It’s that time of year when we all start to count our blessings and try to give back to those with less. On the Home Sweet Des Moines team, we love helping others find “home”: a safe place to live, a place for people to come together, a place to thrive.
This month, we are featuring some of our favorite charities. Check them out; maybe you’ll find a place to help.
• Anawim Housing – Anawim is the largest provider of permanent support housing in the state of Iowa. Anawim serves over 220 individuals and families that have experienced homelessness and live with mental illness, a substance abuse disorder, a physical disability, a diagnosis of HIV/AIDS, or are fleeing domestic violence. Anawim also focuses on developing and managing affordable and desirable homes throughout central Iowa and has a portfolio of over 1100 rental units.
Happening NOW: “The Best Chance” Challenge – Thanks to a friend of Anawim Housing, every donation they receive between NOW and December 31 will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to $100,000.
• Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity – Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope. Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, GDM Habitat builds and rehabilitates simple, decent houses alongside our homebuyer families.
Home Sweet Des Moines actively participates with GDM Habitat in the Hammers and Heels Women’s Build event every year. Interested in joining us? Contact Nora to get on the list for 2020!
• Joppa – Joppa helps homeless people survive, find housing and rebuild their lives. Their mission is to create communities of unconditional love, support and hope for the homeless as we work together to prevent and ultimately end homelessness. Rather than relying on government funding or creating redundant services, Joppa collaborates with other agencies, helps people access resources, and develops unique programs that fill gaps and meet unmet needs in outreach, housing and education.
• Pi515 (Pursuit of Innovation) – Pi515’s mission is to challenge, inspire, and teach technology skills to students with potential, empowering refugee and underserved youth to achieve success, garner influence and gain stability in their families and communities.
Home Sweet Des Moines is actively working with Pi515 on tech apprenticeship programs. This organization is near and dear to Nora’s heart, given her background in the software field.
• ARL – The Animal Rescue League of Iowa (ARL) is Iowa’s largest nonprofit animal shelter, caring for many thousands of pets each year. The ARL serves people and pets from across the state of Iowa through its programs, which include pet adoption, humane education, pet behavior training, spay/neuter, animal cruelty intervention and much more.
