iowa, Bernie Lorenz Recovery opened its doors on Feb. 12, 1990, and has since served 1,100 women who have desired a healthier, more productive way of living. The purpose of the program is to provide a safe, structured, nurturing environment to enhance recovery outcomes.

Big Brothers Big Sisters compatibly pairs children, between the ages of 6-14, with a volunteer for role modeling, support, guidance, and unconditional friendship. Once a mentor match is made, that match is professionally supported and guided through the process of developing a strong and healthy relationship.

Scouting ingrains a "Can’t Wait" attitude and strong values into the hearts and minds of young people that forges the character they will need to face life’s challenges and fulfill life’s promises.

Inspires and enables all young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens. Offers after school and all day summer programming for youth, ages 5-18. Club curriculum focuses on five core areas: Character and Leadership Development; Education and Career Development; Health and Life Skills; The Arts; and Sports and Recreation. Four inner-city locations provide "The Positive Place for Kids."

Camp Fire USA’s mission is to build caring, confident youth and future leaders. Camp Fire provides programs for school aged boys and girls and their families. Camp Fire Programs focus on building self-esteem, self-reliance and citizenship. A variety of programs are offered, including clubs, school day off and vacation camps, summer and vacation day camps, summer and winter overnight camp, horseback riding, self-reliance programs and babysitting courses. Camp Fire Programs at the Archie Brooks and Four Mile Community Centers offer reduced fees for low-income families.

Catholic Charities has provided help to families and individuals for over 80 years. Over the years, our agency expanded to meet the needs of our society. What began as an organization providing adoption and housing services for children has transformed into an agency providing counseling, immigrant and refugee service, adoption/pregnancy counseling, homes for victims of domestic violence and homelessness and the largest outreach center in Des Moines. Guided by the teaching of the Catholic Church, we serve all people in need with compassion and competence, advocate for justice, and encourage all people of good will to share in these efforts.

As the largest emergency shelter in Iowa, the agency offers 68 emergency beds for men and 34 beds for women and a 14-bed transitional housing unit for homeless veterans. Guests are provided shower and laundry facilities, meals, and clothing as well as an on-site medical clinic and individualized case management. Additional offerings include Veterans First Work and Jobs First! job placement programs, a transit shuttle service, and daytime shelter for the health-impaired. Since becoming a United Way program in FY2003, the agency’s Community Kitchen program has provided 250,000 meals for extremely low income families through its city-wide meal sites.

The Child Abuse Prevention Council provides support, information and services to help prevent child abuse and operates the Wee Care Respite Nursery and Young Parents Program in Warren County. The Wee Care Respite Nursery provides free, state-licensed child care in a 2-hour session so parents can go to medical appointments, run errands or take a break from the challenges of parenting young children ages 6 wks through kindergarten. Young Parents is a free, weekly support and information program for current parents or expectant young parents up to the age of 23 years. The council also coordinates community awareness activities about child abuse and the importance of prevention.

At Children & Families of Iowa, we offer 15 family-centered programs to an average of 800 people daily. Our programs include: adolescent substance abuse treatment; adoption/foster care services; counseling/therapy for children, adults, and families; domestic violence interventions, including victim shelter and batterers education; childcare and special needs childcare; residential care, day treatment and community-based accountability for adolescents.

ChildServe provides community and residential services and supports for children with special health care needs. Community services include: Integrated Childcare, Case management, Homecare, Respite, Supported Community Living, Occupational therapy, Physical Therapy, and Speech-Language therapy, Pediatric Audiology, and Adaptive Equipment. Residential services are provided at the ChildServe Habilitation Center in Johnston as well as 8 homes located throughout communities in Des Moines and the surrounding suburbs.

COC provides vocational and residential services and support to persons with disabilities. Vocational services include assembly and packaging work in a plant setting and assisting persons in obtaining and maintaining employment with community businesses. Residential services include group homes with staff present 24/7 and hourly services to persons living in apartments and homes. The purpose of all services is to provide persons with disabilities or other special needs the opportunity to reach their potential.

Community Health Charities Iowa has worked with its member health agencies to raise funds to support in the fight against deadly diseases such as cancer, lung disease, mental illness, diabetes, muscular dystrophy, blindness, developmental disabilities, epilepsy, arthritis, kidney failure, Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis. Community Health Charities Iowa member agencies work to improve the health and well-being of people in all of Iowa’s communities. See website link for a list and description of Community Health Charities’ Members.

