Homelessness

FOF’s street outreach program got up and running a little over a year ago with it being a brand-new program to us. We have two Outreach specialists. One is in Black Hawk County and the other covers North Central & Northeast Iowa. The purpose of the street outreach program is to meet individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness where they are. This could be living in their car, encampments in the woods, and on the street.   Why are we doing this? Street outreach work

What is PIT Count? Community agencies and stakeholders will survey the community to conduct a Point in Time Count. PIT Count is where agencies & volunteers go out into the community and connect with individuals experiencing homelessness on the last Wednesday of January every year.   Staff and volunteers are tasked with going into the community to count and connect with the number of people experiencing homelessness in our 17-county community: Allamakee, Bremer, Butler, Buchanan, Chickasaw,

In episode 32, Genie Berst, Outreach and Diversion Specialist with Friends of the Family, visits with Becky to talk about the Friends of the Family community table at the Waterloo Public Library.      

FOR RELEASE ON 3.1.2021 Contact: Friends of the Family, Ben Brustkern   Phone: 319-352-1108, Ext. 207 Email: [email protected] Safely Home & Home Free New program options available for families experiencing housing instability in Northeast/Northcentral Iowa counties.   Effective January 1, 2021 – Safely Home – This Continuum of Care funded program is for survivors of domestic violence,

FOR RELEASE ON 9.1.2020 Contact: Friends of the Family, Ben Brustkern   Phone: 319-352-1108 Email: [email protected] Service Expansion Additional funding increases service area   Effective September 1, 2020 – Additional funding has allowed for the expansion of services in our existing counties and the additional coverage of several new counties. The Federal CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief,

Written by one of Friends of the Family's Housing Support Specialists Growing up, I didn’t know what it was like to go hungry. I always had enough to eat and had options. We had supper every night at six o’clock on the dot, and that was when we sat down as a family and shared about our day. My mom usually made casseroles or meat, potatoes, a vegetable and bread. She also made sure we had fruit or cottage cheese to go along with it, as well as a dessert and ALWAYS a full glass of

Written by a one of Friends of the Family's Housing Support Specialists   Every day. Every single day.  We drive to and from work, we go to the park with our kids, and we watch television. Throughout those seemingly normal tasks, we drive by fast food restaurants, walk past grocery stores, and see commercials about mouthwatering food. Food seems to be so available to us everywhere that we go, that it is almost impossible to think that hunger might be impacting those around