Upper Des Moines Opportunity Inc

TO ALLEVIATE THE CONDITIONS & CAUSES OF POVERTY & EMPOWER CLIENTS TO BECOME SELF-SUFFICIENT.

CHILD EDUCATION - THIS CATEGORY INCLUDES A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES GEARED TOWARD THE CARE AND EDUCATION OF YOUNG CHILDREN. PARENTS MAY ALSO BE ASSISTED THROUGH THESE INITIATIVES.HEAD START/EARLY HEAD START/CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS - UPPER DES MOINES OPPORTUNITY (UDMO) HEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START PROGRAMS AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS ARE FUNDED FOR 306 CHILDREN IN HEAD START, EARLY HEAD START IS FUNDED FOR 176 CHILDREN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS ARE FUNDED FOR 32 CHILDREN. ALL PROGRAMS MAINTAINED FULL ENROLLMENT THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAM YEAR. HEAD START SERVES MANY MORE CHILDREN IN PARTNERSHIPS WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN ITS EIGHT-COUNTY SERVICE AREA. UPPER DES MOINES OPPORTUNITY'S HEAD START PROGRAMS ARE AVAILABLE IN BUENA VISTA, CLAY, DICKINSON, EMMET, O'BRIEN, OSCEOLA, PALO ALTO, AND POCAHONTAS. EARLY HEAD START IS AVAILABLE IN THE COUNTIES OF BUENA VISTA, CLAY AND EMMET.DURING THE YEAR A CUMULATIVE TOTAL OF 338 CHILDREN WERE SERVED BY HEAD START, 47% LIVED IN FAMILIES WITH INCOMES BELOW 100% OF POVERTY, 10% LIVED IN FAMILIES BETWEEN 100% AND 130% OF POVERTY, 3% LIVED IN FAMILIES ABOVE 130% OF POVERTY, 29% RECEIVED PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, AND 2% WERE IN FOSTER CARE AND 14% (47) WERE HOMELESS. DURING THE YEAR A CUMULATIVE TOTAL OF 218 CHILDREN WERE SERVED BY EARLY HEAD START, 44% LIVED IN FAMILIES WITH INCOMES BELOW 100% OF POVERTY AND 10% LIVED IN FAMILIES WITH INCOMES BETWEEN 100% AND 130% OF POVERTY, 0% LIVED IN FAMILIES ABOVE 130% OF POVERTY, 26% RECEIVED PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, 1% WERE IN FOSTER CARE AND 18% (30) WERE HOMELESS. HEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START SERVED A COMBINED TOTAL OF 10.07% OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES.

WEATHERIZATION/ENERGY ASSISTANCE -THIS CATEGORY INCLUDES A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES DESIGNED TO ALLEVIATE THE ENERGY BURDEN OF ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLDS. TWO MAJOR PROGRAMS INCLUDED ARE WEATHERIZATION AND LIHEAP.WEATHERIZATION - THE WEATHERIZATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IS A LOW-INCOME ENERGY EFFICIENT PROGRAM. ITS PURPOSE IS TO MAKE THE HOMES OF LOW-INCOME CLIENTS MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT, THEREBY REDUCING CLIENTS' FUEL BILLS AND INCREASING THEIR COMFORT. THE PROGRAM ALSO PROVIDES IMPORTANT HEALTH AND SAFETY SERVICES TO THE CLIENTS IT SERVES.DURING THE 2023 FISCAL YEAR, A TOTAL OF $1,195,790.91 WAS EXPENDED TO WEATHERIZE 81 HOMES IN UDMO'S 12-COUNTY SERVICE AREA. THE AVERAGE PER HOME WAS APPROXIMATELY $14,762.85, IN ADDITION 1 HOME WAS DEFERRED AND 0 HOMES REQUIRED RE-WORK.LIHEAP - THE LOW INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WAS ESTABLISHED TO HELP LOW-INCOME IOWA HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS PAY FOR A PORTION OF THEIR PRIMARY HEATING COSTS FOR THE WINTER HEATING SEASON, TO ENCOURAGE REGULAR UTILITY PAYMENTS, TO PROMOTE ENERGY AWARENESS AND TO ENCOURAGE REDUCTION OF ENERGY USAGE THROUGH ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND CLIENT EDUCATION. THE ASSISTANCE IS BASED ON HOUSEHOLD INCOME, HOUSEHOLD SIZE, TYPE OF FUEL AND TYPE OF HOUSING. APPLICATIONS FOR ASSISTANCE ARE TAKEN FROM OCTOBER 1 THROUGH APRIL 30 AT EACH OF UDMO'S COUNTY OUTREACH CENTERS. DURING FISCAL YEAR 2023, UDMO PROVIDED LIHEAP ASSISTANCE TO 5,504 UNDUPLICATED HOUSEHOLDS IN UDMO'S 12-COUNTY SERVICE AREA FOR A TOTAL SPENT OF $2,740,650.00, IN ADDITION CRISIS ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED TO 1,188 HOUSEHOLDS FOR A TOTAL SPENT OF $954,881.50.

OUTREACH - THIS CATEGORY INCLUDES A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES WHICH PROVIDE GENERAL RELIEF AND ASSISTANCE TO CITIZENS EXPERIENCING POVERTY OR HARDSHIP WITHIN UDMO'S SERVICE AREA. THESE PROGRAMS INCLUDE : MISCELLANEOUS UTILITY ASSISTANCE OUTSIDE OF ENERGY PROGRAMS, SENIOR CITIZEN ASSISTANCE, COMMUNITY POOL PASSES, BACK TO SCHOOL ASSISTANCE, BIRTHDAY ROOM FOR CHILDREN AND ADOPT A FAMILY. IN FY2023, UDMO OUTREACH ASSISTED 19,171 INDIVIDUALS FROM 8,829 HOUSEHOLDS WITHIN UDMO'S 12 COUNTY SERVICE AREA.