Flowing from FY24 into FY25, Impacts and Changes with Waypoint

Flowing from FY24 into FY25, Impacts and Changes with Waypoint

July marks the halfway point of the calendar year, but for Waypoint, it marks the beginning of fiscal year 2025 (FY25). For a lot of our staff, this beginning point is a mix of reflecting on our achievements from last fiscal year, while also planning for the new year. In this time of excitement and planning, I thought it would best to share some updates and quotes from our staff.

Last fiscal year’s impact…

Our Domestic Violence Victim Services Program provides free, confidential support to over 2,000 victims and survivors, along with their families, across a seven-county area in Northeastern Iowa.

• “I’m proud of our entire DV team, it’s a privilege to support such a compassionate group of advocates empowering each other and the survivors they work with each and every day.” - Nelly Hill, Domestic Violence Victim Services Director

Our Housing Services served 10,000+ individuals through Coordinated Entry, 4,000+ individuals in Homeless Diversion/Eviction Prevention, 250+ individuals in Rapid Re-Housing, and 70+ individuals in Tenant Academy.

• “I am so proud of our Coordinated Entry team! There have been many changes within our department and the team has continued to work together, have each other's backs, stay positive and focused with getting assistance to many clients.” - Roz Houser, Call Center Manager
• "Our Housing team should be very proud! We have secured funding to partner with the 6th Judicial District, providing housing navigation to inmates exiting incarceration. We launched street outreach to our Coordinated Entry System. Additionally, our Community Care team has supported those experiencing chronic homelessness, resulting in stable housing for 5 out of 7 participants." - Carrie Slagle, Chief Operations Officer

The Survivors’ Program served over 500 clients who have lost loved ones to homicide or vehicular homicide this past fiscal year. Additionally, support was offered to victims of violent felony crimes, providing them with the help they needed during incredibly difficult times.

• “Waypoint is my second family. I am so proud of the work that we do in the Survivors' Program, as well as all the work that happens within all our programs. 2024 Victim Rights’ Week was amazing, the candlelight vigil had over 85 people in attendance.” - Penny Galvin, Survivors’ Program Director

Our child care division, KidsPoint, had enrollment reach over 220, with 29% of these children receiving scholarships. This means around 64 kids from lower-income families are gaining access to quality early education. Kudos to the KidsPoint staff for shaping our future leaders!

• "Our child care department increased enrollment by 30 children compared to last year! Additionally, we implemented Brightwheel, enhancing our communication and management capabilities. These accomplishments reflect our commitment to providing exceptional care and continuous improvement in our services." - Ashley Meyer, Managing Director of Child Care Services

Through networking, introducing new events, seeking new donors, and sharing the hard work Waypoint provides the community; we have raised over $1 million in donations and $5 million in grants.

• “The Resource Development & Marketing team has the honor of sharing our impact with the community... all employees of Waypoint/KidsPoint make such a difference. This year we had to increase our fundraising goals to help meet the agency needs, and I am so happy to say we hit our goals!”- Autumn Paine, Chief Development & Marketing Officer

So, what is in store for Waypoint in FY25…

Jaye Kennedy (pictured to the left), Chief Executive Officer, shares, “FY25 holds great promise for Waypoint and the community in many different ways. Probably the biggest milestone for Waypoint will be the transitioning process of the Madge Phillips Center.

In 1995, the ‘best practice’ for helping those in our community facing a housing crisis was offering shelter services. With the help of Junior League of Cedar Rapids, Waypoint was able to build the Madge Phillips Center Shelter. For 28 years, it temporarily housed thousands of women and families with children, providing a warm, safe place to stay. The Madge Phillips Center Shelter was a game-changer for Waypoint and our community.

Over the last five years, the census of our Shelter has declined significantly. Living in a shelter situation is not easy and presents many challenges. Fortunately, other supports have been developed that are far more effective in getting people out of emergency shelter and into more permanent housing environments. The building that held the Madge Phillips Center Shelter will be transitioned into permanent housing over the next two years. Permanent, low-income apartments will be constructed, and supportive services will be offered to residents to not only provide an affordable place of their own but also the tools to help them maintain it and find solutions to issues facing them. Completion is scheduled for the Spring of 2026.

FY25 is shaping up to be a transformative year for Waypoint and our community. As we transition the Madge Phillips Center Shelter to a new model of support and continue to innovate our services, we remain committed to helping those in need find stability and a place to call home.”

Waypoint’s impact in FY24 has been phenomenal. Every day is inspiring as our staff remain dedicated to growing and developing to best support the individuals we serve across all our programs. We also know that our continued impact is because of the support we receive from our stakeholders and for that we are grateful. We encourage our readers to share our impact with your network, keep following our social media, and share information about our events, especially our new event in September, Hiking for Housing!

-Thoughts by Jade Riley and Waypoint Staff

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