A religious-based non-profit organization is looking to expand to Iowa.

Danille Curtis is the Iowa Coordinator for Midwest Mission and told the Greene County Development Corporation Board on Tuesday that they are an organization that helps individuals in need. She said their home base of operations is in Springfield, Illinois and the group was founded in 2000. What started as simply building school room desks has grown into providing disaster relief, education, health and micro business services.

Curtis told GCDC that Midwest Mission is looking to expand and have a second location, due to the increasing number of volunteers stretching across several states. She said currently, they are using space in the First United Methodist Church in Jefferson. She described some of the things volunteers are currently doing are putting together “personal dignity kits” with hygiene and other products for individuals without housing, recycling plastic grocery bags into baskets and putting together school supply kits for kids. She noted that in 2022, Midwest Mission donated $8 million in humane relief in the US. 

Curtis pointed out that she and Midwest Mission are working on a leasing contract with GCDC for the former Aureon building. She said it’s an ideal space they could use for more volunteers to help with their organization. Curtis explained one important aspect about having another location in Jefferson.

“With Midwest Mission, we don’t want to take away from any of the other organizations that are already doing such good work. But our mission is to really find where those gaps are, what things aren’t being provided, how we can fill those gaps and work with them?”   

GCDC Executive Director Ken Paxton said on Tuesday the finer details are being worked out but anticipated Midwest Mission to lease the building from them soon to begin their operations.