Community Projects
Iowa Juvenile Home Mentorship | Past Community Projects
Iowa Juvenile Home Mentorship Program
A Service Project to Help Iowa's Youth
IOWA sponsors a mentorship program with the Iowa Juvenile Home & Training Center (IJH) in Tama-Toledo Iowa. The IJH is "home" to dozens of young teenage Iowans, almost half of whom are children in need of assistance or are otherwise in need of a stable home. These young men and women face many hardships and challenges before, during and after their stays.
The library and art studio at IJH are important resources for these young people to gain knowledge, self-confidence and independence. Both need improvement and IOWA intends to help meet that need. IJH has a wish list of the items most needed (see link below). Individuals, firms and institutions are welcome to contribute with in-kind or monetary donations to this project.
IOWA encourages our members to join in our Wish List campaign by donating money, books, art supplies and other items to enhance and improve the lives of the IJH residents. IOWA members also are invited to the Juvenile Home to meet and mentor residents and get to know some of the wonderful young adults who are finding their way in the world.
- If you or your firm would like to donate funds, please send them to IOWA at PO Box 10098, Iowa City, IA 52240
- If you would like to purchase an item from the Wish List (PDF, 76KB), an IOWA Board member or your IOWA district representative would be happy to collect the items and make sure they reach the Juvenile Home. We plan to add a "Young Women's Recommended Reading List" to our website and books from that list can be purchased as well.
If you have questions about the program or would like to volunteer to help coordinate donations, please contact Alison Werner Smith, former IOWA President.
Past Community Projects
- public education campaign on "shaken baby syndrome"
- 202 in 2002 Project, started by IOWA past-president Gail Sheridan-Lucht in 1999, with the goal of having counties install diaper-changing stations in the men's and women's restrooms in each of the 101 courthouses in Iowa by the year 2002. Over 50 Iowa counties had installed the stations at last count. Our philosophy continues to be that the availability of a diaper changing station is not a luxury but a necessity.