Iowa Reading Corp

Iowa Reading Corps members must commit to 11 months (September through July) of
AmeriCorps service completing 1720 hours for full-time tutors. It is critical that all members
commit to 11 months, so that Students in kindergarten through third grade receive the literacy
support they need to succeed.
A Reading Corp Volunteers schedule must be consistent throughout the year so that the student
tutoring schedule is consistent. Some members will also participate in after-school activities and
some evening school functions to earn all of their required service hours and occasional weekend
or evening service may be required for trainings, meetings and/or community service activities.
All Volunteers must also attend an initial 3-day training, called Reading Corps Institute that will
take place in September and covers literacy strategies.
In addition to the service hours that will be completed at Oskaloosa Elementary School,
volunteers will also have the opportunity to conduct additional volunteer recruitment strategies.
This will provide an opportunity for volunteers to get involved in the local community. These
strategies will be determined in the fall with the guidance of the Program Manager, school site,
and United Way of Mahaska County. Options include assisting with the summer lunch program,
childrens literacy programs at local libraries, and summer tutoring programs.
If you have any questions or are interested in becoming an Iowa Reading Corp Volunteer please
contact Amy Langdon at 673-6043 or unitedway@mahaska.org.

5K Article
We are holding our 6th Annual Live United 5K & YMCA Healthy Kids Day on Saturday, April
26th at the Penn Activity Center on the William Penn University campus.
We're partnering with the YMCA to give adults and children a fun and exciting day, all while
promoting our healthy living initiatives. Family day events will be held from 9 AM to 12:30 PM,
and include numerous free kid-friendly activities such as crafts, balloon animals, games, bounce
houses, community booths, raffle prizes, and more.
To pre-register for the 5K race, go to Active.com and search LIVE UNITED or click here.
Pre-registration for the race is $25 and ends April 25th at noon. Race day registration for the 5K
Run/Walk begins at 8:00 am. Race day registration is $30. This year's man and woman with the
top times will win a Fitbit Flex! There will again be free "fun run" races for children in separate
age categories along with lots of giveaways for kids.
Contact Lindsey Sheets at 641.673.6043 for more information about sponsorship, to sign up to
volunteer or with any questions.
As always, the United Way is truly grateful for the support from our local business leaders, their
employees and families.

Volunteer Mahaska Article

Finding ways to make a difference in Mahaska County has never been easier.
Volunteermahaska.org, started in January, already has 19 agencies, 56 volunteers and 29 needs
and events. Because all of these things are in one place, a volunteer can easily find everything
they are looking for on one site.
The agencies have their information available on their profiles, so anyone browsing can see what
services they provide, where they are located and who is involved.
The needs are posted by the agencies to let everyone know how they can help, whether it be inkind donation, advocacy or volunteering. Anyone in the Mahaska County area is welcome to set
up a profile by visiting volunteermahaska.org and clicking the red log in/join button. This user
friendly site is intended to help people wanting to give, advocate or volunteer get connected with
the agencies in Mahaska County that need our help.

Operation Backpack & Stuff the Bus Article

We are partnering with the Salvation Army, SIEDA, the community school districts, our business
community, and local agencies to help coordinate Operation Backpack. The goal of the program
is provide the essential supplies needed by our communitys children to help them excel in their
education. We are all uniting in one community effort to help students be ready to start school
again in the fall.
To help fund for Operation Backpack, we began Stuff the Bus which has been supporting the
Operation Backpack program for the last three years. This year we will be in Hy-Vees North
parking lot from 11 am to 1 pm on July 29. Stuff the Bus is an event during which we hope to
pack a big yellow bus full of school supplies! These supplies will then be used to fill the
backpacks given away for Operation Backpack. Donations of school supplies can be left in
various public collection boxes around town. Please join us by making a gift of school supplies
and donate them in a collection box, at your business' supply drive, or at our Stuff the Bus event.
Each stuffed backpack costs around $20. If you are able to help, please consider sponsoring a
certain number of students by donating a monetary gift to support the program. Monetary
donations are tax deductible, and can be delivered in person or by mail to:
Attn: Operation Backpack
c/o United Way of Mahaska County
500 High Avenue West
Oskaloosa, IA 52577
Please contact our office at 641.673.6043 or via email at unitedway@mahaska.org to learn more
about ways you can get involved!
As always, the United Way is truly grateful for the support from our local business leaders, their
employees and families.