Provides services for low-income, elderly and disabled residents in Dallas County with programs such as the Dallas County Crisis Program, Head Start and Early Head Start, WIC, Child Health, Women’s Health, Energy Assistance, Weatherization, Emergency Food Pantry, Toys for Tots. The Immigrant Advocacy Center is housed in the Family Development Center. The Center is also a source of information and referral regarding other area resources. Eligibility for programs varies by program. For some programs, documentation of income is required. Bilingual staff are available.

Creative Visions provides free support services such as aftercare in our Employment programs, Sunday Meals, Health Clinic, and Youth Groups. Creative Visions provides programming for at-risk youth and adult participants designed to help them develop appropriate social skills and self-sufficiency. Creative Visions also conducts public education and community-building activities to reach parents, community leaders, public officials and general citizens on issues affecting the Des Moines community.

Des Moines Community Services provides a number of direct services for low-income families within the City of Des Moines through neighborhood based site offices.

The Des Moines Health Center operates a dental clinic providing general dental care on a sliding discount basis to families and individuals: Little Healthy Smiles, a fluoride varnish program in pre-school; Head Start programs; Healthy Smiles Project, a school based oral health promotion/disease prevention program providing oral health education, screening, and referrals; and dental sealants. To further reduce oral health disparities, the Smile Squad Mobile Dental Clinic, a two-chair fully equipped dental clinic housed in a 30 foot RV, provides on-site dental treatment services at area schools.

The SUCCESS Program, a school-based youth services program offered year-round since 1990 in the Des Moines Public Schools, serves families with children prenatal through age 21. Forty-one case managers and one student mentor located in 31 elementary, middle, and high schools engage students and families in removing barriers that interfere with academic, social, and/or vocational growth. The strategies used to achieve the results are intensive case management, individual tutoring and mentoring, home visiting, group skill building, summer and after-school group programs, donation coordination, circles of support, education services for pregnant and parenting teens, and coordination of repositioned services.

For more than 40 years, Employee & Family Resources has provided essential mental health and substance abuse services. Deaf Services facilitates communication between hearing, hard-of-hearing and Deaf individuals, and provides American Sign Language case management. Individual and Family Counseling provides counseling for low income clients, in English and Spanish. In support of school success, the multi-cultural, multi-lingual staff of Project Uplift provide case management for multiple-risk youth and their families, the Student Assistance Program provides intervention services for students and families and Substance Abuse and Violence Prevention equips children and youth with critical healthy living skills.

Services to children and families including child care, free health care and family support services. Promotes continuing education through services for parents and siblings.

Family Directions of Iowa Programs provide community-based prevention, intervention and parenting educational resources for families. Family Directions of Iowa Programs work to promote strong and healthy families by providing solid programs for children and youth, while initiating collaborative efforts for community betterment. Family Directions of Iowa Programs address Early Childhood Agendas that work to improve school readiness and success and to reduce child abuse and neglect. Increased accessibility to services for families in need of support include programs for parents and children, Parent Education classes and specific programs for Latino families, teen parents, fathers and grandparents.

Development of values, character, confidence and courage in young women ages 5-17 in an all-girl environment.

To improve the quality of life for individuals with disabilities or other barriers to employment by providing work opportunities and skill development to achieve self- sufficiency.

Diverse, multigenerational programming to meet the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social needs of those served.

Hawthorn Hill Ministries’ New Directions Shelter program has provided free, temporary, emergency shelter and services for homeless mothers and their children since 1990. We offer a home environment that is drug and alcohol free. The facilities include eight (8) private bedrooms, balanced meals, and bathroom and laundry facilities. We furnish clothing and medical care as needed. To help mothers get a new start, we offer professional case management, and counseling and advocacy in many different areas. We also assist the families with acquiring permanent housing.

Increases the accessibility to and utilization of health care services and education among under and unserved persons, particularly women and children.

Helping Hand in Indianola, Iowa, has been helping families in Warren County since 1982. This is an all-volunteer organization. We provide clothing and household items at no cost to families who do not need a reference. Our food pantry provides food to families who are referred by the Warren County Department of Human Services, pastor/churches, the Veterans Administration Director, the Warren County Child Abuse Prevention Council or law enforcement officers in the county.

Quality, affordable services to the Latino community including child care, Head Start, human services and a clinic.

