We Empower Families was founded in 2007 by two Anawim Housing board members, Cecelia Kent and Dotty Thurston.
100% of your donation to We Empower Families goes toward supporting those moving from homelessness into permanent supportive housing. Once the critical need of housing is met - mental health, addiction, medical care and income can be addressed. With your support, these individuals will have access to wrap-around services including life-changing programs and resources. Your gift will benefit the over 390 program participants Anawim Housing serves.
At Anawim Housing, we don't just place people in housing, we empower them to succeed.
Become a member of We Empower Families by giving at one of our select Giving Levels. Your membership ensures our continued efforts and long-term sustainability to provide wrap-around services and life-changing programs and resources for those coming to Anawim from homelessness and in need of a safe, affordable place to live.
Give online to We Empower Families by clicking below, and selecting "We Empower Families" on the campaign pull down menu. You can also mail a check to our office, writing in "We Empower Families" in the memo line.
Please contact us directly with any questions or concerns about making your donation or becoming a member. We are happy to help! Contact Kourtney Kirkpatrick, Director of Advancement: kkirkpatrick@anawimhousing.org | 515-244-6459
Target Gift Registry: We are always accepting new or gently used household item donations to be gifted to tenants moving into Anawim Housing that have very little or are coming from homelessness. We've set up a Target Gift Registry with our highest need items. Items can be purchased and delivered directly through the registry, or dropped off at our office during business hours.
We Empower Families ThanksGIVING Event - Nov. 3, 2022
Thank you to all who joined us at Mainframe Studios for this past year's We Empower Families ThanksGIVING event! Special thank you to photographer Joe Crimmings for his work on the exhibit Project Des Moines that was unveiled, in partnership with Anawim Housing. Thank you to our event sponsors, board of directors, planning committee, friends, and staff who came out to support Anawim's mission of developing stable homes and strengthening people and communities.
Click HERE to view the video shared at the event about Project Des Moines and see the amazing artwork and hear stories of the process
Click HERE to view photos from the event!
We Empower Families ThanksGIVING Event
In November 2021, we hosted our annual WEF ThanksGIVING Event. This year's event was centered around art and inclusivity - and it was our first event as the rebranded group We Empower Families. The event was held at Mainframe Studios and featured a silent art auction with beautiful works by artists of Mainframe Studios as well as inspiring pieces created by Anawim Housing program tenants. Anawim supporter and artist Pam Douglas led Anawim Program tenants through a transformative painting project over the course of several weeks. The works that emerged were unique to each individual and beautiful examples of "trusting the process" and "letting go."
Special thank you to Mainframe Artist Margo Nahas for sharing about the importance, connection and healing that art provides. And thank you to Anawim Program Manager, Wanda Price, for sharing her powerful story of coming full circle as she has experienced homelessness herself, and was once a tenant of Anawim Housing. Today, she is the program manager for Anawim's Youth Homeless Opportunities Program.
Thank you to our WEF Planning Committee, our sponsors, and our board members for helping create a beautiful event!
WEF Reconnect Virtual Event - Click to view a recording of this virtual event
Women Empowering Families ThanksGIVING Event
This year's Women Empowering Families ThanksGIVING event took place at The Thoreau Center! The event included an inspiring presentation with special guest speakers Claressa and Bonnie. They each shared their personal stories of overcoming homelessness and finding strength, stability and family with Anawim Housing. Guests donated a wide variety of wonderful household items that our program team will be busy distributing this winter to 10 new households moving into housing from homelessness. A special thank you to our hard-working planning committee and board members for your efforts helping make this another wonderful Anawim event from start to finish! Catering by Trellis. Photography by Austin Day.
View event photos on our Facebook page!
Women Empowering Families Spring Mother's Day Event
Our Spring Women Women Empowering Families event was centered this year around Mother's Day! The event was help on May 7th at The River Center in Des Moines. Thank you to all who joined for your generous donations of small gifts to our Anawim Housing mothers, and for helping to assemble over 100 lovely giftbags that were delivered in time for Mother's Day. The support and love for families and our mission at Anawim was felt all throughout the room. Special thanks to our wonderful planning committee for all of your hard work! Photography by Michael Watson, Catering by Trellis.
View all the photos from our event on our Facebook page!
Women Empowering Families ThanksGIVING Event
View photos from the event on our Facebook page by clicking HERE
Women Empowering Families - Home Is Everything Spring Event
This year's spring event was unique in several ways! The event was hosted at The River Center - a beautiful, brand new event location downtown. New this year, we asked guests to donate a couple items to be gifted to the many mother's living in Anawim Housing. During the event, guests helped assemble their wonderful donations into over 100+ gift bags to be gifted to Anawim mothers for Mother's Day. In the days directly following the event, Anawim staff hand-delivered the gift bags. The Anawim mother's we delivered the bags to were very surprised and overjoyed by this act of kindness that the Women Empowering Families guests provided.
View photos from the event on our Facebook page by clicking HERE
View photos of Anawim staff delivering the Mother's Day gift bags to Anawim mother's HERE
Women Empowering Families ThanksGIVING Event
This year's ThanksGIVING event was held on Thursday, November 2nd at our new Anawim Housing office! A huge thank you to all who were able to join us and generously donated household items to be given to Anawim Housing families in need throughout the year. We had 70 women attend which was a great success! This year we auctioned off a beautiful handmade dollhouse, with proceeds directly supporting Anawim programs and services. The house was a sweet reminder of our moto "Home Is Everything".
View photos from this year's ThanksGIVING Event on the Anawim Facebook page!
Women Empowering Families Basic Party
WEF hosted the second annual Basic Party on May 2nd at the Riverwalk Hubspot! We had a record turnout of over 70 women! Thank you to all who attended and donated household items to be given to Anawim families in need. A huge thank you to our committee who helped plan the event and address invitations.
View photos from this year's Basic Party on the Anawim Facebook page!
Women Empowering Families ThanksGIVING Event
This year's ThanksGIVING event was held on Thursday, November 17th at the Hotel Kirkwood in Des Moines, and had a record turnout! A huge thank you to all who were able to join us and generously dontated household items to be given to Anawim Housing families in need throughout the year.
View photos from the event on Anawim's Facebook page!
Women Empowering Families Basic Party!
Thank you to all who joined us for the Basic Party, held on April 28th at The Riverwalk Hub. This party directly benefited the many Anawim Housing tenants that come to us with very little- often in need of the very basic essentials. The generous supply of donations we received will help a wide number of new and current tenants. View photos from the night's event on Anawim's Facebook page!
Women Empowering Families ThanksGIVING event 2015!
Thank-you to all who joined us for the annual ThanksGIVING event on Thursday, November 12th at The Des Moines Social Club. The large supply of household donations we received will greatly serve the families of Anawim throughout the upcoming year. View photos from the night's event on Anawim's Facebook page!
Thank you to our 2015 WEF Committee members for helping make this beautiful event possible!
Spring Gathering and Home Tour
Thank you to all of the Women Empowering Family members who joined us on Friday, May 15 for our home tour. Touring Anawim homes is a great way to truly see the impact Anawim Housing has on the community.
For pictures from the Women Empowering Families thanksGIVING 2014 event, check out the album on Anawim Housing's Facebook page!
Thank you to our 2014 WEF Committee members for putting in the time and effort to make the November event possible.
$2500+ Patron
$1000 - $2499 Leader
$500 - $999 Founder
$250 - $499 Advocate
$100 - $249 Nurturer
