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Connect Me: Resources, Help & Information
First Step
Iowa 211 — Iowa's information and Referral database for community resources related to health and human services. Call 2-1-1 or www.211iowa.org.
School-Ready Children
Birth to Grade 3
- Tools and supports for parents and caregivers
– School readiness calendar - FREE 2007-2008 version now available!! Contact Melissa Nelson, 280-9027.
– IPTV Family Reading Night and Book Club, Contact Melissa Nelson, 280-9027.
– Play + Learn Circles, Contact Melissa Nelson, 280-9027.
– Born Learning (en Espanol)
– Child Caregivers Network, Melissa Nelson, 280-9027.
– School Readiness workgroup, Melissa Nelson, 280-9027.
– Early Childhood Iowa
- Affordable preschool programs
- Schools better prepared to help children transition from Kindergarten to first grade
– Parent Ambassadors at these Des Moines Public elementary schools — Carver, Edmunds,
and King, Contact Melissa Nelson, 280-9027.
- Doctors better equipped to help children with developmental concerns
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Youth
Grade 4-12
- After-school activities
– ICUD (Inner City Urban Development) athletic and academic league,
DJ Roland, 264-8933 or 779-7891.
– John R. Grubb YMCA
– Boys & Girls Club
– Music in the Metro,
Rick Galbreath, 240-2296
– Whyld Girls, for 6th-8th grade girls, Children and Family Urban Ministries,
Carmen Lampe-Zeitler, 282-3242
- Summer activities
– Music in the Metro,
Rick Galbreath, 240-2296
- Job preparedness
– Iowa Health Systems School to Work Initiative
- College Planning
– College Planning Center, Juan M. Garcia, 246-8561, ext. 7166
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Jobs & Earnings
- Employment opportunities
– IowaJobs, Iowa Workforce Development Center's job bank about 15,000 job openings
statewide currently listed.
– Iowa Workforce Development Center, 430 E. Grand, Des Moines, 281-9619.
– Building New Careers: Construction Trades Training Program, or Bob Brown, 246-6570.
– Mercy Hospital Medical Center.
- Skill development, job training and placement opportunities
– Promise Jobs, Iowa's welfare reform program designed to assist
Family Investment Program (FIP) recipients to become self sufficient, 281-9665.
– Project Fresh Start: Careers in Health Care, Certified Nurses Aide training Program,
Elia Cardenas, 283-0940.
– Vocational training and skills development, Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC),
Urban Campus, 248-7204.
– GED and adult basic education classes through DMACC, Bidwell Riverside Center,
1203 Hartford, Des Moines, 244-6241.
– Job assistance and coaching, including help with resumes and cover letters, interviewing
techniques, job searching and more, Elia Cardenas, ISED Ventures Ventures, 283-0940, or Otis Henderson, Neighborhood Health Initiative, 309-4799.
– Iowa New Choices, assists single parents and displaced homemakers by helping them
prepare for work so they can support themselves and their families, DMACC Urban Campus,
1100 7th St, Des Moines, Iowa New Choices or Jeannette Rhone, 248-7520.
– Mercy College of Health Sciences
– Project Employment, supports for individuals with disabilities who are seeking employment,
Mary Ubiņas, 281-9733.
- Supports and services for those reentering society after prison
– Spectrum Resources, Allen Spencer, 1700 Keo Way, Des Moines, 288-1023.
- Starting your own business
– ISED Ventures, 1111 9th St., Suite 380, Des Moines, 283-0940, Jan Owens Bruene, 283-0940.
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Asset Growth
- Reduce debt and save
– Hospital care for people without insurance. Des Moines area hospitals including Mercy,
Iowa Health Systems, and Broadlawns offer discounts to patients who do not have insurance.
If you need hospital care and don't have insurance, make sure you tell the person who intakes
insurance information that you would like "charitable care assistance." These hospitals will
look at your income level and assign a billing amount that is more manageable for you to pay.
– The Access Project. Free confidential service to help individuals in Making Connections
neighborhoods become advocates and solution-makers for their own medical debt
situation. With one-on-one coaching, individuals can get help understanding their debt,
negotiating with insurance companies for fee reductions, affordable payment plans,
and fair treatment, appealing claims, and resolving debt more quickly. Call 1-866-918-5232,
extension 231 (toll-free)
– Central Iowa Saves. This no cost, self-directed, non-binding approach simplifies the concept
of saving and empowers people to take ownership of their own financial future. Anyone can
become a Central Iowa Saver by agreeing to work toward a savings goal such as building an
emergency fund, home ownership, school tuition, retirement, or debt repayment. Central Iowa
Savers set savings goals of as little as $10 per month and try to save this amount every
month. It
costs nothing to participate. For more information, contact Claudia Hawkins,
283-0940.
