Our Partner Agencies

Our Nonprofit Partner Agencies

United Way connects and strengthens community resources to nurture change in the lives of all north Iowans. We do this by funding Partner Agencies who specialize in impactful work improving education, income & health. Below is the list of our 2020 Partner Agencies. Click on their name for more information about the agency and the program(s) that were funded by United Way of North Central Iowa.


 

                                              

Cedar Valley Friends of the Family

Rapid Housing Initiative 

The goal of the program is to end homelessness in North Central Iowa by offering an effective homeless program. Participants take an initial assessment, secure housing, and receive case management while we provide rent/utility assistance. FOF operates under a "Housing First" model which aims to house people first, and allow them time to meet their basic needs such as employment and mental health. Weekly case management visits include budgeting, problem-solving, connecting to resources, and more.

Contact: Main Office- 319.352.1108
                Mason City Outreach Office- 641.231.5008


Charlie Brown Community Daycare Child Care 

Child Care Assistance for Low-Income Families 

This program serves families who are struggling to pay for child care when trying to seek or begin employment and need quality child care for their children. The coverage fills the gap between when a family first starts a job and when they begin receiving DHS Child Care voucher funds for childcare. Currently, the Department of Human Services (DHS) requires a 30-45 day waiting period for anyone who is applying for assistance for child care. This makes it nearly impossible for someone who cannot afford child care to begin a new job and it also makes it hard for employers to keep employees often resulting in families not pursuing employment or finding cheap/unsafe/unlicensed childcare for their children until assistance is granted.

Contact: West Town- 641.424.0065
                Washington- 641.423.6029
                Lake Town- 641.357.7277 


Community Kitchen of North Iowa, Inc.
Nutritional Meals for Those in Need

The Community Kitchen works to meet the hunger needs of people in the North Iowa area. Located in Mason City, the Kitchen provides a noon meal, six days a week, including Saturdays. We serve four evenings each week. Food and supplies are provided to Clear Lake, which serves evening meals on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at the United Methodist Church. The Kitchen provides bread to individuals who stop in and to the Clear Lake Food Bank.

Contact: 641.424.2316


Crisis Intervention Service 
Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, & Other Violent Crimes Intervention Program

Crisis Intervention Services Program Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Other Violent Crimes Intervention Program provides comprehensive services to adult and child victims of domestic violence and abuse.  CIS provides a holistic approach, blending prevention, education, crisis response, supportive services, housing assistance, community organizing and collaborative partnerships to better meet the needs of victims of violence in North Central Iowa. The payoff for safe housing and crisis response is immediate and tangible. While Crisis Intervention doesn't  necessarily fix every problem overnight, they begin the work with the individual/family to develop a course of action.

Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Prevention Program

Crisis Intervention Services provides comprehensive services to adult and child victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.  The organization blends prevention, education, crisis response, supportive services, housing assistance, community organizing, and collaborative partnerships to meet the needs of victims of violence in North Iowa. Crisis Intervention Service provides a variety of evidence & research based violence prevention & education programming for all age levels. Programming addresses individual, relational, community and societal levels. Prevention is the key to reducing abuse, but it takes time. The results of violence prevention are not immediate. While program results may see small individual changes tomorrow, it will take 10+ years of deliberate prevention programming to impact meaningful social change.

Contact: 641.423.9133


Francis Lauer Youth Services  
Emergency Services Shelter

YSS-Francis Lauer Youth Services operates a co-ed shelter for children primarily between the ages of 12 and 17. The Child Welfare Emergency Services (CWES) Shelter operates 24 hours per day, 7 days per week and is licensed through the State of Iowa Department of Human Services, Department of Inspections and Appeals. Up to 15 children can be served on a daily basis with an average daily census of 6 children. Shelter services are provided for children who experience any of the following: Abuse, neglect or abandonment, child/parent mental health issues, unsafe health or environment situations, homelessness, behavior issues, minor law violations.

