April 10, 2025 • 17 mins
Alison Hoeman is the founder and Executive Director of Des Moines Refugee Support. She is a finalist for the Character Award.
Des Moines Refugee Support Website: https://dsmrefugees.org/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DSMRefugeeSupport
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:05):
Welcome to the Inspiring Women of Iowa podcast,
a special series
amplifying the stories of the Inspiring Women of Iowa Finalists.
Inspiring Women of Iowa is an annual event hosted by Girl
Scouts of Greater
Iowa with the goal of celebrating women of courage,
confidence and character who are making the world
(00:27):
a better place.
Why does that sound familiar?
Well, because it also happens
to be the mission of the Girl Scouts,
where they believe society is better because strong
women show girls that anything is possible.
This event was created by Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa in 2017
to celebrate women in our community
(00:48):
and share their stories, while raising support
for the Girl Scout programs
that build the next generation of inspiring women.
16 individuals are celebrated annually with the Courage,
Confidence, Character and Inspiring Advocate for Women Awards.
I'm your host, Sarah Noll Wilson.
I am a business owner, a champion of women, and I'm
(01:10):
also a proud Girl Scout alum.
So massive love to troop 238.
And I am honored to have the chance to speak with these amazing,
inspiring women and to share their stories with you.
Joining me today is Alison Hoeman,
who is the founder
(01:31):
and executive director of the Des Moines Refugee Support.
And she is being nominated
as a finalist for the Character Award.
Alison, thanks for talking with me.
Thank you so much for having me.
Before we hop into the work that you do, what
what do you want us to know about you as a person?
Well, I, I am a mom.
(01:53):
I'm a teacher.
I'm not a teacher anymore.
But I will always be a teacher.
Much to the chagrin of some of my soccer players
who know that school is first and soccer is second.
Yeah, I just I have always been interested in helping.
I guess that has been kind of a theme
(02:16):
throughout, and I, I think I owe a lot of that to my mom.
She, always gave us lots of examples of ways to help.
And, so. Yeah.
And then of course, teaching is,
you know, the ultimate helping profession.
And so that was a that was a kind of a no brainer.
My mom was a teacher as well.
And then, yeah,
(02:37):
it just kind of turned into other ways to help, I guess.
How long were you a teacher for?
22 years.
Wow.
And I actually spent ten of those years abroad.
So I've lived in
I've lived
in, four foreign countries
and then, three different states as well.
So I've kind of jumped all over.
(02:58):
But I spent my last seven years in Des Moines public schools.
Got it. Got it.
So talk to us about the work that you do and what drives that
for you.
So, how everything really started was as a teacher.
I was the ELL teacher.
Of course, all the kids
who don't speak English
as their first language and, I had one family in particular,
(03:20):
but then also just talking to my other ELL teachers, we,
you know, kept seeing just, wow, there seem to be lots of
just really basic needs that aren't being met.
And we've got kids
coming to school who, you know, are obviously only
eating at school or,
you know, wearing the same clothes all the time or whatever
(03:41):
it is.
And, we kind of started with a bunch of families that we saw.
Okay. Yeah, they definitely need some help.
And then it
everything has been extremely organic, how it has grown.
Just because it's
always been about what the next need is.
Yeah.
So, for example, when schools shut down for the pandemic,
(04:04):
we just pivoted really quickly to,
okay, you know, if kids aren't going to school,
they aren't eating.
And so we did three food pop ups a week,
and we did
went all to different locations,
and we had different ways of getting food.
And we were doing deliveries.
And we were,
you know, setting up little food
stands for anybody could come by and grab what they needed.
(04:24):
And, we did that for close to a year.
And then, you know, we pivoted again
when a thousand Afghans showed up in Des Moines very suddenly
without, you know, a lot of the pre
stuff that usually happens before, you know, a refugee arrives.
There's, you know, usually
(04:44):
their housing is ready and all of these things.
And so we were able to do a kind of a quick pivot to, okay,
what can we do to support this group now.
And so yeah, it's always kind of been about
just like looking to see where the need is and then seeing
what we can do to jump in and help.
(05:05):
Yeah. What? Like what?
I mean, I, I, I can pick up on your deep
care of humans and also your empathy.
And I'm really struck by.
You have this incredibly strong desire
to want to help and support, but you're so very much
(05:28):
listening to the community you serve, right?
Like, here's the need.
Here's what, remind me, when did you start the organization?
How long has it been going?
So at the very end of 2016 was when there was, family
that was supposed to come to my school,
and they needed lots of things.
