The meeting was called to order by President Don Flannery. Jessica Worley offered the inspirational invocation and then led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance and the 4-Way Test. Lance Noe introduced guests and visiting Rotarians.
President Don introduced three of our newer club members who completed their new member orientation today: Ashley Hemphill, KV Venkatraman, and Matt Unger.
Today’s speaker, Tray Wade, was introduced by Marissa Conrad. Tray is the President and CEO of EveryStep, a local charitable organization with a relatively new name, but with a very long history. Visiting Nurse Services (VNS) of Iowa was founded in 1908. HCI Care Services (Hospice of Central Iowa) was established in 1978. Amanda The Panda grief and loss support and counseling started over 30 years ago. These are probably the three best known of the more than 30 programs operating under the EveryStep umbrella. The merger of HCI and VNS took place in 2012. The new name for the combined organization, EveryStep, was established just a year ago. The most significant reason for the merger, and the subsequent addition of other programs and services, is to reduce administrative costs such as payroll and benefits, insurance, fund raising, etc., so that more of the funds raised can be used for direct services to clients.
The list of programs and services currently being provided by EveryStep is impressive. A partial list includes:
- Hospice care for patients at the end of their life, both in-home and at Kavanagh House when in-patient care is needed - HCI
- In home nursing care including physical, occupational, and speech therapy - VNS
- Support for patients suffering grief from the loss of a loved one – Amanda The Panda
- Dental care of kids up to age 6 – I-Smile
- Assistance and counseling for young mothers and their babies up to age 6 – Healthy Start
- Interpretation services in 27 languages and dialects – often related to other services provided by EveryStep.
- Community Health – services including flu shots, blood pressure, foot care, etc. often for the elderly in senior centers.
- Free nurse consultation to commercial and private in-home day care centers – to help assure quality and safety of care.
EveryStep operates 32 programs in 47 counties in the Southern half of Iowa. Their 400+ employees and 900+ volunteers serve about 65,000 clients each year. They do charge a fee for many of their services, and will bill Medicare and other insurance plans. But, they take pride in the fact that no one will be turned down for needed services because of their inability to pay. The organization receives over $2 million in support each year, about half of which comes from United Way of Central Iowa.
We should all be proud of EveryStep and the other charities that provide a substantial safety net in the greater Des Moines area for those who need help. Thanks to Tray Wade for the informative presentation.