Founded in September 19, 1917, the Willkie House is one of the oldest African-American community based organizations in the state of Iowa, and one of the few remaining "settlement houses" still existing in America.
Its mission is to develop character and esteem in young people through the provision of quality, evidenced based programming focusing on academic, social skill building, health and recreational curricula. It is the ultimate vision of the Willkie House to assist young people in reaching thier highest potential.
The Willkie House typically serves over 575 youth and their families during the fiscal year, which runs from July 1st through June 30th. Participants in Willkie House programming range in age from 5-18, with the majority of these participants coming poor and low income families.
The ethnic backgrounds of the participants and their families are a mirror image of the ethnic makeup of the greater Des Moines community, with the majority being children and families of color. Our participants reside in areas all over the city. The Willkie House is located at 900 17th Street where the majority of services are provided.
We are a mission driven organization and our core programming centers on the direct services outlined in our mission. It should be noted that when the need arises or the situation warrants, referrals are made for participants and their families to those community agencies or organizations with the expertise needed to address the determined issue or concern.
