New {fiscal} year, new me – that is what the kids are saying these days, right?

Well, either way, happy new fiscal year (FY)! We are excited to see what 2019-2020 has to offer. FY19 was an eventful year for HOME, Inc.’s clients, staff and board members. We had a long time employee retire after dedicating her entire career (40 years!!) to HOME, Inc. Between four employees there was a combined 150 years of work history at HOME, Inc. Now, let that sink in. Absolutely incredible. In addition to the long time staff, we have several board members who have devoted over a decade of their time to HOME, Inc.’s mission. Their tireless effort, commitment and enthusiasm has created one of Des Moines’ best kept secrets.

We hired three new employees, including HOME, Inc.’s very first fundraiser. We also welcomed three new members to our board Chris Hensley, Xan McNelly, and Bill Thompson. It has been incredible to see the positive impact the new employees and board members are making. This is an exciting time for HOME, Inc. with the combination of historical knowledge and new blood with fresh ideas. HOME, Inc. is in a great position to continue our invaluable work, but this time, we want to shout it from the roof tops! We don’t want HOME, Inc. to be a secret any longer.

In addition to personnel changes in FY19 we had several other successes. Our donor database was previously a box of notecards with donor information and gift history. We have since upgraded to an online web based management system. This change alone will allow us to better communicate with our donors and provide consistent updates on our programs. This fiscal year, we were nominated for the Rodine Mickle award as local business of the year from the Neighborhood Association. One of the more exciting things that happened for HOME, Inc. in FY19 was an investment of $686,624 from Iowa Finance Authority to develop more affordable homes for low income families.

As you can see, we have a lot to be excited about around here! Be on the lookout for our Annual Report in the coming months where we will highlight our programs more specifically. As always, thanks for reading! We appreciate your support. J