GOOD WORKS IN SOUTHWEST IOWA

Pete Tulipana, President and CEO of Heartland Family Services, spoke on May 24 about Omaha’s oldest non-profit agency and about the Charles E. Lakin Human Services Campus.

eartland Family Services served more than 40,000 people in nine counties in the Council Bluffs/Omaha area last year.  They have a $15M budget and provide services in five areas:  children’s emergency services; professional counseling in substance abuse, compulsive gambling, and mental health; community education; juvenile crime prevention and intervention; and senior services.  They have proven substance abuse programs that are having success with meth patients.

Heartland Family Services will help anyone, but those helped must pay what they can toward that help.  A key component of their programs is holding people accountable.

Funding for programs is paid for in fee for services and from United Way, the U.S. Government, and the local community.  They are the main provider of gambling treatment in the area, which is a fully funded program from Casino revenue.

The fastest growing area of homelessness in the country is women with children.  Many of the women already hold a job, but still cannot pay all their expenses.  The Homeless Link Program helps these women in coordination with other organizations, providing additional job training and parent education.

The Lakin Campus will allow support organizations to work better together.  It includes Heartland Family Services, MICAH House, the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and Boys & Girls Clubs.  Heartland Family Services is providing 16 supportive housing units for women and children.  The women must be in school or working and will learn to save some money while living there so they can successfully live on their own after leaving.