Rotary Club of HOPE - Homeless Outreach, Prevention and Education

11/01/2026

💙 Sometimes, finding your “why” starts with helping someone else discover theirs.

At the Rotary Club of HOPE, we believe in encouraging young people to lead with compassion, serve others, and see the difference they can make in their communities. Becoming an Iowa RYLA Team Lead is an opportunity to put those values into action!

Past RYLA participants: What you learned could help someone else find their confidence, discover their strengths, and feel like they belong. 🌟

📣 Team Lead applications open November 5!
📍 Iowa RYLA: July 25–30, 2027, at Grinnell College

Know someone who could help another young leader shine? Tag them or share this opportunity!



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🌟 CALLING ALL FUTURE LEADERS! 🌟

📣 Iowa RYLA 2027 Team Lead Applications Open November 5!

Are you a past Iowa RYLA participant who's ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? 🚀

Here's your chance to return to RYLA, inspire the next generation of young leaders, build lasting friendships, and make an incredible impact!

💙 Lead. Inspire. Empower.

📅 Applications Go Live: November 5, 2026

📍 Iowa RYLA 2027: July 25–30, 2027, at Grinnell College

🌐 Visit the Iowa RYLA website starting November 5 to apply!

✨ Your RYLA journey doesn't have to end as a conferee. Take the next step and become a Team Lead!

📢 Help us spread the word! Tag a former RYLA participant who would make an amazing Team Lead!

10/16/2026

🌎🍽️ Everyone deserves nutritious food—and a safe place to call home.

On , the Rotary Club of HOPE recognizes the connection between hunger and homelessness. For neighbors experiencing homelessness, finding a meal can be a daily challenge. For those at risk of losing their housing, stretching a budget to cover both groceries and rent can mean difficult choices.

Through Homeless Outreach, Prevention, and Education, we’re committed to helping our neighbors with compassion and dignity. 💛

You can help by donating food, volunteering with a local meal program, or supporting organizations serving people experiencing homelessness. Every act of kindness matters.

As Dr Norman E Borlaug said, “Food is the moral right of all who are born into this world.”

Learn more about our mission at https://rotaryhope4homeless.org/



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October 16 is ! 🥕 This day and everyday, the World Food Prize Foundation aims to raise awareness for international food security, sustainable food systems and those working to end world hunger - like our 2026 Laureate: Huub Lelieveld - who will be recognized at the 2026 Borlaug Dialogue!🌾🍽️

🌎 Learn about Lelieveld here: https://bit.ly/4rXrNTr
📍 Join us at the Borlaug Dialogue next week: https://bit.ly/4iwFlCu

10/05/2026

💙 **Sometimes helping starts simply by sharing.**

Thank you to the Food Bank of Iowa and its community partners for helping our neighbors put food on the table.

At the , we know that homelessness and housing insecurity don’t happen in isolation. Sometimes a family is choosing between **groceries, rent, utilities, medicine, or gas to get to work**. Access to food can be one piece of the puzzle that helps someone stay stable and housed.

That’s why this matters to us. ❤️

Please **share this information** with your friends, family, and neighbors. You may never know who needed to see it—and that’s okay. Sharing a resource can be an act of service, too.

**Share it. Help connect someone to a resource. Give a little HOPE.**



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It's and here are this week's mobile food distributions. You can see our mobile pantry schedule several months in advance anytime at https://foodbankiowa.org/find-food/mobile-pantry-program/

10/02/2026

💙 Learning. Connecting. Creating HOPE.

Last night’s Rotary Club of HOPE program gave us an opportunity to learn more about Iowa Homeless Youth Centers (IHYC) and the important work being done to support young people experiencing homelessness in Central Iowa.

IHYC works to eliminate homelessness among children, youth and young families by helping young people move toward stability and self-sufficiency. Their services include street outreach, meals, emergency housing, basic-needs assistance, mental health support, education and employment resources, and connections to longer-term housing.

We also learned about Reggie’s Sleepout, an annual event held in memory of Reggie Kelsey, a young man who experienced homelessness after aging out of Iowa’s foster care system. The event raises both awareness and critical funds to support youth experiencing homelessness.

