Our Stories
Our story is best told through the voices of our residents, supporters and staff
The Monarch Apartments & Permanent Supportive Housing
The Monarch Apartments is Anawim Housing's conversion of a previous Days Inn hotel on Merle Hay Road in Des Moines into 40 units of Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) for those currently experiencing homelessness. The project will include 24-hour onsite supportive services and staff. Anawim is developing the Monarch, which will be the first hotel conversion into PSH project in the state.
In this video, Director of Programs and Services - Jeremy Orcutt - shares about Permanent Supportive Housing and who will be served at the Monarch. Video includes footage from our Groundbreaking Ceremony held on September 19th, 2023. The Monarch is designed to serve those experiencing long-term homelessness and will pair permanent housing with supportive services to ensure people remain housed. Most of the individuals served will have a qualifying disability. Staff will provide evidence based services including trauma informed care, motivational interviewing and client-centered case management.
Project Des Moines
Project Des Moines is the result of a partnership with Anawim Housing and photographer Joe Crimmings to help tell the story of our community. Crimmings was inspired by Anawim's mission to end homelessness and ensure the most vulnerable have a safe place to call home. As a result, he created images around the idea of what homelessness looks like in Des Moines, and through those images, we sought to end stigmas associated with it.
To paint everyone in the same light, each person was photographed in black and white, and in a similar fashion: both those who have faced homelessness and those fortunate to have not. The images create the opportunity for you to explore your own biases and rethink how we look at our fellow neighbors.
Wanda - Coming Full Circle to Anawim Housing
Wanda joined Anawim Housing as our YHOP Program Manager in February of 2021. But this is more than just a job for Wanda - it's her passion - one that connected her to Anawim Housing for a second time in life. Wanda experienced homelessness at a young age and it was Anawim Housing that gave her a step up.
Tracy’s Story
Each person's journey is unique. The journey isn't just the road from homelessness to housing. It's the road that comes after. There's so much potential for personal growth, healing and discovery that can only come when someone is stably housed and supported. These are the stories that empower our tenants and inspire others. Tracy shares his unique and inspiring story of coming to Anawim Housing after spending 13 years of his life homeless. Having a safe place to call home was only the beginning for Tracy, but it was foundational before next steps could be taken. Today Tracy has stable housing, a peer group of friends and enjoys the income and personal satisfaction of employment.
Anawim Housing Programs
Hear two uniquely different and inspiring stories from Anawim Housing program tenants. You'll meet Mona, as she shares of her journey to Anawim Housing with her six children, and the impact having stable housing and the help of her program worker have made in their lives. Randy shares of his story from homelessness to housing and the dramatic impact having a door to an apartment all his own has made in his life. Anawim Program Manager, Hannah, describes the process of admittance into an Anwim Housing Program, as well as the importance of housing first and the access to resources that are provided once an individual is housed. Our motto here at Anawim is simple.. Home is Everything.
Anawim Housing 30th Anniversary
Anawim Housing is celebrating it's 30th Anniversary year ! In this commemorative video we bring together voices from the past and present to share memories of how Anawim began to where Anawim is now and what the next 30 years will bring. Thank you to the following for sharing their stories: Fred Van Liew, Loree Miles, Mary Nelson, Bill Lillis, Dotty Thurston, Cecelia Kent, Francisca Tejada, Alicia Green, and Russ Frazier.
Home is Everything
Developing single-family homes, apartments and townhomes – Anawim Housing has been a solutions driven organization that has served the needs of families and individuals for many years. Hear from Anawim staff, board members and tenants as we share what makes Anawim unique and what we value most – our tenants, and helping ensure their lives are made better through having a home. More individuals every day seek out Anawim Housing as a housing solution. For them, and for all of us, home is everything.