Making Connections News
Deadline Approaching to Apply for Next Round of Grants
Community groups of residents from Making Connections neighborhoods who want to apply for the next round of small grants (Round 17) through the Neighborhood Grants for Growth program have until Tuesday, July 15 to submit an application. This is the last of three opportunities to apply for a small grant in 2008. Grants of up to $1,000 each are available through funding from Making Connections and United Way of Central Iowa.
Those seeking help with project planning and the application process can attend one of two technical assistance sessions:
- Wednesday, July 2, 6-8 p.m., Forest Ave. Library, 1326 Forest Ave.
- Wednesday, July 9, 6-8 p.m., East Side Library, 2559 Hubbell Ave.
Contact R. Adin Davis, (515) 309-4795, to learn more or click here.
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Round 16 Neighborhood Grants for Growth Recipients Named
Sixteen community projects and initiatives will receive a total of $9,250 in funding from the Neighborhood Grants for Growth program for Round 16 (for applications submitted by April 15). They are:
- After-school Arts Program, $250
- Amazing Grace Ministries & Outreach Community Festival, $500
- Community Birthday Shop, $500
- Community Play-n-Learn, $500
- Community Resource Day, $1,000
- Girls with Goals, $250
- ICUD Youth Soccer League Kick-off Event, $500
- Infamous Warriors, $1,000
- Joeanna Cheatom Summerfest, $500
- Neighborhood Start-up & Membership Drive, $500
- New Directions, $500
- The Road to Success, $250
- Saturday Community Hot Meal & Community Food Pantry, $1,000
- Survival, $1,000
- To Stage a Performance, $500
- Youth Vacation Summer Camp, $500
The groups will be honored at an awards ceremony Tuesday, July 1, at the United Way Conference Center, 1111 9th St., Room F, starting at 6 p.m. For more information, contact Adin Davis, (515) 309-4795.
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Check Polk County website for flood recovery information
Citizens and businesses needing information on available flood recovery assistance can access comprehensive information at the Polk County website.
For those in the Birdland neighborhood, an on-site Family and Business Assistance Center has been set up at Union Park.
- Location - Union Park, 1801 Pennsylvania Avenue (west shelter at the top of the hill)
- People who come to the “Family and Business Assistance Center” will be able to receive:
- Clean-up kits
- Gloves, masks, and goggles
- Sun screen
- Inspect repellent
- Educational information about proper clean-up after a flood
- Tetanus shots
- Bottled water
- Families will be able to enroll, on site, in the following Polk County programs:
- General assistance
- Chore program
- Emergency repair
- Transportation
- A mental health counselor will also be available at the location.
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DMPS sponsors FREE summer breakfast, lunch program
The Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) is sponsoring a summer food service program at 35 schools and community sites, making FREE meals available to any child age 18 and under living in areas served by the school district. Most sites will serve lunch; some will also serve breakfast. View a listing of meal sites and when meals will be served here.
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Connect to FREE Fall Preschool Opportunities Now
Des Moines Public School will again offer FREE pre-school this fall for those children who turn four by September 15.
Enroll now. Spots are filled on a first come, first served basis.
- Fall Preschool
For: Children who will be four on or before September 15, 2008
Dates: Preschool starts the first full school week of September
Locations: Various schools throughout the Des Moines Public School district.
There are NO income or boundary guidelines. The only requirement is that the child be four years old by September 15, 2008.
Registration happening now. To apply, call 242-7588 or download an application here. A parent or guardian must complete a one-page application and supply a copy of the child’s birth certificate or Title 19 card and birth verification.
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New Report Details Impact of Making Connections Initiative
Making Connections Des Moines has released a report to the community about how a new way of working together has improved the lives of children and families in our most challenged neighborhoods. It…
- Provides context about the work (when and why it started),
- Shows an overview of our strategy,
- Illustrates examples of change at work on three key levels (individual/neighborhood, programmatic, systems), and
- Explains what remains to be done to close the gap in results
It covers the time period 1999 until the end of 2007. Click here to view the piece. The printed version is available through the Making Connections office, 282-3945.
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Making Connections Des Moines Begins Transition to Local Management
Making Connections Des Moines, a 10+ year community-change initiative of the Annie E. Casey Foundation in Baltimore that began in 2000, has entered a new phase and a time of transition. Initiative leaders are putting the pieces in place so that decision-making and financial management can transfer to a local management entity (LME), one that is neither controlled nor directed by the Foundation or the current Making Connections Des Moines site team, as has been the case since the initiative began.
The transition process began last year when an LME Design Team comprised of residents and community groups was organized to explore ways to structure the work going forward. After months of hard work, the Design Team crafted that new structure, identifying:
- A new Partners Group of resident leaders and community partners to direct the work. This partner group, whose members will be named soon, will provide leadership and vision to addressing the gap in results for children and families in the Making Connections neighborhoods.
- United Way of Central Iowa and the Iowa Health Des Moines - Neighborhood Health Initiative (NHI) as the main partners responsible for carrying out the work. United Way as lead partner will be responsible for growing community support for the Making Connections work, staffing, and managing the Making Connections grant. NHI will carry forward with its resident engagement and mobilization efforts. The two groups will be members of the Partners Group.
The proposed new structure was presented to the Annie E. Casey Foundation and accepted February 8, 2008. The transition is currently underway and will continue for the next several months, with many structural changes taking effect around mid-year.
In order to facilitate a smooth transition to the new structure and to make room for a new and different way of doing business, Margaret Wright, Making Connections Des Moines Site Leader, has announced she is stepping aside from the role she has had since 2005. More details of the transition timeline, including when Margaret’s departure from the Making Connections work will take place, and the new structure will be provided periodically over the coming months. Other staffing and management changes will take place in the future when details are worked out.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Seeding to Sustainability Chart
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Listen to Exciting News about Free Preschool
If your child will be four years old by September 15, he or she can attend preschool for free! Listen here for more!
Note: if you experience problems with the audio files, make sure that your Windows Media Player is the default for .wav files.
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Community Photos
Share pictures of your community making connections. Email your pictures (Format: .JPG) to jloygray@makingconnectionsdm.org. Please provide the name of the event, date, and location.
Strong Families Gather at River Hills, March 13, 2007
Strong Famillies at Royal View Oaks, May 26, 2007
Rosevelt's America Event at Mercy College & Health Sciences, June 28, 2007
St. Paul AME Transformation Center - Grand Opening Block Party, August 25, 2007
AMOS Issues Forum, October 27, 2007
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Community Videos
• Waging a Living Des Moines 4 Perspectives
• Iowa's Disposable Children
• Thoughts on Immigration
• Crocker Street Y
• Making Connections Des Moines at Midpoint
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Citizen Journalism Connection
Local
Des Moines Register — Send Us Your News
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KCCI-Channel 8 — Submit breaking news photos, video
WHO-TV 13 — Newsline 13
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