The quality of any community is often measured by the commitment citizens in that community make to support their youth. According to the recent 2020 Census, one out of five children and adolescents in Fort Dodge live in homes that are at or below the poverty level. In total, 60 percent of our kids are in families that struggle just to pay their basic living bills for rent, food, transportation, childcare, health care, etc. Here are eight ways that United Way of Greater Fort Dodge is working to help our kids.

• Many children are homeless and sleep in a different place every night. United Way provides funding that helps families secure affordable housing. United Way also helps by providing emergency shelter for homeless families with children.

• Many children are food insecure. In Fort Dodge, one out of every six children are food insecure – meaning there are times when they are hungry and have little or no access to food. United Way provides support for our local food pantries and we provide food vouchers to families in crisis and need food immediately.

• Many children sleep on the floor because they don’t have a bed. United Way’s Bridging the Gap program provides beds for kids that have no bed and are sleeping on floors, in chairs or on couches. Over the past nine years, United Way has provided over 950 beds for children in need.

• Many children struggle with depression and anxiety. 33 percent of teens are struggling with depression and other mental health challenges. United Way provides grant support to local mental health providers so no child is denied mental health services because his or her family lacks insurance or the funds to pay for counseling.

• Many families with children do not have a car; transportation is a major challenge for these families. United Way’s Wheels for Work/Wheels for Health program provides donated cars to families with children who have no personal transportation.

• Medical care transportation. United Way’s Hope for Healing program provides gas cards to help disadvantaged families who have a seriously ill child and need transportation assistance to a medical center in Des Moines, Iowa City or Rochester.

• Prescriptions for Kids. The United Way helps families pay for prescriptions for children when there is no insurance or if families are in difficult financial circumstances and can’t pay for a child’s medication.

• Clothes for Kids. United Way provides support for programs that provide clothing, coats and other items for kids in need. United Way provides impoverished families with vouchers to Goodwill to help children and teens that lack proper clothing.

• Emergency Support. United Way helps families dealing with an emergency or crisis such as a fire, car accident, death of a parent or a serious illness of a parent or child. Low income families when dealing with a family emergency are often in a very desperate situation and can use a friendly hand of support during a very difficult time.

Donations to United Way collectively can make a real impact and can touch hundreds of lives of children in need. 100 percent of every donation stays right here in the Fort Dodge/Webster County area to support organization and programs that help disadvantaged children and their families.

Donations to the United Way campaign can be mailed to the United Way of Greater Fort Dodge office at 24 N. Ninth St. Suite B, Fort Dodge, IA 50501. or you can contact us at (515) 573-3171.

Randy Kuhlman is the chief executive officer of the Fort Dodge Community Foundation and United Way of Greater Fort Dodge.