Where children achieve. Families thrive. Prosperity is created.
Oakridge Neighborhood is committed to breaking the cycle of poverty by creating pathways to prosperity for Iowa families. We provide stable, affordable housing coupled with impactful family-centered social services, helping individuals attain personal and economic independence. Since our establishment in 1969, we’ve been instrumental in fostering opportunities for thousands of families to achieve stability, economic independence, and long-term success.
Oakridge Neighborhood. Where children achieve, families thrive, and prosperity is created.
2024 Highlights
HOUSING
Oakridge Neighborhood is Iowa’s largest affordable housing complex, unique for its onsite human services provided to residents and community members.
- 300 townhomes, 39 senior living apartments
- On 17 acres in heart of downtown Des Moines
- 49% of residents are children under the age of 18
- The average household income of residents is $21,261
- 78% of units list female head of household; 22% list male head of household
- 13% of residents are disabled
- 13% of residents are age 62 or older
FAMILY & WORKFORCE
We provide innovative programs and critical resources to help a diverse client base from throughout Central Iowa address challenges and obstacles and ultimately prosper with sustained self-sufficiency and long-term stability.
- Key services: Workforce Readiness & Job Placement | Financial Education & Pathway to Homeownership | Case Management & Family Success Programs | English Language Learning & Adult Literacy | Technology Access & Digital Literacy | Citizenship Assistance | Health & Legal Referral Services | Transportation Solutions — Driver’s Education, Job Rides & Wheels of HOPE
- Clients from 18 countries, representing 14 spoken languages; 73% refugees or immigrants
- 39% served are Oakridge Neighborhood residents; 61% from 17+ other zip codes and 9+ Central Iowa cities
- $20,492 average household income for those entering the program
- 52 students completed Adult Literacy and English Language Learner classes
- 338 people participated in financial education training
- 23 people participated in pathways to homeownership training; 7 families purchased homes!
- 1,092 families accessed Oakridge Neighborhood’s food pantry
- Prepared to Care program provided training to 15 in-home childcare providers serving 26 children
- Services delivered in 15 languages
YOUTH EDUCATION & ENGAGEMENT
We are a designated 21st Century Learning Center, providing much needed support through robust afterschool and out-of-school programming focused on academic growth and enrichment.
- Programming 15+ hours/week during academic year; 10 hours daily for 8 weeks in summer
- 100% of students from households with income defined as “very low”
- Majority of students are minorities; 28.5% have English as second language
- Of students whose academics needed improvement, 87% successfully developed math skills and 75% successfully improved reading skills after participating in youth programming
- Students in grades 4-8 who regularly participated in programming demonstrated greater levels of growth in reading, language arts and math than those who didn’t participate consistently
- 100% attendance at parent-teacher conferences for participants attending Edmunds Elementary; Callanan Middle School and Roosevelt High School conferences conveniently held on Oakridge campus; translators provided
- 57 community partnership collaborations enhanced programming, providing academic and enrichment in-kind services valued at $647,095
Oak Studio at Mainframe, Iowa’s first and only Best Buy Teen Tech Center, served an additional 192 youth from throughout metro:
- Access to the latest tools in digital media, robotics, 3D printing, virtual reality and music production
- 6 youth selected for competitive Career Pathways Program internships and workshops
OAK ACADEMY EARLY LEARNING & PRESCHOOL
This top-rated education center provides comprehensive early childhood education for infants and young children ages six weeks to Pre-K.
- State-certified, fully credentialed and degreed teaching staff each received 30+ hours of continuing education
- 100% of students received annual vision, dental, hearing and developmental screenings; additional services provided onsite if needed
- 97.5% demonstrated age appropriate skills, a testament to Oak Academy’s curriculum
- 80% of children from single-parent households, with average income of $20,431
- 64% are children of refugees or immigrants
- 28% are Oakridge residents.; 72% come from broader community
- Open 11 hours every weekday, serving 2 meals and 2 snacks
Board of Directors
- President: Skylar Mayberry-Mayes, PhD, The Jacobson Institute at Grand View University
- Vice President: Emily LeMay, Global Atlantic Financial Group
- Secretary: Jamie Buelt, enQStrategies
- Treasurer: Diana Dubuisson, Dotdash Meredith
- Immediate Past-President: Dr. Andrea McGuire, Dr. Andy McGuire & Associates
- Marcy Baker, Sammons Financial Group Companies
- Carol Bodensteiner, Writer/Editor
- Albert Farr, DMACC Urban Campus
- Jessica Feeney, Atlantic Bottling Company
- Sharon Gaddy-Hanna, Bankers Trust (retired)
- Tim Haight, Deere & Company/John Deere Financial (retired)
- Sherri Hart, Casey’s General Stores
- Mary Johnson, Assured Partners
- Nalo Johnson, PhD, Mid-Iowa Health Foundation
- Kent Kramer, The Foster Group
- Erin Kuhl, Community Volunteer
- Joyce McDanel, UnityPoint Health Des Moines
- Kuuku Saah, Ntontan RE
- Matthea Little Smith, Resident Representative
- Deidre Williams, Community Volunteer
- Mark Wiltse, F&G
- Jessica Zaugg, Nationwide
2024 FINANCIALS
Revenue
Operating Expense
Credits:
Oakridge Neighborhood