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The Fiscal Year of 2022 is coming to a close for a lot of agencies and programs across Iowa, ICAA included. It's a great time to reflect, assess and plan for what's to come. Your Association is here for you - from training and consultation on topics both new and old (who needs a ROMA refresher or how about diving into the Human Services Value Curve?) to advocacy and lobbying opportunities - we've got some neat legislative priorities in development - not to mention the big ONE: CSBG Reauthorization!
And finally - we are a convener for you the network: to learn and share with each other. We're gathering our regional state office and association leadership next week to discuss and share best practices around Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. We are launching the inaugural Lyceum Lounge on Tuesday, September 27 to dig into Staff Retention. We're launching our Messaging Project in October - sharing data and stories for the network via our social media. And we're about to start a new book in ICAA's book club! Click here if you're interested in joining.
If you haven't liked us on Facebook, click here...We'll be posting new data and stories on the regular starting in October. If you haven't looked at our new web page, click here. This is where our trainings, convenings and other happenings will show up!
Happy New Fiscal Year! Give your fiscal director a hug!
Yours in community action evangelism,
Katherine
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IUB Customer Service
Fall Meetings
The Iowa Utility Board wants to hear from YOU!
Click here to register for upcoming public meetings across the state.
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Congratulations, UDMO!
Congratulations to Upper Des Moines Opportunity, Inc. for being one of the state's Nonprofit Innovation Fund recipients! UDMO will use these funds to acquire/renovate a centrally located building in Clay County to better serve residents.
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Iowa at NCAP
Let's give some kudos to IMPACT and MICA for their impactful and informative presentations at the annual National Community Action Partnership Convention in New York City this summer! Over 1500 participants gathered in a hotel off of Times Square to learn from each other on topics that impact the community action network across the country.
Anne Bacon wowed the crowd with her insightful presentation on "Getting By and the Challenge of Self-Sufficiency" where participants engaged in understanding the gap between income and self sufficiency and advocacy strategies to institute a living wage in their communities. A participant said after the presentation - "wow - I'm fired up! Iowa has got some smart, passionate people in their state!"
The team from MICA presented on Amplifying Community Action Impact, where they talked about key
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community partnerships that allowed them to pursue innovative programming along with leadership and organizational development strategies that they are doing to align their staff and their work with their mission. There was a crowd at the front of the room asking follow up questions at the end!
Great job Iowans!
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Telling the Community Action COVID-19 Story
The National Community Action Partnership (NCAP) just released a summary report of the Community Action Network’s nationwide response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The report is available in a virtual//interactive format in both English and Spanish as well as a downloadable print version.
Read more details about the report here.
We are especially proud of the Iowans involved in the creation of this report: Lana Shope (previous ICAA executive director) and Andrew Pavey (previous ICAA AmeriCorps member).
Special shout out to HACAP, IMPACT, and Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation for being featured in the report!
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Energy Awareness Month Toolkit
October is almost here, which means it's time to get ready for Energy Awareness Month! NCAP's Energy Awareness Month Toolkit has graphics and messaging for you to share about the need your customers are facing, as well as actions you are taking to address the need.
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Disaster Services
State Fiscal Year 2022 (July 1, 2021-June 30, 2022) was a busy one for the Community Action network. All but one Agency was activated to respond to natural disaster events throughout these twelve months.
Thank you to dozens of staff across the state who continue to administer these vital services for their communities!
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Amerigroup
Throughout the past year, Community Action has partnered with Amerigroup on a number of initiatives to address negative social determinants of health. Recently, the Community Action network was awarded an additional $89,000 to continue this partnership.
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Disaster Training Survey
ICAA needs your help! We're looking to host a comprehensive Disaster Services training in spring of 2023. Prior to COVID-19, this was a two-day in person training in the Des Moines area. In recent years, it has been offered virtually through multiple shorter sessions throughout a month.
We would like your input on the format and timing--please click the link below to provide feedback!
