Sasha likes to sweep. She wants - needs - to keep the space around her clean and safe. It may seem like a small thing to many, but sweeping up the dirt, rocks and leaves that sully the sidewalk is one small thing she can do to control her environment. While Sasha is safe and well cared...
If you've spent much time in Monroe County, you've probably heard the phrase "from home." This colloquialism is a favorite among those native to the area to trace lineage and make familial connections. HSS Board Member Kathy Asselmeier is "from home". Kathy was born and raised in Waterloo, graduating from Waterloo High School in 1976. She...
Darren was only 5 when he began to show signs of behavioral issues. By the age of 6, he was placed in foster care. While parental rights were removed for both Darren and his sister, they were not placed together. He moved from one family to the next - and looking back, Darren says "some were...
Growing up in the tight-knit community of Forrest, Ill., a town of about 900 people in the central region of the state, Kevin Day knows firsthand how organizations like HSS can make a big impact in a small community. Throughout childhood and adolescence, Kevin lived on the same block as his cousin, Susie. Susie was born...
Like many of us, the pandemic brought big life changes for HSS Board Vice Chair Mallory Rodenberg. A Waterloo native, Mallory spent years commuting across the river to volunteer with and serve on the boards of nonprofits based in the St. Louis communities where she worked. While these opportunities brought much joy to her life, she...
Clients and staff of Human Support Services (HSS) have spent countless summer afternoons fishing, swimming, hiking and picnicking on the grounds of Camp Wartburg, a Lutheran retreat center and summer camp facility outside Waterloo. It was through these activities that Robert "Bob" Polansky, executive director of Camp Wartburg, first came to experience the people and culture...
HSS saw 46% more youth in our mental health counseling program in the first quarter of this fiscal year than ever before. What kind of mental health concerns are the children of our community facing? We see youth who are dealing with a variety of concerns, from depression and anxiety related to school and family issues, to...
Thank you. I use those two words often, but they never quite seem to be enough. As I think back on last week’s Shine Your Light Gala, I am filled with so much gratitude that it’s hard to properly express it in words. It’s been five years since we first held our Gala, and yet I am...
One worker spends his nights caring for adults with intellectual disabilities, and his days working a job part-time to make ends meet. Two others left their caregiver jobs last year to become waitresses, choosing better pay over a fulfilling career they loved. Many more here at Human Support Services (HSS) are logging 60-plus hour work weeks...
Looking at Karah today, you wouldn’t realize she’s had to fight so hard for what she has. With two amazing kids, a full-time job and stable housing, she is in a good place. And thus, so is her family. But it wasn’t always this way. Karah, 43, has spent years battling a mighty foe — her addiction, and...
