WHO WE ARE
For nearly six decades, HACAP has been walking alongside neighbors in Eastern Iowa, helping people navigate hard moments and build stronger, more stable futures. Every day, families face real challenges: keeping a roof overhead, putting food on the table, affording childcare, staying warm in the winter, or accessing health care. These challenges don’t happen in isolation, and neither should the solutions. That’s why HACAP bridges the gaps that stand between people and stability, offering wrap-around support in food, health, housing, and early childhood services, not just to help people survive today, but to empower them to build a better tomorrow.
Founded in 1965, HACAP (Hawkeye Area Community Action Program) was created to respond to local needs with local solutions. Over the years, our work has grown alongside our communities. From adding energy-saving weatherization services in the 1970s, to joining the Feeding America network in the 1980s, to expanding our service area to nine Eastern Iowa counties in 2020, HACAP has continued to evolve, always guided by the belief that opportunity should be within everyone’s reach.
Today, HACAP delivers 45 programs across Benton, Dubuque, Delaware, Iowa, Jackson, Johnson, Jones, Linn, and Washington counties, supporting more than 78,000 individuals each year. As one of 16 community action agencies in Iowa, and part of a nationwide network of over 1,000 agencies, we are deeply connected to a larger movement working to reduce poverty and strengthen communities across the country.
Our mission is simple but powerful: helping people develop skills to become successful and build strong communities. Our vision is a future where all people have the opportunity to thrive. Guided by innovation, partnership, responsiveness, and leadership, we remain committed to doing this work with (and not just for) the communities we serve.
At the heart of HACAP is the Promise of Community Action: that change is possible, hope is powerful, and when people are supported and connected, communities grow stronger. Through collaboration with businesses, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and community members, we continue to create pathways to self-sufficiency and opportunity.
HACAP has been making Eastern Iowa a better place for generations, and we’re committed to doing so for many years to come.
