Resources for those in need

A variety of resources are available in Washington for those in need of housing, food, payment, and other assistance.

GENERAL ASSISTANCE

319-652-7768

Washington County provides general assistance on a temporary basis for a limited period of time. It can be used to pay for basic needs that include rent/lot rent; gas, electric and water utilities; burial; and food vouchers. General Assistance cannot be used on Subsidized Housing.

SHELTER

The Lighthouse Center 604 South Iowa Avenue,

319-653-5871

Emergency shelter, food, furniture, clothing assistance, counseling services and other miscellaneous needs in the community.

Washington County HACAP local transitional housing

319-653-7275 or 319-653-7276

Temporary apartment housing with income-based rent is available for homeless, low-income families. HACAP’s goal is to move families into other housing within two years, but they do have the opportunity to stay longer if needed.

FOOD

Washington Schools Food Pantry

319-653-5414 or 319-653-2143

Located at the middle school and high school. The pantry is available to students and community members. Every week, HACAP provides food to restock the supply and the community helps with donations. Contact to arrange pick up time.

Mobile Food Pantry

209 East Main Street, first Thursday of every month, 1 to 2 p.m.

Hawkeye Area Community Action Program (HACAP)

319-653-7275

As a Feeding America member food bank, HACAP Food Reservoir leads the fight against hunger in east-central Iowa by providing food access, advocacy, education, and disaster response.

The food reservoir distributed 216,730 lbs. of food — with an estimated value of $387,947 — through its partners in Washington County in fiscal year 2022, with over 9.5 million pounds distributed across its entire seven-county area for 2022. The agency buys in bulk, giving it around seven times the buying power of shopper in a grocery store.

The Food Reservoir programs include the BackPack Program, Mobile Food Pantry, Diversity Food Program, and a long list of local partners in schools, churches and organizations.

BILLS

HACAP Energy Assistance

319-653-7275

Designed to help low-income families meet the cost of home heating. It is not intended to pay your household’s total energy costs, but to pay a portion of residential heating costs for eligible households. In most cases, benefits will be in the form of a credit applied to your utility company heating bill.

HACAP Water Assistance

319-653-7275

HACAP’s water assistance program can help residents below certain income thresholds cover reconnections and avoid disconnection of their water services through the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program. LIHWHAP can’t, however, pay utility deposits, diversion fees, repair costs or expenses on indivdiually-owned water systems like wells.

Child care

Head Start Preschool

319-653-7275

2175 Lexington Blvd, Building 1.

HACAP provides free preschool services Monday through Friday for ages 3-5. Parents can get child care on a part-day, (8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.) school day, (8:30-3:30) or full day (7:30-5:30) schedule.

Services for Veterans

Operation Home

319-653-7275

Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) is funded by the department of Veteran Affairs to improve the housing stability of homeless Veterans and their families in Linn, Jones, Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Washington, Dubuque, Black Hawk, Buchanan, and Delaware counties, in a program HACAP has dubbed “Operation Home.”

In addition to stable housing, Veterans who enroll in the Operation Home Program are eligible to receive case management services, connections to Veteran and mainstream benefits, and temporary financial assistance.

Washington County Commission of Veterans Affairs

319-653-7768

The Washington County Commission of Veterans Affairs is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. The office provides assistance to Washington County Veterans and/or eligible family members.

County assistance with the following is available, subject to eligibility guidelines: Rent payments, utilities, food and provisions, transportation, burial assistance, and grave markers.

The Veterans Affairs department also provides assistance to Veterans and/or their family members in applying for federal benefits and other veterans aid, including service connected disability compensation, non-service connected pension, VA Health Care and Iowa Veterans Home applications, and more.