Character and leadership development. Programs include aquatics, arts, sports, fitness and recreation, health and life skills, educational and career development, job training, career preparation, tutoring services, and age appropriate community service.

Outdoor activities, including Carter Lake Summer Camp (Mon-Fri 8 am-4 pm).

Meals served. Limited bus service - call for details.

Offers support to women dealing with life-dominating challenges. Assistance also extends to women in prisons, substance abuse recovery centers, and homeless shelters, with the goal of helping them to prepare for successful societal reentry.

Program provides workshops by women who have overcome challenges and are graduates of the program, group and one-on-one mentoring, and an annual retreat.

Provides help to children to reach their potential through professionally supported, one-to-one relationships with mentors that have a measurable impact on youth.

Connects individuals who are experiencing life hardships to others who provide friendship and mentoring. Mentoring covers topics such as coping with grief, budgeting, or other life hardships.

Matches youth ages 5-12 with caring, positive, committed, adult role models. The youth (Little) and mentor (Big) meet in the community 2-4 times per month for a minimum of 4 hours and spend time exploring activities they already enjoy and trying some new ones.

Matches youth ages 5-12 with caring, positive, committed, adult role models. The youth (Little) and mentor (Big) meet in the community 2-4 times per month for a minimum of 4 hours and spend time exploring activities they already enjoy and trying some new ones.

Character and leadership development. Programs include aquatics, arts, sports, fitness and recreation, health and life skills, educational and career development, job training, career preparation, tutoring services, and age appropriate community service.

Outdoor activities, including Carter Lake Summer Camp (Mon-Fri 8 am-4 pm).

Meals served. Limited bus service - call for details.

Community-based non-profit organization committed to serving at-risk youth of all ethnic groups, to provide underprivileged youth with strategies, tools and coping mechanisms to raise self-esteem, confidence and self-worth, so they can make better choices, understand the value of education, and be contributing members of society.

Offers:

- Rites of Passage: Leadership development for youth ages 7 to 18.

- Job Readiness: Preparing youth ages 14 to 21 for jobs in retail, customer service, and manufacturing industries.

- Skills and Drills Basketball: Sportsmanship and teamwork to encourage positive social and academic engagement, for youth ages 7 to 15.

- Mentoring (In-school and Afterschool): To be the positive role model, mentor, and father figure to at-risk youth ages 7 to 18 to help them build confidence, raise self-esteem, and reach their full potential at school and in life.

- FIRE Intervention Program: Interventions for students with low academic performance, especially for students who have been suspended, arrested, defiant, and totally disconnected from the education process.

Links homeless families with a social worker and a church-based "neighboring group" which actively participates in the family's life, has monthly activities with the family, a monthly Bridge of Hope night, and makes weekly phone calls. Commitment to the support is for up to two years.

Church-based mentoring groups are made up of volunteers from local churches and then matched to the mothers in the Bridge to Hope program.

Provides trained volunteer mentors to at-risk children in need of a positive adult role model, by working in partnership with the children, their families and the community. Programs include:

ONE-ON-ONE PROGRAM: matches a volunteer mentor with a Child in Need of Assistance or through a referral from our local school districts. Mentor Iowa works directly with the Department of Human Services (DHHS), Juvenile Court Services and local school districts who identify children who could benefit from having a mentor.

EARLY SERVICES PROJECT (ESP) -Working with Juvenile Court Services, Orchard Place Child Guidance Center, and the Des Moines Public School District, Mentor Iowa provides mentoring services to children, ages 4 - 11, who have committed a minor delinquent act.

TRANSITION PROGRAM - A collaboration with JCS, Des Moines Public School District and Sequel Care. Mentor Iowa provides mentoring services to teens, ages 14 and up, who are reentering the community after an out of home placement due to a crime they committed.

TRUANCY COURT - A collaboration with Truancy Court, Des Moines Public Schools and the Polk County Attorney's office. Mentor Iowa volunteers are matched with referred middle school students who have a history of truancy.

GIRL POWER - a program for females between the ages of 11 through 16. Girl Power is designed to provide a forum for young women to interact with each other and discuss areas of common concern. Issues addressed include: career exploration, substance use and abuse, gangs and violence and sexuality and healthy decision making. The mentors of these young women are encouraged to participate in the Girl Power program.

Offers adult to child one to one mentoring. School based mentoring is offered in the Marshalltown, West Marshall and BCLUW school districts. Mentors must be at ages 16 and older. Community based mentoring is offered for youth who live in Marshall County. Mentors must be ages 18 and older.