Latest news with #CommunityActionAgencyofSiouxland
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Siouxland nonprofit teaching the next generation before kindergarten
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) – Education is essential for children, and one Siouxland organization is helping kids learn before they're in kindergarten. The Community Action Agency of Siouxland has many programs that have helped families for roughly 50 years, one of them being the Head Start Program for kids from six weeks to four years old. Habitat for Humanity homeowner applications open 'We offer a routine where children come to school and they are served breakfast, we serve families style, working on a lot of self-help skills,' early childhood director Rachel Ostermyer said. 'We have large group times, we have small group times. We also just have work time, which is the children's play, but for them, it's their work.' The program has 29 classrooms with over 500 kids enrolled, and teachers prepare their students for kindergarten through hands-on education. 'When we talk about science, we are planting flowers, especially this week,' Ostermyer said. 'We're planting flowers for the Week of the Young Child. We have science experiments going on, but it's all in the fun of their classroom. So they don't really know that they're learning science as they're learning science.' This week, the Community Action Agency is taking part in Week of the Young Child, celebrating children and their families as well as honoring the professionals who teach the next generation. 'We have a theme for every day this week where parents and children are able to do activities in all of our classrooms,' Ostermyer said. 'According to those themes, we have Music Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Work Together Wednesday, Artsy Thursday, and Family Friday.' While there are other programs across Siouxland that also handle early childhood education, getting enrolled can be difficult. 'Yes, we are at maximum capacity, and we have a wait list, so it never hurts for families to still apply,' Ostermyer said. Yet programs like those with the Community Action Agency of Siouxland will do their best to ensure children get the best education they can. 'Welcome to Sioux City' sign to be refurbished, relocated by Sioux City couple 'We fill that void by the family, can bring their child up,' Ostermyer said. 'But we also offer a lot of ideas and suggestions to parents every month of things they can do at home with their child, because our ultimate goal is to work with that family so that that child is ready for kindergarten and is successful beyond kindergarten.' The nonprofit also wanted to remind parents that educating their child can be as simple as having a conversation with them. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Siouxland agency not expecting LIHEAP to be affected by federal cuts
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — An energy assistance program will not be impacted by federal cuts, according to the local organization that carries it out. Staffing cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services included federal workers overseeing the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The Community Action Agency of Siouxland's executive director Jean Logan spoke with representatives about the potential impacts the federal staff layoff could have. Sioux City receives $500K grant for wastewater treatment improvements Logan told KCAU 9 that the program at the local level will not see an impact. That's because 90 percent of the funds have already been sent to the states. However, there are some questions regarding the remaining funds. 'It's anticipated that the last 10 percent is going to be delayed, but still received by the states,' Logan said. 'I also heard today that if that funding is held up, we'll still be able to take applications and hopefully get applications paid in a timely manner.' About 2,700 Siouxland families have received assistance through the program this past winter. Logan says there is still time to apply for LIHEAP, as the program runs through April 30. Siouxlanders can apply by appointment or on the agency's website — click here for more information. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Siouxlanders can still apply for low-income home energy assistance
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — The Community Action Agency of Siouxland is reminding Siouxlanders that time remains for people to get help paying utility bills. The agency has been working since Nov. 1 to take applications to help people secure help from the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The program ends on April 30. Officials say the agency is all caught up on processing applications. They're also encouraging those who can apply to do so as soon as possible. The nonprofit says they have received many questions about federal funding and if they had any cuts. Efforts to restore power to Siouxland enter third day 'The energy assistance program, or LIHEAP, has not been affected, and we are currently under a continuing resolution for another six months,' Community Action Agency of Siouxland executive director Jean Logan said. 'So all of our federal funding streams are funded at the same level that they have been.' So far, more than 2,100 households have been offered assistance from LIHEAP. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Bishop Heelan students pack 120,000 meals for families overseas
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — Students from Bishop Heelan had a busy day Thursday, helping feed the less fortunate for the 'Feed Just One More' project. Students from 5th grade through 12th worked together to pack 120,000 meals, which will all be sent overseas to provide food for families. The meals include rice, veggies and more in every bag, and each bag contains six meals. Community Action Agency of Siouxland providing food assistance to daycares The students had an assembly line to quickly put meals together. 'There is a box number thing, and once it gets all filled out, you put it into a box and then you tape it,' 7th grade student Vivian Youngblade said. Working efficiently was not the only thing students learned. 'It's important because it get us kids to know that helping others is a good deed, and that it really helps those that are in need,' 7th grade student Evelyn Shetler said. The project has been part of Bishop Heelan's goal of doing community service for more than a decade. 'We came upon this about 15 years ago,' event organizer and volunteer Mary Jayne Mousel said. '[Gehlen Catholic in Le Mars] was doing it, so I went up and checked it out. I thought, we could do this at Heelan, and that's how we got started.' Mousel says the project leaves students with a lasting impression. Remarkable Women: Mary Jayne Mousel spreading joy in the community 'it's cool when I have alumni come back and say, 'can I come help work, because I did it as a student and I really liked it, so can I come work now as an adult?' So that's pretty cool that they come back,' Mousel said. The meals packed at Bishop Heelan will be shipped to Honduras, along with meals packed by students at Gehlen Catholic school in Le Mars. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Community Action Agency of Siouxland providing food assistance to daycares
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — Daycare providers are being offered food assistance by a local nonprofit agency. The National Child and Adult Care Food Program is a federal program that pays for healthy meals and snacks for children and adults in daycare. The Community Action Agency of Siouxland administers the program locally, but says only 38 out of 91 eligible child care providers in Woodbury County have actively participated. Lineworkers hard at work restoring power to Siouxland 'There are 53 daycare providers just in Woodbury County alone that are not taking advantage of this program, and we feel like it's a great, great program and it helps pay for, helps reimburse the cost of meals and snacks that the daycare provider would serve in their home,' Community Action Agency of Siouxland Executive Director Jean Logan said. 'So it's win-win, really.' Any daycare providers interested in joining this program can learn more by . Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
