Waypoint Services

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and we want to thank our Gentleman Campaign sponsors and the nearly 70 men who have taken our Exceptional Gentleman Pledge for understanding how important it is to raise awareness, support our victim services so help is available when it’s needed most, and come together to help end violence in our community.

We’re recognizing these men and sponsors tonight at the Gentleman Social from 4:30–6 p.m. at Big Grove Brewery in Cedar Rapids. Please consider taking the Exceptional Gentleman Pledge to help us reach our goal of 100 men or becoming a campaign sponsor and join us tonight - bring your friends: https://givebutter.com/gentleman-campaign-yj0uux

Thank you for supporting our vital services!

Calling all gentlemen! We’re getting closer to our goal of 100 men taking the Exceptional Gentleman pledge!

We need your help to get there. If you haven’t pledged yet, now is the time!

👉 Take the pledge here: https://givebutter.com/gentleman-campaign-yj0uux

Then join us tomorrow at Big Grove Brewery for our Gentleman Social Hour alongside other committed individuals in our community who are standing up to end violence.

We’re grateful for your support of Waypoint’s Victim Services and Caring Dads programs, and for every gentleman who is willing to step up, speak up, and lead by example.

Help us reach 100. Take the pledge today!

🍂 Fall is here, and so is our latest newsletter! Take a look at what’s happening at Waypoint, from our latest impact numbers and a peek inside the new Busse Landing – Madge Phillips Apartments to upcoming events and more. 👉 Read the Fall Newsletter here: https://www.waypointservices.org/blog/fall-2026-newsletter

Yesterday was an inspiring day for Waypoint.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the ribbon cutting of Busse Landing - Madge Phillips Apartments and helped us celebrate this very special milestone.

This project is about so much more than a building. It’s about creating a place where people can find stability, build community, and move forward.

For more than 30 years, the Madge Phillips Center has been part of our community’s response to housing instability. Now, its next chapter begins with 12 affordable apartments for people experiencing homelessness and housing instability (with tenants expected to move in this fall), continued access to Waypoint’s housing services, and a vision for helping people build a stronger foundation for what comes next.

We are incredibly grateful to the donors, contractors, volunteers, community partners, board members, staff, and friends who believed in this vision and helped make it possible. This is what happens when a community comes together around a shared belief that everyone deserves a place to call home.

A special thank you to the Busse Foundation for its $1.5 million matching gift and The Hall-Perrine Foundation for its $1 million matching gift. Both were pivotal to the success of this campaign and to bringing this vision to life.

The Madge Phillips Center changed lives for generations. And we are especially grateful to the Junior League of Cedar Rapids, whose vision and leadership helped create the Madge Phillips Center in 1994.

Now, Busse Landing-Madge Phillips Apartments will carry that legacy forward in a new way. ❤️

This Thankful Thursday, we want to give a shoutout to the Benton County Sheriff's Office for taking a stand with Waypoint as part of our Gentleman Campaign.

Thank you for helping us show that ending violence is a community effort. We’re proud to have you as a partner in this work.

Want to get involved too? Learn more about the Gentleman Campaign: https://www.waypointservices.org/gentleman-campaign

Thank you to the Waterloo Police Department for once again supporting Waypoint’s Gentleman Campaign and taking a stand against domestic violence. We’re grateful for your continued partnership and commitment to making the community safer.

Earlier this month, our Director of Development and Housing Programs Manager attended the Iowa Finance Authority 2026 Housing Iowa Conference in Des Moines, where the City of Cedar Rapids Iowa Government Lived Experience Advisory Council-LEAC was honored with the 2026 Housing Iowa Special Needs Award!

Our Street Outreach Coordinator, Katelyn, serves on the Lived Experience Advisory Council, which plays a vital role in bringing the voices and perspectives of people who have experienced homelessness directly into strengthening our community’s approach to housing and homelessness.

We’re proud to see this important work recognized and grateful for the insight and leadership that make it possible!

📸: Iowa Finance Authority

This week, we had the honor of welcoming Junior League of Cedar Rapids Sustainers for a Coffee & Conversations hosted by Terri Christoffersen and Jeanne Wampler.

In 1994, these women saw a need in our community and helped create the Madge Phillips Center Shelter. We wanted to bring them back together to share articles and photos from that time and provide an update on the new vision for the space.

One of the articles from that time was titled, “A Few Good Women.” That is an understatement of the impact the JLCR had on Waypoint and our community. Their vision, leadership and commitment helped create a place where people could find safety and support.

We are excited to carry their legacy forward with a new vision while continuing to provide affordable housing for individuals and families in our community and building a brighter future for those who will call these apartments home.

Thank you for a meaningful morning, for believing in the need 32 years ago, and for all you have done and continue to do for our community. ❤️

This Thankful Thursday, we're thankful for Dahm, Knapp & Associates, who recently volunteered their time at Waypoint! Their team helped clean the KidsPoint cafeteria, indoor gym and toys, as well as our meeting rooms and new apartments lobby. They also stuffed domestic violence informational packets and assembled thank you gifts for our upcoming 45th Annual Waypoint Tribute to Women of Achievement event.

We appreciate their time and helping keep our spaces welcoming and ready to serve our community! If your group is interested in volunteering, reach out to Jameson at [email protected].