Summer Lunch Program

We are helping with the organization of the Summer Lunch Program where anyone under 18
years of age can get a free and healthy lunch as well as fun and educational activities. Lunch will
be served on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 12 to 1pm starting June 2nd and lasting
through August 15. While food is the main focus, the Iowa Reading Corp will also be there to
help promote summer reading so the children do not experience as much summer learning loss.
The three different sites inside the community that will host the lunch will be located at:

Central United Methodist Church (201 N Market Street)

Edmundson Park (shelter by the wooden playground)

New Hope Free Methodist Church (821 8th Avenue East).

This program does not discriminate against any child because of race, color, national origin, sex,
age or disability.

Oskaloosa Rides Article

Oskaloosa Rides is a fixed-route bus system in Oskaloosa. This route is intended to help people
have easier access to places like Mahaska Health Partnership, the down town area and Wal-Mart.
The bus will begin running on July 2nd and will run Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from
9AM until 5PM. The hour-long route will make 15 different stops available to the public. There
is also a para-transit bus available for those in need. A one-way bus ticket would cost $1.50 with
a discounted $1.00 rate for handicapped, senior, and student passengers. We also have available
monthly passes for $20.00/month or $15.00/month for handicapped, senior, and student
passengers.

Operation Backpack
United Way of Mahaska County is partnering with the Salvation Army, SIEDA, the community
school districts, our business community, and local agencies to help coordinate Operation
Backpack. The goal of the program is provide the essential supplies needed by our communitys
children to help them excel in their education. We are all uniting in one community effort to help
students be ready to start school again in the fall.
Free backpacks and school supplies will be given to children of families at no more than 200%
of the federal poverty level. The program targets children in preschool through 12th grade. This
is NOT on a first-come, first-served basis: we help first those who are in the most need. The
program supplies stocked backpacks to as many qualifying children as possible until all funds
have been used.
Beginning at the end of May, you can print and fill out the application at the bottom of this page
or find it until mid-July in the Oskaloosa Shopper. All applications must be mailed or returned in
person directly to SIEDA in Oskaloosa. Applications must NOT be returned to school districts or
other agencies. THIS YEARS DEADLINE TO APPLY IS AUGUST 1, 2014.

We are also looking for groups and individuals to get involved by donating school supplies
and/or money to purchase school supplies. Each stuffed backpack costs on average $20. In 2013,
United Way helped 16,100 children nation-wide. If you are able to help, please consider
sponsoring a certain number of students by donating a monetary gift to support the program.
Monetary donations are tax deductible, and can be delivered in person or by mail to:
Attn: Operation Backpack
c/o United Way of Mahaska County
500 High Avenue West
Oskaloosa, IA 52577
Our partner businesses are hosting boxes for Stuff the Bus which helps the Mahaska County
community supply drive. Contact us (information below) for a list of needed items.
If you can help ready our children with the tools they need to be prepared their first day of
school, please contact our office at 641.673.6043 or via email at unitedway@mahaska.org to get
involved!

Oskaloosa Rides
Oskaloosa Rides is a fixed-route bus system in Oskaloosa. This route is intended to help people
have easier access to places like Mahaska Health Partnership, the down town area and Wal-Mart.
We understand it can be difficult to do day-to-day tasks without a vehicle and hope Oskaloosa
Rides can help make the people of Oskaloosas lives better.
The people that have helped fund and create Oskaloosa Rides include: Mahaska Health
Partnership, Oskaloosa Area Chamber and Development Group, United Way of Mahaska County,
Love INC, Mahaska County, and 10-15 Transit.
The bus will begin running on July 2nd and will run Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from
9AM until 5PM. The hour-long route will make stops in places where people need to go
(grocery store, work, and home). The route has 15 different stops and is available to the public.
There is also a para-transit bus available for those in need.
A one-way bus ticket would cost $1.50 with a discounted $1.00 rate for handicapped, senior, and
student passengers. We also have available monthly passes for $20.00/month or $15.00/month
for handicapped, senior, and student passengers.
Someday, we would like the bus to be available 5 or 6 days a week with a longer route and
longer hours.

