Xavier Catholic Schools highlight enrollment gains from ESAs
Guest column by Chris McCanville notes Iowa Catholic school enrollment rises in Xavier Catholic Schools during 2024 2025, driven by Education Savings Accounts. Cedar Rapids and Marion show increases in free and reduced lunch students, non white students and English learners, with 100 XCS students on IEPs and 61 percent ESA usage while stressing the schools' mission to form disciples and focus on the whole child. The piece invites families to explore Xavier Catholic Schools, describing affordability and life changing benefits.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Iowa
Cedar Rapids
Marion
Xavier Catholic
Jesus Christ
Community Health Free Clinic in Cedar Rapids Cares for All
Justine Beenken of Waterloo credits the Cedar Rapids clinic with essential medical care during a 2008 layoff and illness. The piece profiles the clinic as a no charge, judgment free facility co founded by Dr William Galbraith and Darlene Schmidt and led by Amy Johnson, noting 2024 metrics such as 2266 new patient visits and 6.9 million dollars in prescription services while highlighting Beenken now employed with insurance and a donor.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Cedar Rapids
Justine Beenken
Waterloo
Community Health Free Clinic
Beenken
Clinic
William Galbraith
Darlene Schmidt
Communityhfc.org
Amy Johnson
Poverty at the pawn shop Crock-Pot meal denounces urban inequality
Guest column by Tim Trenkle reflects on hunger and dignity at a Dubuque pawn shop. A Crock-Pot meal draws a skeletal young man, regulars, and the aid-seeking poor, while conversations reveal despair, blame, and faith. The piece ends with Trenkle noting his Iowa teaching background and residence.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Abe Lincoln
Pawn
United Way Leaders Call for Community Wide Action
Kristin Roberts of United Way of East Central Iowa outlines a collaborative approach to solving housing and other top community challenges. She emphasizes the backbone role of UWECI in coordinating partners across sectors to implement scalable solutions like the Landlord Tenants Success Initiative and affordable housing improvements in Linn County.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
United Way of East Central
Uweci
Uwecti
Alliance For Equitable Housing
Linn County
Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust
United Way
United Ways
Iowa
UWECT
Also Mentioned on This Page
Chris McCarville
Esas
Xavier Catholic School
Chris McCanville
Xavier Catholic Schools
Tim Trenkle
Phyllis
Jesus
Upper Iowa University
Dubuque
Kristin Roberts
East Central
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