Homeless in Des Moines

There are approximately 1,000 people who walk the streets of Des Moines every day who are homeless. The following slideshow is a closer look at the lives of those people and the daily challenges the homeless face. Most of the people featured in these photographs are supported in part by such organizations as Central Iowa Shelter and Services, HOPE Builders, and JOPPA Outreach.

50th Anniversary of “the pill”

Animation by Allison Quick, written by Stacey Wilson and Liana Blum

Fifty years ago on May 9, 1960, the birth control pill for women was introduced to the American public. What better way to celebrate the …

Pella Tulip Time

Every year, thousands of Iowans flock to the quaint, Dutch town to participate in this time-honored festival. Lining the streets and featured in the front yards of local homes are beautiful tulips. As the cool air blew down Main Street, the radiant colors of orange, red, pink, purple, and white glistened in the May sun.

Westboro Church Protests at Drake

Between 400 and 500 people gathered on the south side of Drake University’s campus last Saturday to oppose a group of six members of the Westboro Baptist Church who were protesting Iowa’s support of gay marriage. Drake President David Maxwell lauded the counter-protest as “a balanced combination of passion and restraint” and a moment of special pride in an e-mail message to students, faculty, staff, and board members.

A Place to Call Home: Reflections

I had no idea what to expect. But I felt like a schmuck. There I was in a designer jacket, freezing my butt off, standing outside a camper in a snow drift down by the Des Moines River during a particularly brutal winter. I remember feeling ignorant and stupid—why would I show up at a homeless person’s camper in a designer jacket? Why hadn’t I worn something less conspicuous? When would I be able to feel my toes again?