One year ago, I stood at the Ember Recovery Campus to cut the ribbon on a first-of-its-kind youth recovery center. Yesterday, I returned to keep building on that progress.
What’s new: We secured $1 million through the Community Project Funding process to support Phase 2 of the Youth & Shelter Services Ember Recovery Campus — the second federal investment we’ve delivered to this project in just two years. ⬇️
Why it matters: Too many young Iowans are battling addiction, homelessness, and mental health challenges all at the same time — and most programs aren’t built to address all three together.
The Ember Recovery Campus is different. It brings housing, treatment, and workforce training under one roof — giving young people not just a path to recovery, but a path forward with the skills and confidence to re-enter the workforce and plan for their future.
The big picture: I fought to pass my bipartisan Communities of Recovery Reauthorization Act, now signed into law, to more than triple federal support for community-based recovery programs like this across the country.
But policy alone isn’t enough. Real results come from strong local partners doing the work on the ground. That’s how these investments should work — local leaders identify the need, and we fight in Washington to deliver.
Bottom Line: What’s happening at Ember is proof that when Iowa sees a problem, we don’t just talk about it — we build solutions that work. I’ll keep backing local partners helping young Iowans get a real second chance.