NMI Spotlight: Families Forward

by Catey Miller

On a Path to Self-Sufficiency

Families Forward was formed in 2023 when two existing organizations in Des Moines, Iowa, merged to strengthen their mission to “provide compassionate, life-changing assistance to families and their path to self-sufficiency.” Funding from United Women in Faith for this National Mission Institution supports three of its four core programs: a child development center, a food pantry that serves up to 150 families each day, and a shelter for families experiencing housing insecurity.

As the cost of living in Iowa and elsewhere continues to rise, more and more families are in need of the services Families Forward provides. Thanks in part to support from United Women in Faith, Families Forward remains a steady source of assistance for those in need. To name just a few examples, in 2024 the Bidwell Food Pantry served more than 21,000 visitors, setting a record high for the fifth year in a row. The Child Development Center began construction on an infant room to expand its offerings and increase its enrollment capacity to more than 50 children. Across all programs, Families Forward saw almost 28,000 volunteer hours logged in 2024.

Always More to Do

Families Forward knows there is always more to do. For example, alongside the reality of serving so many families through the New Directions Shelter — and of seeing most of those served secure both employment and permanent housing — there remains a waitlist for the Shelter of more than 150 families at any given time. Additionally, largely because of a recent USDA cut of $1 billion in local food purchasing, the food pantry can afford less food at a time when affordable and accessible food is more needed than ever. For those wanting to help, Executive Director Suzanne Zutter encourages contacting your local childcare centers and food/clothing pantries to ask what they need most, citing volunteer hours and donations of essentials (e.g., socks, underwear, toilet paper) as Families Forward’s most significant needs.

Families Forward says that United Women in Faith is “at the heart of Families Forward’s success. … Members regularly volunteer at Bidwell Pantry, provide essential resources to New Directions Shelter, and step in whenever there is a need. We are deeply grateful for the generosity, dedication, and compassion of United Women in Faith. Their commitment allows us to stay community-focused and ensures families in need know they are never alone.”

We invite UWFaith members to support the work of our National Mission Institutions by giving online here or by writing a check to your local treasurer with memo “National Missions #3001152.” To hear more from Suzanne Zutter, watch our recent Voices From the Field webinar, “Turning Uncertainty into Hope: How National Mission Institutions Rise to Meet Federal Policy Impacts.” To learn more about National Mission Institutions, contact NMI@uwfaith.org.

Catey Miller is a communications consultant with National Mission Institutions at United Women in Faith.