January 2025 Quarterly Newsletter
From the Executive Director's Desk
Happy New Year! I hope each of you had a chance to enjoy time with family and friends during the holidays. As we begin 2025, I am filled with gratitude for the work we’ve accomplished over the past year. The transition to Mid-Sioux’s Executive Director role has been challenging at times, but I couldn’t have managed it without the dedication and support from each of our Project Directors and staff - Thank You!
We continue to operate under a continuing resolution while Congress finalizes the FY 2025 budget. With the leadership of the new administration, we anticipate exciting opportunities as well as potential challenges for community action agencies. Together, we will embrace these challenges as we continue to provide essential services and advocate for the needs of the families we serve.
Over the next few months, several of our program staff will be visiting the capital to meet with local legislators to discuss the services we provide and the impact we’re making in our communities. These visits provide us with the opportunity to directly communicate the success of our programs, share the challenges we face, and strengthen our advocacy efforts. We appreciate our local legislators who take the time from their busy schedules to meet with our staff.
Laura Benson and I have attended the Board of Supervisor meetings in each of the five counties in our service area to share information about our services and submit our budget requests for the upcoming year. We are fortunate to have strong support from our local governments, and we appreciate their commitment to our mission.
Thank you to our outreach staff for their hard work and dedication throughout the holiday season! Also, thank you to all the community members and organizations who partnered with us to make these projects possible!
We’ve been fortunate so far with mild weather this winter and we hope it continues in the upcoming months. Stay safe and warm!
Respectfully,
Cindy Harpenau
Executive Director
Applications are currently being taken in all Mid-Sioux Outreach offices for the Embrace Iowa program. These funds assist Iowans in removing a barrier that may be preventing them from improving their life. This program is a partnership between the Des Moines Register, the Iowa Community Action Association (ICAA), and Community Action Agencies across the state. The Des Moines Register shares stories of Iowans who are struggling to meet some of their basic needs and encourages others to donate to this wonderful program. This year, the goal is to raise $400,000 statewide.
Mid-Sioux Opportunity begins taking these funds each year around the end of November or the beginning of December until all funds have been dispersed. One application can be filled out per family and the maximum dollar amount of any benefit award is $750. Benefit items may include; but are not limited to; beds, car repairs, medical expenses, appliances, and home repairs.
Eligibility
At or below 200% of Federal Poverty Guidelines using Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program (LiHEAP), Head Start, SNAP, WIC, or FaDSS-approved income determination criteria at the time of application.
FY24 Totals
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Total # of Grants Awarded
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Total Funds Distributed
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36
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$23,539.49
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Check out Madisen’s story about how Embrace Iowa made a difference in her boy’s lives.
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For more information on this program, please reach out to your local Outreach office:
- Cherokee/Plymouth/Ida Counties – 712-225-3322 or 712-546-6603
- Sioux/Lyon Counties – 712-722-3611 or 712-472-3746
If you are interested in contributing to this program, you can donate online here:
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SIOUX COUNTY OUTREACH
Happy New Year from your Sioux County Outreach Office!
It looks like we are in for a bit of a cold spell! We would love to help as many people as possible by providing heating assistance with our Low-income Home Energy Assistance (LiHEAP) program. If you are at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, and meet a couple of other requirements, we may be able to assist with a portion of your heating costs this winter. We also have some funding to help with furnace replacement and repair. If you are needing assistance with this, please call our office at 712-722-3611 for more information.
Our Food Pantry Continues to Stay Busy
We are always looking for monetary and food donations to keep our pantry full. We also provide some hygiene items every 90 days to eligible households. There is always a need for those items in our pantry as well.
We are happy to have Hope Haven clients coming in for an hour per week to help make food boxes and stock shelves. It is wonderful for these clients to have the opportunity to engage with the public through volunteering and is incredibly helpful to have their assistance with meeting the demand for our food boxes.
FREE Apparel & Water Bottles
We received a large donation of adult t-shirts, sweatshirts and water bottles from Staples. Stop in our office to sign up for heating assistance, get a food box, and receive some warm clothing for your adult-sized family members. Thank you, Staples for your generous donation!
If there is anything we are able to help you with, please call our office at 712-722-3611. If you are interested in helping support our organization, you can donate online at:
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Or you can send your monetary donation to:
Mid-Sioux Opportunity, Inc.
618 14th Street NE, Suite 10
Sioux Center, IA 51250
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Dashboards
Welcome to Mid-Sioux's Dashboards!
Stakeholders can now dive into our intuitive program dashboards for comprehensive data and insightful analysis. Let us guide you through the key trends and insights of our services.
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418 S Marion St | Remsen, IA 51050 | 712-786-2001 | 800-859-2025
www.midsioux.org
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