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ICAA's First Lyceum Lounge
Zoom | 9/27 | 12:30-1:30pm
32-hour work weeks, flexible schedules, wellness initiatives, mentorship - what do all of these have in common? If you said 'attempts to retain quality staff to the organization,' you are right!
Bring your pain points and success strategies around employee retention to ICAA's first Lyceum Lounge convening.
No need to register ahead of time, just join us by clicking here and get ready to engage with colleagues from across the Community Action network to share, to learn, and to ignite new ideas.
What To Expect:
- A virtual Community Action gathering place, hosted by ICAA, for idea sharing via Zoom.
- Lyceum Lounge discussion topics will be generated by the network.
- 60 minute gatherings, attend as you can the fourth Tuesday each month, 12:30-1:30PM CST.
- Topic will be sent out at least one week prior to gathering, ICAA is seeking discussion leaders.
- Resource sharing space will be provided on the ICAA website member portal.
- Summary of Sharables will be sent out to the network in ICAA Offering emails.
To learn more about the Lyceum Lounge concept and submit ideas for future discussion topics, click here.
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Cost of Living in Iowa
Zoom | 10/7 | 11am-12:30pm
Register here!
In Iowa there are 114,000 working households that are unable to meet basic needs on income alone. Join Common Good Iowa policy advocate Natalie Veldhouse to learn more about how programs like SNAP and Child Care Assistance help families bridge the gap.
Walk away with data showing what wages are needed to get by in your community.
Orientation to Community Action
Zoom | 10/31 | 9:00-10:30am
Register here!
Welcome to the Iowa Community Action network! ICAA offers this webinar a few times each year for Community Action staff and board members, it provides:
- an opportunity to meet with peers from across the state;
- an overview on the mission and uniqueness of Community Action, and the national Community Action Theory of Change;
- an introduction to a few key national, regional, and state Community Action partners, and
- shares ways to access additional resources and support.
Be sure to share this invite with new(er) Community Action staff and board members!
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Custom Training Available
In-Person or Virtual
ICAA would love to engage with your staff around Creating Space for Storytelling, Untelling, and Lived Experiences. This 2-3 hour custom training combats poverty myths with real-time data and an empathy-inducing poverty simulation that asks participants to see how long they can make their limited resources last over a 30 day period while being faced with hardships along the way. ICAA recently provided this training at an agency all-staff training day, here is what the executive director had to say,
“NICAO asked ICAA to provide a poverty training at our all agency training and it was a huge success! The training was very informative and interactive, Tiffany and Mary were able to make an impact with staff within 2.5 hours, where most poverty trainings are an all-day training. The survey responses from staff about the poverty training were very positive. I will be asking ICAA to provide more staff training in the future.” - Cindy Davis, NCRI, CCAP, Executive Director at North Iowa Community Action Organization
If you would like to schedule this training please contact Tiffany Keimig, tkeimig@iowacaa.org.
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ICAA's First Lyceum Lounge
12:30-1:30pm
Join here
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Navigating Difference
9:00am-4:00pm
ICAA is hosting a 3-day cultural competency in-person training called Navigating Difference from 9AM-4PM CST each day in Des Moines; register here prior to October 14th.
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Click here to see ICAA's NEW Events Calendar for all the latest trainings, network events, and more! | |
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ICAA is looking for a motivated, creative, people-person, to join our team as the ICAA VISTA Special Projects Coordinator. This person will work on the following projects:
- Develop 40 Stories of Impact;
- Expand the Embrace Iowa program; and
- Develop marketing strategies to support the Iowa Community Action network.
The term of service will be 12/5/2022 to 12/4/2023.
The VISTA Special Projects Coordinator will interview individuals and families served by Iowa Community Action Agencies (CAAs) and CAA staff, develop materials (quotes, graphics, videos, narratives), and implement training for CAAs on utilizing the materials to increase the public's awareness of poverty and the impact of programs offered by CAAs. The VISTA Special Projects Coordinator will also assess and catalog donor management best-practices by researching and implementing donor management databases.
Please help spread the word about this exciting opportunity.
If you – or someone you know – are interested click here to learn more and apply.
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