Community Support for Nicotine Free Parks & Trails
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Community Support for Nicotine Free Parks & Trails

Many communities have adopted nicotine free parks and trails over the past several years, including quite a list we have worked with from our corner of the state. The Prevention 5 Coalition in Howard County along with the Crestwood HEROES High School leadership group wanted to add Cresco to this list. Community support started to…

Family Education: Story Time
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Family Education: Story Time

My name is Madi Brauer (they/them) and I joined the Helping Services team this fall as a family educator serving in Allamakee, Howard, and Winneshiek counties. Part of my duties as a family educator includes recruiting families to join our program and to educate families on child development. One of my favorite ways to do…

January is National Mentoring Month
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January is National Mentoring Month

Being a mentor is as simple as being a friend. Mentoring involves making yourself available to support and advise someone when they need it, delivering that support in a way that makes sense to them, and always keeping that person’s best interests in mind. Mentors come in all shapes and sizes. Take a minute to…

Domestic Abuse Community Partnerships
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Domestic Abuse Community Partnerships

Over the past three months we are grateful to our community for partnering with the Domestic Abuse Resource Center (DARC) to help raise awareness and funds to support survivors of domestic violence. Among many other generous donors, we would like  to thank PIVO Brewery, Blepta Studios, Reefuel, Pulpit Rock Brewery, and Upper Iowa University SAAC…

Increased Activity for Domestic Abuse Advocates
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Increased Activity for Domestic Abuse Advocates

Each year, the Domestic Abuse Resource Center team prepares for the warmer months as both the staff and volunteers know that calls to the resource line (800-383-2988) will be increasing. What is surprising is that the number of clients the advocates have assisted and the number of calls have continued to increase over the past…

Introducing Allie Ney
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Introducing Allie Ney

Hello Everyone! I am Allie Ney, the new Tigerhawk Connections Learning Center (TCLC) Coordinator. I have worked at the TCLC Program since February of 2017. I am originally from West Union, but now reside in Hawkeye, Iowa. Currently, I am attending Upper Iowa University to receive degrees in Business Administration and Human Resources Management. I…

School Based Mentoring in Delaware County
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School Based Mentoring in Delaware County

School is starting up across Iowa and school based mentoring in Delaware County is kicking into high gear! Youth in West Delaware, Maquoketa Valley and Edgewood Colesburg School Districts are seeking mentors this year. We hope you will consider mentoring a local youth this year. There are two types of school based mentoring: School-Based Mentoring…

Summer at Tigerhawk Connections Learning Center
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Summer at Tigerhawk Connections Learning Center

This summer Helping Services had 28 Tigerhawk Connections Learning Center (TCLC) Summer Camp participants. There is book club, Healthy LifeStars Club, and many other enrichment activities.  On July 23  TCLC Summer Campers went to the Fayette County Fair where an intern from the Iowa State University Extension Office gave us a tour. The campers had…

Mentoring Partnership with Northeast Iowa Peace and Justice Center
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Mentoring Partnership with Northeast Iowa Peace and Justice Center

Youth Mentoring partners with the Immigration Working Group out of the Northeast Iowa Peace and Justice Center to bring mentoring to immigrant youth. Five youth and their families signed up for mentoring and were matched with an adult friend to be their mentor. The matches have been going on hikes, watching movies at the theater,…

Iowa’s Medical CBD Law
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Iowa’s Medical CBD Law

In May 2014, Governor Branstad signed into law the Medical Cannabidiol Act, allowing possession of Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil with a neurologist’s recommendation for the treatment of intractable epilepsy in children with a THC level of no more than 3%. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the psychoactive chemical in the cannabis plant that gets a person high. In…