What's Going on at the House of Compassion?

Last week we received an update from the House of Compassion. Several people from our church cook and serve faithfully at the soup kitchen on the third Thursday each month, and everyone is welcome to come and help those afternoons and evenings. You may call the church for more information. Pastor Bryan Kunz is also a member of the House of Compassion board. Executive Director Chad Hammar shared this with us:

Friends:

2022 and early 2023 have seen some positive changes and new programs here at House of Compassion. I’m excited to share them with you:

Job Path Program

In early 2022, we launched our JobPath Program – a partnership with IowaWORKS, Iowa Valley Continuing Education, and TLC Associates. The program's primary purpose is to assist our client households into gainful employment or advancing to a better-paying job. I am happy to report that these efforts have led to 19 client households gaining employment, thus no longer requiring our services! These efforts will continue.

Annual Scholarship

This year we’ve also launched our new annual Scholarship Program. We will initially award four, $500.00 scholarships to Marshall County high school graduating seniors who will attend Marshalltown Community College, thus playing a role in setting up successful futures. Very excited about this new program!

Soup Kitchen and Client Services

We continue to provide the services you’ve come to know. Our Soup Kitchen Program served 14,128 meals in 2022 and, thus far in 2023, the monthly numbers are comparable. Our Client Services Programming – financial assistance for utility bills, medical/dental needs, and tuition payments for clients wishing to learn the English language – has already experienced a 39% increase in just the first three months of 2023 vs. 2022 Q1.

Thanks again for your partnership. We are hopeful of your continued generosity. You can donate through our website. Our Endowment is also an opportunity for sustained giving. Contact Colleen Springer at colleenspr324@gmail.com for more information. As always, I am here to answer any questions you have at 641-752-5999.

In gratitude,

Chad Hammar

Executive Director