Enhance Hamilton County Foundation

10/12/2026

We are about halfway through the month for our new "Food for Neighhors Challenge". The first $20,000 in charitable donations received from October 1 through October 31, will be matched dollar-for-dollar, doubling the impact of gifts that support food access across Hamilton County.

This year’s Challenge includes local food pantries, in addition to Webster City Meals on Wheels and Congregate Meals, and the new Southern Hamilton County Meal Program, which is preparing for a November rollout in Jewell, Stanhope and Stratford.

Donations to the Southern Hamilton County Meal Program will help support the program and provide meal subsidies for participants who are unable to pay the full meal cost.

You can designate your gift to one or more participating food access efforts, or make a general gift to support all seven.

Give online by going to the Enhance Hamilton County Foundation's website (www.enhancehamiltoncounty.org) and click "Donate Online to the Food for Neighbors Challenge". Be sure to indicate in the COMMENT section before you hit submit how you want your gift directed.

The Challenge runs through October 31. Better Together.

10/07/2026

Sometimes it starts with one person, one passion or one idea that a family wants to carry forward.

This story shared by the Community Foundation of Marshall County is a beautiful example of how a memorial fund can grow over time and continue supporting something that mattered deeply to someone.

More than 20 years later, Jamie Christenson’s love of the performing arts is still creating opportunities for others.

We share stories like this because they remind us that charitable giving can take many forms, and sometimes an idea that begins very personally can have an impact for years to come.

If you ever have an idea for honoring someone, supporting a cause you care about or creating something that can continue giving back to Hamilton County, we are always happy to help you think through what that might look like.

It Starts With One.

🐾 At the Marshalltown School Board meeting on Monday, October 5, family members of the Jamie Christenson Fund for the Performing Arts presented $3,000 gifts to both the Marshalltown Community School District Drama Department and the Marshalltown Auditorium Foundation.

Bob Christenson, Jamie’s father, reflected on the lasting impact of his daughter’s life and legacy. “It’s hard to grasp that a little over 24 years ago our lives were forever changed,” he shared.

In the summer of 2002, Jamie was preparing for her senior year at Marshalltown High School when she tragically died in a drowning accident in northern Minnesota while on a camping trip with her church youth group.

Jamie’s love for theater began in third grade with her first role in the YMCA Thimble Theater production of Rocco – the Rolling Stone. She continued performing throughout her school years in Marshalltown School District productions and with the Marshalltown Community Theatre. Her passion for theater was unmistakable.

Following Jamie’s passing, the Christenson family established the Jamie Christenson Fund for the Performing Arts at the Community Foundation of Marshall County, using more than $60,000 in community tributes to create a lasting legacy in her honor.

Today, the fund has grown to more than $100,000 and has provided over $25,000 in support to organizations that enrich performing arts opportunities in Marshalltown.

We are incredibly grateful to the Christenson family for continuing to honor Jamie’s memory and passion for the arts, helping create opportunities for others to experience the joy of theater.

10/07/2026

TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT! The 2027 EHCF Annual Grant information meeting is at 5 PM at the Stanhope Community Center.

If your organization plans to or is considering applying for a grant, a representative must attend this meeting in order to be eligible.

The 2027 grant application will go live on October 15 and remain open through December 31 at 5 PM.

We will walk through the grant process, expectations and important information applicants need to know before applying.

Better Together.

10/06/2026

If you live in Jewell, Stanhope or Stratford, keep an eye on your mailbox for information on the new Southern Hamilton County Meal Program, upcoming community meetings and the Hamilton County Food for Neighbors Challenge.

The first $20,000 donated during the Challenge will be matched dollar-for-dollar, and donors can choose where their support goes.

Simply write the name of the program(s) you wish to support in the memo line on your check. If nothing is indicated, the gift will be shared with all programs.

- Upper Des Moines Opportunity Food Pantry (Webster City)
- Trinity Lutheran Church Food Pantry (Webster City)
- St. Paul Lutheran Church Food Pantry (Webster City)
- Lord’s Cupboard Food Pantry (Jewell)
- Stratford Food Pantry (Stratford)
- Webster City Meals on Wheels / Webster City Congregate Meals
- Southern Hamilton County Meal Program

Donations to the Southern Hamilton County Meal Program will provide meal subsidies for participants who are unable to pay the full meal cost. You may indicate which community you'd like your gift to remain (Jewell, Stanhope, or Stratford).