HOME, Inc. creates opportunities for quality affordable housing. The corporation is dedicated to helping low income families improve their housing situations to enable self-sufficiency and help stabilize their lives. HOME, Inc. provides the following programs: The Property Program acts as a developer and general contractor in the construction or rehabilitation of homes to provide homeownership opportunities to low income families; The Community Housing Services Program provides counseling, educational and advocacy services to tenants, landlords and homeless people; and Homeownership Counseling and Supportive Services enables prospective homeowners to determine if they are ready to purchase and develop a plan to do so.

Quality, compassionate care at the end of life for individuals and families.

House of Mercy provides transitional/permanent housing, medical/dental care, child care, homeless outreach, school-based and residential/outpatient clinical services to those most at risk in the community. Residential services target pregnant, parenting, and non-parenting women who are in need of assistance with such issues as homelessness, recovery, self-sufficiency, parenting and life skills. Clinical services address addiction, mental health, trauma, parenting and individual/family/relationship concerns.

We build cultural respect at home and around the world one person at a time. Programs and Services include: Translation Services, Diversity Training, Multicultural Resource Guide, Youth Programs, International Issues Forums, International Visitors and International Events.

IHYC provides a variety of programs and facilities that help homeless youth live independently and become self-sufficient. These include Street Outreach, the Buchanan Center for homeless young men and women aged 16-22 and the Lighthouse for pregnant and parenting homeless young women aged 16-26 and their children. A variety of meals and a Food Pantry are provided at the downtown Outreach Center, which also has shower and laundry facilities for homeless youth. Childcare options for homeless parents and services for youth who have aged out of foster care are also provided. All services are provided free of charge.

Iowa Legal Aid is a nonprofit organization that provides critical legal assistance to low-income Iowans who have nowhere else to turn. Iowa Legal Aid ensures our justice system works for those who cannot afford help with legal issues. Typical cases involve problems with basic necessities, fundamental rights or safety, including protecting victims of domestic violence, providing access to housing, and securing income support such as disability benefits. More than 70 percent of the cases involve women as the primary client. Nearly 20 percent of the clients served were senior citizens. More than a third of the cases involve family law, the majority involving domestic abuse.

ISED Ventures is a non-profit community development organization creating economic opportunities for low and moderate income persons through planning, direct services, and advocacy. Working in partnership with others, we help Iowans increase income and acquire assets through job placement, small business training and technical assistance, access to capital, financial education and savings.

A drum and drill team for boys and girls ages 6-18.

Overall goals of the Senior Adult Services include keeping senior adults in their home and self-sufficient for as long as possible. Our aim is to provide information and referral counseling and emergency assistance to seniors in the greater Des Moines area. In addition, we advocate on behalf of clients to attain and access services within the community that will fulfill basic living needs, i.e. transportation, legal, psychiatric and medical services as well as facilitation opportunities for recreational, cultural, educational and social interaction with others.

Link Associates is a community-based organization providing comprehensive services for children and adults with mental disabilities. Since 1953, teams have worked together to provide services that support consumers in defining and achieving their personal goals. Living and work environments are offered providing opportunities to work, learn, and socialize through supports provided by caring, skilled and knowledgeable staff. Through a variety of quality service options, the focus is abilities, wants and desires rather than disabilities. There are seven service options including: Work Services, Developmental Center for Adults, Supported Employment, Residential Services, Family Support Services, Leisure Services, and Case Management.

LSI serves more than 40,000 Iowans annually through residential treatment, services to families, home health care, early childhood programs, adoption services, refugee resettlement, services for people with disabilities, disaster response initiatives, Mission Prescriptions and Barnabas Uplift. LSI serves people of all ages, genders, nationalities, religions, ethnicities and sexual orientations and is affiliated with Lutheran Services in America and three Iowa Synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Working to break the cycle of poverty, Oakridge provides the most vulnerable members of our society with programs that give them hope, coping skills that help them survive, workplace skills that allow them to thrive, safety for their children, education and health programming. Oakridge helps the working poor attain sustained self-sufficiency and self-reliance by addressing issues that keep them from getting ahead: affordable housing, childcare, education, and case management.

Orchard Place Child Guidance Center provides an array of child-focused and family-centered professional mental health treatment and prevention services, including individual, family and group therapy; day treatment; child psychological and custody evaluations and family assessments; psychiatric evaluations, medication assessments and management; outpatient co-occurring conditions treatment for young people with dual diagnoses of a serious emotional disorder and substance abuse problems; and in-home and foster care support services. PACE serves at-risk and delinquent youth and young adults. PACE provides a continuum of services to help youth with issues such as delinquency, truancy, academic deficiency, substance abuse and inadequate social functioning. Services aim to treat the whole child, strengthen the family and promote self-sufficiency.

