Rural Education and Community Help

The mission of REACH is to provide assistance to battered women and children in rural Iowa and in minority or underserved communities where services for victims of domestic violence are minimal or non-existent. The REACH Project has helped expand and enhance victim services and prevention efforts across the state. REACH Members make over 5,000 victim contacts a year and complete over 18,000 hours of volunteer service.

AmeriCorps members provide support and services to rural and underserved communities throughout the State of Iowa. They provide transportation for women who wish to go to shelter, but more importantly, they work to provide a community coordinated response to domestic violence that will help women and children stay safe in their homes. Through outreach and education, REACH members work to educate immigrant women about their legal rights, allowing them to leave a violent home.

The Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence has been an active partner with the Corporation for National and Community Service since its inception over 11 years ago.

They provide support to victims of domestic violence by:

• Providing direct services such as counseling, support groups, crisis line work and assistance to battered women seeking pro se restraining orders.

• Providing assistance to immigrant battered women seeking services under the Federal Violence Against Women Act.

• Acting as project liaisons with local prosecutors and other law enforcement officers.

• Expanding services in rural and underserved communities by opening outreach offices in smaller communities.

• Recruiting and training volunteers to ensure program sustainability.

• Providing community education to increase awareness of domestic violence.

• Enhancing conflict resolution skills of children by giving programs for schools and youth organizations.

• Providing teen dating violence education for schools or youth groups.

AmeriCorps Benefits

Your benefits as an AmeriCorps Member may vary depending on several factors; this is a short guide to the Member benefits. This list is in no way inclusive of all the variables that might affect your eligibility status.

Education Benefit

The Education Benefit is standard for members of the REACH program. Full time members who complete 1700 hours receive an education award of $4725.00. Part time members who complete 900 hours receive an education award of $2362.50.

Education awards may be used in the following ways:

• To repay qualified existing loans;

• To pay all or part of attending a qualified institution of higher education (including certain vocational programs);

• To pay expenses incurred while participating in an approved school-to-work program.

• The education award must be used within seven years of completion of service.

Health Insurance

All full-time members are eligible for coverage under the health care plan. Participants are not eligible for the plan if they are covered by any other health care policy. Dependents cannot be covered under this plan.

Each policy year, the plan pays 80% until the participant has paid $1000 in out-of-pocket expenses (including the deductible). After the $1000 in out-of-pocket expenses has been paid, the plan pays 100% for the rest of the policy year up to the lifetime maximum of $50,000 for each cause.

Child Care Benefits

During their time with AmeriCorps, full-time members, with a need, have available to them a child care subsidy. In order to receive the subsidy, the member's family must be income-eligible and the child's caregiver must be considered a legal caregiver in the state.