Allerton, IA

We have asked help from Welcome, We Help, inc.,  Corydon Horizon’s- for establishing our 501C3.  they have been a great help to us and because of that we are getting closer to establishing our non-profit status. 

We have asked the City Council to be our “bank” for the advancement of the $1500 from our $10,000 that will becoming from Horizons.  They also partnered with us to by allowing us to use town buildings to hold meetings and events.   We have also partnered with many other organizations and businesses throughout this whole process:

Wayne County Public Health, Allerton Ball Association, Allerton Fire Department, Allerton First Responders, Home Health, DHS, Hospice, Scicap, Ottumwa transit, Welcome, We Help; Local businesses, family planning and more. 

Friends of Allerton will help the community by providing different events to bring families closer by participating together as a unit.  The Board feels that using this as a goal for events and planned activities will strengthen community involvement and benefit both the organization and family units.. 

A group of local citizens have come together to purchase the old drug store in Allerton.  Ideas are to create a place to hold meetings and for young children and families to hang out.  The building still has the original soda fountain, stools and counter.  Efforts are under way to develop a group of volunteers to operate the facility.  Part of the store could be used for display of resource materials. 

We are now begining the next step of recruiting new members.  During our Family Fun Day- community members filled out surveys to show how involved they want to be.  Many filled out their names to join Friends of  Allerton.  This will be discussed at our next meeting in July. 

One of our sub committees has already raised  money from local businesses and has almost completed their task.  They have put up a communication board on main street for up coming events in the community.  Also people can post flyers for bake sales, garage sales and more so they don’t have to spend money to put an ad in the paper.

 Another sub committee has plans to put up an informational flyer rack in one of our most used buildings.  The display will include local programs for parents, food and clothing resources,  hawk-i, social security, heat and phone assistance, housing resources, and income tax assistance.  Allerton residents won’t have to drive to other communities to find information. 

antoher

On our board of Friends of Allerton, we have some members that would qualify as low income.  In our meetings everyone is treated the same- no fingers are pointed- and all suggestions are respectfully considered for discussion and adoption.   Representatives of the ministry, family workers, general laborers, retired individuals, office assistants, and council members are members.

A couple of partnerships that will help us and already have begun helping us take a step towards reducing poverty are our local businesses (donations for Family Fun Day and Communication Board);  head start;  Strong Families coordinator (information and contacts for Resource Day); Allerton city council (building use); churches; fire department and EMS (location for clothing pantry and partners for emergency shelter); and the Allerton Library(resource center). 

A few months after the ice storm that hit Allerton, after the ground was no longer frozen, a few of the Friends of Allerton members went on their own time picking up tree limbs for neighbors that couldn’t get out and do it themselves or couldn’t afford to pay to have it done. These members were using their own free time and their own equipment. People were calling the city clerk for information on how to get help on cleaning their yards and the information was given to the volunteers. A local church group raked yards and cleaned up sticks and asked for donations for their Sunday School class.

The board has discussed that all of the subcommittees need to be reporting back to the board with their current status. Post cards are being sent to the president of each committee stating that they are expected to report on certain dates with new information on what they are doing now and also if there is anything that the board can do to help them complete their initial projects.