United Way’s funded partners are key in making an impact in our community. These partners are important to communities in East Central Iowa. They work to meet people’s needs on a day-to-day basis and make a difference in the quality of people’s lives.
United Way funding goes to specific programs at nonprofits, rather than the nonprofit itself. Click each nonprofit below to learn about the specific program United Way funds. The partners listed below receive funding beginning July 2020.
A comprehensive array of quality home and community-based services designed to support older adults in their ability to continue living independently and to avoid unnecessary or premature nursing home placement.
Provide substance abuse assessment; intake, extended outpatient; intensive outpatient; and residential treatment services. Three residential programs in Cedar Rapids for adults through the Recovery Center, CD+ for youth ages 13-18, and Heart of Iowa for women with children or who are pregnant.
Provides comprehensive prevention strategies focused on youth and young adults age 9-24 with schools; businesses; local governments; and community groups. Services include assessment, education, environmental strategies, community coalition building, workplace services to reduce the underage use and abuse of alcohol, the misuse of prescription medicines, and the use of nicotine products and illegal drugs.
Prevention and treatment strategies that will remove barriers to treatment for women transitioning to community supports at Heart of Iowa. Focus is on improving mental health functioning of women and increasing social connectedness that improves functioning and builds resiliency.
The BCVP provides a Medical Transportation Assistance program; food distribution program consisting of affordable, locally delivered, and nutritious food; human services collaborations to address various basic needs; and volunteer engagement opportunities.
Community and School-Based mentoring, to help children develop skills in three primary areas: Educational Success, Avoidance of Risky Behaviors, and Socio-Emotional Competency. Introducing ACEs training to staff and mentors to help improve social emotional competency.
BGCCR’s primary after-school services are designed with a focus on youth from economically disadvantaged households so that they may gain and maintain the skill sets vital to succeeding in college, work and life in the 21st century. The Club works to instill a sense of competency, empowerment, usefulness and belonging in members through fun and diverse education programming. The Good to Great program will create a measured increase in academic growth among club members.
Provides free one-on-one tutoring to adults who are English Language Learners (ELL), studying for the US citizenship test, and/or striving to improve basic reading and math skills. Supplemental services include an Immigrant/Refugee Coordinator (I/RC) who provides case management services for students, a food pantry and free bus passes to help clients meet basic needs and free childcare for students while they receive tutoring. The program also offers a biannual six-week citizenship class and an annual four-week banking class.
Assists homeless women age 18 and over without children in their care, providing them with transitional housing, programming and case management and aftercare services.
Catherine McAuley Center provides educational and employment related support services for refugees and immigrants in Eastern Iowa, helping families progress towards their goals for greater financial stability and community inclusion
CHFC will provide prescription assistance, dental care, vision care and dental care, durable medical supplies for women.
CHFC will provide screening and assessment of needs to women being served and provide prevention, early intervention, and connection to medical home with follow-up to improve utilization of services. Focus is on improving medial outcomes by connecting women with a medical home to maintain consistent care.
EIHC will provide prescription assistance, diabetic supplies, co-pay and cost assistance, transportation, and diabetes education for women.
EIHC will provide medical screening and assessment of needs to women being served and provide prevention and early intervention to reduce the level of crisis, stress, or depression, and/or anxiety. Focus is on improving social connectedness that improves functioning and builds resiliency.
Provide behavioral and mental health crisis intervention and response to individuals, youth and families by increasing access to affordable mental health services through phone crisis counseling, text or chat; walk-in crisis counseling, emergency youth shelter stays, individual/family counseling; suicide assessments and safety planning; and follow up.
Goodwill of the Heartland provides soft skills training, computer literacy training, preparation and proctoring for the National Career Readiness Certificate, job placement and retention services to those with barriers to entering the workforce.
Head Start provides full day, full year, quality, developmentally appropriate childcare to low-income children and families. The goals of Head Start are to enhance children’s physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development; to enable parents to be better caregivers and teachers to their children; and to help parents meet their own goals, including self-sufficiency.
This program provides parents with information and activities to help their young children develop the language skills they need to be ready for kindergarten. RED Ahead is offered in four of the five UWECI service area county Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clinics run by the Hawkeye Area Community Action Program (HACAP), RED Ahead addresses the opportunity gap that exists for lower-income children. Modeling provides parents with the confidence to recreate the activities at home and the developmental screening provides parents with tools to check if their child needs additional attention. RED Ahead then helps these parents get the services they need.
