The Homeless Nutrition program allows our many volunteers to package and deliver nutritious food to our homeless and newly-housed clients every week.

Winter Survival Heat Program provides safe Buddy Heaters and weekly heat delivery for anyone experiencing homelessness and unable to stay in a shelter, with no immediate options for housing.

Each week, Joppa volunteers visit on average 194 people living under bridges, in tents, vehicles and recently off the streets. Joppa collaborates with other agencies, helps people access resources, and develops unique programs that fill gaps and meet unmet needs in outreach, housing and education.

Joppa Cottage Homes provide permanent housing that’s truly affordable for seniors, veterans, disabled individuals and others living on fixed or part-time incomes including those who were formerly homeless, with rents starting as low as $300 per month.

Our Aftercare Program provides weekly visits, delivering groceries and hygiene items. This is combined with ongoing Client Advocate and Circle-of-Friends mentoring programs, until each client is self-sufficient.

Joppa KIDS is a K–12 program for schools, youth groups and clubs to help future generations learn about homelessness and do something to help local homeless people through volunteer and service-learning projects. We create awareness for issues affecting the local homeless community by working closely with universities, colleges and professional organizations, as well as with corporations and churches to engage a broader audience.

Tiny Home villages are architecturally-designed gated communities that provide safe places for people to go to gain a source of income and overcome any other barriers to housing within 6 – 24 months, before moving on to permanent housing. Amalgamating best practices from successful villages across the country, Joppa Villages will provide immediate housing for homeless people along with job training programs and a supportive community. The first one is designed to provide 50 Tiny Homes, private restroom and shower facilities, a community dining area and a secured entrance. It will ideally be located within a mile of both a bus stop and grocery or convenience store, with potential jobs and other services nearby.

For many of us, winter represents a magical season filled with bountiful blessings and warm hearts. For homeless people living in Polk County, however, winter signifies something entirely different. For this demographic the start of winter symbolizes the beginning of a four to five month struggle for survival each and every day. You can help. You can share your blessings in the form of winter survival by giving temporary shelters, heaters, fuel and winter boots. Your contribution will warm both the bodies and hearts of those trying to survive Iowa’s freezing cold temperatures.

Joppa organizes this event at the state capitol each year on the first day of winter and longest night of the year, to remember those who’ve died homeless, to honor them as fellow human beings, and to help prevent future homeless deaths by expanding awareness and providing opportunities to get involved and help implement solutions to homelessness.

A special, by-invitation-only event at a private location for homeless individuals and those who serve them. They receive a hot plated dinner and dessert table with coffee bar, free shopping through The Free Store, haircuts, massages, entertainment, gifts, a visit from Santa and more. Transportation to and from the event is provided.

Project PJ is an homelessness awareness campaign for schools, businesses and organizations to wear their pj’s and slippers to work and serves as a visible reminder that everyone needs a warm, safe place to sleep. For most people, putting on pajamas before heading to bed is part of their daily routine. For hundreds of men, women and children who are homeless in Iowa, getting comfortable before bedtime, let alone finding a warm place to sleep at night, is not an option.

Each year Joppa works with the local homeless community to clean up existing and vacated camps, as well as remote public dumpsites in and around Des Moines. The Joppa Community Cleanups are a huge undertaking, but the results leave volunteers, property owners, city leaders, citizens and the homeless people we serve smiling.