Stuff the Bus

Operation Backpacks goal is to give backpacks filled with school supplies to children of
families who cannot afford them. We gave out over 500 backpacks to students living in Mahaska
County last year! Stuff the Bus has been supporting the Operation Backpack program for the last
three years. This year we will be in Hy-Vees North parking lot from 11 am to 1 pm on July 29.

To accomplish this, we need your help and the support of the entire community. Stuff the Bus is
an event during which we hope to pack a big yellow bus full of school supplies! These supplies
will then be used to fill the backpacks given away for Operation Backpack. Donations of school
supplies can be left in various public collection boxes around town at the businesses listed below.
Along with the public collection sites, many businesses are holding their own internal supply
drives to help make Operation Backpack and Stuff the Bus a success.
Please join us by making a gift of the school supplies listed below and donate them in a
collection box, at your business' supply drive, or at our Stuff the Bus event. Our children are
depending on you!
Needed School Supply List: (change this to list from class supply lists)
Pencil Boxes
Folders
1 inch Binders
Cleaners (Body Materials, wipes)
Erasers
Kleenex
Hand Sanitizers
Hardcover Notebooks
Pencil Bags (Zippered)
Headphones (Both in and out)
Flash Drives
Small White Board Markers
Glue Sticks
Drawing Markers
Tape (double sided)
Collection Sites:
Assembly of God Church
Bank Iowa
Cargill
Clow
Dollar General (Mall)
Dollar General (Old Walmart)
Fareway
First Christian Church
Hawkeye Real Estate
Hy-Vee
Imagine the Possiblities
ITW Paslode
Kids Corner Childcare
Mahaska County Outreach
Mahaska Title

Mahaska YMCA
Maple Ridge
MidWest One Bank
Oskaloosa Vision Center
Peek-a-Boo Point
SCICL
Smokey Row
St. Mary's Catholic Church
TD&T Financial Group
United Methodist Church
United Way
Cash Donations
We also accept monetary donations to help purchase needed school supplies for Operation
Backpack. All cash donations are tax deductible and can be delivered in person or by mail to:
Attn: Operation Backpack
c/o United Way of Mahaska County
500 High Avenue West
Oskaloosa, IA 52577
Volunteers are also needed to:
--Unload the bus at Central United Methodist Church July 29 at 1pm
--Sort School Supplies August 5 - August 6
--Stuff the Backpacks August 7 August 8
--Distribute the Backpacks on August 11, 12, and 13
Call United Way of Mahaska County at 641.673.6043 to find out more or to volunteer.

Summer Lunch Program

Central United Methodist Church is sponsoring the Summer Lunch Program where kids can get a
free lunch as well as fun and educational activities. In Oskaloosa, more than half of our students
are eligible for a free and reduced lunch. During the summer it is hard to know if they are eating
well or not.
The Summer Feeding Program will serve a healthy meal to anyone under 18 years old at three
different sites inside the community:
Central United Methodist Church (201 N Market Street)
Edmundson Park (shelter by the wooden playground)
New Hope Free Methodist Church (821 8th Avenue East).
Lunch will be served on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 12 to 1pm starting June 2nd
and lasting through August 15. While food is the main focus, the Iowa Reading Corp will also
be there to help promote summer reading so the children do not experience as much summer
learning loss.

For more information on the program or to find out about volunteer opportunities, contact
Martha Comfort at 641.660.5264 and mcomfort59@gmail.com or Amy Langdon at
641.673.6043 and unitedway@mahaska.org.
**Note: This program does not discriminate against any child because of race, color, national
origin, sex, age or disability.