HELPING SERVICES HELPS IN 50 WAYS Northeast Iowa

“Your programs have really made a difference in our family.” – Helping Services client

“Family Educators helped me gain confidence as a first-time mom. They answered any concerns or questions without judgment.”

– Helping Services client

“I’ve really enjoyed getting to know my mentee & it’s been great showing her new places & exploring new places together. It has also been great seeing our relationship grow.” – Mentor, Allamakee County

BY CHRISTY EBERT VRTIS

Helping Services was founded in 1973 by a group of Luther College students and faculty. It originally began as a drop-in center for youth called the “Hobbit Hole,” located on Water Street in Decorah, Iowa, and a “trouble line” for folks to call with questions and concerns, many related to drug and tobacco use.

Over the past 50 years, Helping Services has evolved to meet changing community needs. The “trouble line” became the Domestic Abuse Resource Center Hotline [(800) 383-2988]. The focus on drug use and smoking tobacco education and prevention expanded to include vaping and the opioid crisis. And the organization itself went through name changes and expansions in scope, size, and geography.

Today, Helping Services for Youth and Families is a thriving and exemplary nonprofit, with 26 full time staff members overseeing services at nine offices in Northeast Iowa.

While some things have changed, the organization’s mission remains the same: to create healthier and safer communities in Northeast Iowa.

“Our organization is here for you,” explains Ben Krouse-Gagne, Director of Community Engagement. “If you need help or want to get involved today or 10 years down the road. You may not see many of our advocates driving around and meeting with survivors of domestic violence or you may not think anything of an adult with a youth, but that’s our youth mentoring in action. You don’t always see it, but it’s there, it’s real, and it strengthens our communities.”

Helping Services operates under four pillars of service that focus on different areas of community need: youth mentoring, prevention education, family education, and domestic abuse advocacy and resource hotline. Their service goals are straightforward: to provide tools, resources, and encouragement for community members.

“We may be helping your neighbor, your relative, you may not even know it,” adds Carson Eggland, Helping Services Executive Director. “I guess I would just say that sometimes it’s hard to see the impact. But I’d like people to know the impact is real and meaningful.”

It’s an impact Helping Services has every intention to continue far into the future.

“We want to be in your communities,” affirms Eggland. “If you see a need in your community that either is not being addressed or if you see that there may be some connection to the work we’re doing currently, don’t hesitate to reach out. I see us as a continued driving force in NE Iowa for healthier and safer families and communities.”