Focus Area

Support to Vulnerable Populations

This prong of the COVID-19 Relief Fund provided grants to assist organizations with feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, and allowing for children to continue receiving vital services.

Food Shelter Childcare Connectivity Mental Health & Wellness Services
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New Visions Homeless Services' response to COVID-19 could not have been possible without Iowa West Foundation. Their support allowed us to continue to safely shelter our friends experiencing homelessness, prevent families living in the community from losing their homes, expand our food programs to serve more than 30,000 individuals from southwest Iowa facing food insecurity, and provide holiday support to 4,500 men, women, and children from our community. There are not enough words to express our gratitude to Iowa West Foundation for supporting us during these difficult times.

Brandy Wallar
Volunteer & Program Director, New Visions Homeless Services

FOOD

Ensuring southwest Iowans didn’t go hungry was a priority for the COVID-19 Relief Fund. Multiple urban and rural food banks and pantries throughout the region received thousands of dollars in grants to help with immediate distribution of meal kits for individuals and families.

SHELTER

New Visions Homeless Services was one of the first grantees to receive funding from the COVID-19 Relief Fund. The nonprofit organization has received $230,000 in grants to provide emergency shelter during the pandemic.

CHILDCARE

The Council Bluffs Schools Foundation received $27,000 from the COVID-19 Relief Fund to provide childcare for essential front line workers, a critical need early in the pandemic.

CONNECTIVITY

With a $200,000 grant from the COVID-19 Relief Fund, CBCSD expanded BLink to the students and families who live in Carter Lake. Free BLink Wi-Fi coverage thus expanded 17 percent, providing internet access to nearly 1,500 more students for hybrid and virtual learning.

MENTAL HEALTH & WELLNESS

Vital health screenings were able to take place despite COVID-19 thanks to FAMILY Inc.’s new Mobile Wellness Unit. The unit was funded in part by a $20,000 grant from the COVID-19 Relief Fund.

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Expanding Public Health Infrastructure