Out of work and in urgent need of a temporary financial assist, Story County resident and single mother Danielle Orozco was searching for a way to purchase essential bedding for her two young children. Her situation is exactly the type of problem the Embrace Iowa charitable program has been solving for more than 40 years.
“I have a daughter who is autistic. She just turned four and doesn’t do very well in a regular bed,” Orozco explained.
“So having a special bed that I was able to order through the Embrace Iowa program really helped me out a lot. And then for my son, he was just sleeping in bed with me and was at that point where he’s just a little too big. So, it really helped to get him a bed as well so that we can move him onto his next milestone,” she said.
Helping fellow Iowans get back on their feet embodies the project’s core mission, and Program Executive Director Katherine Riley Harrington described the process as “assisting low-income Iowans in their journey to become self-sufficient.”
During the previous four decades, Embrace Iowa has leaned on the generous contributions of Des Moines Register readers to aid as many of their neighbors as possible. Reader donations, both big and small, are bundled and distributed to individuals and families with very specific issues, many not covered by more familiar charitable endeavors.
Originally from California, Orozco was unaware of the benefits offered by Embrace Iowa until a conversation with a staffer with the Head Start education program.
Over the last year, requests for help to purchase bedding for children or adults with physical difficulties have been a common request, alongside applications from individuals facing difficulties with rent payments, car repair, or replacing appliances.
No Iowan is left out of the program’s reach. The state’s 99 counties have been divided into 16 regional Community Action Agencies. Each agency’s staff are then responsible for helping fill out forms, offering expert advice and dispensing the funds once they are approved. Applicants do need to show a gross annual income of 200% or less than the federal poverty guidelines.
Orozco’s paperwork was handled by Mid-Iowa Community Action Inc., an agency that also takes care of communities across Hardin, Marshall, Poweshiek and Tama counties.
Although each applicant can request up to $750, each dollar in the yearly campaign is carefully managed, even down to the last cent.
In Orozco’s case, she chose specific bedding available from Amazon, and “sent the screenshots with the links of what I needed.” Her local agency then paid the online bill of $598.43 and forwarded the furniture directly to Orozco. In an ongoing effort to make full use of every dollar raised, none of the revenue donated by Register readers is allocated to pay for Embrace Iowa’s staff or administration costs.
When she began the process, Orozco was still searching for employment. A few months later, she started a new job and moved into a new apartment. “So, yes, we’re moving on up,” she said. And she encouraged anyone in a similar situation to make further enquiries with the program. “I definitely recommend it. I would tell anybody who’s interested to just go for it,” she added.
How you can help
Embrace Iowa helps Iowans who are struggling to meet their most basic needs.
The current Embrace Iowa campaign continues to accept donations until Jan 31. 2025, and hopes to surpass this year’s goal of $400,000. Last year, contributions from 868 Des Moines Register readers raised $381,256 through their online pledges, or by sending in checks.
Step-by-step, safe and secure instructions are posted at iowacommunityaction.org/donate-embrace-iowa for donors who prefer to use a credit card, or transfer from a bank. And checks can be mailed to Embrace Iowa, P.O. Box 10611, Cedar Rapids, IA 52410-0611.
Richard Lane is a freelance writer based in Des Moines.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Embrace Iowa helps Iowans with small bills. You can help, too.