As the 2015 LIVE UNITED Campaign gets under way, we can reflect on the many ways our community comes together to advance the common good. United Way of Story County (UWSC) focuses on education, income and health – the building blocks for a good quality of life. We know we can’t do it alone, so we recruit people and organizations who bring passion, expertise and resources to get things done. Our latest columns are highlighting these three areas and some recent developments in each. Last column featured education. Next, we’ll feature income.
Creating the strongest community possible requires individuals and families in need to have their basic needs met. This includes a safe place to live, access to food and reliable transportation. Sadly, these are not realities for all of our neighbors. Therefore, UWSC funds programs and organizes projects that meet these needs like homelessness prevention, healthy food vouchers, and emergency rent and utility programs. We keep a pulse on employment needs and transportation issues and identify how we can help. Three efforts that are helping families include Workforce Training Academy, Wheels for Work and Women with Initiative.
The Workforce Training Academy is a new program to Story County that helps meet the employment needs of businesses in our communities, and, at the same time, increases the earning potential of participants. The program provides training to adults to help them become certified and connected to in-demand employment. The two certification programs that are being piloted at DMACC’s Career Academy Hunziker Center include Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) and Construction Specialists. The goal of the program is to help individuals gather new skills in an effort to help them increase their earning potential and lead them on a path to self-sufficiency.
We know that transportation options in the county aren’t as spontaneous as desired. Also, the types of rides that are wanted aren’t always available. Therefore, the City of Ames and Story County put together a transportation task force to assess transportation issues. UWSC was a critical partner in the discussion. A final report is currently being drafted, which will include insights, committee activities, and recommendations from the task force. This report will be made public and presented to Ames City Council, Story County Board of Supervisors and the HIRTA (Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency) Board.
In other transportation news, Ames Ford Lincoln has partnered with UWSC to bring Wheels for Work to Story County. Ames Ford Lincoln accepts donated vehicles, inspects them for safety and makes necessary repairs to donate to a family in need of reliable transportation to work or school. Since the program began in December, five cars have been given away to ensure the recipient can continue getting to work.
Finally, United Way’s Women with Initiative continues to align women's leadership and philanthropy with an urgent community priority – helping women achieve self-sufficiency and confidence through financial education. The program, a partnership with Iowa State University Extension, has recently expanded with the help of a FINRA Foundation grant. Typically, the financial management series take place in Ames, but in hopes of eliminating transportation and other barriers, the program has expanded to Huxley, Nevada and Story City to help women in those communities.
The momentum is building, and we’re excited to share how we’re moving the needle in this area. We invite you to see that great things happen when we live united. You can give, you can advocate and you can volunteer.