Checks can be made payable to the Enhance Hamilton County Foundation and mailed or dropped off: Enhance Hamilton County Foundation, 501 Bank Street, Webster City, IA 50595.

You may also donate online by going to the Foundation website (www.enhancehamiltoncounty.org) and click "Donate Online to the Food for Neighbors Challenge". Be sure to indicate which program(s) you want your gift to support in the COMMENT section before you submit.

The Challenge runs through October 31.

A special thank you to Stratford Mutual Telephone/Stratford Communications for helping us get this information into homes and raise awareness of both the Challenge and the new meal program.

Better Together.

10/06/2026

Thinking about applying for a 2027 EHCF Annual Grant?

Mark your calendar for our Annual Grant Meeting on October 7 at 5 PM at the Stanhope Community Center.

If your organization plans to apply for a grant or considering it, a representative must attend this meeting in order to be eligible.

The 2027 grant application will go live on October 15 and remain open through December 31 at 5 PM.

We will walk through the grant process, expectations and important information applicants need to know before applying.

Better Together.

10/02/2026

When disaster impacts Hamilton County, local support matters.

100% of gifts to the Hamilton County Disaster Recovery Fund stay in Hamilton County, helping support local organizations involved in disaster response and recovery.

Your gift helps strengthen our ability to respond to urgent needs, support recovery efforts and help our communities move forward together.

Learn more or give at enhancehamiltoncounty.org/disaster-recovery

Preparing Today. For Tomorrow.

10/01/2026

TODAY IS THE DAY. The Hamilton County Food for Neighbors Challenge is officially underway.

From October 1 through October 31, the first $20,000 donated will be matched dollar-for-dollar, doubling the impact of gifts that support food access across Hamilton County.

This year’s Challenge includes local food pantries, Webster City Meals on Wheels and Congregate Meals, and the new Southern Hamilton County Meal Program, which is preparing for a November rollout in Jewell, Stanhope and Stratford.

Donations to the Southern Hamilton County Meal Program will help support the program and provide meal subsidies for participants who are unable to pay the full meal cost.

You can designate your gift to one or more participating food access efforts, or make a general gift to support all seven.

Give online by going to:
www.desmoinesfoundation.org/HamiltonPassthrough

Or visit www.enhancehamiltoncounty.org and click "Donate Online to the Food for Neighbors Challenge".

The Challenge runs through October 31.

Better Together.

09/30/2026

Disaster recovery does not end when the immediate emergency is over. Long after the first response, local organizations and communities may still be working through cleanup, repairs, unmet needs and the process of rebuilding.

The Hamilton County Disaster Recovery Fund helps provide charitable resources to support local organizations and communities as recovery continues.

Building this fund now means resources can be available when they are needed most.

Learn more or give at enhancehamiltoncounty.org/disaster-recovery

Preparing Today. For Tomorrow.

09/29/2026

It starts with one conversation. One idea. One person willing to ask, “What if we could create something that better meets the needs of people in our communities?”

That is how the Southern Hamilton County Meal Program began. Now, that conversation is turning into a new program designed to provide prepared, home-delivered meals based on need rather than age, initially serving the Jewell, Stanhope and Stratford communities.

Join us during the week of October 19 for one of three community meetings to learn how the program will work, how to sign up for meals, volunteer opportunities and ways to support the effort.

The meetings are open to anyone interested in receiving meals for themselves, a family member or friend, volunteering, supporting the program or simply learning more.

You do not need to attend the meeting in your own community. The information shared at each meeting will be the same, so attend whichever location works best for you.

It started with one... and together, one conversation has grown into something that helps several communities. Better Together.

09/28/2026

The Hamilton County Food for Neighbors Challenge begins October 1.

Throughout the month of October, the first $20,000 donated will be matched dollar-for-dollar, doubling the impact of gifts supporting food access across Hamilton County.

This year’s challenge has expanded beyond food pantries to also include prepared-meal programs, including the new Southern Hamilton County Meal Program, which is moving toward a November rollout serving the Jewell, Stanhope and Stratford communities.

Donations to the meal program will help support the program and provide meal subsidies for participants who are unable to pay the full meal cost.

Gifts may be designated to one or more participating food pantries or meal programs, or shared among all seven efforts.

Give online:
www.desmoinesfoundation.org/HamiltonPassthrough

You can also visit www.enhancehamiltoncounty.org and click the Food for Neighbors Challenge donation button. The Challenge runs October 1–31.

Better Together.