A Service Project to Help Iowa's Youth

I.O.W.A. is proud to announce a new mentorship program with the Iowa Juvenile Home. The Iowa Juvenile Home & Training Center in Tama-Toledo Iowa is "home" to dozens of young teenage Iowans, almost half of whom are CINAs or otherwise in need of a stable home. The information from the Juvenile Home Foundation explains the hardships and challenges faced by these young men and women, before, during and after their stays.

The library and art studio at the juvenile home are important resources for these young people to gain knowledge, self-confidence and independence. A need exists to improve these resources and the I.O.W.A. intends to help meet that need. Deb Hanus, the administrator of the Juvenile Home, has provided us with a wish list of the items most needed by the home. Individuals, firms and institutions are welcome to contribute with in-kind or monetary donations to this project.

I.O.W.A. is asking its members to join in our Wish List campaign by donating money, books, art supplies and other items to enhance and improve the lives of the residents at the juvenile home. This spring I.O.W.A. members are invited to the Juvenile Home to meet and mentor residents and get to know some of the wonderful young adults who are finding their way in the world.

I.O.W.A. would like you to consider making a donation of some kind. If you or your firm would like to donate funds, please send them to I.O.W.A. at PO Box 10098, Iowa City, IA 52240. If you would like to purchase an item from the Wish List (PDF, 76KB), an I.O.W.A. Board member or your I.O.W.A. district representative would be happy to collect the items and make sure they reach the Juvenile Home. We will also be adding a "Young Women's Recommended Reading List" to our website and books from that list can be purchased as well.

This is an ongoing service project, but the holiday season is a good time to remember the young adults living at the juvenile home and to include them in your charitable giving for this year and next year. If you have questions about the program or would like to volunteer to help coordinate donations, please contact I.O.W.A. President Alison Smith at awsmith@hhbmlaw.com or 319-337-9606. We will be sending out postcard reminders and regular listserv announcements about this new service project. Please do what you can to help out!

Iowa Juvenile Home Foundation Brochure (PDF, 573KB)
Iowa Juvenile Home Foundation Annual Report (PDF, 7.13MB)

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