Emergency Housing Fund

Emergency-Housing-Fund

What if your mother had been homeless when you were a child? Can you imagine what life would have been like? I’ve often wondered about that each time an advocate helps transition a mom and her children from an abusive relationship to a safe place to start a new life without violence.

“I just wanted to say thank you for your help with paying the deposit and rent for my new place. If I didn’t get help from you, I don’t know what me and my kids would have done. We wouldn’t have been able to move without your help.”   Resource Center Client

A major barrier to a victim leaving her abuser is the lack of funds to start on her own.  Continue reading

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Tobacco Prevention, Everyone’s Doing It

By Tessa Schwake |

EWALU's Spiderweb ChallengeTobacco prevention happens on a local, national, and global level. From Youth Leadership Day to World No Tobacco Day, everyone can bring an end to tobacco use. Continue reading

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How to Prepare My High Schooler for College

By Clare Jones |

Recent events in the news of young girls being sexually assaulted while intoxicated and then exploited over social media, remind us that the consequences of underage drinking are serious and long lasting. As a parent, one way you can prevent risky behaviors like underage drinking, is just by having conversations with your kids about your values and expectations.

Research shows that young people are three times more likely to use tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs if their parents don’t make clear rules about them. Continue reading

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Northeast Iowa Celebrates Families in April

By Katie Becker |

“Child development is the foundation for community development. Everyone can play a role in strengthening families as advocates, donors or volunteers,” said Steve Scott, executive director of Prevent Child Abuse Iowa. “By supporting and educating families, we can help ensure that their children grow up safe, nurtured, and empowered to reach their full potential as adults.”

Child Abuse Prevention Month raises awareness that child abuse is preventable. Continue reading

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Discover Happy Hosting Pilates Day Fundraiser

Guest Post by Amanda Rhine |

Discover Happy Class

Pilates Day is an annual, international, community event celebrated on the first Saturday of May every year. The Pilates Day mission is to foster the public’s appreciation and awareness of the Pilates Method through a network of varied, innovative, and high quality grassroots Pilates events accessible and affordable for all. Pilates Day is a program of the Pilates Method Alliance (PMA), and Pilates Day events are produced and hosted by PMA members.

This year Discover Happy will host classes on May 4 to raise money for Helping Services! Continue reading

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He Raised $410 and Gave a Rodent a Smooch

Tom and the RatRemember when we asked you to help board member, Pastor Tom Buresh, win a chance to kiss a rat? Well, we’re happy to report: Tom won. Thanks for voting!

From the cans placed throughout Waukon and the donations Tom and our office received, he raised $410 to support our mission.

Tom gathered with some of the other clergy contestants, the 4th graders at St. Pat’s School, and Pepper, the classroom rat.  As Tom hammed it up to the thrill of the students, he gave awaiting Pepper a nice-long kiss as the final climax to this wonderful fundraiser.

Watch the Kiss Continue reading

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New Delaware County Law Passed: Social Host Ordinance

By Melanie Dill |

“During the past year, how did you get alcohol?” 73% of youth reported getting alcohol from the following sources: parents, friends over 21, parties, friend’s house, and brother or sister (Iowa Youth Survey of Delaware County,  11th graders, 2010). Today, if you provide alcohol to a minor, if you allow minors to drink on your property, or know that underage youth are drinking on any property you own- you will get fined $500.

Why? Because the new Social Host County Ordinance #37 was passed April 1. Continue reading

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Prescription Drug Drop-Off Event

One of the fastest growing threats to youth is abuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs.April 27 | 10 a.m.- 2 p.m.

Protect your family, your community and the environment by properly disposing of medications.

Sites around Northeast Iowa will take your old prescription drugs in an effort to reduce prescription and over-the-counter drug abuse. Continue reading

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What Can I Do About Underage Drinking?

By Prema Puganenthran, Intern |

beer pong_1

Prom and graduation are peak seasons for high school students to drink alcohol to excess. Teenagers at this stage in life will often use it to celebrate events or to prove their maturity. Encounters with alcohol will be a common practice for most, with nearly three-quarters of high school students drinking alcohol by their senior year. Continue reading

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The Time to Intervene is Now

By David Runyon, Executive Director |

Executive DirectorYouth and young adults have plenty of challenges to negotiate in life without the added challenge of negotiating the complex emotional maze created when they have been physically and emotionally assaulted. Dating violence, sexual assault, rape, social media harassment, and in-your-face bullying leave scars and wounds that can take lifetimes to heal. Why, then, don’t we stop it? Continue reading

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