And so, I asked for donations, and I got so many donations
(05:50):
that we filled up three SUVs,
and I got some other addresses of families
that probably needed things as well.
And, my husband and I and a friend drove around,
the day after Christmas
and literally to ten different houses and just like,
all right, everybody come, pick out some clothes
and find some shoes that fit you.
And here's a toy and here's a book, and.
(06:12):
Yeah.
So, that was kind of the the
the very beginning, and it's incredible.
We still do some of that, but it's incredible.
All of the different ways
that we've changed and shifted and pivoted to other needs.
Yeah. But I mean, that's incredible.
I know that in following your organization
and there are times when it's like
(06:33):
we literally just need underwear and socks or we need school
supplies or,
you know, again, like you said, just things that can be so easy
for the rest of us to take for granted of clean socks
during the winter, to be able to, like That is a really, yeah,
that's a really big thing, especially when people come
(06:53):
and volunteer at, like our big events
where we're handing out
socks and underwear and,
you know, they'll bring their middle school or high school
aged kids and I get lots of,
emails or text messages afterwards that just, you know, wow,
my kid was really struck at like, wow,
that kid was, like, excited about new underwear.
Like, really? Yeah.
(07:14):
Yeah.
Like, that's weird to be excited about new underwear, but yeah.
Like.
And so it was a, it's been, it's been a really like,
kind of humbling moment for kids who just
they don't think about having to go out and get new underwear.
It's just something that is always in their drawer.
Yeah, yeah. No doubt.
You are being honored for the character award.
(07:36):
And as we're hearing about your organization, people can assume
why you're being, you know, honored for that.
And, and being a woman who has been,
inspiring our community for so many years,
who is somebody who inspires you?
I think I have to go back to my mom.
(07:56):
Like, mom is the one who.
She was a teacher for her whole career, and she's the one who
just really always showed us lots of different ways to help.
Her current project that she's actually been doing for 20 years
is that she has a garden out at her church that is enormous.
And, she has all these people come and help,
(08:17):
and then she takes fresh fruit, and or not fresh fruit,
fresh vegetables.
To the food pantries, to various other organizations.
She delivered directly to some of my refugee families.
You know, all all, summer and fall and.
Yeah, just she's been, she's been an awesome example of just,
(08:39):
you know, you don't have to be
rich.
You don't have to be, like, have some important position.
You don't.
There's all kinds of ways to help.
And yeah, that she's always been an example of that.
I love that. Can, I always like to know people's names.
What's her name?
Yeah, I know she's mom to you.
What is it? Jan Hoeman. Jan Hoeman. Okay.
Yeah, yeah,
(09:00):
I just always I like to give it a name to the story as well.
And lots of people know Jan
because she also ran a preschool in Urbandale for lots of years.
Oh, yeah.
I there, I really can't go anywhere with somebody
and being like, you know, are you Jan Hoeman’s daughter?
I sure am.
So that's fun.
(09:21):
I understand that experience intimately, like you're a Noll.
And I was like, yeah, I'm, I'm Joe Noll’s daughter.
Like he‘s, back
home, he’s really big in the community, so I love that.
So people are going to be exposed to your story, some
who might already be familiar
or some who are, both through the event
that's happening in May,
but also through all the promotions
(09:42):
that the Girl Scouts doing and this show.
What's what's one thing you want people to leave with?
And hearing your message like, what do you want?
What do you want them to leave with?
I mean, I think, I think the thing about Des Moines
Refugee Support that is so different from most other nonprofits
is that I'm the only employee.
(10:04):
Everyone else is a volunteer.
And the volunteers that we have, my goodness.
First of all, it's mostly women.
We, of course,
have a lot a bunch of great guys, but we are majority women.
And just the amount of, just mom energy
that is brought to the things that need to get done.
(10:28):
And I mean, most of the things that we're doing,
that's exactly
what's needed, right, is we just need some good mom energy.
Lots of times we need some teacher energy.
So I love it when my fellow teachers show up at stuff.
But yeah, it's,
this organization is very much like a women rule
the world type of thing, and we are just, like, getting it done.
(10:49):
Yeah.
I,
I had a friend recently like,
shared this little video and it was talking about how
there was a scientific study where they put,
they make you stand at the base of a hill,
and you have to say how steep you think the hill is.
And the study says that
if you have a friend standing next to you,
(11:12):
that the hill looks less steep,
that like it looks more manageable.
Basically.
