From interest to impact! Earlier this year, Abel attended United Way of Central Iowa’s Apprenticeship Readiness Program to explore opportunities in the skilled trades. Today, he officially signed at the Laborers' Local 177 Hall as a 1st Year Apprentice Laborer with Neumann Brothers and starts Monday! Programs like this are about more than career exploration. Through partnerships with organizations like LIUNA Local 177 and local employers, they create pathways, build confidence and connect young adults to real opportunities that can change lives. Congrats, Abel! We’re excited to see what’s ahead #SkilledTrades #Apprenticeship #CentralIowa #CareerPathways #UnitedWay #LaborersUnion #WorkforceDevelopment
United Way of Central Iowa
Fundraising
Des Moines, IA 3,575 followers
Improving lives by uniting the caring power of community. Together, we are #UNITEDtoTHRIVE
About us
Fostering an Equitable, Engaged, Empowered Community. United Way of Central Iowa is in the unique position to bring together donors, volunteers, businesses, nonprofits, faith-based groups, community leaders, elected officials, experts, and those with lived experience around our community's toughest challenges. Together, we strive to understand the root causes and collectively set sound strategies to create the largest measurable impact possible. Ultimately, we aim to create success in the 5 Elements of a Thriving Community: Essential Needs, Early Childhood Success, Education Success, Economic Opportunity, and Health & Well-Being. Why? Because every person should have the opportunity have more than what they need to simply survive. Every person should have access to the opportunity to THRIVE! We encourage you to be UNITED to THRIVE by giving, volunteering, or advocating alongside us! We can accomplish incredible things when we work in a #UnitedWay.
- Website
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http://www.unitedwaydm.org
External link for United Way of Central Iowa
- Industry
- Fundraising
- Company size
- 51-200 employees
- Headquarters
- Des Moines, IA
- Type
- Nonprofit
- Founded
- 1917
- Specialties
- Education, Income, Health, Give, Advocate, and Volunteer
Locations
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Primary
Get directions
1111 9th St
Des Moines, IA 50314, US
Employees at United Way of Central Iowa
Updates
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Regional collaboration doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because leaders across sectors think beyond boundaries and work toward a shared vision for the future. Joseph Jones contributed this thoughtful new guest column for Greene Barrett on why collaboration remains central Iowa’s competitive advantage. Drawing from his perspectives as both a Windsor Heights City Council member and Chief Community Impact Officer at United Way of Central Iowa, Joseph explores how decades of regional partnerships, public-private collaboration, and shared planning efforts have helped shape our region’s growth and why conversations around housing, transit, and regional development matter now more than ever.
"Regionalism doesn’t start with formal agreements," writes Joseph Jones member of the City of Windsor Heights, Iowa city council and chief community impact officer for the United Way of Central Iowa in a new Guest Column for Barrett and Greene Inc. "It starts with people in a room deciding they’re no longer willing to tackle shared problems in isolation." Jones makes a powerful case for the value of regionalization based on his experiences in Central Iowa in which formal agreements allowed "jurisdictions to share services, pool resources, and make coordinated decisions that no single city could execute on its own." He provides ample examples from which other communities can learn, including "a regional housing strategy (which) allows us to align policies, share responsibility, and create a more balanced system. It also helps us move beyond competition between cities toward a more productive model of coordination." But Jones doesn't see the world through rose colored glasses and he also eloquently delves into some of the challenges to regional cooperation. To read the full column, click here: https://lnkd.in/eXD7cyMk DART - Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority Capital Crossroads (CXR) The Planners of Tomorrow Bruce Katz Mike Jones Susan Skeries Threase Harms, MPA Adam Plagge Mary Sellers Laura Sweet Suzanne Heckenlaible The Local Government Leadership Resource Hub Mildred Warner Dagney Faulk David Rusk Kaity Patchett
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The impact of after school support goes far beyond the classroom. For many students, these programs provide more than homework help, they create consistency, connection and a safe space to grow long after the school bell rings. Through partnerships with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa, iCOACH and Perry P.A.C.E.S, young people across Central Iowa are gaining the support they need to thrive both in and out of school. Read more about how these programs are making a difference in the lives of local youth: #UnitedToThrive #EducationSuccess #AfterSchoolPrograms #CommunityImpact #UnitedWay #CentralIowa
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United Way of Central Iowa reposted this
Future Pathways Program Coordinator, Natasha Ratliff, CRS, SRS, SFR, and student participant, Saaliyah Singleton, joined Community Difference Makers host Emily Abbas, along with Antonio Roddy, project manager for Safe and Thriving Youth at United Way of Central Iowa, to discuss the power of mentorship. Because when young people have consistent, supportive adults in their lives, outcomes change. Listen to the episode here: https://lnkd.in/gWHk6rRs United Way of Central Iowa and Bankers Trust are collaborating on the Community Difference Makers podcast in 2026 to take a deeper look at issues such as housing, food insecurity, childcare, youth violence and more. Episodes include perspectives from nonprofit leaders, community partners and individuals with lived experience.
