Midwest Family Lending Blog

“March of Dimes leads the fight for the health of all moms and babies. They believe that every baby deserves the best possible start. Unfortunately, not all babies get one. They are changing that.

For 80 years, March of Dimes has helped millions of babies survive and thrive. Now they are building on that legacy to level the playing field for all moms and babies, no matter their age, socio-economic background or demographics. They support moms throughout their pregnancy, even when everything doesn’t go according to plan. They advocate for policies that prioritize their health. They support radical improvements to the care they receive. And they pioneer research to find solutions to the biggest health threats to moms and babies. 

What began with President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s personal struggle with polio led to the creation of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, better known as March of Dimes. They pioneered the vaccine research leading to the eradication of polio in the U.S., and then they shifted focus to address some of the biggest health threats to moms and babies with innovations like folic acid, newborn screening and surfactant therapy. 

Today they educate medical professionals and the public about best practices; they support lifesaving research; they provided comfort and support to families in NICUs; and they advocate for those who need them most, moms and babies. They are stronger and more committed than ever to guiding moms through every stage of the pregnancy journey. They are fighting for the smallest among us and advocating for their health each and every day. And they do so with the tools, technology and knowledge needed to build a brighter future for us all.”

MFLCares May 2019 Charity is Puppy Jake Foundation. A little about Puppy Jake.. Four pillars of character about the Puppy Jake Foundation:

• Friendly -Everybody loves dogs! There is a special warmth and joy that comes from having a four-pawed best friend by your side, and this should be embodied in all communications.
• Fun- Dogs are energetic & spirited. Messaging should reflect the light-hearted nature and playfulness of our canine friends.
• Compassionate- Our heroes need our help. While each experience of an American veteran is different, we are doing our best to ease the transition to their life back home and need to demonstrate unity and understanding.
• Respectful- We owe our freedom to the brave men & women of the U.S. Armed Forces. It’s important to express our appreciation of the brave men & women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

Puppy Jake Foundation is a non-profit organization focused on making our American heroes’ lives easier and more fulfilling. The Puppy Jake Foundation provides well bred, socialized and professionally trained service dogs for wounded military veterans. These high-functioning dogs help veterans who may be living with PTSD, amputations, physical disabilities or other related challenges. Puppy Jake Foundation provides service dogs at no cost to qualifying veterans. Puppy Jake Foundation’s mission starts with the support of people like you. There are three ways you can contribute: volunteer to be a trainer or sitter, attend a fundraiser and donate directly. Donations go to pay for the training, health care and food supply of service dogs. You can make donations online at Puppy Jake Foundation.

Every 34 minutes Make-A-Wish^® grants the wish of a child diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition in the United States and its territories.

A great way to support Make A Wish Foundation of Iowa is at their upcoming Des Moines Gala on Saturday, May 4th, at the Ron Pearson Center for an evening of entertainment featuring our area wish kids as well as live and silent auctions. Be sure to purchase your tickets early as this was a sold out event last year. Click here to purchase a ticket.

MFLCares April charity is YESS ~ Youth Emergency Services & Shelter is a Des Moines Metro based mission providing a safety net of programs to help kids when they  need it most!  They offer emergency shelter, crisis nursery care, counseling & care coordination. 

YESS strives to be ready to help kids when issues arise so they can have a safe haven & support system to allow them to be safe and healthy in their own homes.  YESS is a nationally-accredited nonprofit organization that uniquely serves our community’s most vulnerable children.

MFLCares continues to support the Midwest, in the month of February our charity was Heartland Cancer Foundation located in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Heartland Cancer Foundation mission is to provide practical and immediate assistance to cancer patients so they can focus on healing.

An upcoming event is there 6th Annual Heartland Classic Golf Tournament and Symposium – please check out there website or Facebook page for further details.

MFLCares would like to introduce our March charity is Make A Wish Iowa

Did you know: every 34 minutes Make-A-Wish^® grants the wish of a child diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition in the United States and its territories. They believe that a wish experience can be a game-changer. This one belief guides them in everything they do. It inspires Make A Wish to grant wishes that change the lives of the kids they serve.

Upcoming events you can support Make A Wish Iowa:

2019 Dubuque Gala: Bow Ties & Diamonds

Make-A-Wish Night at the Iowa Wild

2019 Clinton Benefit: Red, White and Blue make wishes come true

In the month of January, Midwest Family Lending Corp donated $1500 to Mosaic in Central Iowa.

Mosaic provides a life of possibilities for people with intellectual disabilities. We help people define their own happiness. We support them and empower the pursuit of their goals. We celebrate their successes, even if that success is as simple as the pursuit itself.

Here is a link for volunteer opportunities (flexible times): https://www.volunteermatch.org/search/org37427.jsp#opportunities_tab

Also their Weekly lunch and learn “Discover the Possibilities” includes a free lunch but rsvp before hand: https://www.mosaicinfo.org/node/45/events

MFLCares charity focus in February is the Heartland Cancer Foundation is a Non-profit organization created with one belief: People with cancer should not fall behind because they struggle to afford their expenses. There purpose is to encourage cancer patients, help them overcome financial burdens, and give them compassion so they can thrive.

Click here for more information

Our January charity is Mosaic which is a faith-based nonprofit serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across 10 states.

They partner with the people they serve to provide a meaningful life in a caring community, and they help give a voice to their needs.

Mosaic tagline is “A life of possibilities” and this is what they do. They see people with disabilities as unique and gifted and want to make sure they have the chance to live the best life possible.

Their services are highly personalized and focused on community integration and relationship building. They also participate in international outreach and advocacy and partner with churches and civic organizations to fulfill our mission.

Ultimately, they work at the forefront to drive change for the people they serve.

We believe the work they do is life-giving and life-changing.

Every month they host two Discover the Possibilities lunch & learns at their office located at 11141 Aurora Avenue in Urbandale from 11:30-12:30.  They provide lunch and share the stories of who they are, what they do and who they serve. Only one hour – they are short, sweet and to the point!

Up and coming dates are:  Tuesday, January 29th, Tuesday, February 12th, Tuesday, February 26th, & Thursday, March 7th. RSVP to katie.flippen@mosaicinfo.org or 515-868-0602.

They are also happy to bring there stories to share with your group, business, or an organization.
Click here to learn more about Mosaic.

MS Moments mission is to provide financial assistance to individuals with MS (and their immediate family members) in Central Iowa to allow them to become members of a fitness organization to promote health, exercise, and mental and physical well-being.

Upcoming events for MS Moments:

• Trivia Night – Sat March 16th @ Johnston Lions Club
• 5k fun run/walk – Sat April 27th @ Walker Johnston Park
• Adult Prom – Fri May 17th @ TBD
• Bags Tournament – Sat June 8th @ Grimes Waterworks Park
• MARS Foundation Golf outing – Mon August 12th @ Briarwood (Ankeny)
• Heid Ride / Annie’s Ride – Sept TBD

For further information or questions please email msmoments@inittocureit.org