Everybody Wins! Iowa Welcomes Amanda Fletcher!

Please welcome Amanda Fletcher as the new Executive Director of Everybody Wins! Iowa!

Amanda comes to Everybody Wins! Iowa with more than 11 years of leadership and fundraising expertise; during that time she has been a leader, delegator, communicator, planner, organizer, and problem solver. Amanda most recently served as the Director of Gift Planning at Hope Ministries, but has also had roles in fundraising and program management at Mercy Foundation and Wesley Retirement Services (WesleyLife).

"I am thrilled to serve as the new Executive Director of Everybody Wins! Iowa. I look forward to working alongside a dedicated board of directors and many devoted volunteers who have a mission to 'increase children's success in school through reading and mentoring experiences'. I have spent my working (and volunteer) life finding ways to raise funds and engage volunteers to make a difference in the lives of others. I am excited to put this knowledge to use in order to expand the Everybody Wins! program to reach even more students."

Amanda will be at Everybody Wins! Iowa on Friday, June 24th. She will work with current Executive Director Tyler Weig to ensure a smooth transition of responsibilities. Tyler's last day is Thursday, June 30th.

Amanda lives in Norwalk with her husband and three children and enjoys scrap booking, reading, exercising, and cooking.

Welcome, Amanda!

Thanks for the Feedback!

Everybody Wins! Iowa asks its volunteers to complete a brief confidental survey at the end of each school year.  

 

These survey results are used to improve our program and to ensure that our volunteers, schools, and students are having a high quality experience that is effective, safe, and fun.

 

After reviewing the volunteer survey results, volunteers cited the biggest room for improvement is the need for additional physical space.  "The area I read in is not too crowded or loud" received low marks.  We have worked with our schools over the past year to address this worthy concern and we see our work is not done!  We have been able to secure larger (and quieter) rooms within some schools, and we will continue to work on this issue. 

 

One area in which volunteers gave high marks is to the question "I enjoy my Everybody Wins! Iowa Power Lunch experience".  We work hard to help our volunteers, students, and schools enjoy this experience and we're pleased that folks "highly agree".

 

Most importantly, what do the children think?  The photo below says it all! 

 

Thank you for taking the time to help us improve our program!

Everybody Wins! Iowa Partners with Des Moines Community Playhouse

Everybody Wins! Iowa and the Des Moines Community Playhouse partnered for a joint literacy enrichment project at Capitol View Elementary. 


The primary goal of the project was to provide a personalized, interactive reading experience that made use of both reading aloud and performance to reinforce basic language arts skills.

The volunteers in Everybody Wins! Iowa read the book "The Red Balloon" over a period of 2-3 weeks, asked students thought-provoking questions related to the book, and helped the students visualize the storyline by drawing illustrations in the child's book.  When the book was completed,  volunteers from The Des Moines Community Playhouse came to Capitol View Elementary to perform a radio script based on the story.  The students and volunteers had a great time bringing the story to life.  Oh, and the students got to keep their personally illustrated book!

Everybody Wins! Iowa News

Hello Supporters,

I'm writing to announce my resignation as Executive Director of Everybody Wins! Iowa effective June 30th.

The Board of Directors has started the search for the next Executive Director.  I'll be working with the Board of Directors, as well as my successor, to ensure a smooth transition of responsibilities.  If you would like more information about the position and the application process, please email statedirector@everybodywinsiowa.org.  Applications are due May 4th.

Thank you for working hard for Everybody Wins! Iowa and those touched by our programs and services.  I look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts over the next couple months, and am excited to work with the Board of Directors to bring aboard someone who will continue Everybody Wins! Iowa's great momentum!
Thank you,

Tyler Weig

January is National Mentoring Month

Happy 2011!

Everybody Wins! Iowa is kicking off 2011 with National Mentoring 

Month, happening throughout January! Our very own power lunch mentor, Kathy Stevens, has been nominated for the 2010 Excellence in Mentoring Award. Kathy has been chosen because of her outstanding mentoring skills, and dedication to the program. Nominated by Berg school coordinator, Mariah Wormley, Kathy has been mentoring for over two years, and showed leadership, innovation, impact, and commitment to the power lunch program. If chosen, she will be one of five who will be honored at 1:30 pm on January 27^th, Annual Mentoring Day.

Throughout the month of January, Everybody Wins! Iowa will be raising awareness about the positive benefits of mentoring a child and will encourage local community members to get involved. National Mentoring Month creates an environment that allows Everybody Wins! Iowa to recruit and recognize mentors while raising awareness about our organization. We will be recognizing our 300+ volunteers who are involved with power lunch, power breakfast, and those who help at volunteer events.

Here are some dates to remember:

January 18-22: Everybody Wins! Iowa volunteers will be holding a book drive to collect books for our 13 Des Moines area schools.  Email jena@everybodywinsiowa.org if you'd like to help!

January 25: The 8^th annual Thank Your Mentor Day.  Don’t forget to thank YOUR mentor!

January 27^th: Annual Mentoring Day on the Hill. Everybody Wins! Iowa will be educating the Iowa Legislature about the positive benefits of mentoring youth.

If you are interested in helping us thank our volunteers, donate some time to volunteering, or become a mentor for our Power Lunch program, feel free to call or email us at (515) 277-7590, or visit everybodywinsiowa.org