Contact: 641.423.7362


Friends of Iowa CASA and ICFCRB back to the top
North Iowa CASA

North Iowa CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) provides specially trained volunteer advocates to serve as an effective voice in court for abused and neglected children, strengthening efforts to ensure that each child is living in a safe, permanent, and nurturing home. The North Iowa CASA program recruits, trains, and supports community volunteers who advocate for and promote the best interest of children who are victims of abuse and/or neglect.CASA volunteers assume the role of investigator, reporter, and monitor for the child or sibling group. CASA Advocates are thoroughly screened and required to complete thirty hours of pre-service training to work with children. Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) are appointed by a judge as officers of the court to provide focused, individualized advocacy for CINA-adjudicated children. CASAs submit a report to the court for each hearing involving the child, allowing the judge to make more informed decisions in the child's best interest.

Contact: 641.421.3080


iJAG 
Empowering, Engaging, and Educating Mason City

IJAG believes people are more powerful than circumstances. iJAG helps Mason City, Forest City and Algona youth tap into that power to change the trajectory of their lives. They provide mentoring, academic tutoring, job training/placement for low-income students; activities which raise graduation rates, help students access living-wage employment, and establish long-term self-sufficiency. iJAG provides an evidence-based, comprehensive school-to-career program for students who face barriers to success.

Contact: 515.242.5617


Lutheran Services in Iowa back to the top
Families Together

Families Together provides an evidence-based and comprehensive approach to strengthening families with children ages 0-18 through home visitation.  The program works towards reducing adverse childhood experiences and child maltreatment and is designed to work with overburdened families. The program is voluntary and provided to families at no cost.  The overall purpose of this program is to promote child well being and prevent child abuse. The following are the activities provided to families: 1. Assessment helps plan services in the areas of family history, child development, depression, and domestic violence 2. Goal setting addresses the family's unique interests 3. Referrals help meet family needs 4. Evidence-based curriculum is used for parent education 5. Parent/child Interaction is assessed and guided to create positive attachment.

Lutheran Services in Iowa back to the top
Early Childhood Programming

Early Childhood Programming promotes child well-being and prevents child abuse through home visiting and family support. The following are the activities provided to families: 1. Assessment helps plan services in the areas of family history, child development, depression, and domestic violence 2. Goal setting addresses the family's unique interests 3. Referrals help meet family needs 4. Evidence-based curriculum is used for parent education 5. Parent/child Interaction is assessed and guided to create positive attachment.

Contact: 515.633.3062


 

Meals on Wheels
Meals for the Homebound

Meals on Wheels provides nutritious meals to people with difficulty preparing meals for a variety of physical or mental conditions, including recovery from an illness or operation. Volunteers deliver meals that have been prepared by Mercy Hospital Dieticians in order for the homebound to remain in their homes and maintain proper nutrition. Meals include a hot meat, vegetable, a starch, and a dessert and prepared under a dietitian's supervision at Mercy. Rotating meal plans ensure variety. Special dietary requirements can also be accommodated.

Contact: 641.380.0080


 

NIACOG Housinghttps://www.niacog.org/trustfund Trust Fund back to the top
Houseing Trust Fund

The Housing Trust fund assists low-income elderly and disabled households with emergency housing repairs. Typical projects include furnace repair/replacement, handicapped ramps, resolving electrical issues, repair/replacement of water heater, and making bathrooms accessible. This program allows the elderly and disabled to remain in their home safely. Funds may be partnered with other programs when available to address as many needs as possible.

Contact: 641.423.0491


43 North Iowa
Community Connections

Community Connections (CC) was created to fill the service gaps for young adults with disabilities and at-risk youth preparing for the workforce. Service gaps exist for some students who are unable to be sufficiently served through existing programs. Activities include career planning, job seeking, job keeping, internships, and job placement activities. CC provides support to young adults on their paths to employment who otherwise do not have resources available to them. The program enhances and promotes financial stability and improves the ability to earn an income for young adults at-risk or with disabilities ages 15-21

Transitional Living Supports

Transitional Living Services ensures clients meet their medical, mental health, and daily living needs in a variety of supported living settings. Staff assists clients in managing daily life by encouraging and providing opportunities for skill building, community engagement, assisting in connecting with natural supports, and navigating social situations. The goal of this program is to support individuals as they transition from one level of care to another where gaps and lags in funding occur.

