North Liberty Awards Grants to Agencies Serving Residents in 2022

The for the current fiscal year, the North Liberty City Council awarded $150,000 to 20 local social service agencies who provide assistance to North Liberty residents. The funds will support a wide array of efforts to serve North Libertarians, including seniors, youth and children, people experiencing homelessness and others in need.

4Cs Community Coordinated Child Care

For Childcare Workforce Development Program: $5,000

4Cs promotes the well-being of young children in Johnson County by advocating for quality, affordable, accessible childcare. The organization supports families and those providing childcare through training, education, information, resources and services.

This funding will support 4Cs work with the child care workforce in North Liberty and continuing to educate, develop and retain the child care workforce in North Liberty, developing strong child care centers and development homes within North Liberty’s borders.

Connect with 4Cs Community Coordinated Child Care online at iowa4cs.com or by calling (319) 338-7684.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Johnson County

For Stop the Wait: $8,000

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Johnson County creates and professionally supports 1:1 mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.

This funding will support recruitment efforts to ensure a mentor for North Liberty youth and shorten the time for those waiting to be matched. Volunteers will be thoroughly vetted, trained and once matched supported (as required by Big Brothers Big Sisters of America national standards) throughout the life of the match.

Connect with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Johnson County online at bbbsjc.org or by calling (319) 337-2145.

CommUnity Crisis Services and Food Bank

For Improving Housing Security for North Liberty Families: $11,800

Community Crisis Services and Food Bank is a volunteer-driven organization that provides immediate and non-judgmental support for individuals facing emotional, food or financial crisis.

This funding will help North Liberty families maintain housing by making emergency payments to landlords and utility companies, typically after families have exhausted or otherwise been deemed ineligible for other assistance programs. As the “last line of defense,” CommUnity does everything possible to make its service accessible and unrestrictive. CommUnity’s Basic Needs staff walk prospective clients through the entire application process, helping them locate and organize necessary documentation as needed.

Connect with CommUnity Crisis Services and Food Bank online at builtbycommunity.org or by calling (319) 351-2726.

Corridor Community Action Network

For CCAN Clothes Cruise, Free Mobile Clothing Closet: $2,000

Corridor Community Action Network serves to facilitate resident participation and empowerment, raising awareness about opportunities to improve the quality of life for all individuals in the Iowa Corridor. The organization takes action to promote individual and community equity and quality of life through policy and advocacy work, service projects, volunteer efforts and through alliances, partnerships, and coalitions with other organizations.

This funding will maintain the free mobile clothing closet that has served hundreds of people throughout the area in the months since its launch. CCAN collects clothing from donors and provides it to people in need, who are be able to select their own items. The mobile closet allows for distribution events in low-income areas and in coordination with other services such as food and diaper distributions and the UI Mobile Health Clinic.

Connect with Corridor Community Action Network online at corridorcan.com.

Domestic Violence Intervention Program

For Support for Victim-Survivors: $7,000

The Domestic Violence Intervention Program provides comprehensive support and advocacy services to victim/survivors, focusing on immediate and long-term safety, empowerment, dignity and hope. In collaboration with the community, DVIP strives to end domestic abuse through education, accountability and social justice.

This funding will provides crisis intervention and trauma-informed recovery services for victims of intimate partner violence, dating violence, human trafficking and stalking. DVIP severed 185 victim-survivors in North Liberty last year and this funding assists with emergency safe shelter, 24 hour hot line, advocacy, trauma care counseling and direct aid for residents of North Liberty.

Connect with The Domestic Violence Intervention Program online at dvipiowa.org or by calling (800) 373-1043.

Friends of the Center

For Senior-Focused Programs & Services for North Liberty Residents: $7,000

Friends of The Center supports the Iowa City/Johnson County Senior Center in its mission to enhance quality of life by creating opportunities to support wellness, social connections, community engagement and lifelong learning for a diverse and growing older adult population, continuing social involvement and ending social isolation for all adults age 50 or older.

This funding will sustain the Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) satellite office in North Liberty, provide discounted Senior Center Membership for all North Liberty residents age 50+ to fully access available programming both in-person and virtually, and allow for continued development of new programs and activities designed to fill gaps in Senior-focused programs to take place in North Liberty.

Connect with The Center online at icgov.org/senior or by calling (319) 356-5220

Girls on the Run of Eastern Iowa

For North Liberty Program Support: $3,200

Girls on the Run of Eastern Iowa inspires girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running.

This funding helps to ensure the quality youth programming provided through Girls on the Run remains financially accessible by helping to keep supplementary program fees down and providing scholarships/financial assistance for families who need it in North Liberty.

Connect with Girls on the Run of Eastern Iowa online at girlsontheruniowa.org or by calling (319) 214-0154.

Meals on Wheels

For North Liberty Meals on Wheels, snow removal: $10,000

Meals on Wheels instills hope, strengthen communities and brighten futures by providing life changing services to underserved populations, and enhances the lives of older adults by providing services and resources so they can remain independent.

This funding will provided hot, delivered meals and some snow removal services to Meals on Wheels clients in North Liberty

Connect with Meals on Wheels online at horizonsfamily.org/mealsonwheels or by calling (877) 653-3123.

Houses into Homes

For Volunteer Coordinator Support: $8,000

Houses into Homes provides gently-used beds, furniture, and household items for families and individuals who are exiting homelessness, domestic violence and other crisis situations, helping people feel the comfort of home and to do so in a way that honors their experience and engages them with unconditional positive regard.

