Other Human Needs AmeriCorps Programs in Iowa

Each One Reach One AmeriCorps Program
The Each One Reach One AmeriCorps program supports four community partner's efforts to provide supports to at risk youth, families and neighborhoods. Member activities revolve around the goal of infusing social supports into communities to meet the needs of those populations.
A variety of mentoring practices have been developed to address the variety of needs of at risk youth, victims, offenders, at risk families, and targeted under resourced neighborhoods. These practices provide meaningful and safe ways that the volunteers can contribute to solutions for safer communities.
AmeriCorps Members provide direct and support services in the following: 1-1 mentoring for children with a parent incarcerated and 1-1 mentoring of offenders; help facilitate afterschool and summer, neighborhood based programs for at-risk youth and unemployed and under employed adults; becoming a neighborhood partner to meet the need of at risk families; providing group mentoring support through Circles of Support and Accountability to aid in prisoner re-entry; and overseeing community service projects for residential clients.
Members are placed in the following affiliates: Partnership for Safe Families in Cedar Rapids; Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County; Churches United in Linn County; and the Community Corrections Improvement Association/6th Judicial District Department of Correctional Services in Linn and Johnson counties.
For more information, please contact:
Tammy Womochil, Program Coordinator
Community Corrections Improvement Association
901 29th Ave SW
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404
319-297-3594 (phone)
319-730-1267 (fax)
tammy.womochil@iowa.gov (email)

Habitat of Humanity of Iowa AmeriCorps State
The Habitat for Humanity of Iowa AmeriCorps State program supports six local Habitat affiliates by providing vital manpower and skills. Member activities revolve around the goal of eliminating poverty housing. They work to build decent and affordable housing for low income families who would not normally be able to afford an adequate place to live. The services provided by members allow Habitat for Humanity (HFH) affiliates to jumpstart home production in their areas.
Habitat AmeriCorps members manage volunteers, do direct house-building activities, lead community volunteers on construction sites, and help develop additional resources including funds, partnership, in-kind materials, and volunteers. Other activities include event planning, marketing, and outreach/partner family support.
Members are placed in the following affiliates: Greater Des Moines HFH, Cedar Valley HFH, Iowa Valley HFH, North Central Iowa HFH, Council Bluffs HFH, and Marshall County HFH.
For more information, please contact:

Bobbi Bendickson, CEO
Habitat for Humanity of Iowa
103 E State Street, Suite 302
Mason City, IA 50401
641-210-4988
Fax: 641-210-4989
hfhia@omnitelcom.com 
www.hfhia.org

Iowa Legal Aid AmeriCorps
Iowa Legal Aid is a non-profit organization that provides free legal help in non-criminal matters to Iowans who have nowhere else to turn.

Our goal is to ensure that the legal system works for all, regardless of income. Typical cases involve protecting victims of domestic abuse; preventing illegal evictions, foreclosures, and unsafe housing; securing income support; and preventing consumer fraud and abusive debt collection practices.

AmeriCorps members’ work will enhance equal access to justice for low-income and older Iowans. Project sites include our offices in Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Des Moines, Dubuque, Iowa City, Mason City, Ottumwa, Sioux City and Waterloo.
Through this Project, members will help Iowa Legal Aid staff:

• Develop a unified intake system, conduct intake with clients in regional offices and the Legal Hotline for Older Iowans;
• Do outreach to low‑income minority and English as a second language Iowans;
• Members with appropriate bilingual skills also help with interpretation and translation for limited English proficiency applicants and clients.
• Enhance the Iowa Legal Aid /Pro Se/ Coordination Project;
• Recruit volunteer attorneys;
• Design and implement programs to involve non-attorney community volunteers in Iowa Legal Aid’s work;
• Coordinate local Advisory Council’s development of promotional activities for Iowa Legal Aid;
• Develop the Iowa Legal Aid Website www.iowalegalaid.org and

Contact: Gail Klearman
515-243-1198, ext. 1678
gklearman@iowalaw.org

REACH (Rural Education and Community Help) AmeriCorps Program
Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence
The Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) currently operates a 21 Member AmeriCorps Program called REACH (Rural Education and Community Help). The mission of REACH is to provide assistance to victims of domestic violence in rural Iowa as well as communities where services are minimal or nonexistent. The REACH AmeriCorps Program has helped expand and enhance victim services and prevention efforts across the state.
Trained and certified as victim advocates, REACH AmeriCorps members provide counseling, referral services, crisis intervention, legal, medical and personal advocacy, support group facilitation and assist with pro se protection orders. Since the creation of the REACH program members have had more than 95,000 victim contacts.
Members are placed in communities throughout Iowa including: Ft. Dodge, Mason City, Des Moines, Waterloo, Oskaloosa, Keokuk, and Council Bluffs providing services in more than 30 Iowa Counties.  Several members are serving with programs serving specifically Latina, Asian and Pacific Islander, and incarcerated victims of violence.

For more information, please contact:
Adam Stark, REACH Program Director
Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence
515 28th Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50310
515-244-8028
adams@icadv.org
www.icadv.org