Contact: 641.423.3301


North Iowa Child Abuse Prevention Council 
Satellite Child Protection Center

The Satellite Child Protection Center provides centralized access and referral to an integrated system of community services for abused children and their families.  Forensic interviews and medical exams are coordinated by specially trained forensic interviews and physicians. Interviews are recorded and available for court use, reducing the number of times children must tell their stories.  Efforts include the identification, treatment, and prevention of child abuse. Coordination of high-quality evidentiary interviews and medical exams by specially trained forensic interviewers and physician(s). Focused coordination of efforts toward identification, treatment, and prevention of child abuse. The dedicated multi-disciplinary team put the child's health, well-being, and safety first.

Contact: 641.421.3644 Ext. 4111


North Iowa Community Action Organization
Outreach Program

The Outreach Program assists families who are at risk of becoming homeless to stay in their homes by obtaining and maintaining affordable housing through education. Case managers will help families set goals to improve their socioeconomic status.  Families in creating a working budget, are educated regarding their banking needs, and if families are unbanked, they are guided to become banked.  Families will receive rental assistance to help them overcome the obstacles or crises they face when trying to set money aside for an emergency fund.

Contact: 641.423.8993


Northern Lights

Northern Lights Alliance for the Homeless
Homelessness to Permanent Housing

Homelessness to Permanent Housing helps people with an average of $500.00 to be put toward a housing barrier the client is struggling with such as a rent deposit, rent, or a past due utility bill keeping them from putting utilities in their name. Clients are provided case management to help them find housing as well as other resources to help them remain self-sufficient after leaving the shelter.

Contact: 641.423.5920

 


RSVP of North Central Iowa back to the top
Reading Buddies Program

The Reading Buddy Program is an elementary school literacy program that addresses the needs of developing readers. Multiple volunteers meet with students on different days of the week, so each student receives 30-60 minutes of extra reading per week. Volunteers help students with letter and sight word identification, pronunciation, as well as fluency, and comprehension skills. This one-on-one, extra attention helps improve the student’s reading skills and attitude towards reading.

Contact: 641.422.4303


 

 

catholic charities

Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Dubuque back to the top
Jail and Prison Re-entry Services

The main goal of the Jail & Prison Reentry Services program is to assist formerly incarcerated individuals establish a self-sufficient lifestyle where their basic needs are met so they will stay out of jail and not reoffend. Catholic Charities provides case management to help clients navigate the system during their adjustment and transition back into society. Clients begin by completing a Self-Sufficiency matrix to identify areas of need and then develop personalized goals to guide them in applying for jobs, securing affordable housing, etc.

Contact: 563.588.0558


Food Bank

Food Bank of Iowa back to the top
Fighting Childhood Hunger in North Iowa

The Backpack and School Pantry Programs helps alleviate child hunger through the provision of food to children and their families at school. The Backpack Program provides shelf-stable, nutritious weekend meals which are easy to open and prepare to help kids come to school nourished and ready to learn on Monday morning. School pantries operate like traditional pantries but are located on school grounds providing convenient access for families in need.

Contact: 515.564.0330


ILA

Iowa Legal Aid back to the top
Financial Stability Project

Iowa Legal Aid's  Financial Stablity Project's goal is to ensure low-income residents of north central Iowa have stable income to meet basic needs. They preserve income and assets, reduce debt and increase income for our clients. Iowa Legal Aid assistance includes legal advice, negotiation with third parties, legal research, and representation before agencies and courts. When there are insufficient resources to provide service, Iowa Legal Aid will refer some clients to private attorneys who provide their services free of charge through our Volunteer Lawyers Project.

Contact: 800.532.1275