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Joseph Jones, Director of Community Impact at United Way of Central Iowa, was recently featured in the Des Moines Business Record “A Closer Look” series. In the feature, Joseph shares more about his leadership journey, passion for community impact and the work that continues to help strengthen opportunities for families across Central Iowa. We’re proud to see Joseph recognized and grateful for the leadership and perspective he brings to our community every day. 💙 #CentralIowa #CommunityImpact
Meet Joseph Jones, the chief community impact officer at United Way of Central Iowa: https://lnkd.in/gHeaJV9u
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United Way of Central Iowa reposted this
SHAZAM recently collected 1,093 books for United Way of Central Iowa’s Stuff the Bus book drive—helping support early literacy across Dallas, Warren and Polk counties. Huge thanks to Team SHAZAM for making it happen! #StuffTheBusDSM
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This is what it looks like when community comes together. 💛 At yesterday’s Stuff the Bus event, we collected 30,000 books to help kids across central Iowa thrive! Thanks to our sponsors Athene, EY and 93.3 KIOA and our partners Ruan Transportation Management Systems and DART - Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority for making it all possible. Because of you, more children will have access to books that inspire, educate, and empower. Childcare centers and nonprofit programs can now pick up books, no sign-up needed, just bring your bags and boxes. See pickup dates, times, and details here: https://ow.ly/LCwQ50VSMKX #StuffTheBus #EducationSuccess #UnitedIsTheWay #UnitedToThrive
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United Way of Central Iowa reposted this
Our CEO, Bridget Cravens-Neely, MBA, CDE, joined Community Difference Makers host Emily Abbas, along with Mary Sellers, president of United Way of Central Iowa and Jacquie Easley McGhee, director of health equity at MercyOne Medical Center, to discuss how youth violence and engagement shows up in Des Moines and about Safe & Thriving Youth: a collaborative effort working toward long-term solutions. Listen to the episode here: https://lnkd.in/gWHk6rRs United Way of Central Iowa and Bankers Trust are collaborating on the Community Difference Makers podcast in 2026 to take a deeper look at issues such as housing, food insecurity, childcare, youth violence and more. Episodes include perspectives from nonprofit leaders, community partners and individuals with lived experience. #bbbsia #community #podcast #dsm
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United Way of Central Iowa reposted this
For three consecutive years, our employees' inspiring commitment to giving, advocating and volunteering has earned us United Way of Central Iowa's LIVE UNITED CHAMPION award. Together, we're creating opportunities that empower youth and drive lasting change in our communities.
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This Saturday, we’re coming together for the annual #StampOutHunger food drive 💛 Just leave your donation by your mailbox and your letter carrier will take care of the rest. It’s a simple way to show up for our community and support local food banks across Central Iowa. Want to help? Start here: https://lnkd.in/gfYJsj_d Most needed items: peanut butter, cereal, and fruit canned in its own juice. You can also volunteer to help sort donations next week because it takes all of us to move this much good. #StampOutHunger #CommunityEffort #FoodDrive #SupportLocalFoodBanks
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