Distribute 5.1 million pounds of food, including fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, and milk to partner agencies and pantries and directly to the community in need through the Mobile Food Pantry strategy. The Food Reservoir also provides SNAP education, screening, outreach and enrollment at partner agencies, mobile pantries, and community events. Operation Backpack provides food for evenings and weekends for food-insecure children.
Transitional housing, supportive services and case management for low-income families including, teaching individuals and families how to obtain and retain permanent housing.
HACAP’s Rural Senior Services provides home and community-based care and caregiver supports to the rural community in Benton Co. including: home delivered meals, center based dining, chore services, and medical equipment lending closet in order to support older adults to remain in their home independently.
Horizons provides financial/budget/credit counseling and coaching as well as classes and workshops. In addition, this program now includes a new program geared specifically towards Student Loan Counseling.
NTS offers affordable night and weekend transportation to work, employment training, school, or life skills classes. It is the only transportation with a wheelchair lift available evenings and weekends. Door-to-door services are provided within Cedar Rapids, Marion, and Hiawatha. The primary service and purpose of NTS is to pick riders up by appointment and deliver them to work or school. NTS provides service at night from 6:30 PM to 6:00 AM and also on weekends. This fills the void left after the Cedar Rapids Transit buses and Linn County LIFTS are not in service.
Meals On Wheels provides hot, fresh, and often local food seven days per week to home-bound elderly and congregate dining sites. Provides customizable nutrition plans and counseling; ensures safety, wellness, and emotional and social support with volunteers to help seniors to live independently and age in place.
A multi-faceted approach to service delivery that includes direct legal assistance, community legal education and referrals to private attorneys participating in Iowa’s Volunteer Lawyers Project.
Jane Boyd provides the Achievement Academy – an out-of-school time program offered at four locations. The Achievement Academy creates purposeful connections to caring adults and helps youth develop a positive sense of self and are engaged in positive activities. Family Support assists parents in setting goals and accessing support and resources.
Kids First’s overall purpose is to give children a voice in divorce, custody, and other conflicts. This strategy builds hope and creates meaningful change for children of divorce/separation by lessening the effect of family conflict on children, strengthening family relationships, connecting kids to support systems, and needed resources, and making children’s voices heard.
Strategy serves children in the Cedar Rapids Community School District who are among the most at-risk for failing and dropping out of school. The Youth Peace Project uses restorative practices to resolve conflicts that arise between students, or between students and teachers. Students develop emotional regulation for managing impulses, stress as well as developing relationship skills.
Kids on Course addresses the academic achievement and opportunity gaps that impact children living in or near poverty. The KoC program employs proven practices and has a track record of moving low-income students forward academically. The program proves its impact with the school district and state-level data generated from evidence-based third-party sources.
Provides community-based pre-vocational and day habilitation services in the Iowa county area to individuals living with intellectual, physical and mental health disabilities to increase independence and socialization, improve quality of life and help individuals remain in the community.
THE SELCC utilizes community partners to improve food access for those in Mt. Vernon/Lisbon area.
The Arc provides support services that increase and sustain a family’s ability to remain effective as the primary caregiving unit. Services include respite care, supported community living, day habilitation, habilitation, year-round daycare, after-work/school care, mentoring, and referral and navigation of systems and advocacy.
The program conducts school-based outreach to low-income for dental screenings, referrals, fluoride varnish, dental sealants, and follow up care coordination for children with additional dental needs and/or children with no dental home.
Volunteer Services provides personalized transportation for frail and elderly adults in Cedar County. Their service allows individuals to remain in their home as long as it is safe and is in their best interest.
Financial assistance for low-income families so they can access quality childcare.
Coordinated intake and case management services for homeless and near homeless families to stabilize housing. Waypoint also addresses domestic violence, shelter services for women and families, and a rapid rehousing program. Through the work with coordinated intake and staffed housing navigators, Waypoint also works to bridge the gap between landlords and potential tenants and help tenants better understand their rights and what it means to be a good tenant through their Tenant Academy Program.
Shelter services for single men, and case management for shelter clients
YouthPort will work with Tanager Place to assess serious mental, social, and physical health needs and address the consequences of children dealing with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and other mental health challenges. The program will provide therapists to help mitigate the effect of ACEs and trauma by placing mental health professionals in the school system to work with students, teachers, and administration to encourage resiliency, create awareness, promote academic success, and eliminate barriers for access to care for students and families.
The LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning) Youth Center is a confidential and safe environment outside of school where LGBTQ youth can receive support and resources.
YPN’s primary services are group meetings and home visitation, which incorporate early childhood education, prenatal and parenting education, and family support. Programs promote life skills, improve personal accountability and decision making, and increase confidence and competence in parenting skills.
