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Central Iowa Shelter & Services is an overnight emergency shelter for adult men and women.
Our mission is to "provide free shelter homeless adults
regardless of physical or emotional conditions, and to facilitate their move toward self-sufficiency".
Guests can stay for 30-60 days in 68 men's beds and 34 women's beds.
There are no pre-requisites to stay and we admit people in any condition that they may present. There is never a charge to the guest to stay.
Meals are provided, as are laundry and shower facilities.
Once a week Medical Clinic is here to provide services on site.
We also have 14 beds of Veteran's Transitional housing and those Vets can stay up to 2 years.
I have been the Director for going on 8 years now and it is the most gratifying work I have done. Educating the public to the facts of homelessness is one of our biggest challenges. I still hear comments like "they just need to get a job". The fact is most of our guests are experts at getting jobs and many of them work. However, they are not experts at keeping jobs and for the most part are unable to make enough money to sustain themselves and pay rent.
Many (over 60%) suffer from mental illness and when their symptoms begin to manifest they lose everything they may have put together for themselves, and end up back in shelter. I admire their fortitude in the face of overwhelming odds, each time they pick themselves up and keep trying.
Life is difficult, wages are low, rent is high, affordable housing is lacking and the support systems that we all need are not available to the disenfranchised of our community.
I leave here grateful every day that we have been able to keep the doors open and be of some assistance to those who have no other means to make it. The folks who serve meals here 365 days a year for over 16 years are my heroes. Without them we might not have been able to keep this effort up for as long as we have.
CISS has a special function in serving some very special people. We continue to do that with the help of those who understand and share their wealth and time.
The Universe smiles on CISS.
Jean
Jean Brown
Executive Director
Central Iowa Shelter & Services
205-15th St.
Des Moines, Ia. 50309
515-284-5719
fax 515-883-1692
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