And so I think that just,
you know, the women that have come together to, to volunteer,
I think there's like a lot of
like friendship and camaraderie
in that where we're kind of like,
yeah, we can like work together. I got my friends here.
But then also just with the families that we're supporting,
(11:33):
you know, there's a lot of there's a lot of like, oh,
hey, you know, like, I need to pay my rent or whatever.
But even more than that, the thing that the mom energy
and the teacher energy is, we have a lot of people
who are just able to, like, be that friend for somebody new.
You, you know, just like, hey, like, I can stand next to you.
(11:54):
I can, you know, help you figure this out
and it'll make it more manageable.
Is is really a lot of what we have people doing.
And, you know, we've got several women who've,
you know, kind of straight up
adopted a family that they're just like,
all right, this is going to be all my energy.
Like, this is what I'm doing.
And the families who've been adopted, you know, by one person
(12:16):
who says, you know, this is what I'm going to do, man.
Those families are doing great.
Yeah. Like, they just they're they're thriving.
And it's really awesome to see just how,
you know, just having somebody who kind of knows
the ropes
just kind of walk along with you like
it makes a huge difference.
Sure. Yeah.
I mean, what a what a powerful illustration.
(12:36):
Right.
To to to talk about what it looks like
just to have somebody walking alongside you.
Yeah.
And especially when you are moving to a place
that is completely unknown to you and potentially,
you know, the systems, the norms,
the culture,
the structure, the language, you know, just all of it.
(12:56):
For people
who want to learn more about
how they can support your organization.
What's the best way for them to connect with you, Alison?
So Facebook is the place where we pretty much do everything.
We've got our Des Moines Refugee Support Facebook page.
And,
I, I am really the one who's running it.
So if you don't like it, don't tell me.
(13:18):
But with it, I, Yeah,
I try to make it,
here's, you know, information about how you can
help, but here's also,
you know, here's
some great success stories, like, here's some
here's some fun stuff we're doing.
Here's some cool stuff we're doing.
So that's what it, it attempts to be.
So Facebook's definitely the best page, the best place.
(13:40):
We also the day before, actually the night before
our, the, Girl Scouts is when we're having our gala.
So we. I've got two big things right in a row.
Yeah. Wow.
Which is also my mother's birthday.
So that's going to be interesting.
Oh. Is that intentional?
No, it was just how it worked out.
(14:00):
What what's the what's the details of the the gala?
Yeah. Okay.
So, so we will be, on Thursday
the eighth, we will be at the, World Food Prize
Hall of Laureates.
And, this is only the second time we've attempted
this, Megan Schultz and and Kendra Scharf have,
they organized last year, and then Kendra has
(14:23):
is really just in charge this year.
And she I don't know how this woman does that.
She's putting together just, like, a really cool evening and,
you know, just to learn about learn more about what we're doing
and eat a nice meal.
And our focus
this year is we're going to talk about our preschool program
and our soccer program, because those are the two,
(14:44):
kind of the biggest things that we're running.
And also just because we are trying to just focus
a lot on the kids, that's
yeah, that's where we're trying to put most of our energy.
And then of course, when you're focusing on kids,
you have to focus on the moms as well.
So it's moms and kids soccer, preschool.
Yeah. To learn more about it.
(15:05):
And the all of this stuff will be up on, up
on, on our website soon.
And then that will also go to Facebook as well. Of course.
I love that.
I mean, especially now when.
There is.
Yeah, I'm
just going to say it honestly, like there's so much cruelty
(15:26):
happening to people who are just trying
to find a better life for themselves and their family.
I'm really grateful that you're in our community,
you know, pulling us all together to stand by,
so the hill doesn't look so, so steep.
So thank you for the work you do.
Yeah.
It's going to be crazy
to see what what all kind of pans out with all of the different,
(15:49):
you know, and the funding and stop work orders and.
Yeah, all of that stuff.
I mean, it's not, none of it's going to be good.
But,
you know, there's still a lot of people that are here,
you know, whether whether the funding happens or not,
there's people that are here and that still need our support.
So that's that's going to be our focus.
(16:10):
Yeah. No.
That's awesome.
Well, thank you so much, Alison, for coming
and talking to me and sharing your story.
And I can't wait to celebrate you in May.
Thanks for having me.
The 2025 Inspiring Women of Iowa event will be held
on May 9th at the Meadows Events and Conference Center.
To purchase tickets
(16:31):
and get more information about supporting this event, please
visit Inspiring Women of Iowa dot com and all proceeds
from this fundraising event stay 100% local
to benefit Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa and their mission
to build up girls of courage, confidence
and character who will make this world a better place.
