UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL IOWA BLOG

United Way of Central Iowa is proud to announce that Grant Kvalheim, CEO and President of Athene USA, has been named the 2024 recipient of the Tocqueville Society Award.

On September 19, 2024, United Way of Central Iowa was honored to receive Dental Connections’ Celebration of Smiles Award. This recognition celebrates a decades-long partnership that has made a significant impact on the health and education of children in central Iowa.

On August 24, 2024, United Way of Central Iowa was deeply honored to receive the Genesis Ubuntu Community Appreciation Award at Genesis Youth Foundation's I AM Africa Gala. This meaningful recognition highlights the lasting impact of our collaboration with Genesis Youth Foundation and underscores our shared commitment to mobilizing the community to action so all can thrive.
 

United Way of Central Iowa Board of Directors is pleased to announce the addition of ten new members, who began their two-year term on July 1, 2024. This significant expansion reflects United Way’s commitment to bolstering community impact and advancing its mission through strengthened governance and diverse viewpoints.

United Way of Central Iowa has appointed Anne-Lyse Badou-James as the organization’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO). 

Anne-Lyse will join the organization’s senior leadership team on July 29, 2024.In this role, Anne-Lyse will guide the organization’s strategic direction, oversee finance and technology, and enhance community impact through innovative approaches aligned to United Way of Central Iowa’s UNITED to THRIVE strategic imperative.

Employees from 35 central Iowa organizations, along with many individual contributors from the community, donated more than 30,000 children’s books to United Way of Central Iowa’s Stuff the Bus book drive. The results were announced at the annual community-wide book collection at Athene in West Des Moines on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.

Every book donated will be distributed to more than 100 childcare or child-serving programs in Dallas, Polk and Warren Counties.

At this year's LIVE UNITED celebration luncheon, United Way of Central Iowa unveiled its 2024 Community Report and recognized five organizations and three individuals with its annual LIVE UNITED Awards. Athene was awarded the 2024 Spirit of Central Iowa Award for the fourth consecutive year and sixth time overall. 

During the event, the organization’s president, Mary Sellers, called attention to the critical issues our community is currently experiencing, and reminded attendees of how, in partnership with many in the community, United Way is navigating these issues.

"We focus on the Five Elements of a Thriving Community with equity at the core, recognizing the interconnectedness of each piece, much like a puzzle,” said Sellers. “Addressing critical community issues requires a holistic approach as they impact every aspect of peoples’ lives. By providing access to quality, affordable childcare, we give working parents the opportunity to remain in the workforce, leading to better access to healthcare, housing, and improved educational outcomes for their children. Together, in a UNITED WAY, we achieve real, lasting impact across central Iowa."

This post was originally published on March 19, 2019, but was updated on March 12, 2024 to include our most recent information about United Way of Central Iowa's annual Stuff the Bus book drive, sponsored by Athene USA and EY. 

The books we read as children do more than sweep us off to sleep at bedtime, teach us our letters, and help prepare us for school. 

They also serve as mirrors as we learn who we are and windows as we discover the outside world. Through books, we see both inside and out.  

Today, United Way of Central Iowa and the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines convened donors, volunteers, advocates, nonprofit organizations, community leaders, elected officials and people with lived experience to learn more about food insecurity issues that are directly impacting our community and the collaborative approach our community is taking to address them.