This funding will provide support for a volunteer coordinator, allowing growth of the volunteer program by converting one-time volunteers into regular volunteers, increasing the number of recurring volunteer groups and creating a volunteer recognition program.

Connect with Houses into Homes online at housesintohomes.org or by calling (319) 435-1075.

Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County

For Revolving Loan Fund and Homeowner Rehabilitation: $20,000

Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County promotes, supports and funds affordable housing in Johnson County.

This funding will seed the revolving loan fund, which provides funding to agencies, developers  and builders for the acquisition and creation of new housing, the rehabilitation of existing housing, such as the Penn Oaks project in North Liberty, and other housing activities, as well as support the owner-occupied rehabilitation program helping low-income homeowners stay in their otherwise affordable homes.

Connect with the Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County online at htfjc.org or by calling (319) 358-0212​.

Foundation for the Iowa City Community School District

For Any Given Child, Fine Arts Programming: $5,000

The Foundation for the Iowa City Community School District connects the community with our schools to ensure every student has extraordinary learning experiences. Together they empower teachers and district staff and inspire students to learn.

This funding ensures each ICCSD student from kindergarten through the eights grade receives at least one fine arts experience tailored for their grade level and curriculum. Arts experiences boost critical thinking, teaching students to take the time to be more careful and thorough in how they observe the world. The arts provide challenges for learners at all levels. Art education connects students with their own culture as well as with the wider world.

Connect with Foundation for the Iowa City Community School District online at iccsdfoundation.org or by calling (319) 688-1012.

Iowa City Free Medical and Dental Clinic

For Free Clinic Services for Uninsured Residents of North Liberty: $5,000

Iowa City Free Medical and Dental Clinic provides quality, comprehensive healthcare services for the uninsured and underinsured.

This funding will support comprehensive healthcare services at the Iowa City Free Clinic for uninsured residents of North Liberty.

Connect with the Iowa City Free Medical and Dental Clinic online at freemedicalclinic.org or by calling (319) 337-4459.

Iowa Legal Aid

For Family Stabilization in North Liberty: $5,000

Iowa Legal Aid makes hope, dignity and justice available to low-income Iowans through free legal assistance and education that protects fundamental rights, basic necessities, and access to the judicial system, challenging policies and practices that harm low-income persons and empowers clients to advocate effectively for themselves and their communities.

This funding will provide free civil legal services to stabilize the income, housing, health care, and safety of low-income North Liberty residents through direct legal assistance, such as advice, brief service, negotiation with third parties, research, and representation before administrative agencies and courts, and well as referrals to local human services and health organizations and private attorneys through Iowa Legal Aid’s Volunteer Lawyers.

Connect with Iowa Legal Aid online at iowalegalaid.org or by calling (800) 532-1503.

North Liberty Community Pantry

For Annual Pantry Operations: $20,000

The North Liberty Community Pantry exists to engage the community in feeding, clothing and connecting its neighbors to resources and services.

This funding will support the North Liberty Community Pantry’s operations, which provides essential services to people with limited resources.

Connect with North Liberty Community Pantry online at northlibertycommunitypantry.org or by calling (319) 626-2711

Iowa Matrix

For I AM AWARE 2022/2023 Training Series Capacity Building for the Resiliency Center: $2,000

Iowa Matrix uses a cross-sectional, multidimensional, developmentally aware and trauma-informed approaches, specializing in working with women
who have experienced gender-based and interpersonal abuse and trauma.

This funding will support Iowa Matrix’s has I Am Aware training series of community programming that builds resilience and awareness into community and organizations.

Connect with by calling (319) 325-4771.

Rape Victim Advocacy Program

For Sexual Assault Prevention Education: $3,500

The Rape Victim Advocacy Program provides free, confidential, trauma-informed advocacy to individuals affected by sexual violence and promote social change through prevention education.

This funding will support comprehensive primary prevention education to residents in North Liberty, including evidence-based comprehensive-prevention curriculum in schools in North Liberty.

Connect with the Rape Victim Advocacy Program online at rvap.org or by calling (319) 335-6001.

Shelter House

For Emergency Shelter: $10,000

Shelter House provides safe shelter and helps people improve the quality of their lives as they move beyond homelessness.

This funding will support emergency shelter for an estimated 50 to 80 North Liberty residents who lose their housing and have nowhere else to turn, other than the streets.

Connect with online at shelterhouseiowa.org or by calling (319) 351-0326.

Table to Table

For Food Distribution to Reduce Food Insecurity: $7,000

Table to Table keeps wholesome, edible food from going to waste by collecting it from donors and distributing to those in need through agencies that serve the hungry, homeless and at-risk  populations.

This funding will support deliveries of rescued fresh food to the North Liberty Community Pantry, including fresh produces, meat and dairy.

Connect with online at table2table.org or by calling (319) 337-3400

The Arc of Southeast Iowa

For Camp/Group Respite Programming: $2,000

The Arc of Southeast Iowa fosters communities of respect and inclusion for people of all abilities through advocacy, support, and service.

This funding will support school-aged North Liberty students with disabilities in a summer day camp program and group respite services throughout the school year helping their caregivers receive needed breaks and childcare so they can remain in the workforce.

Connect with the Arc of Southeast Iowa online at arcsei.org or by calling (319) 351-5017

United Action for Youth

For Positive Youth Development & Mental Health Services: $8,500

United Action for Youth nurtures the potential of all youth to create, grow, and succeed.

This funding will support youth initiatives in North Liberty including Ranshaw House at Liberty High School.

Connect with online at unitedactionforyouth.org or by calling (319) 338-7518.