YWCA Clinton Empowerment Center

📌According to the 2020 Census, 12.4% of the population of Clinton County, Iowa are living in poverty. Of those under 18, that percentage is even higher at 16.5%! 📊 Check out this fact and more at https://loom.ly/aM2KBjg

📣The YWCA Empowerment Center currently needs donations of men’s travel size deodorant, body wash, shaving cream, shavers, shampoo, new men’s underwear (all sizes), and laundry pods. You can bring or send donations to YWCA Clinton at 317 7th Ave South, Clinton, IA 52732.

Big shout out to Build-A-Bear Workshop for their kindness and generosity in donating Teddy Bears that will put smiles on the faces of children in our programs! Thank you! 🐻❤️

We are grateful for Erika from Milltown/Rent QC's generosity, which enabled us to receive bedding for a child in our care and $500 in WalMart gift cards to support our program participants in setting up their new homes. Thank you! 🏠💕

Check out these key things to know about the costs and harms of homelessness: https://loom.ly/TXd3oZs

Then test what you learned with this quiz: https://loom.ly/JXAfNOI

We are accepting donations of yarn, unfinished projects, and plastic crochet hooks for our partnership with FCI Thomson where inmates crochet toys and blankets for the Empowerment Center to give back to families in need in our community. Donations can be dropped off at 317 7th Ave South, Clinton, IA 52732. Thank you for all of your support.

How much do you know about homelessness in America? Take the quiz at https://loom.ly/ucl5LkM

💡Did you know? There are many common barriers that stand between an unsheltered person and the ability to save money, apply for jobs and/or get accepted for housing. It is very rarely easy for someone experiencing homelessness to find reliable employment quickly. 💰Here are a few common barriers to employment:

1. Most companies require you to have a permanent address to obtain employment. No proof of residency makes an unsheltered candidate for employment appear less stable than someone who has a permanent address.

2. First impressions matter. Not having the appropriate attire for the job in which they are applying means potential employers can doubt the ability to meet dress code requirements.

3. When you're hungry and focusing on where you will find your next meal, it's hard to focus on accessing services or looking for employment.

4. Unreliable hygiene makes it difficult to search for, feel confident about, and land employment. Imagine not knowing when you could take a shower next... when you could wash one of just a few sets of clothes... brush your teeth.

5. Medical issues.... Whether a lifelong battle or something that developed as a result of living unsheltered, medical problems, both mental and physical, can be a real barrier to gainful employment.

The best way to keep up with YWCA Clinton's Empowerment Center and all of the events and accomplishments, please comment below or email [email protected] to be added to the newsletter email list.

According to America's Health Rankings from the United Health Foundation, 1.2% of Iowa students are lacking a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence. Read more here: https://loom.ly/1i5gaOw

According to the 2022 Iowa Homelessness County Level Data Book - In Clinton county 10.6% of the hispanic population, 32.5% of the black, African American, or African population , and 3.6% of the white population were homeless. Find out more about the Iowa Homelessness County Level Data from the Institute for Community Alliances at https://loom.ly/4-6IpEA

Today is GREAT GIVE DAY! Today you can support your favorite causes by donating at greatgiveday.org/organizations/ywcaclinton Every dollar helps! Additionally, YWCA Clinton has the chance to win prizes for donations received. We are hoping to win hourly prizes! Find out more at greatgiveday.org Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque Please share this post with your friends 🧡

Our staff members, Shauna Moeller and Michelle Plasschaert, were excited to participate in the Heros for Homeless fundraiser organized by C.I.S.S. in Des Moines last night. They are doing commendable work to help individuals experiencing homelessness in their community and are a source of inspiration to all of us who work in this field! 🏠💕

There were 128 homeless Veterans in Iowa in 2023. (https://loom.ly/IKIwRQM)

Houston is reducing homelessness. What can we learn from them? https://loom.ly/c-l6Gb4

How Houston is successfully reducing homelessness In 2012, the nation's fourth-largest city went all-in on a new system to address homelessness in which dozens of agencies join forces under a single umbrella...

An injury or illness can start out as a health condition, but quickly lead to an employment problem due to missing too much time from work; exhausting sick leave; and/or not being able to maintain a regular schedule or perform work functions. This is especially true for physically demanding jobs such as construction, manufacturing, and other labor-intensive industries.

The loss of employment due to poor health then becomes a vicious cycle: without funds to pay for health care (treatment, medications, surgery, etc.), one cannot heal to work again, and if one remains ill, it is difficult to regain employment. Without income from work, an injury or illness quickly becomes a housing problem. (National Health Care for the Homeless Council - https://loom.ly/KgjkXa4)

A short, but powerful video.

Opinion | Criminalizing Homelessness Won’t Make It Go Away (Gift Article) Hundreds of thousands of people are homeless. This filmmaker wants you to see them.

“School-age children and youth who are homeless are three times more likely to attempt su***de than students who live at home with a parent or guardian (20 percent versus six percent housed).” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - www.cdc.gov/yrbs)

Our Empowerment Center Director, Michelle, comes to work each day dedicated to addressing homelessness and other needs in our community, our home - the greater Clinton area.

"I am proud of the impact our work has right here in our local community. There is a sense of accomplishment that comes from working as a team and making a positive difference in the lives of others."

Living wage is a term that refers to a wage earned that is high enough to maintain a normal standard of living. In Clinton, IA the median household income is $50,154 (as of 2021). The estimated living wage for a two-adult household with one child in Iowa is $34.20/hour ($71,136/annually) where they are working full time - 2080 hours per year. The poverty wage, for the same number of hours, is $12.41 ($25,812.80/annually) *Hourly value reflects what one working adult requires to earn to meet their families’ basic needs, assuming the other adult also earns the same. (MIT - https://loom.ly/IYHKRUc)

“On a Single Night in January 2023, 653,104 – or about 20 of every 10,000 people in the United States – people experienced homelessness across the United States.” (Office of Policy Development and Research – Hud User https://loom.ly/IKIwRQM)

YWCA Clinton Empowerment Center has partnered with the federal prison in Thomson. Inmates will crochet blankets, hats, and even toys to give to children in crisis. This program is a win/win for everyone involved and there are inmates on a waiting list to participate.

Supplies of fleece, yarn, yarn skeins, and plastic crochet hooks are desperately needed and can be donated in the front lobby. All donations are greatly appreciated!

Need help? We're here. We work hard to serve our community by providing housing support, financial assistance, and case management services to people experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless.

We are proud to partner with Clinton's Shoe Sensation 👟 to provide shoes and socks to those in need with a referral from a school, doctor, therapist, or other supportive agencies.

https://www.clintonherald.com/news/cedar-rapids-woman-begins-life-without-drugs-in-clinton/article_089554d4-df41-11ee-a27f-17ba8c80e9dc.html

Cedar Rapids woman begins life without drugs in Clinton Drug addictions had led to the loss of Chelsea Howell’s parental rights, cycled her in and out of treatment, and were about to drive her father from her life.

Save the date for Coldest Night of the Year 2025! 2/22/25

You can donate to this great cause at www.ywcaclinton.org/donate

Thank you so much to Culligan of the Quad Cities for donating water to keep us hydrated during our Coldest Night of the Year walk!

A HUGE thank you to Moxi on Main Coffee Co. for your generous donation that helped to keep us warm and cozy on the Coldest Night of the Year!