Jodi Urich was at a Bible study class when she first learned that Caring Hands Outreach Center was hiring a new top executive.

Urich, whose daily walks took her past the center at 602 Third St. S.W. in Altoona, decided to apply for the job.

“I put my name in the hat thinking I’d at least be able to help them with grant writing and development, and they hired me,” said Urich, 67, who became the group’s CEO in January. Caring Hands’ previous leader, Ned Looney, retired.

Urich had retired in 2022 from Bridges of Iowa Inc., a nonprofit rehabilitation center at which she was development director for over seven years. Urich also has over 20 years of experience in securing resources for nonprofit groups through Ellen’s Encore Consulting LLC, a business she has operated since 2000.

Urich knew a bit about Caring Hands before applying for the group’s top job. She knew the organization operated a food pantry in Altoona but she didn’t know about its pantry in East Des Moines or the amount of food that was distributed each month. Urich was also surprised to learn about the thousands of hours volunteers worked annually.

“I was a little shocked about how big the organization really is,” Urich said. “All of this training that I’ve had through my life and experiences prepared me for this. I really feel like this was a calling.”

One of Urich’s goals is to work with other nonprofits in Polk County to create a navigation system that helps those in need determine what programs will be helpful to them.

“I believe the starting ground is right here, feeding those in need,” Urich said. “Most of our clients don’t want to have to come back to the pantry. But they also may not have the transportation or ability to go other places to get the things or information that will help them. … If we have community navigators at this building, people can come here and we can help them get the information they need.”

Urich said that in the coming months, she would like to hire a “community navigator” who would connect people with the community resources and job opportunities. 

“It’s not one church that is helping Caring Hands, it’s a lot of them,” Urich said. “That silo has been broken down. It’s time to break down some of the other silos.”

We recently caught up with Urich.

Are you getting more or less requests for food items compared to a year ago?

More. Because of the cost of food, demand is really up. People that had been able to barely get by can’t afford it and need help now. Our local [grocery stores], not only in Altoona but also Pleasant Hill and Bondurant, are very good to us. They are very good at providing extra food or other things we need when we ask. … I didn’t realize how many of our neighbors are on Social Security and how tight everything is for them right now. This pantry helps get them through.

What does the business community need to know about organizations like Caring Hands?

We are always in need of donations, financial support. We’re going to be doing a back-to-work program [in partnership with St. Vincent de Paul] and we’ll have people that they can hire. … They also need to know that we just don’t hand out food; that we say, ‘Hey, what else do you need? What can we do to help get you back to work or connected with other services?’

Explain a little more about the back-to-work program.

St. Vincent de Paul developed it about 10 years ago. We’re going to set it up here. People will be able to come in and develop their resume. If they need a [high school diploma], the program will help get them started on that. If they need to know how to dress for an interview, they get help for that. The program offers a lot of different things to help people find work.

You mentioned Caring Hands wants to hire a community navigator. How much money do you need to do that?

We probably need to be able to pay an annual salary of $40,000. The benefits of bringing someone on board like that would be huge. When someone is sitting in the pantry and they’re thinking they need a job, we would have signs that say, “Make an appointment our with back-to-work coordinator” [who also would wear the hat of community navigator].

Why is it important for the business community to get involved with an organization like Caring Hands?

We’re helping their employees. Maybe the employee has a big medical bill that needs paid and they can’t afford to buy food for the week. We’re helping that person.

Where do you see Caring Hands five years from now?

In five years, I hope that we’ll be a model of how nonprofit organizations work together to help people in poverty. We’ve been [in] silos for so many years. I really hope that Caring Hands can lead the way on how to partner with other organizations. I don’t want it to be a competition. I want us all to work together on policies. It’s hard to get there.

In recent weeks, there have been several discussions about when is the appropriate time for an older CEO to step aside.

Like me? It’s a good question. I’m not somebody who pulls the ladder up. I want to get Caring Hands to that next level and my skill set will only get us so far. I’ll be looking for someone within the next year. I’m planning on staying here until we get that person trained. It takes a whole team to do that.

What else do people need to know about Caring Hands?

We run on a very small staff. We have five full-time people, including myself, and five who work part-time. We have over 100 active volunteers.

What do you do in your free time?

I love to play cribbage. I play a lot with my family. I’m a big reader … I like to read about history.

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At a glance

Age: 67

Currently lives: In Altoona

Family: Adult son and one granddaughter

Education: Des Moines Area Community College; courses on grant writing and fundraising

Work background: Owner, Jodi’s Gallery, 1980-2005; director of development, Luther Care Services, 2011-2015; development director, Bridges of Iowa Inc., 2015-2022; owner of Ellen’s Encore Consulting and Fundraising, 1985 to present; named CEO of Caring Hands in January.  

Volunteer activities: Former Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino board of directors and executive committee member; former Polk County Conservation board member.

Other activities: Reading, spending time with family

Contact: jurich@caringhandsiowa.org