A faith-based initiative that has brought together Lutheran, Catholic and Muslim groups with several social-service organizations in the eastern part of the state now hopes to expand its self-sufficiency programs into Central Iowa.

Barnabas Uplift, an outreach effort that began two years ago in the Dubuque area, offers a variety of programs geared toward making individuals and communities more self-sufficient, said Chuck Palmer, president of Des Moines-based ISED Ventures.

ISED Ventures, which assists low-income individuals and political refugees in starting their own businesses, is a partner in the effort, along with Lutheran Services in Iowa, the three Iowa synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Catholic Charities USA and the Muslim Society of Iowa. Also providing services are the State Public Policy Group and Iowa Health System.

The group’s moniker, based on the apostle’s name, which means “son of encouragement,” reflects the initiative’s emphasis on encouraging individuals and communities to use their resources to lift themselves out of poverty.

The Barnabas organizations offer programs such as ISED’s microenterprise training; an “empowerment circle” program in which small groups of low-income individuals pool resources to pay medical co-payments through Iowa Health’s Mission Health program; programs to distribute discount cards for health care and prescription drugs; and a program through Hawkeye Community College to train low-income residents to become certified nursing aides.

Representatives of the partners recently held organizational meetings in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Dubuque to identify new communities to work with. A community could be an entire small town, a neighborhood or a church congregation.

Resources for the programs are coming from both in-kind contributions from the community agencies as well as funding from the faith-based organizations.

“We would hope that through the communities that we identify, particularly the faith communities, that there are a significant number of business leaders (involved),” said Palmer, who before his affiliation with ISED served as commissioner of the Iowa Department of Human Services. “We see economic development and self-sufficiency as major strategies, and you can’t do that without business leaders.”

In the past year, the Barnabas initiative has allowed ISED to begin offering programs in Waterloo through a satellite office located at Trinity Lutheran Church, Palmer said.

Working with communities to build their capacity to assist themselves is a key to the initiative’s sustainability, Palmer said. “The more we can get those community leaders and business leaders to the table, the better it will work.”

For more information about Barnabas Uplift, contact Chuck Palmer at 283-0940 or visit www.barnabasuplift.org.