Anawim Housing
Monthly E-Newsletter | April 2021

HOME IS EVERYTHING SPRING GIFT DRIVE
Thursday May 6th!


Anawim Housing invites you to donate new essential items to help make a house a home for those moving into housing from homelessness. The Gift Drive is presented by Anawim Housing's Women Empowering Families group and directly supports our permanent supportive housing tenants coming from homelessness. Drive-up and drop-off your items to our office on May 6th!

WHEN: Thursday, May 6th
TIME: 3:00 - 6:00pm
Drop-Off Location: Anawim Housing Office | 1535 Linden Street. Des Moines

Gift Registry:
We've created a gift registry at Target that has our highest need items.
A sampling of items off our registry include: Bath and Kitchen Towels, Corelle Dishware, Bed Pillows, Can Openers, Blankets, Silverware.

Giftcards and Monetary Donations:
We are happy to accept giftcards or monetary donations that are useful in providing our program team the flexibility to purchase items on an as needed basis. Suggested giftcards: Walmart, Target or Visa.


Special thank you to our Women Empowering Families Committee Members:
Liz Goodman, Marilyn Carroll, Pam Douglas, Sheila Rayburn, Felicia Campbell, Betsy Happe, Patricia Shoff, and Kate Massop


Your gift will brighten someone's day and new home as they move into housing from homelessness.

Click to learn more or make your secure monetary donation today!
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US CITIZENSHIP CEREMONY FOR ANAWIM PROGRAM TENANT
Anawim Housing proudly congratulates Sieh, Anawim program tenant, on obtaining his U.S. Citizenship! Sieh's program manager, Scott Sithonnorath, helped Sieh work toward this long-term goal of his for the past four years. Sieh is originally from Liberia and speaks limited English and cannot write. After years of perseverance, overcoming challenges, and the support of translators and his program manager, Sieh, now 77 years of age, is officially a US citizen and is eligible to receive social security. What a wonderful accomplishment!

Anawim Housing Program Manager Scott Sithonnorath (left) and Sieh (right) at Sieh's US Citizenship Ceremony

SPRING NEWSLETTER
AVAILABLE NOW
The Anawim Housing Spring 2021 Newsletter is available now! Inside you will find:

  • Tracy's Story: How having a safe place to call home was only the beginning.
  • Anawim Housing 1 year after unplanned disconnect - our connection remains strong
  • "Low Barriers: Meeting People Where They Are At" - article by Executive Director, Cynthia Latcham

View online by clicking READ MORE!

Request a hardcopy by contacting Kate at kbergeron@anawimhousing.org.



ANAWIM PROVIDES VACINATION CLINIC
On April 27th, Anawim Housing provided a vaccination clinic for program tenants in partnership with our friends at Polk County Primary Health Care. Their skilled team of healthcare workers came out and administered the single dose Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine to all who wanted it. Program managers helped provide transportation and information to tenants that were interested. The importance of providing this clinic was to help increase access to the vaccine for Anawim's highest-risk population.


Anawim tenant receives the COVID vaccine administered by Primary Health Care

A CLOSER LOOK:
Mary Mendenhall-Core
Take a closer look into the important work, mission and what drives Anawim Housing's Mary Mendenhall-Core in this recent article by Des Moines Business Record.

"As a Des Moines native, I have many treasured memories of the city’s growth over the years. I’m struck that while the community has made these wonderful advancements in developing our city, we’ve really not kept pace with the development of affordable housing for the most vulnerable citizens who don’t have a home. Almost daily, it’s humbling to hear stories of resilience and hope, which just fuels the passion I have to share how powerful and life-changing the work is. It’s really an honor to be part of Anawim Housing."

Mendenhall-Core is the Director of Advancement for Anawim Housing. To contact, please email: mcore@anawimhousing.org

Pictured: Mary Mendenhall-Core. Photo courtesy of the Business Record

COMMUNITY CLEANUP DAY WITH THE 6TH AVENUE CORRIDOR
Anawim Housing and Allterra Property Solution's staff participated in a Community Cleanup Day organized by the 6th Avenue Corridor. Staff helped pick up trash along 6th Avenue and the Riverbend Neighborhood. This neighborhood is special to Anawim as it's where our organization first planted its roots back in 1987, and where today many of our tenants call home.

View photos from the cleanup day on our Facebook page by clicking READ MORE

Anawim Housing & Allterra staff (left to right): Jeremy Orcutt, Dan McBee, Kate Bergeron, Alyssa LaForge, Kristyn Arnold, Breanna Putman, Travis Sowden, and Cindy McGrane.
Anawim Housing develops stable homes and strengthens communities