Recipient Spotlight - 2023 Annual Report
Spotlight on Vision to Learn
Project: Helping Students Recover Lost Learning Time through Access to Vision Care in Waterloo
Award: $25,000
Social Determinant of Health: Health & Health Care
Grant Focus Area: Education & Development
Vision to Learn equips school children with vision screenings and eyeglasses to help them succeed in school and in life. Utilizing a mobile clinic staffed with an optometrist and optician, vision services are provided free-of-charge directly to children at school, eliminating the barriers of cost, time and transportation for families. Vision to Learn partners with school nurses to complete a basic vision screening for every student. Those requiring additional screening are identified and a full vision exam is conducted in the Vision to Learn mobile clinic. If glasses are needed, students then pick out the frame of their choice and are provided with two complete pairs of glasses - one pair stays at school and the other pair can go home with the child.
During the 2022-2023 school year, Vision to Learn provided more than 370 Waterloo School District students with eye exams. Of those screened, 334 students received two pairs of eyeglasses through the program. Vision to Learn reports that nationwide, students receiving eyeglasses through their program make academic gains, have improved access to care and report higher self-esteem. Otto Schoitz Foundation funding supports Vision to Learn's efforts to expand access to vision care for Waterloo youth.
Spotlight on City of Waterloo Leisure Services
Project: Transforming Gates and Byrnes Parks
Award: $1,000,000
Social Determinant of Health: Neighborhood & Built Environment
Grant Focus Area: Education & Development
A priority of Otto Schoitz Foundation is to invest in public spaces that add to the vibrancy and vitality of the Cedar Valley. To improve access to recreation, provide inviting public spaces for gathering, and to mitigate aging features in the city’s two flagship parks, the City of Waterloo embarked on a plan to redevelop Gates and Byrnes Parks. Gathering input from the Waterloo community and informed by attractive park features in other regions, the City is making significant investment to transform both of these important Waterloo landmarks. A splash pad, amphitheater and expanded basketball courts are included in the improvements at Gates Park. The pool at Byrnes Park will be updated to fix the aging structure and offer new features such as zero-depth entry and an expanded lane pool.
The total project cost, funded through public and private sources, has grown from an estimated $18 million to $20-25 million dollars. Fundraising continues and community members are invited to donate to support this transformational undertaking. Donations are being accepted here. The redevelopment of the City’s two major parks symbolizes Waterloo pride and will offer beautiful community spaces for generations to come.
Spotlight on 24/7 BLAC
Project: 24/7 BLAC - Skill Up and Project HOME
Award: $100,000
Social Determinant of Health: Economic Stability
Grant Focus Area: Employment & Income
24/7 Black Leadership Advancement Consortium (24/7 BLAC) was formed to address the economic disparities that exist between Black and white members of the Cedar Valley community. To address the gaps in median household income, homeownership and poverty, 24/7 BLAC promotes financial empowerment, provides access to professional careers or entrepreneurial support, and creates pathways to home ownership for the African-American Community. Otto Schoitz Foundation funding supports two of the organization’s four key programs, Skill Up and Project HOME, both concentrated on improving the economic stability and security for Black residents.
Skill Up participants, working within a collaboration between the individual, a mentor and the local business community, are individually supported in their efforts to secure employment or advance in their career. As homeownership is a significant factor in increasing personal wealth, Project HOME equips potential homeowners with the tools needed to understand the home buying process, explore financing options, prepare for loan approval, and plan for ongoing expenses associated with owning a home. In partnership with local lenders, financial counseling is offered to increase the potential of loan qualification. Down payment stipends are provided upon completion of the program; the stipends can be stacked with other financial support offered by community partners.
Spotlight on Northeast Iowa Food Bank
Project: Northeast Iowa Food Bank Operating Support
Award: $50,000
Social Determinant of Health: Economic Stability
Grant Focus Area: Human Services
Supporting a sixteen-county area in Northeast Iowa, the Northeast Iowa Food Bank serves food insecure people in our community. The food bank provided access to food and grocery products to over 17,000 individuals in Black Hawk County last year. As a recognized community leader in advocacy and driver of human service provider collaboration, Otto Schoitz Foundation has granted the Northeast Iowa Food Bank renewable operating support to fuel the mission of this critical agency. The Northeast Iowa Food Bank works under the following objectives: Lead, Feed and Strengthen.
Increasing awareness through advocacy and relationships, Northeast Iowa Food Bank serves as a hub for many social services in the region. Partnering with nonprofits and satellite locations throughout the region, the food bank increases access to food, meals and grocery products for many - truly feeding our neighbors in need. Further, the food bank strengthens the capacity of staff, volunteers, and partner agencies by bringing best practices to the region.
Spotlight on Empowering Men
Project: The Empowering Men Project
Award: $45,000
Social Determinant of Health: Social & Community Context
Grant Focus Area: Education & Development
The Empowering Men program is an adult basketball league that promotes social connectedness and education specifically for Black men between the ages of 18 and 35. The program reaches a critical demographic in the community. Basketball is the hook that brings men into the program – engaging in educational sessions is the ticket to play in the league. Empowering Men provides community learning sessions on employment, secondary education opportunities, healthy relationships, domestic violence, conflict resolution and financial literacy. Community bridges are built through the basketball games as off-duty police officers coach teams and neighbors from different ethnic groups have recently joined the program.
The leaders of the organization serve as mentors to the participants. Men in the program are encouraged to pour back into the community by serving as mentors to youth, creating ripples of support in the Black community. Through partnering with many community agencies, participants are plugged into community resources available to help secure employment, further education and understand legal rights among others.
Hawkeye Automation and Robotics Center
Project: Automation Rototics Center (Smart Automation Training Center)
Award: $75,000
Social Determinant of Health: Education
Grant Focus Area: Education & Development
The Hawkeye Community College Automation and Robotics Center supports the Cedar Valley’s manufacturing needs and provides students an educational pathway to enter advanced manufacturing careers. Connecting businesses and individuals to the latest manufacturing & automation technologies and industry-recognized training, the Center serves as a critical hub for advancing the region’s industrial sector. The Automation and Robotics Center utilizes an open lab concept and is located proximate to local manufacturers.
The student curriculum is module-based and can be stacked for the attainment of industry-recognized certifications or applied toward degree programs. Students work through modules at their own pace and demonstrate competency before moving on to the next skill. Businesses can also utilize the Center to upskill workers or learn about emerging technologies and equipment. As manufacturing is critical to the region and the largest industry by employment, the Hawkeye Automation and Robotics Center is developing a skilled workforce trained to enter in-demand jobs. Otto Schoitz Foundation funding supported building of the Center.