This year marks the 21st Reggie’s Sleepout, taking place Friday, October 9, 2026, at Drake Stadium. Participants can build cardboard shelters, take part in activities, and even spend the night—getting a small glimpse into the uncertainty faced by those who don’t have a safe, stable place to call home.

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Programs like this are exactly why the Rotary Club of HOPE — Homeless Outreach, Prevention and Education exists. The more we understand the challenges facing our neighbors, the better equipped we are to serve, advocate and help fill the gaps. ❤️

Thank you to Montgomery Cason and Anupam Mittra for sharing this important work with us!

💙 Want to turn compassion into action? Join us!

The Rotary Club of HOPE brings together people who want to make a difference for individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Come to a meeting, learn more about what we do, and discover how you can get involved.

📅 We meet on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom.
🌎 Because we’re virtual, you can join us from wherever you are!

Come find your place. Find your purpose.

Reggie’s Sleepout is just TWO WEEKS away!

Register. Donate. Volunteer. Every way you get involved helps support at-risk and homeless youth in our community.

Join us: https://givebutter.com/RSO2026

09/22/2026

📍 Did you know the has members throughout Iowa? Our reach extends beyond one community, allowing us to support and celebrate initiatives across the state that help people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.

🏠 HOPE in Action for Iowa Veterans

We are inspired by the opening of the new Valor Pointe apartments in Iowa City, providing housing and renewed hope for veterans who have experienced homelessness.

A safe, stable place to call home can be the foundation for rebuilding a life. Developments like Valor Pointe show what is possible when communities work together to ensure those who served our country are not left without a home.

At the Rotary Club of HOPE—Homeless Outreach, Prevention and Education—we are committed to helping fill the gaps, restore dignity and create pathways toward stability throughout Iowa.

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09/21/2026

🕊️ Today, the Rotary Club of HOPE recognizes the International Day of Peace—a reminder that peace begins with compassion, dignity, and care for one another.

For those experiencing homelessness or at risk of losing their homes, peace can mean having a safe place to sleep, a warm meal, essential supplies, and the reassurance that someone cares.

Through service, advocacy, and community partnerships, the Rotary Club of HOPE is committed to supporting our neighbors and creating hope where it is needed most. Every act of kindness—no matter how small—helps build a more peaceful and caring community.

Together, we can be people of action and create lasting change—one person, one act of service, and one moment of HOPE at a time.

08/22/2026

🎉 Celebrating Excellence Through Community Impact! 🎉

We are incredibly proud to celebrate the Rotary Club of HOPE for receiving the 2025–2026 Rotary Club Excellence Award from Rotary International! 🏆

This recognition means so much because it represents more than an award—it reflects the dedication, teamwork, leadership, and community impact demonstrated by our club throughout the Rotary year.

The Rotary Club Excellence Award recognizes clubs that set and accomplish meaningful goals, engage their members, strengthen Rotary, support their communities, and create lasting positive change.

🌟 How did we achieve it?

Through the collective efforts of our members, volunteers, community partners, and supporters, the Rotary Club of HOPE focused on addressing important needs in our community—particularly homeless outreach, homelessness prevention, and education.

Our work has been centered on connecting with individuals and families experiencing homelessness, helping provide access to resources and support, raising awareness about the challenges surrounding homelessness, and educating our community about prevention and pathways toward stability.

Every outreach effort, community partnership, educational opportunity, volunteer hour, and conversation helped move our mission forward.

This award recognizes what can happen when a club comes together with a clear purpose and a commitment to making a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

To every member, volunteer, community partner, Rotary leader, and supporter who helped make this possible:

CONGRATULATIONS! 🎉

This award belongs to all of us.

We are grateful to everyone who has helped the Rotary Club of HOPE grow and expand its impact through homeless outreach, prevention, education, and community collaboration.

And our work is only beginning! 💙💛

We look forward to building on this achievement by reaching more people, strengthening partnerships, expanding education, supporting prevention efforts, and continuing to bring HOPE to individuals and families in our community.

Together, we can raise awareness.
Together, we can prevent homelessness.
Together, we can connect people to HOPE.

Congratulations to the Rotary Club of HOPE on this incredible achievement! 🏆🎉

Rotary Club of HOPE — Outreach. Prevention. Education. Community. HOPE.