Al Exito is a nonprofit dedicated to nurturing the potential of Latinx youth. In partnership with Al Exito we have shared forums about student experiences, helped students with college application essays, and volunteered at the Annual Mary Campos Scholarship Luncheons.
Candeo offers services to young adults with special needs and/or significant disabilities.
Central Iowa Shelter & Services supports people experiencing homelessness. Nineteen UU volunteers provided 40 hours of service and collected 36 bags of clothing and toiletries for CISS clients.
Crossroads provides support services to men and women who are in prison for drug-related crimes. We held forums to learn more about this work.
Days for Girls provides feminine hygiene kits for girls and women. Our volunteers sewed 145 kits and compiled another 35 kits just waiting for their carry bags.
The interfaith mission of the Des Moines Area Religios Council (DMARC) is to meet basic human needs for the greater Des Moines community. Thirty-two UU volunteers showed up to help collect produce at the Des Moines Farmers’ Market for the DMARC Food Pantry and to help stock items at the Food Pantry.
EMBARC is a grassroots, community-based, non-profit founded by refugees for refugees. We hosted an end-of-semester party for K-2nd grade refugees from Burma, and hosted a potluck and ice-skating gathering for middle school students of immigrant families.
Family Promise is a network of congregations who provide housing and support to families experiencing homelessness. Every three months we host up to three families, and provide more than 75 volunteers to support the families for a week. We continued our service even during the pandemic, when all families resided at Westminster Presbyterian Church. We have also collected pillows, bedding and towels for use by the families when we are hosting.
Global Greens, a program of Lutheran Services in Iowa (LSI), reconnects former refugee farmers with the land as they build their new life in the U.S. More than 25 volunteers provided over 200 hours of help.
Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that helps families build and improve places to call home. Twenty-six UU’s volunteered over 200 hours to an interfaith build with Habitat for Humanity.
Hawthorn Hill
Hawthorn Hill’s mission is to establish and operate housing programs for homeless families with children that help them obtain permanent housing and to provide services to help families achieve economic self-sufficiency. Hawthorn Hill runs a short-term shelter and also a long-term housing program in single family and duplex homes in Des Moines. Caseworkers meet families where they are, working with them to secure transportation, daycare and education as well as housing.
Home Forward Iowa helps deepen our understanding and appreciation of homelessness here in our region and across the state.
Since 2006, Iowa Interfaith Power & Light has empowered people of faith and conscience to take bold and just action on climate change.
The Iowa Trans Mutual Aid Fund financially supports Trans, Nonbinary, and Gender Diverse Iowans as they access gender-affirming care.
The Iowa Trans Mutual Aid Fund was founded in June 2021. The organization was founded on the belief that every Trans, Nonbinary, and Gender Diverse Iowa should have access to gender-affirming care. ITMAF provides small grants to Iowans seeking this care throughout the state.
Justice for Our Neighbors (JFON) has provided legal services to immigrants, including young people seeking DACA status. Our volunteers have provided light meals and assisted clients with filling out forms prior to meeting with immigration attorneys who provide advice and counsel.
Let’s Talk
Let’s Talk has been volunteering in Des Moines Middle schools since January 2014 to help students resolve conflicts in a peaceful and restorative way where each student has a chance to talk about what happened from their point of view, how it has impacted them, and what they will do going forward to make things work better. They help create a culture of respect and inclusion and work to decrease the disproportionate number of students of color suspended and referred to the juvenile justice system.
Link Associates is a community based nonprofit organization that provides services for more than 900 individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families.
Twenty UU volunteers gave more than 35 hours of service by joining in on leisure activities such as softball, karaoke, and crafts, with the population Link Associates serves. In addition, one of our Faith Formation classes made decorations for Link Associates’ Star Spangled Banner Dance.
Lutheran Services in Iowa (LSI) is one of Iowa’s largest nonprofit human services agencies.
Monsoon Asians & Pacific Islanders in Solidarity serves victims / survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking in Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities in Iowa. Twenty of our volunteers put in a collective 100 hours working to build a fence and help improve the house Monsoon Inc. is preparing as a shelter for their clients.
One Iowa‘s mission is to advance, empower, and improve the lives of LGBTQ+ Iowans statewide. They accomplish this through education, training, and advocacy.
Planned Parenthood of North Central States is committed to providing, promoting, and protecting reproductive and sexual health through high-quality care, education and advocacy. Contributions go to the annual book sale which supports Planned Parenthood’s educational programs. Volunteers have helped collect books and staff the book sales, and have collected items for the health centers and education programs in Des Moines.
Project Iowa is a nonprofit organization that this church helped found. Its mission is to connect under- and unemployed people seeking a living wage with employers seeking workers, thereby transforming lives and benefiting communities. Through this partnership, 18 people from our church supported several events with Project Iowa.
The Urban Bicycle Food Ministry (UBFM) of Des Moines meets every week to serve those in need in the Des Moines metro. In addition to our cash donations, we also collected food and personal care items. UBFM distributes those to the people who need them most, as they are also working to build relationships!
The Young Women’s Resource Center (YWRC) is a nonprofit organization that supports, educates and advocates for girls and young women* ages 10-21. Our volunteers have provided meals and childcare assistance while young women were attending classes.
* The YWRC says, “We define girls and young women as any persons who have been socialized and/or identify as female. Trans and nonbinary friends are welcome.”