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The Iowa Department of Human Rights (DHR) brings strength to Iowa's rich heritage. Our three divisions - Community Action Agencies, Community Advocacy and Services, and Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning - work to reduce cultural, social, and economic barriers to opportunities for Iowans to succeed.
We are hiring!
In case you missed it, the Iowa Department of Human Rights is seeking to fill the position of Latinos CAN Coalition (LCAN) Coordinator. LCAN is a grant funded program focused on reducing the Latino post-secondary educational attainment gap in Iowa. The Coalition is a broad partnership of stakeholders representing secondary and post-secondary educators, community partners, Iowa College Student Aid, and other state agencies. the job posting will close on June 27, 2021. Visit the State of Iowa careers page for more details.
2021 Governor's Volunteer Awards
Congratulations to all the 2021 winners of the Iowa Governor's Volunteer Award! A special thank you to the winners nominated by the Iowa Department of Human Rights who have made a difference in our communities and serving Iowans.
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DHR COVID-19 Youth Action Squad - contributed over 1,000 volunteer hours to identify and implement solutions to racial injustices within their communities
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DHR Racial Justice Youth Action Squad - contributed over 1,000 volunteer hours to identify and implement solutions to COVID-19 response and recovery within their communities
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DHR State of Iowa Youth Advisory Council (SIYAC) - provides input to community leaders about issues facing young Iowans; completes volunteer service projects to improve their communities
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Iowa Latino Alliance - created the Iowa Spanish helpline, providing language access, information, and case management to Spanish speaking Iowans
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Gabby Guerra Ceron - volunteers in leading the Iowa Commission of Latino Affairs' Iowa Queer Communities of Color Coalition; helped grow the coalition to provide assistance and resources for LGBTQIA - BIPOC Iowans.
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Brianne Messer, AmeriCorps Member - serves as Iowa Youth Congress Coordinator at DHR, leads high school youth to learn about Iowa's legislative process
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Tiara Mosley, AmeriCorps Member - serves as SIYAC Coordinator at DHR, providing support and leadership to SIYAC members in serving Iowa's youth
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Kylie Spies, AmeriCorps Member - serves as Youth Leadership Coordinator at DHR, helping youth use their voice and uses data and research to support their work
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Lisa Ung - volunteers in community; provided and delivered meals to the elderly with limited-English proficiency (LEP) in the Asian community during the pandemic
2021 Governor’s Volunteer Award Virtual Ceremony
The virtual ceremony will be accessible on July 14, 2021, at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/user/VolunteerIowa. The ceremony will last approximately 45 minutes and include remarks from Governor Kim Reynolds, Lt. Governor Adam Gregg, and service leaders across Iowa.
There is no registration or RSVP required for the virtual ceremony. All are welcome to attend. The ceremony will be freely available to view and share from Volunteer Iowa’s website (www.volunteeriowa.org) after July 14, 2021.
CDC Eviction Moratorium Extended through July 31, 2021
The CDC has extended the eviction moratorium further preventing the eviction of tenants who are unable to make rental payments. The moratorium that was scheduled to expire on June 30, 2021 is now extended through July 31, 2021. The CDC noted that this is intended to be the final extension of the moratorium. If tenants have not provided their landlord with the CDC declaration form to take advantage of the moratorium, the form can be found at this link: Declaration Form (multiple languages).
The Iowa Rent and Utility Assistance Program is available to assist eligible households. For details and eligibility, visit https://www.iowafinance.com/iowa-rent-and-utility-assistance-program/ or call the Housing Recovery Help Line 855-300-5885 or 515-348-8813. There is information for tenants and landlords.
Note: Polk County and the City of Des Moines will be administering the program locally. Therefore, Iowans residing in either Polk County or the City of Des Moines will be ineligible to apply for the Iowa Rent and Utility Assistance Program. More information on the program that may assist Polk County and City of Des Moines residents is available at IMPACT Community Action Partnership or call 515-518-4770. rental assistance, housing, and other help.
Another resource is the Iowa Emergency Solutions Grant program that helps to prevent households from becoming homeless due to eviction, and assists Iowans experiencing homelessness to quickly regain rental housing. For more information, call the Housing Recovery Help Line 855-300-5885 or 515-348-8813.
Additional resources:
New tax tool to claim child tax payments
The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service unveiled an online Non-filer Sign-up tool designed to help eligible families who don’t normally file tax returns register for the monthly Advance Child Tax Credit payments, scheduled to begin July 15.
This tool, an update of last year's IRS Non-filers tool, is also designed to help eligible individuals who don't normally file income tax returns register for the $1,400 third round of Economic Impact Payments (also known as stimulus checks) and claim the Recovery Rebate Credit for any amount of the first two rounds of Economic Impact Payments they may have missed. Read more...
Access to food while school is closed
Many school districts are continuing to provide meals to students in need during school closures. Check for local programs in your area by using the Meals 4 Kids locator. The interactive map directs people to local sites where kids can get free meals. You can also call 211 or 1-866-3-HUNGRY, or text “FOOD” or “COMIDA” to 877-877. Services are available in English and Spanish.
Additionally, the USDA National Hunger Hotline helps people seeking food assistance. The hotline, operated by Hunger Free America, can be reached Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Time. at 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479) or 1-877-8-HAMBRE (1-877-842-6273) (for Spanish).
Test Iowa Sites Closing
The Iowa Department of Public announced that three Test Iowa sites will be the first to close this week as the State prepares to end operations of its drive-thru and clinic COVID-19 testing locations by July 16, 2021.
The state-operated drive-thru sites will close when testing concludes at 4 p.m. on the following days:
- June 23: 3236 Nebraska Ave., Council Bluffs (Pottawattamie County)
- June 24: Windstar Lines, 5755 Willow Creek Dr. SW, Cedar Rapids (Linn County)
- June 25: 4121 Alexandra Drive, Waterloo (Black Hawk County)
Drive-thru sites in Davenport and Des Moines will remain open through July 16, and will continue to operate Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., during that time. Both sites will be closed Monday, July 5, in observance of the Independence Day holiday.
Test Iowa clinic site closures will be determined by providers, but will occur no later than Friday, July 16.
The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) and State Hygienic Lab (SHL) are finalizing plans to provide at-home COVID-19 test kits free of charge to Iowa residents following the closure of the Test Iowa sites. More details will be provided in the coming weeks. Additionally, COVID-19 testing will continue at health care providers, pharmacies, and other retail testing sites statewide.
Demand for testing is at its lowest levels in more than a year since the program started in April 2020, due largely to the wide availability of vaccine and significant decrease in virus activity.
For more information about Test Iowa locations, hours or scheduling a test, visit coronavirus.iowa.gov or testiowa.com.
COVID-19 Language Resources
American Sign Language Videos-CDC
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-Resources for Limited English Proficient Populations
Congolese Health Partnership Videos
Coronavirus, State Website
Crescent Community Health Center-Marshallese Language
EMBARC Ethnic Minorities of Burma and Advocacy and Resource Center
Hawaii Office of Language Access-Youtube
Iowa Department of Human Rights-Language Access
Iowa Department of Public Health
Iowa Spanish Helpline 515-344-3936
Multi-Lingual Hotline 1-877-558-2609
Refugee Alliance of Central Iowa
Test Iowa-Free COVID-19 Testing (Spanish available)
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Iowa Department of Human Rights
Lucas State Office Building
321 E 12th Street
Des Moines, IA 50319
515-242-5640 or 1-800-351-4659
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