(16:51):
Thank you for listening and thank you for your support.
Welcome to the Inspiring Women of Iowa podcast,
a special series
amplifying the stories of the Inspiring Women of Iowa Finalists.
Inspiring Women of Iowa is an annual event hosted by Girl
Scouts of Greater
Iowa with the goal of celebrating women of courage,
confidence and character who are making the world
(00:27):
a better place.
Why does that sound familiar?
Well, because it also happens
to be the mission of the Girl Scouts,
where they believe society is better because strong
women show girls that anything is possible.
This event was created by Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa in 2017
to celebrate women in our community
(00:48):
and share their stories, while raising support
for the Girl Scout programs
that build the next generation of inspiring women.
16 individuals are celebrated annually with the Courage,
Confidence, Character and Inspiring Advocate for Women Awards.
I'm your host, Sarah Noll Wilson.
I am a business owner, a champion of women, and I'm
(01:10):
also a proud Girl Scout alum.
So massive love to troop 238.
And I am honored to have the chance to speak with these amazing,
inspiring women and to share their stories with you.
Joining me today is Alison Hoeman,
who is the founder
(01:31):
and executive director of the Des Moines Refugee Support.
And she is being nominated
as a finalist for the Character Award.
Alison, thanks for talking with me.
Thank you so much for having me.
Before we hop into the work that you do, what
what do you want us to know about you as a person?
Well, I, I am a mom.
(01:53):
I'm a teacher.
I'm not a teacher anymore.
But I will always be a teacher.
Much to the chagrin of some of my soccer players
who know that school is first and soccer is second.
Yeah, I just I have always been interested in helping.
I guess that has been kind of a theme
(02:16):
throughout, and I, I think I owe a lot of that to my mom.
She, always gave us lots of examples of ways to help.
And, so. Yeah.
And then of course, teaching is,
you know, the ultimate helping profession.
And so that was a that was a kind of a no brainer.
My mom was a teacher as well.
And then, yeah,
(02:37):
it just kind of turned into other ways to help, I guess.
How long were you a teacher for?
22 years.
Wow.
And I actually spent ten of those years abroad.
So I've lived in
I've lived
in, four foreign countries
and then, three different states as well.
So I've kind of jumped all over.
(02:58):
But I spent my last seven years in Des Moines public schools.
Got it. Got it.
So talk to us about the work that you do and what drives that
for you.
So, how everything really started was as a teacher.
I was the ELL teacher.
Of course, all the kids
who don't speak English
as their first language and, I had one family in particular,
(03:20):
but then also just talking to my other ELL teachers, we,
you know, kept seeing just, wow, there seem to be lots of
just really basic needs that aren't being met.
And we've got kids
coming to school who, you know, are obviously only
eating at school or,
you know, wearing the same clothes all the time or whatever
(03:41):
it is.
And, we kind of started with a bunch of families that we saw.
Okay. Yeah, they definitely need some help.
And then it
everything has been extremely organic, how it has grown.
Just because it's
always been about what the next need is.
Yeah.
So, for example, when schools shut down for the pandemic,
(04:04):
we just pivoted really quickly to,
okay, you know, if kids aren't going to school,
they aren't eating.
And so we did three food pop ups a week,
and we did
went all to different locations,
and we had different ways of getting food.
And we were doing deliveries.
And we were,
you know, setting up little food
stands for anybody could come by and grab what they needed.
(04:24):
And, we did that for close to a year.
And then, you know, we pivoted again
when a thousand Afghans showed up in Des Moines very suddenly
without, you know, a lot of the pre
stuff that usually happens before, you know, a refugee arrives.
There's, you know, usually
(04:44):
their housing is ready and all of these things.
And so we were able to do a kind of a quick pivot to, okay,
what can we do to support this group now.
And so yeah, it's always kind of been about
just like looking to see where the need is and then seeing
what we can do to jump in and help.
(05:05):
Yeah. What? Like what?
I mean, I, I, I can pick up on your deep
care of humans and also your empathy.
And I'm really struck by.
You have this incredibly strong desire
to want to help and support, but you're so very much
(05:28):
listening to the community you serve, right?
Like, here's the need.
Here's what, remind me, when did you start the organization?
How long has it been going?
So at the very end of 2016 was when there was, family
that was supposed to come to my school,
and they needed lots of things.
And so, I asked for donations, and I got so many donations
(05:50):
that we filled up three SUVs,
and I got some other addresses of families
that probably needed things as well.
