Poverty Reduction
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Poverty ReductionCatholic Charities' mission is to reduce poverty.
We help limited-income families with their immediate needs and empower them
with the guidance and tools for a successful future.
We assist individuals and families with a strengths-based approach to establishing
goals, determining their eligibility for assistance, and helping them with
getting connected to much-needed services. -
Poverty Awareness Month
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"Poverty is not a catchphrase—it is a serious reality that many are living. Over 37 million people live below the poverty line in the United States. Our faith challenges us to respond to the needs of those who are most vulnerable." - Catholic Campaign for Human Development
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DO you need help?
- Call 211 for Information & Referrals
- Rental assistance
- Information about Eviction notices
- Utility bill assistance
- Benefits Applications
- Financial Stability
- Budgeting Tools
- American Rescue Plan Benefits
- Child Tax Credit Online
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Many people struggle when trying to navigate and make connections to the services they need.
United Way 2-1-1 is a free health and human service information and referral resource.- Call 2-1-1
- Call 1-800-244-7431
- Search the website database for a variety of resources including food, clothing, shelter, information about the Affordable Care Act, free medical clinics, employment supports, energy assistance, and much more
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REntAL Assistance
IOWA FINANCE AUTHORITY
If you are in need of rent and utility assistance and were either directly or indirectly impacted by COVID-19, you may be eligible for assistance through the Iowa Rent & Utility Assistance Program.
A program flyer with more information is available below:COORDINATED ENTRY
Coordinated Entry guides anyone experiencing homelessness or at risk of being homeless (i.e. owing back rent) to the correct support and housing program to alleviate their homelessness or risk of being homeless. Catholic Charities is one agency that works with these coordinated efforts.
By calling the number for your county you are accessing several agencies with one number. This is an excellent resource to reach out to or share if you or someone you know is homeless or at risk! Each number is operated by a different service agency. Look below to see what number to call for your county.- Dubuque/Delaware: ECIA 1-833-587-8322
- Jackson/Clinton: YWCA 1-833-849-8976
- *North East: Friends of the Family 1-800-410-7233
- Black Hawk/Grundy/Tama: Community Housing Initiatives 319-235-3000
- Linn/Benton/Jones: Waypoint 319-366-7999
- Story/Hardin/Marshall: The Bridge Home 515-232-8075
- *North Central: Home Forward Iowa 1-833-739-0065
*North East counties: Allamakee, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Howard, Winneshiek
*North Central counties: Wnnebago, Worth, Mitchell, Floyd. Cerro Gordo, Hancock, Wright, Franklin, Hamilton
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eviction information
Iowa's eviction moratorium is currently scheduled to end June 31st, 2021. Click Here for important facts on your rights and Iowa law in regards to evictions.
Eviction Protection Declaration
Iowa Legal Aid provides help to low-income Iowans facing eviction.
To apply for help from Iowa Legal Aid:
-Call 800-532-1275
-Apply online at www.iowalegalaid.org
-Iowans age 60 and over, apply for help from Iowa Legal Aid: 800-992-8161
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Low income Home eneryassistance program
The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is designed to help low-income families meet the cost of home heating. It is not intended to pay your household's total energy costs, but to pay a portion of residential heating costs for eligible households. In most cases, benefits will be in the form of a credit applied to your utility company heating bill.
Find your local Community Action Agency to learn more about this program and other services in your community to assist you.Click HERE to Search by County to Find Your Community Action Agency
If you have an Alliant Energy Account, you can check your eligibility to set up an affordable payment plan.Click HERE to Find your Down Payment Needed to Enroll in a Plan
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Benefits Applications
Do you need to apply for Medicare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, or other federal benefits? You can apply for benefits and check your eligibility through DHS online benefits portal.
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Click HERE for more information on improving your financial stability.
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Need help starting a budget?
Budgeting can be a daunting task, especially if you're living paycheck to paycheck. It is, however, one of the first steps towards financial stability.
Consumerfinance.gov offers great worksheets and tools to help you get started, including a week-by-week cash flow budget plan. Click HERE to access their resources and start working towards your money goals today!
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American Rescue Plan Benefits
Click Here to learn about benefits available to you under the American Rescue Plan
It has been a very tough year for all of us. But Help is Here.
President Biden passed the American Rescue Plan to help all of us
during this year of pandemic. See what help you can get below.
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Child Tax CreditLow-income families can now apply online to receive a new monthly payout for child tax credits, part of a Biden administration initiative to accelerate the distribution of the benefits in an effort to help households meet living costs on a real-time basis. The Internal Revenue Service launched a portal Monday that allows families who aren’t required to file a tax return -- because their income is too low -- to submit their information to the agency to receive monthly advances toward the child tax credit. Parents who filed a tax return in 2019 or 2020 or submitted information to the IRS last year to register for stimulus payments do not need to take any action to receive their child tax credits, per the IRS guidelines.
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Meet our Poverty Reduction Staff
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g.sabwiradbqarch.orgCase Manager -
m.wolchdbqarch.orgCase Manager
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Poverty Scenario
To gain a better understanding of the impossible situation faced by so many
people in our own communities,
click through the poverty scenario >>>
For those living at the poverty line,
all it takes is one incident...
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POVERTY AWARENESS
ALICE, an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Cons
trained, Employed, is a new way of defining and understanding the struggles of households that earn above the Federal Poverty Level, but not enough to afford a bare-bones household budget. For far too many families, the cost of living outpaces what they earn. These households struggle to manage even their most basic needs - housing, food, transportation, child care, health care, and necessary technology.
When funds run short, cash-strapped households are forced to make impossible choices, such as deciding between quality child care or paying the rent, filling a prescription, or fixing the car. These short-term decisions have long-term consequences not only for ALICE families but for all of us.CLICK HERE to learn more
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How much do you know about
poverty in the United States?
Featuring both multiple-choice and true-false questions, this quiz will help you to learn more about poverty and
its impact on people across the country. >>>>>>
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