The legislation mentioned in this article passed and legislators approved funding to move the program forward.

This is great news and we appreciate the help. – Judy Stoffel

Original post

This piece first ran in The Gazette on April 8, 2012.

Over 14,000 families in the United Way of East Central Iowa six-county service area (Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Jones, Linn and Washington counties) are not earning enough money to meet their basic expenses. Low-skill, low-income populations represent a significant portion of the region’s available labor pool. So there are a couple of questions we need to get to the heart of….

• What industries in the region have employee needs?
• Which of these industries have career paths that enable employees to earn or grow into a wage that can support their family’s basic needs?
• What skills do these industries and other regional employers need?

Workforce training is necessary to address the increasing ‘skills gap’ in the region, particularly in the fields of advanced manufacturing and information technology. Employers in the Advanced Manufacturing and Information Technology sector are expressing a tightening of the labor market, a reduction in applications that meet current skill needs, and a continued concern for basic and interpersonal skills levels. The region’s Skills 2014 employer skills assessment study projects that 3,211 and 2,246 new and replacement positions will be needed through 2014 for the manufacturing and information technology industry sectors respectively.

There are a variety of ways that regional and state workforce skills needs can be met through outreach and training. The state’s community colleges have been instrumental in developing innovative approaches to workforce training in both short-term and long-term formats supporting credential, certificate and academic degrees. To accomplish this, it is becoming more apparent that one-size does not fit all and the efforts of community based organizations, economic development and educational institutions working together to blend and braid funding streams is supporting flexible, coordinated and sustainable models in the workforce field.

United Way of East Central Iowa is partnering with Kirkwood Community College, local businesses and community based organizations to address local skill gaps through a career pathway program. Training and academic and social service supports are provided to low skill, low-income students in high demand industries in the region. This community initiative is a workforce training program that

• works in partnership with industry to address the specific skill sets and competencies that employers are seeking and
• addresses the real-life barriers that disadvantaged populations face in finding and maintaining employment.

Kirkwood and United Way have made investments in this strategy and are seeing positive results in students’ academic success and connections to employer skill needs.

The State Legislature has the opportunity to join local partners in making an investment in Iowa’s workforce. Senate File 2024 as originally introduced by Senator Kibbie (now Senate File 2321) will help low-skill, low-income individuals access tuition grants to obtain training that will address the skills needs of Iowa employers. This bill is needed to address the skill and life-barriers of low-skill, low-income disadvantaged populations and to address the middle skills jobs gap.

“This is significant and shows that there was a need in the community for this online service,” said Chris Juett, 2-1-1 Program Manager. “We are pleased that we can now offer this service to the community.”

In comparison, the 2-1-1 phone operators receive more than 50,000 calls a year.

Over the last five years, Linn County Family Treatment Court has been working to improve the welfare of children by educating and empowering parents battling substance abuse. This outstanding year-long program functions with the aid of the Linn County Juvenile Court, Iowa Children’s Justice, Linn County Decat, and a partnership of area organizations. Parents work through four phases before graduating with renewed parenting skills and sober self-confidence. On Giving Back Day, participants will take an opportunity to uplift their community through volunteerism.

“Linn County Family Treatment Court is a crucial part of the sobriety journey. The positive skills struggling parents learn during this process means the difference between a healthy life with their happy children, and a devastating path to self-destruction,” says Lori Hagg, Horizons Family Support Program Supervisor and member of the Linn County Family Treatment Court team. “Horizons could not be more humbled to welcome these volunteers on Giving Back Day, and we’re proud to help raise community awareness for Family Treatment Court programs.”

“Family Treatment Court provides an opportunity for families disrupted by parental substance abuse to receive intensive, coordinated services and support. The enhanced support provided allows us to keep many children safely at home, while their parent(s) works toward achieving and maintaining sobriety,” states Judge Susan Flaherty. “Keeping children safely at home in this way, rather than removing them from parental custody and placing them in foster care, is the best possible outcome for the child and family. After four years of working with the Family Treatment Court, I feel as if we are just beginning to realize the potential of this model to keep families safely together while they work through some pretty significant issues.”

Federal funding currently supports this life-changing program, however the grant dollars are soon to end. “As our federal grant winds down, I am hopeful that we will find the support in our community that is needed to sustain the project,” Flaherty states. Team members will volunteer at Horizons at 10:00 a.m. on May 17th. Horizons will offer a variety of options for this group to enjoy the fulfillment of giving back to our community.

- By Horizons

Update (May 14):
Thank you to everyone who stopped out to support the RED Ahead program. Don’t forget there is still time to purchase online. See below for book fair ID.

Previous post: On Saturday, May 12th, Barnes and Noble (333 Collins Road NE Cedar Rapids) is hosting a book fair to help support the RED Ahead Program.  RED Ahead is a program for parents to help their young children develop the language skills they need to be ready for kindergarten.  To learn more about the program, click here.

Before checking out that day, make
sure to mention RED Ahead and a part of the purchase amount will go to the program.

Come out and support this great cause and purchase some new books or an item from the cafe.

Not able to make it to the store that day?  You can still shop online until 5/17/2012 and enter in the book code ID number: 10762920.  Click here to shop online. 

To view the other activities that will take part at Barnes and Noble this day, click here.

Union members representing SEIU 199, Sheet Metal Workers 263, IBEW 1362, IBEW 405, Roofers Local 182, Machinist Local 831 and the Hawkeye Labor Council volunteer at HACAP during the Letters Carriers Food Drive.

Member of the roofers local 182 help at HACAP with the letter carriers food drive.

Members of I.B.E.W 1362 help sort food during the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.

Previous post
The U.S. Postal Service will hold a letter carriers food drive on May 12, 2012, across the nation. If you’d like to participate please put non-perishable donations in a bag by your mailbox. The food will be delivered to our local food bank.

United Way partners with the Postal Service and other partners because we think it’s important to help people put food on their table.

Letter Carriers Food Drive 2012

We collected 1,375 pounds of food!  With this donation, we are able to provide 1,131 meals to 10 families of four for nine days. Wow, thank you!

12:57 p.m. update

Nate from Ryan Companies.

11:07 a.m. update

Nordstrom dropped off a load of items:

May 10, 2012, 9 a.m. update:

The boxes are starting to fill up.

On May 10^th, United Way of East Central Iowa will host a Food Drive at the Human Service Campus.  Items collected at this food drive will be given to HACAP as part of its Freedom From Hunger Food Drive.

From 8am-5:30pm, you can bring your food to the drop off site (Human Services Campus at 317 7^th Ave SE Cedar Rapids, IA 52401)  and volunteers will unload the donation for you.  All you have to do is ‘drive thru’!  This is a great opportunity for employees who may not be able to participate by being out of the office for our Day of Caring by donating to this great cause!

MOST NEEDED ITEMS:
Tuna
Macaroni and Cheese
Instant Potatoes
Canned Meat
Pancake Mix
Peanut Butter
Jelly
Canned Fruit
Pasta

All items should be consumer-sized.
Also, please remember we can NOT accept glass or perishable items.

To download a printable PDF, please click here.

If you have any questions regarding this, please contact Erica Bergfeld at ebergfeld@uweci.org.

From its site:

Maybe you want to nominate a non-profit employee who always gives that extra 10 percent above the 100 that’s asked. It could be a community volunteer. How about the teacher who does as much for the community outside the classroom as in it? Maybe it’s a youth coach who sacrifices his or her weekends to boost your child or a business leader who’s interested in the community at least as much as in profits.

For more click here.

The Early Bird in downtown Cedar Rapids added the magazine on May 11, 2012. Thanks!