The LEADER Board

The Polk County LEADER Board is a coalition of people with lived experience with homelessness, who want to inform and improve the homeless system. The Lived Experience Advocates Dedicated to Empowering Residents (LEADER) Board members must be at least 25 or older.

Our work includes:

Homelessness Program and System Improvement,

Reducing Stigma Through Advocacy, Outreach, and Public Speaking,

Conducting Volunteer Service Projects,

Sponsoring Skill Building Workshops, and

Building Connections among individuals experiencing Homelessness, Providers, and Services.

The LEADER Board meets twice/month, for an hour each time. Individuals who participate regularly in the group and complete an application will be compensated for their time via a stipend.

The group will meet at Evelyn K Davis Center for Working Families. For additional specifics of meeting times/dates, please contact the Homeward staff.

The Polk County LEADER Board is supported by Homeward, but is its own separate decision-making entity, managed by its own leadership group.