PCCAS provides crisis response to families who have lost a loved one to homicide or suicide, rape victims/survivors, and other victims/survivors of crime. The agency also provides support groups, individual and family sessions, advocacy in the various settings in which crime victims are involved, community education and outreach, services for non-offending parents, and specialized programming as needed by the community.

Prevention Concepts, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation formed in 1982 to serve south central Iowa counties in their efforts to prevent alcohol, tobacco, and other drug abuse.

The Salvation Army Family Services is an emergency assistance program. Assistance can be received for utilities, housing, food pantry, infant supplies (cribs, car seats, diapers, and formula), clothing, furniture, and gasoline.

The current Executive Director, Wayne Ford, founded Urban Dreams and has worked with Des Moines’ inner city communities for over twenty years. Urban Dreams has expanded statewide and is operating in Des Moines, Waterloo, Iowa City, Sioux City, and Davenport. Urban Dreams’ mission is to improve the quality of life for all non-traditional client groups through a comprehensive information and referral component; to administer high-risk youth/adult projects utilizing a holistic approach; to consult in the areas of urban development and minority sensitivity; and to bridge the gap between the traditional and non-traditional communities.

Since 1908, Visiting Nurse Services (VNS) has provided for the health and social needs of women, children, and adults in Polk County. Primary program areas include prenatal health, infant and child health, adult and senior health, and community health. VNS staff includes nurses, social worker, public health consultants, and outreach workers. Hispanic, Vietnamese, Sudanese and Bosnian interpreters work with refugee and immigrant families. Services include prenatal education, child development education, family support home visits, linkages to health insurance, transportation, nurse home visits for chronically ill adults, companionship for elderly homebound adults, health consultation for childcare centers, and flu immunization clinics.

Wesley Community Services (formerly Generations Incorporated), established in 1962, is a private, non-profit health and human service agency that provides community based supportive service to ill, elderly, persons with disabilities and families living in crisis who reside in Polk County, Iowa. Committed to providing quality services that enable people to remain independent and keep families together, the agency fulfills its mission through four main programs: Home Care Aide, Meals on Wheels, Family Centered Services and Volunteer Services. We believe that people of all ages, cultures and backgrounds should have the opportunity to live in the most independent environment possible, their home.

The West Des Moines Youth Justice Initiative (YJI) is a community justice program that works with young people who have committed crimes in West Des Moines. YJI is based on restorative justice principles which understand that offending is more than breaking laws - it is about people taking actions that harm others within the community. YJI engages those impacted to identify the harms; to create a plan for the offender to put things right; and to mobilize support/accountability for the offender to fulfill her/his obligations.

Education/resource center devoted to educational enrichment for children.

The YMCA of Greater Des Moines builds strong kids, strong families and strong communities through a wide range of programs such as youth sports, aquatics, fitness, affordable child care, teen leadership clubs, day camps, family programs and more. These programs emphasize character development, build positive skills and assets, and develop participants in spirit, mind and body.

The Young Women’s Resource Center is a place where young women can find answers to their questions and seek help negotiating the rough waters of adolescence. Since 1978, we have been the source of quality programming and guidance for the young women who have come through our doors. Founded by Louise Noun and other concerned community leaders, we exist to help bridge the gap between young women and the larger community.

United Way funds allow YESS to provide coordinated 24-hour emergency crisis intervention services to non-system involved children - specifically those young people who are not safe at home, but whose situation may not warrant involvement with the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) or Juvenile Court. YESS’ service objectives are fundamental to the agency’s mission - to keep children safe and families together. YESS programs strive to achieve the following: provide immediate crisis stabilization and assessment, allow children access to emergency shelter, construct service plans to help resolve youth and family problems, reunify families and assist in maintaining the home placement, and divert children from involvement with the Child Welfare System.

Provides legal representation and advocacy exclusively to children.

The Youth Policy Institute of Iowa (YPII) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving youth policy and practice using principles of positive youth development. YPII assists state and local community agencies in developing and implementing positive youth development policies and programs. Major projects include providing coordination and support for youth initiatives such as: Moving On Up! Passport to Independence (a Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative), Iowa Collaboration for Youth Development, Iowa Aftercare Services Network, Iowa Afterschool Alliance, and Iowa Youth Connections Council.

Empower women, children and people of color to be full community participants.