A welcoming vision for all

Community and Culture Connections opens doors for everyone in Kossuth County.

When Jennifer Davis stepped in to interpret a wedding for two Cuban immigrants in 2022, she had no idea it would spark the creation of a movement. “It became very clear that we were all experiencing some of the same things,” said Jennifer, executive director of Community and Culture Connections. “The language barrier has caused a lot of issues for everyone.”

Formally launched as a nonprofit in 2023, Community and Culture Connections grew from a grassroots initiative to a full-fledged organization focused on helping immigrants thrive in Kossuth County. “We really need them here,” Jennifer emphasized. “If we were to lose either a large majority or all of our Latino population, it’s possible our industries could close.”

From interpreting courthouse forms to organizing English classes and cultural dinners, the organization works to eliminate barriers for newcomers while celebrating their contributions. “They contribute not only to the economy and to our job market, but they do want to serve,” said Jennifer. “They want to contribute to our community. We’re just trying to help them find a way.”

According to Jennifer, many in Algona have accepted its immigrant community, which can be felt by newcomers, including Robin and Yudi, whose wedding spurred the beginnings of the organization. “After arriving in the town of Algona, we thought that the journey would be very difficult, but thank God we met people with loving souls and a desire to support us but also our Latino community.”

One of the most impactful new efforts is the Community Connections Center, which offers space for job-skills workshops, English classes, arts programming, and more. “This center should reach all of not only Algona, but the county,” said Jennifer. “We welcome everyone in the community.”

The center was made possible in large part by a $28,000 grant from the Kossuth County Community Foundation. “It means the world to me and to the organization,” Jennifer said. “Without this grant, I don’t think I could put together enough funds to be able to do something like this.”

For Jennifer, this mission is deeply personal. “My mother was born in Japan and experienced rejection when she came to the U.S. and eventually to Iowa after World War II,” she said. “She taught me that we grow when we open our hearts and our minds to other people.”

She believes the community can grow stronger through that same openness. “If we can see and appreciate our differences and learn from them—what an amazing community we can be.”

Building a stronger workforce

ONE Cedar Valley provides opportunities for all by believing in people.

ONE Cedar Valley is transforming lives by focusing not just on careers, but on the whole person. “Our mission is that we remove barriers to meaningful employment,” said Joy Briscoe, executive director of ONE Cedar Valley. “We are hyper-focused on career readiness, but we do it through four core programs that really support the full person.”

Those programs include The Hub, which brings service providers together to build a work-ready community; The Road Home, a 15-step life skills course; the popular SHIPHT Youth Academy, focused on career and technical education for teens; and a development center offering scholarships, resume help, and expungement clinics.

David Lupembe, a former SHIPHT participant, is one of many success stories. Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, David moved to Iowa in 2018 with his family and joined SHIPHT in high school. “We had to do some work, talent stuff, and get hands-on experience and get paid for it,” he said. 

David used his momentum and applied his experiences to receive a degree in cyber security from Hawkeye Community College in 2024 and is now a security analyst at CBE Companies in Cedar Falls. But it wasn’t just the job training that made a difference.

“It was not only on the job side of things,” David said. “People came in and talked about life in general—emotionally, how you handle yourself. It made me good as a person in general.”

That focus on the full person is at the core of ONE Cedar Valley’s model. “It’s not just about the job you’re doing,” David said. “They want you to succeed. When someone believes in you, it just clicks something in your mind.”

Critical to the organization’s success has been the leadership and support of the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa. “The support has been priceless,” said Joy. “I don’t know if we’d be here without them. They didn’t just give money, they shared their power and said, ‘We trust you. Walk alongside us.’ That made others willing to walk with us too.”

With over 400 students served through SHIPHT over five years and 24 families supported through The Hub in 2024, ONE Cedar Valley continues to shape a more equitable and prepared workforce. “Success is about how a person’s life changes,” said Joy. “That’s the data that matters most.”

Empowered to overcome and succeed

EPI helps people with disabilities thrive in their community.

For Eric, living with Exceptional Persons, Inc. (EPI) means more than just having a place to stay—it means having a life filled with independence, support, and purpose. “Living in community means to me… I have like a lot of support, but I also have a lot of independence,” he said. “I haven’t had that my whole life.”

