PRESS RELEASE

Iowa Immigrant Community Fund Receives $750,000 to Provide Financial Relief to Immigrant Families in State of Iowa
Iowa: Over $200,000 have been provided to over 200 immigrant families in central Iowa to help with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. An additional $750,000 in funding is now available to families seeking assistance across Iowa. 
The Central Iowa Immigrant Emergency Support Fund (CIIESF) is an initiative of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) Iowa, Al Éxito, and Proteus Inc. The fund was set up to meet the needs of Iowans who do not qualify for government assistance during this global pandemic. The fund assists community members facing significant challenges due to loss of income, illness, or other COVID-19 related impacts. The assistance has covered basic needs including rent, mortgages, utilities, transportation, and medicine for individuals and their families during the last few months.
Recently, an anonymous donor approached the group to provide $750,000 to farmworkers and meat processing families across Iowa. Now that the initiative is statewide, the group is now called the Iowa Immigrant Community Fund. Additional partners have been added to help with the outreach and processing of payments. The new partners include; La Luz, Center for Worker Justice, Centro Latino, Northeast Iowa Peace and Justice Center, Catholic Charities – Dubuque, and Iowa Wins. 
Families seeking assistance can apply here. They can also contact their local partner organization to assist in filling out the application. Applications will be processed as they come in by all of the partners until funding is expended. The $750,000 is focused on farmworkers and meat processing families, but additional funds are available for immigrant families who do not meet that component. 
“An initial grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines under the Disaster Recovery Fund, along with donations from Mid-Iowa Health Foundation, Polk County, La Q Buena Radio, ELCA of America, and others- allowed CIIESF to open on April 27.” -Monserrat Iniguez, Program Specialist for Iowa Immigrant Community Fund, Proteus.
If supporters can contribute, they can donate to the Iowa Immigrant Community Fund here. 
About American Friends Service Committee-Iowa (ASFC)
AFSC's work in Iowa focuses on peacebuilding, immigrant rights organizing, and immigration legal services.
 
About Al Éxito
Al Éxito provides programming that builds the leadership potential of Latino/youth through college preparation, career development, civic engagement, family support, and celebration of culture. Our vision is to build a better community through Latino excellence. Al Éxito programs are in Belmond, Clarion, Des Moines, Hampton, Marshalltown, Ottumwa, Perry, and Tama. The program is free, open to all students, and students can join anytime.  
 
About Proteus, Inc.
Proteus is a multi-state 501c3 non-profit organization that provides job training, healthcare, and assistance to those who work in agriculture in Iowa, Nebraska, and Indiana.