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 2024 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 childcare when trying to seek or begin employment and need quality childcare 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 childcare 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
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
Emergency Services Shelter
YSS-North Iowa 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 environmental situations, homelessness, behavior issues, minor law violations.
Contact: 641.423.7362
Jail and Re-Entry Services
The goal of our 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. We provide case management to help clients navigate the system during their adjustment and transition back into society. We develop personalized goals to guide them in applying for jobs and securing affordable housing, but also help them with much-needed emotional support by matching them with a mentor/group
Contact: 319.340.4304
Empowering, Engaging, and Educating Mason City
iJAG’s Empowering, Engaging, Educating Mason City program helps children facing multiple barriers achieve high school success and a lifetime of self-sufficiency. The program provides support through classroom instruction, competency-based curriculums, adult mentoring, advisement and support, summer employment training, student-led leadership development, job, and post-secondary education placement services, 12-month follow up after graduation and having an accountability system in place. iJAG envisions a future without dropouts–a time when even those students most challenged by poverty, family circumstance, mental health issues, and poor academic performance can acquire the skills necessary to earn a diploma and become contributing members of their local community. Using evidence-based approaches, iJAG identifies students facing significant life challenges and provides daily tutoring, counseling, mentoring and job-skill training to support graduation and adult self-sufficiency.
Contact: 515.242.5617
Early Childhood Programming
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.
Contact: 641.423.1083
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
Housing 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 much need as possible.
Contact: 641.423.0491
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 assist 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 for 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 story. Efforts include the identification, treatment, and prevention of child abuse. A 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. Dedicated multi-disciplinary team who 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 stay in their home by obtaining and maintaining affordable housing through education. Case managers will help families set goals to improve their socioeconomic status. Families create 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 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 rent deposit, rent or a past due utility bill keeping them from putting utilities in their name. Clients are provided with 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
Nutrition Program
The Nutrition Program's goal is to alleviate hunger, ensure access to healthy food, combat malnutrition, and encourage socialization. Nutrition services enhance well-being, prevent disease, and postpone the onset of chronic illnesses. Clients can participate in Nutrition Education on making healthy choices, cooking, exercising, and avoiding excessive sugar or fat. Additionally, older adults can participate in activities like Tai Chi for Arthritis to promote physical activity and engagement.
Contact: 641.424.0678
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
Fighting Childhood Hunger in North Central Iowa
FBOI addresses childhood hunger through two programs that operate in partnership with local schools. The Backpack Program provides shelf-stable, nutritious weekend food sacks to help K-6 kids come to school nourished and ready to learn on Monday morning (7000+ delivered). School Pantries are located on school grounds to provide convenient access, allowing parents to make one stop for food assistance while picking their children up from school (45,500+ pounds distributed = nearly 38,000 meals).
Contact: 515.564.0331
Financial Stability Project
The Financial Stability Project helps low-income persons in the United Way’s service area maintain their financial stability. Iowa Legal Aid provides civil legal assistance in the form of legal advice, limited service, negotiation with opposing parties and/or counsel, and representation before administrative agencies and courts. In some instances, we may refer a client to a private attorney participating in our Volunteer Lawyers Project who will provide their service free of charge.
Contact: Main Office- 1.800.532.1503
One-on-One Mentoring
The One-on-One Mentoring program’s goal is to provide mentoring relationships to local youth, K-12th grade, which promotes relationships & social skill development, thereby reducing youth substance use & other high-risk behaviors while increasing developmental assets. We served 112 matches in FY23. We currently offer 3 types of mentoring: Community based (adult/youth), Peer (high school & younger youth meet at school) &Team Mentoring (2-3 adults with 2-5 youth). We provide training, support, and supervision after matching.
Contact: 641.421.2708
YMCA Scholarship Program
Scholarships allow individuals with economic barriers access to our facility. Access gives individuals the opportunity to improve their health and well-being through classes, skills building and community connections. The YMCA provides a recreation outlet for youth and teens. We invest in training our employees to best engage with community youth in a way that aligns with our core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility.
Contact: 641.422.5999