Blog

Mental health and self-care are critical to our staff at Waypoint, and a key component in how we empower more than 20,000 people each year. This month, I asked, and am honored to share, the self-care work that some of our staff members use to take care of their mental health:

The holiday season is a time for joy, reflection, and connection. As we gather with loved ones, we’re often reminded of the blessings in our lives. But for many, the holidays can be a reminder of hardships, loneliness, or a lack of resources. This season, let’s come together to make a difference.

July marks the halfway point of the calendar year, but for Waypoint, it marks the beginning of fiscal year 2025 (FY25). For a lot of our staff, this beginning point is a mix of reflecting on our achievements from last fiscal year, while also planning for the new year. In this time of excitement and planning, I thought it would best to share some updates and quotes from our staff.

What does it take to continually meet the needs of the community? That’s a question most nonprofits ask themselves regularly as they continue to grow and adapt their services. Recently, we asked ourselves this question regarding our Housing Serivces, which has seen significant growth over the last five years.

Belief is the strength from which we build our hopes and dreams into something tangible. Something real. Visible. Actions come from belief, and so does hope. Any mission is going to have a belief behind it. I know for a fact that Waypoint has...

130 years ago, Waypoint started as Cedar Rapids’ chapter of the Young Women Christian’s Association (YWCA). In going over our history, it feels like we’ve been on the same journey of inspiring people to move forward in times of change since our inception. That has always been our central purpose, the foundation that has been our true north as we grew to become the Waypoint we are today...

With the holiday season wrapped up and a new year underway, let’s get some updates from our fabulous CEO, Jaye Kennedy.

My time at Waypoint allowed me to learn and grow both personally and professionally. I was given so many opportunities that fostered my exploration, education, and experiences.

Traveling in a holiday-themed truck, the company delivered $5,000 in gifts to Waypoint kids ages 0-12 before the Winter Wonderland event. These gifts include dolls and accessories, food and kitchen play, craft kits, action figures, board games, puzzles, blocks, Legos, cars and trucks, as well as educational and riding toys.

Waypoint gave me the experience in understanding how the nonprofit world works. Now I will be able to apply this knowledge in any future jobs I will have. I would not have been able to grow as a person without Waypoint and their staff helping me learn.