And, my husband and I and a friend drove around,
the day after Christmas
and literally to ten different houses and just like,
all right, everybody come, pick out some clothes
and find some shoes that fit you.
And here's a toy and here's a book, and.
(06:12):
Yeah.
So, that was kind of the the
the very beginning, and it's incredible.
We still do some of that, but it's incredible.
All of the different ways
that we've changed and shifted and pivoted to other needs.
Yeah. But I mean, that's incredible.
I know that in following your organization
and there are times when it's like
(06:33):
we literally just need underwear and socks or we need school
supplies or,
you know, again, like you said, just things that can be so easy
for the rest of us to take for granted of clean socks
during the winter, to be able to, like That is a really, yeah,
that's a really big thing, especially when people come
(06:53):
and volunteer at, like our big events
where we're handing out
socks and underwear and,
you know, they'll bring their middle school or high school
aged kids and I get lots of,
emails or text messages afterwards that just, you know, wow,
my kid was really struck at like, wow,
that kid was, like, excited about new underwear.
Like, really? Yeah.
(07:14):
Yeah.
Like, that's weird to be excited about new underwear, but yeah.
Like.
And so it was a, it's been, it's been a really like,
kind of humbling moment for kids who just
they don't think about having to go out and get new underwear.
It's just something that is always in their drawer.
Yeah, yeah. No doubt.
You are being honored for the character award.
(07:36):
And as we're hearing about your organization, people can assume
why you're being, you know, honored for that.
And, and being a woman who has been,
inspiring our community for so many years,
who is somebody who inspires you?
I think I have to go back to my mom.
(07:56):
Like, mom is the one who.
She was a teacher for her whole career, and she's the one who
just really always showed us lots of different ways to help.
Her current project that she's actually been doing for 20 years
is that she has a garden out at her church that is enormous.
And, she has all these people come and help,
(08:17):
and then she takes fresh fruit, and or not fresh fruit,
fresh vegetables.
To the food pantries, to various other organizations.
She delivered directly to some of my refugee families.
You know, all all, summer and fall and.
Yeah, just she's been, she's been an awesome example of just,
(08:39):
you know, you don't have to be
rich.
You don't have to be, like, have some important position.
You don't.
There's all kinds of ways to help.
And yeah, that she's always been an example of that.
I love that. Can, I always like to know people's names.
What's her name?
Yeah, I know she's mom to you.
What is it? Jan Hoeman. Jan Hoeman. Okay.
Yeah, yeah,
(09:00):
I just always I like to give it a name to the story as well.
And lots of people know Jan
because she also ran a preschool in Urbandale for lots of years.
Oh, yeah.
I there, I really can't go anywhere with somebody
and being like, you know, are you Jan Hoeman’s daughter?
I sure am.
So that's fun.
(09:21):
I understand that experience intimately, like you're a Noll.
And I was like, yeah, I'm, I'm Joe Noll’s daughter.
Like he‘s, back
home, he’s really big in the community, so I love that.
So people are going to be exposed to your story, some
who might already be familiar
or some who are, both through the event
that's happening in May,
but also through all the promotions
(09:42):
that the Girl Scouts doing and this show.
What's what's one thing you want people to leave with?
And hearing your message like, what do you want?
What do you want them to leave with?
I mean, I think, I think the thing about Des Moines
Refugee Support that is so different from most other nonprofits
is that I'm the only employee.
(10:04):
Everyone else is a volunteer.
And the volunteers that we have, my goodness.
First of all, it's mostly women.
We, of course,
have a lot a bunch of great guys, but we are majority women.
And just the amount of, just mom energy
that is brought to the things that need to get done.
(10:28):
And I mean, most of the things that we're doing,
that's exactly
what's needed, right, is we just need some good mom energy.
Lots of times we need some teacher energy.
So I love it when my fellow teachers show up at stuff.
But yeah, it's,
this organization is very much like a women rule
the world type of thing, and we are just, like, getting it done.
(10:49):
Yeah.
I,
I had a friend recently like,
shared this little video and it was talking about how
there was a scientific study where they put,
they make you stand at the base of a hill,
and you have to say how steep you think the hill is.
And the study says that
if you have a friend standing next to you,
(11:12):
that the hill looks less steep,
that like it looks more manageable.
Basically.
And so I think that just,
you know, the women that have come together to, to volunteer,
I think there's like a lot of
like friendship and camaraderie
in that where we're kind of like,
yeah, we can like work together. I got my friends here.
