How to help neighbors in need this holiday season: Please consider donating to Embrace Iowa

A miscarriage turned a joyful pregnancy into heartbreak last year for Jada Bahls-Kargalskiy, a married mother of two and longtime nurse from Decorah.

The emotional strain also came with a financial hit from the unexpected emergency room bills. To make matters worse, her husband was temporarily laid off. The monthly bill to pay off her medical expenses represented not only a financial hardship but also a painful reminder of their loss.

That’s when Bahls-Kargalskiy turned to Embrace Iowa, the Des Moines Register’s annual holiday giving campaign, which has helped Iowans in need since 1984. Embrace Iowa paid off the bill — and also helped the family heal.

I’m once again asking readers to support neighbors who’ve hit a rough patch by donating to Embrace Iowa, which provides grants of up to $750 to help families who face unexpected expenses.

Writer Richard Lane told of Bahls-Kargalskiy’s ordeal in the latest of a series of stories about the families helped by Embrace Iowa. An earlier story told of the assistance provided to Jason Wurdinger, a disabled man who learned about the program from a flier on a wall at The Well Resource Center in Fairfield. Embrace Iowa paid for repairs to his car, which he uses to get to medical appointments, shop for groceries and do other errands, especially on days when he’s having difficulty walking.

The Register conducts Embrace Iowa in partnership with the nonprofit Iowa Community Action Association, whose member agencies serve low-income residents in all of Iowa’s 99 counties. Association staff members vet and select applicants, whose gross annual income can be no higher than 200% of federal poverty guidelines. Because of the association’s help, not a dime donated to Embrace Iowa goes to administration; 100% of donations go directly to Iowans.

Most Iowans who come to Iowa Community Action agencies for assistance are working, and many have never sought help before, said Katherine Harrington, the association’s executive director. The biggest need statewide is for help with rent, she said, followed by car repairs. Families who usually make ends meet get thrown into disarray by job loss, illness, eviction or costly repairs to cars or appliances.

COVID-related programs that helped families pay rent and water bills have ended, and there are no statewide rental assistance programs, she said. Embrace Iowa can step in, pay off back rent and get a family back on track.

“There are a lot of people struggling, and we try to help as many people as we can and make the process as accessible and streamlined as possible, but the need is greater than the funding available,” Harrington said.

She admires the Iowans that the association’s agencies serve, describing them as “courageous and resilient.” But they’re also vulnerable. Recognized challenges for even higher-income Iowa families affect them disproportionately, such as lack of access to safe, affordable child care and ever-escalating rent and housing prices. And they’re the ones most affected by gaps in services, such as food and medical deserts and lack of public transportation.

Embrace Iowa accepts funds year-round, but the official fundraising campaign runs from Thanksgiving through Feb. 1, 2024. Last year, your generosity raised $334,000, which helped 679 families.

During my 19 years at the Register, I’ve been continually impressed by Iowans’ willingness to help neighbors in need. This is a season that emphasizes thankfulness, care for the stranger and new hope for a new year. If this is a year when your bills are paid and you have some money to spare, please consider helping Iowans who aren’t as fortunate.

Carol Hunter is the Register’s executive editor. She wants to hear your questions, story ideas or concerns at 515-284-8545, chunter@registermedia.com, or on Twitter: @carolhunter.

How to donate to Embrace Iowa

To make your tax-deductible donation, follow step-by-step instructions for online giving at iowacommunityaction.org/about/donate. Or mail checks to Embrace Iowa, P.O. Box 10611, Cedar Rapids, IA 52410-0611.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Donate to Embrace Iowa to help neighbors in need this holiday season