EPI has been a pillar in Black Hawk County and surrounding areas since 1957, supporting people with intellectual disabilities, mental illness, and brain injuries. “We create opportunities, and we facilitate opportunity,” said Nicole Ericson, EPI’s community development director. “We believe in mutually beneficial relationships.”

One of EPI’s greatest missions is fostering a sense of belonging while helping individuals overcome barriers to independence. For Eric, that includes having his own job, friends, and future goals. “I have my full-time job with the Isle Casino in security,” he said. “I volunteer at Americans for Independent Living, and I just hang out with my friends when I can.”

The journey hasn’t been easy. “In the past I had people say that, ‘you’re never going to be able to have a normal life,” Eric shared. “I used those as stepping stones to prove that people with disabilities can and will succeed.” Today, he’s well on his way to transitioning into his own apartment. “It makes you feel really awesome,” he said. “I’m actually proud of myself and how far I’ve come.”

Nicole has seen firsthand the transformation that happens when people are given the right support. “The hardest thing to overcome is a stereotype of employing a person with a disability,” she said. “But once folks get in and they’re able to showcase themselves, it all comes together. Eric is a security guard at the Isle, which is a national organization. He is showcasing his own skills and his own abilities.”

The Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa is a partner in helping EPI support and advocate for people with disabilities. “Disability services has been chronically underfunded,” Nicole said. “But we’ve always had the partnership of the Community Foundation who has helped fill those gaps.” Since 2009, CFNEIA and its generous fundholders have granted more than $315,000 to EPI. The organization also holds a nonprofit endowment fund with CFNEIA that provides sustainable funding and allows donors to give to a trusted source that will support EPI forever. 

Serving more than 400 people in the Cedar Valley, EPI continues to change lives. “People with disabilities bring passion and inspiration and an undying dedication to succeed,” Nicole said. “When they are supported and empowered to live, work, and grow—they shine.”

Feeding hope across northeast Iowa

Northeast Iowa Food Bank & Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa are partners in fighting hunger.

In Northeast Iowa, where nearly 40,000 individuals and 14,000 children face food insecurity, the Northeast Iowa Food Bank is working tirelessly to ensure no one goes hungry. “There are a lot of people in Northeast Iowa who don’t know where their next meal is coming from,” said Barb Prather, executive director at NEIFB. “Last year, we were able to distribute 8.4 million meals throughout the region.”

From mobile food pantries and school markets to after-school and summer meal programs, the Food Bank uses a multifaceted approach to reach every corner of its 16-county service area. “Whether it’s through our backpack program or our mobile food pantry or our Kids Cafe programs… it helps us fight food insecurity,” said Barb.

Programs like the Kids Cafe and School Markets make a tangible difference in the lives of children and families. “We want to make sure that kids have a full belly before bed,” said Katelyn Steen, children’s programs manager. She added, “Just in Black Hawk County, there were over 250 homeless students. You don’t realize it’s happening so close to home.”

While much of the food is donated, moving that food where it’s needed requires critical infrastructure and funding—an effort made possible by partnerships like the one with the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa. “They’ve really stood by us,” said Barb. “The Community Foundation has given us grants throughout our 16 counties, helping us move food around the area—pick it up and distribute it.” In 2024, CFNEIA, along with the Gary, Rebecca, Eric, and Elizabeth Bertch Family Fund (a fund of CFNEIA), made a $200,000 grant to support NEIFB’s capacity-building campaign.

The Community Foundation’s support extends beyond funding. “It’s not just giving us money, but advocating for us—talking about the partnership and how that investment makes a difference in people’s lives,” said the Food Bank leader.

Looking ahead, the Food Bank is focused on growing its impact through innovation and advocacy. “Our vision is every meal, every day, everyone,” Barb emphasized. “We want everyone to have access to food—and know where to get it.”

And through strong community support, dedicated partnerships, and passionate staff, the Food Bank continues to turn that vision into reality—one meal at a time.

2024 Grantmaking Impacts To Date

CFNEIA's mission is to inspire people and connect resources to enrich our communities across our 20-county region. Supporting our nonprofit partners and their work in the communities they serve through impactful grantmaking drives a large part of the Foundation’s work. So far in 2024, thirteen local community foundations in our region awarded a total of $2,532,395 in grant funding to 297 projects through their competitive processes! 

The breakdown of the impact is as follows:  

Nonprofits and specific projects funded can be found by clicking on the name of each affiliate above. 

