Catholic Charities, Diocese of Des Moines, Receives $20,000 Grant from Prairie Meadows

Prairie Meadows awarded Catholic Charities a Community Betterment Grant totaling $20,000 to help fund needed structural renovations at the organization’s Emergency Family Shelter. Prairie Meadows is a nonprofit organization dedicated to lessening the burden of government by promoting economic development, jobs, agriculture, and tourism in the state of Iowa.

The Catholic Charities Emergency Family Shelter serves as the largest family-oriented shelter in the Greater Des Moines Metro. The shelter provides guests with the resources, skills and tools needed to be successful while in an uplifting and supportive environment. The 10-room facility works with families of all dynamics, focused on providing a safe and welcoming space for all.

“We are extremely grateful to be a recipient of the Community Betterment Grant from Prairie Meadows,” said Micah Julius, Shelter and Housing Program Manager at Catholic Charities. “This grant has helped enhance our shelter so we can continue providing the best care possible for our guests.”

This Community Betterment Grant will enhance the lives of families served at the Catholic Charities Emergency Family Shelter by supporting essential repairs and renovations to the shelter’s basement. Grant funding was used to add tile to the basement floor for better drainage and to brace the basement walls so the shelter remains structurally sound.

“At Prairie Meadows, we are dedicated to enriching the lives of Iowans. We are proud to invest in the Catholic Charities Emergency Family Shelter. It’s an honor to support programs that make our communities stronger,” said Julie Stewart, Chief Operating Officer at Prairie Meadows.

November serves as Homelessness Awareness Month. Nationally, homelessness has been on the rise since 2017, with the percentage of unsheltered persons steadily increasing. According to the Iowa Institute for Community Alliances, this year there have been more than 3,000 Iowans homeless on a single given night. Of this, 25 percent are in Polk County.

With the availability of affordable housing continuing to decrease in the Des Moines Metro, local service providers, like the Catholic Charities Emergency Family Shelter, are seeing an increased demand for emergency housing and shelter. Support from the Community Betterment Grant enables the Emergency Family Shelter to offer safe, supportive spaces for families facing homelessness.

To learn more about the Catholic Charities Emergency Family Shelter, visit catholiccharitiesdm.org/services/emergency-family-shelter. Visit prairiemeadows.com/community to learn more about the organizations and the causes Prairie Meadows supports.