Upper Des Moines Opportunity presented its annual report to the Osceola County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 23 and requested $15,000 in county support. Executive Director Julie Edward and data director Shakira Meyer outlined services delivered, eligibility rules and the agency's reliance on federal/state funds.

Edward said UDMO provided $217,299 worth of services in Osceola County: food and outreach services to 188 households, energy assistance payments to 159 households totaling $93,414, and weatherization work to six homes with a noted $74,710 in weatherization-related expenditures. "Without investing anything, we have put $217,299 of actual services out into your county," Edward said, urging the board to consider the return on investment of local support.

Meyer described client demographics: 28% of households served were at 100% of poverty, 29% were senior households, 34% included children, about 27% included at least one employed person, and roughly 16 veterans used services in-county. UDMO said outreach operations in Osceola are open Tuesdays and Thursdays and invited the board to review program details at udmo.com.

Board members asked why some board appointments had changed county representation and requested UDMO send written reports and consider returning every six months for updates. A county official noted that UDMO had not returned a current contract and that the county had only budgeted $5 for UDMO this fiscal year; several supervisors advised including the $15,000 request in next year’s budget instead of amending the current year’s budget.