August 10, 2021

(DES MOINES, Iowa) – The Federal Emergency Management Agency has extended COVID Recovery Iowa's grant through December. The grant was last set to expire at the end of May.

The Iowa Department of Human Services administers COVID Recovery Iowa, and five providers operate it across the state. COVID Recovery Iowa offers free virtual counseling, support groups and assistance to any Iowan.

COVID Recovery Iowa first became available to all Iowans when the president declared a national emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 13, 2020. Since that time, the initiative has been helpful in distributing information on COVID-19, as well as providing Iowans with mental health resources during this difficult time.

COVID Recovery Iowa provides Iowans with information on resources such as housing, utilities and food security. The program also offers groups and activities on their dedicated social media platforms including their COVID Recovery Iowa Facebook page. All of it free of charge to all Iowans in all 99 counties.

15 months later, the work is not over. While things look different than they did at the beginning of the pandemic, COVID Recovery Iowa realizes that there are ongoing challenges – emotional, physical and economic – as we continue to live in a world with COVID-19. There will be a lot of emotional processing to do. “COVID Recovery Iowa wants Iowans to know that we will still be here to help guide you to resources,” said Karen Hyatt, Emergency Mental Health Specialist for the Division of Mental Health and Disability Services. “We will still be here offering personal support as well as support groups and other groups that are solely here to encourage you and entertain you. We will still be bringing you information about COVID, because whether we like it or not, it is still with us.”

Visit https://covidrecoveryiowa.org/ for more information.

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Program contact:

Karen Hyatt

khyatt@dhs.state.ia.us

515-281-3128

Media contact:

Matt Highland

mhighla@dhs.state.ia.us

515-281-4848