We will have more grants going out in 2024 at the end of the year for the following counties:  

Grants are awarded through CFNEIA’s competitive grant process. Decisions on grant awards are determined by local volunteers who know their community and understand its unique needs. Grants are awarded to projects in the program areas of arts and culture, community betterment, education and youth development, environment and animal welfare, health and human service. 

Learn more about the grant opportunities for nonprofits across the CFNEIA region. 

Waterloo Nonprofit Uses Basics to Empower Youth

Back 2 Basics is a Waterloo-based nonprofit making significant strides in youth empowerment through its multifaceted approach to prevention and intervention. Designed for students aged 9 to 13, the program targets those showing early signs of at-risk behavior, with the goal of steering them toward positive life choices.

“Our foundation is youth empowerment,” says Mike Robinson, founder and executive director. “We’ve been working with students for 30 years, and we recognized a gap in services on the prevention side. While there’s plenty of support once a student gets in trouble, we wanted to create a space where we can serve, teach, and instruct students before they reach that point.”

The program is built around three core components: at-risk diversion, outdoor activities, and practical life skills. The at-risk diversion initiative aims to intervene before students engage in more serious negative behaviors.

“We want to divert students if they’re starting to go down a certain path,” explains Mike. “We introduce life skills, decision-making, and anger management, among other things, to help them understand and manage their triggers.”

Another critical aspect of Back 2 Basics is its outdoor activities, which are born out of Mike’s personal experiences in his youth. “I’m an outdoorsman, and I wanted to share that with kids. We teach them how to grow their own food through our ‘Plant a Seed’ project, and they learn the entire process from planting to harvesting. We also have a ‘Teach a Man to Fish’ program, where kids learn fishing as a therapeutic and fulfilling activity.”

The program has also benefited from a partnership with the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, which has been instrumental in expanding its reach and impact. “The partnership with the Community Foundation has been a blessing,” said Mike. “Their support has allowed us to continue offering these essential services and even expand our reach. We’re small, but with their help, we’re making a real difference in these kids’ lives.

”The Back 2 Basics program exemplifies a comprehensive approach to youth empowerment, focusing not just on prevention but also on providing young people with the tools and experiences they need to thrive. Through hands-on activities and life skills training, the program is helping to create a brighter future for the next generation.

Empowering the Latino Community

Embracing Latino culture, from the organization’s name to how it provides services, is significant to PaTi’s Libelulas, a Latina-led Waterloo nonprofit. Executive Director Claudia Rivera understands the struggles immigrant families experience and opened the cultural center to advocate for, educate, and empower Latinas and Latinos.

"PaTi's Libelulas is just a place to gather, connect, and bring awareness to others of what's going on because sometimes there's a huge disconnect because of the language barrier," said Claudia. "You don't know what's going on in your community or you don't get important information. That's what we are trying to do here and make a difference."

According to Claudia, Latinos are one of the fastest-growing populations in Waterloo, filling critical workforce needs and bringing money to the community despite the disparities they encounter. The organization assists families and individuals in overcoming the language barrier, navigating social and civic systems, and better understanding the community where they live.

"One of the most important services is the ESL classes, English as a second language, because it's always about the language barrier," said Claudia, who is also a member of Advancing Equity in the Cedar Valley's multicultural task force that is working to address the language barrier for all immigrant and refugee groups. "It's hard to communicate with other people and to understand what's going on if you don't have that connection of communication because of the misunderstanding of the language."

Overcoming differences is part of building a stronger community for everyone. Claudia believes connection to different cultures is essential. "The United States is a place where people come from different backgrounds, and it's good to understand where people are coming from. The way you can connect is to be part of that community or talk to that community, talk to people, meet new people, and learn about other cultures. We're in a land where you see every different type of people in different cultures and the beauty of community is the differences between everybody."

PaTi’s Libelulas received its first grant ever from the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, a $20,000 Black Hawk County grant in 2022 to help the new organization strengthen the Cedar Valley by empowering the Latino community.

"It's been a struggle as a new organization," said Claudia. "Being a founder of color and Latina is difficult and having people take you seriously is always something that takes a lot of hard work. Having, the Foundation take a chance on us made a huge difference and they continue to help us grow."