But then also just with the families that we're supporting,
(11:33):
you know, there's a lot of there's a lot of like, oh,
hey, you know, like, I need to pay my rent or whatever.
But even more than that, the thing that the mom energy
and the teacher energy is, we have a lot of people
who are just able to, like, be that friend for somebody new.
You, you know, just like, hey, like, I can stand next to you.
(11:54):
I can, you know, help you figure this out
and it'll make it more manageable.
Is is really a lot of what we have people doing.
And, you know, we've got several women who've,
you know, kind of straight up
adopted a family that they're just like,
all right, this is going to be all my energy.
Like, this is what I'm doing.
And the families who've been adopted, you know, by one person
(12:16):
who says, you know, this is what I'm going to do, man.
Those families are doing great.
Yeah. Like, they just they're they're thriving.
And it's really awesome to see just how,
you know, just having somebody who kind of knows
the ropes
just kind of walk along with you like
it makes a huge difference.
Sure. Yeah.
I mean, what a what a powerful illustration.
(12:36):
Right.
To to to talk about what it looks like
just to have somebody walking alongside you.
Yeah.
And especially when you are moving to a place
that is completely unknown to you and potentially,
you know, the systems, the norms,
the culture,
the structure, the language, you know, just all of it.
(12:56):
For people
who want to learn more about
how they can support your organization.
What's the best way for them to connect with you, Alison?
So Facebook is the place where we pretty much do everything.
We've got our Des Moines Refugee Support Facebook page.
And,
I, I am really the one who's running it.
So if you don't like it, don't tell me.
(13:18):
But with it, I, Yeah,
I try to make it,
here's, you know, information about how you can
help, but here's also,
you know, here's
some great success stories, like, here's some
here's some fun stuff we're doing.
Here's some cool stuff we're doing.
So that's what it, it attempts to be.
So Facebook's definitely the best page, the best place.
(13:40):
We also the day before, actually the night before
our, the, Girl Scouts is when we're having our gala.
So we. I've got two big things right in a row.
Yeah. Wow.
Which is also my mother's birthday.
So that's going to be interesting.
Oh. Is that intentional?
No, it was just how it worked out.
(14:00):
What what's the what's the details of the the gala?
Yeah. Okay.
So, so we will be, on Thursday
the eighth, we will be at the, World Food Prize
Hall of Laureates.
And, this is only the second time we've attempted
this, Megan Schultz and and Kendra Scharf have,
they organized last year, and then Kendra has
(14:23):
is really just in charge this year.
And she I don't know how this woman does that.
She's putting together just, like, a really cool evening and,
you know, just to learn about learn more about what we're doing
and eat a nice meal.
And our focus
this year is we're going to talk about our preschool program
and our soccer program, because those are the two,
(14:44):
kind of the biggest things that we're running.
And also just because we are trying to just focus
a lot on the kids, that's
yeah, that's where we're trying to put most of our energy.
And then of course, when you're focusing on kids,
you have to focus on the moms as well.
So it's moms and kids soccer, preschool.
Yeah. To learn more about it.
(15:05):
And the all of this stuff will be up on, up
on, on our website soon.
And then that will also go to Facebook as well. Of course.
I love that.
I mean, especially now when.
There is.
Yeah, I'm
just going to say it honestly, like there's so much cruelty
(15:26):
happening to people who are just trying
to find a better life for themselves and their family.
I'm really grateful that you're in our community,
you know, pulling us all together to stand by,
so the hill doesn't look so, so steep.
So thank you for the work you do.
Yeah.
It's going to be crazy
to see what what all kind of pans out with all of the different,
(15:49):
you know, and the funding and stop work orders and.
Yeah, all of that stuff.
I mean, it's not, none of it's going to be good.
But,
you know, there's still a lot of people that are here,
you know, whether whether the funding happens or not,
there's people that are here and that still need our support.
So that's that's going to be our focus.
(16:10):
Yeah. No.
That's awesome.
Well, thank you so much, Alison, for coming
and talking to me and sharing your story.
And I can't wait to celebrate you in May.
Thanks for having me.
The 2025 Inspiring Women of Iowa event will be held
on May 9th at the Meadows Events and Conference Center.
To purchase tickets
(16:31):
and get more information about supporting this event, please
visit Inspiring Women of Iowa dot com and all proceeds
from this fundraising event stay 100% local
to benefit Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa and their mission
to build up girls of courage, confidence
and character who will make this world a better place.
(16:51):
Thank you for listening and thank you for your support.
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