- Quality, affordable financial products
– Iowans Save! (Individual Deposit Accounts) for adults and youth, Judy Haynes,
ISED Ventures, 283-0940.
– Central Iowa Saves, 283-0940.
- Lower-cost loan options
– Neighborhood Finance Corporation (en Espanol) provides unique lending programs
and related services to facilitate targeted neighborhood revitalization in Polk County
through partnerships with residents, governments, community-based organizations
and the business community, 1912 6th Avenue, Des Moines, 288-5626.
- Income tax refunds through the Earned Income Tax Credit (Jan-April 15 each year) and free income tax services
– Earn It. Keep It, Save It, ISED Ventures, 1111 9th St., Suite 380, Des Moines, 283-0940, or call 2-1-1 for current schedule.
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Housing
- First-time home ownership
- Financial help and lending options
- Affordable new and renovated housing
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Health
- Help accessing health care, health care services, and other resources
– Neighborhood Health Initiative, a program of the Iowa Health-Des Moines, provides FREE
information, education, referrals and assistance to anyone in need of health care or health
care services, 1801 Jefferson (former Casady School site), 309-4795.
– Visiting Nurse Services, providers of a wide array of health services, health education, and
other resources 1111 9th St., Suite 320, Des Moines, 288-1516. Also visit this site to access
an extensive list of community supports on a variety of topics, related to health issues,
education and general needs such as food, clothing and shelter. En
Español,
Sudanese (Arabic), Vietnamese
– Health Access Partnership, including a health care directory, definitions of medical terms
and other information, 1440 Ingersoll, Des Moines, 241-5198.
– HOLA Center, free legal assistance, and other resources for the Latino community,
618 E. 18th Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50316, 371-5570.
- Free and reduced price medical care
– Neighborhood Health Initiative or 309-4795.
- Free Childhood Immunizations, Low-cost sports/school physicals,
Polk County Health Department, 286-3798.
- Prenatal care early in pregnancy
– La Clinica de la Esperanza, 838 SE Scott, Des Moines, 244-6162. Hours: Monday 6-8 p.m.,
Tuesday, 1-5 p.m., Thursday, 8-12 p.m.
– Healthy Start, coordinated by Visiting Nurse Services, including care assessment, prenatal
and parenting classes, interpreters for Spanish, Vietnamese and Sudanese, free
transportation to and from medical appointments, 558-9978.
- Lower cost prescription drugs
– Community Access Pharmacy (CAP), 600 E. 14th St., Des Moines, 262-0844,
Monday-Friday, 9-5 p.m. Low cost pharmaceuticals are available for individuals
who lack prescription drugs coverage and are a patient of Primary Health Care, Inc.,
La Clinica de la Esperanza, or Proteus.
- Health insurance for children -
– Hawk-i (free or low cost health insurance for kids), 1-800-257-8563.
- Better health
– 3 Principles Network (formerly Health Realization) Workshop, an innovated approach to
individual and community well being. Training helps with stress, conflict, self-empowerment,
effective problem solving, and more. Center for Healthy Communities, 1440 Ingersoll, Suite
10, Des Moines, 241-3222.
– Removing lead paint from your home, Polk County Health Department, 286-3798.
– Onsite home audits to identify potential sources of lead, educational information, and free
blood testing (for Latino families), Natalie Leverette or Anna Dianas, Neighborhood Health
Initiative, 309-4795.
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Resident Engagement—Other Ways to Get Involved
- Become Involved with Your School -
– Des Moines Public Schools Directory
- Contact Your Elected Officials -
– City of Des Moines
– Polk County Supervisors
– State of Iowa - Governor
– State Legislators
– U.S. President
– U.S. Senators
– Representatives
- Get Involved with Issues You Care About - and Make a Difference!
– Combating predatory lending practices and working for change on other social, economic and
environmental justice issues. Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI of Des Moines),
2001 Forest, Des Moines, 225-0800.
– AMOS, A Mid-Iowa Organizing Strategy, Paul Turner, 554-3443, turnerpr@msn.com
– Making Connections Family Economic Success (FES) Work Group. Meets monthly.
Contact Peggy Aguilar, 238-5785.
– Other opportunities — Making Connections Des Moines,
info@makingconnectionsdm.org, 282-3561.
- Become a community leader
– Resident Leadership, Suzanne Holmes,309-4798, shepherdess.1@hotmail.com.
- Volunteer for a United Way-affiliated organization
- Vote - Registration information here, or 281-5790.
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Other
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