Opportunity for all

One City United has a clear goal: to provide a pathway for all, regardless of their past, to thrive and succeed. The organization has been working to help end crisis, poverty, and addiction in Waterloo since 2018.

One City United nurtures potential and transforms lives through programs like Momentum, an employment program that teaches vital soft skills and provides knowledge to overcome barriers, and To Work, a program focused on transportation needs.

The only requirement for participants in One City’s programs is having two or more significant barriers to employment or life. Common barriers include criminal background, addiction, and homelessness. This model creates a diverse and equitable environment. “The simplicity of the model just creates equity. It creates inclusion. It creates diversity,” said Dean Feltes, One City United executive director.

But One City United isn’t just about finding jobs; it’s about helping people believe in themselves. Through partnerships with employers, they advocate for giving opportunities, not second chances. “You have some of the best employees you’ll ever find if you create an environment for them to be able to thrive and give them the opportunity,” said Dean.

Community partnerships are at the core of One City United’s success. The nonprofit has a clear identity and collaborates with other organizations to provide wrap-around services. “That’s always my dream, is to see more organizations partnering together and just making a bigger impact in people’s lives,” said Dean. The Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa is a funding partner with One City, providing $39,000 in grants to the growing organization.

Dean’s ultimate objective is to make generational impacts that lead to a community where One City is no longer needed. “The goal is to create this amazing synergy where we’re not even needed anymore because people are thriving.”

A welcoming community

Julie Molisho was born and raised in Congo. She has a bachelor’s degree and attended law school in her home country. Still, when she and her husband arrived in the United States to pursue more opportunities, she experienced the challenges many newcomers face. “I didn’t speak English. It was hard for me to navigate any system,” said Julie, founder of The River ARC.

In 2014, her family settled in Waterloo, where she began assisting fellow Congolese immigrants as a French interpreter at her workplace. Julie soon became an advocate for her community’s specific needs. “I was helping people with transportation, healthcare, food, clothes. That’s the reason I started The River ARC, to address all these needs, not only myself but having more people who can help,” said Julie.

Partnering with other organizations is vital to The River ARC’s ability to provide life-changing resources. The organization supplies education, awareness, and language support to identify needs, but Julie sees The River ARC as the bridge to partners who can deliver critical services. “Building partnerships is the key because I have the drive, I have the passion, but this is not enough to help this community,” Julie said.

The River ARC achieved nonprofit status in 2022 and received its first grant in 2023 through the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa’s Black Hawk County grant process. “The collaboration with the Community Foundation is crucial. It will help us build capacity and keep doing the work we are doing to help the community of refugees and immigrants,” Julie said.

Julie is also a partner in Advancing Equity in the Cedar Valley, a community cohort, led by CFNEIA and Black Hawk County Public Health, collaborating to address barriers and eliminate inequities. She believes the community can be a place of belonging if residents take the first step in building relationships. “We are in this together. Your health is my health. When you strengthen me, you strengthen all those behind me.”

A restoration of hope

For 34 years, Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity has been helping families achieve homeownership and partnering with communities in Black Hawk, Butler, Bremer, and Buchanan counties. “Our core focus is building stability for families through affordable homeownership,” said Ali Parrish, executive director.

While this focus remains, a new approach to providing hope for entire neighborhoods has emerged as a prominent priority for the organization’s work in Waterloo. The nonprofit’s adoption of an asset-based community development approach is creating transformational change.

“It really starts with residents first and learning what their gifts are in their neighborhood, what concerns they may have, what their dreams are for their neighborhood, and then building out coalitions and connections,” said Ali.

Habitat began its engagement in true neighborhood revitalization when it became a partner in efforts in the Walnut Neighborhood in Waterloo, where residents and churches had already come together to do asset-based community development through Christian Community Development, another local nonprofit. Habitat has taken that knowledge and is now applying it to Waterloo’s Church Row Neighborhood. In each neighborhood, the people who live there are the catalyst for change.

“We can’t invest in all these areas if we don’t have residents at the table saying, ‘This is my neighborhood. This is what I care about,’” said Jenna Petersen, neighborhood impact coordinator.

The Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa has come alongside Habitat as an early funder and collaborator in this initiative. “The Community Foundation has been engaged in this process since we began, not only through grants but by helping develop community connections,” said Ali.

A restoration of hope in neighborhoods creates ripple effects in the entire community.