FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 2, 2026
Story County, Iowa — United Way of Story County is pleased to announce two Financial Empowerment Major Grant Awardees: Friendship Ark and Mustard Seed Community Farm.
“We invited Story County nonprofits to propose innovative, sustainable, and strategic solutions that will empower more of our neighbors through financial education and opportunity,” said Ashley Thompson, President and CEO of United Way of Story County. “We received a number of excellent proposals that were reviewed by our Allocations Committee. The two that were selected, Friendship Ark and Mustard Seed Farm, stood out for their approach to tackling root causes of financial instability and building pathways to long-term financial security.”
Friendship Ark: Representative Payee Program Expansion
Grant Award: $18,000
Friendship Ark will use the funding to purchase new equipment to expand their Representative Payee program and assist more members in opening IAble Savings Accounts. The new equipment will enable members to practice budgeting, explore online banking, and learn how to use IAble accounts in a supported, hands on environment.
This financial empowerment work supports United Way of Story County’s mission by giving adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities real, practical tools to build long-term financial stability.
“Many of the people we serve are doing their best to navigate life on extremely limited incomes, and having the right support can make a huge difference in their ability to plan, save, and stay financially secure,” said Jennifer Ellis, Executive Director of Friendship Ark. “This project will allow us to meet that need and ensure more Story County households have the knowledge and resources to build long-term financial stability. It’s a direct investment in financial empowerment for a group of community members who often get overlooked but have so much to gain from learning these skills.”
Mustard Seed Community Farm: Food Security and Micro-Enterprise Incubator
Grant Award: $50,000
Mustard Seed Community Farm will utilize their grant to equip and staff a community kitchen space. This space will educate and empower Story County residents to process local produce into value-added products that can be stored to stretch their grocery budget or sold to increase their income. By offering instruction, kitchen access, and produce at no cost, Mustard Seed will create a low-risk environment where micro-entrepreneurs can borrow equipment to practice techniques and test recipes to develop their products.
In direct response to the financial strain lower-income households face, the on-farm community processing kitchen supports financial empowerment in three key ways: 1) by increasing affordable, year-round local food access, 2) by providing food preservation education, and 3) by providing economic opportunity through a micro-enterprise incubator program.
“Through this project, we aim to improve financial security through both providing year-round access to healthy, nutritious food and novel economic opportunities,” said Alice McGary, Executive Director of Mustard Seed Community Farm. “One hallmark of financial insecurity is food instability: not knowing where your next meal is coming from. Given rising and unpredictable costs of groceries and other supplies, expanded and consistent food access can alleviate some of the significant financial stress that our low- and moderate-income neighbors experience. What’s more, we believe access to healthy and nutritious food supports families and community members to thrive and to make well-informed financial decisions.”
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About United Way of Story County
United Way of Story County mobilizes our community to create lasting change. Founded in 1953, we unite people, ideas, and resources to transform lives across Story County, working toward our vision of a connected and thriving community.
As a trusted leader and convener, our approach is simple yet powerful: we believe transformation happens when neighbors, businesses, nonprofits, and volunteers unite around shared goals. Through strategic investments in Bright Futures, Financial Empowerment, and Collective Well-Being, we tackle root causes of community challenges while building the connections that make Story County stronger.
True to our founding spirit, whenever there is a need in our community, United Way of Story County is there — listening, responding, and creating solutions that last. Learn more at www.uwstory.org.
Media Contact:
Allee Wengert
Marketing Director, United Way of Story County
515.268.5142
awengert@uwstory.org