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STATEIowaWest Des Moines

West Des Moines Local Assistance Programs

This page lists local organizations in West Des Moines, Iowa that provide free legal help, food and social services. Statewide programs are described on the Iowa page.

Iowa Legal AidFree civil legal assistance
Websiteiowalegalaid.org 
Phone800-532-1275
Address666 Walnut Street, 25th Floor, Des Moines, IA 50309
HoursMonday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM

Iowa Legal Aid provides free civil legal help to low-income Iowans in areas of basic need, including housing stability, family matters, safety and public benefits. Applications go through statewide phone intake.1

Polk County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers ProjectFree legal help from volunteer attorneys
Websitepcbaonline.org 
Phone515-243-3904
Address625 E. Court Ave, Suite 100, Des Moines, IA 50309
HoursPhone intake Monday through Friday, 9:00 to 11:30 AM and 1:30 to 4:00 PM. Apply online any time.

The Volunteer Lawyers Project matches low-income Polk County residents with volunteer attorneys for civil cases, including family law, housing, consumer and employment matters. It does not take criminal cases or cases that could result in a financial settlement.2

Food

West Des Moines Human Services, DMARC Food PantryFood pantry
Websitewdm.iowa.gov 
Phone515-222-3660
Address139 6th Street, West Des Moines, IA 50265
HoursMonday, Tuesday and Thursday, 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM; Wednesday and Friday, 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM. Evening hours on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, 4:30 to 6:30 PM.

The West Des Moines Human Services food pantry, part of the DMARC Food Pantry Network, serves West Des Moines and Clive residents with groceries, fresh produce when available and personal care items. A clothing closet is on site.3

Eddie Davis Community CenterFood pantry and on-site meals
Websiteeddiedaviscenter.org 
Phone515-277-1103
Address1312 Maple Street, West Des Moines, IA 50265
HoursCall for current pantry and meal hours.

Eddie Davis Community Center runs a food pantry, a clothes closet and on-site meals, with a legal referral clinic and youth programs on site.4

Social services

West Des Moines Human ServicesEmergency assistance and community services
Websitewdm.iowa.gov 
Phone515-222-3660
Address139 6th Street, West Des Moines, IA 50265
HoursMonday, Tuesday and Thursday, 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM; Wednesday and Friday, 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM.

West Des Moines Human Services helps low-income, older and disabled residents of West Des Moines and the surrounding western suburbs with partial rent and utility assistance, energy assistance, a clothing closet, school supplies and youth recreation aid.5

Catholic Charities, Diocese of Des MoinesSocial services
Websitecatholiccharitiesdm.org 
Phone(515) 244-3761
Address601 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50309
HoursMonday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM

Catholic Charities serves people in central and southwest Iowa with counseling, an emergency family shelter, a food pantry and community resource coordination that connects clients with housing, employment, healthcare and other local support. It does not provide rental assistance.6

Sources & notes

Data and figures on this page come from the sources and notes below:

Footnotes

  1. Iowa Legal Aid, Home page . The Des Moines office address and toll-free intake number are not listed on the home page. They appear in the Iowa 211 listing, Legal Services | Iowa Legal Aid . Office hours rest on the LifeLong Links listing, Iowa Legal Aid - Des Moines . ↩

  2. Polk County Bar Association, Volunteer Lawyers Project, Apply for Help . ↩

  3. City of West Des Moines, Programs and Services . The city site blocks automated checks and returns a 403. The pantry address, phone and hours are taken from the search-indexed city pages and corroborated by the DMARC pantry directory, West Des Moines Human Services - DMARC Food Pantry , and by Public Resources , which repeat the same details. ↩

  4. Eddie Davis Community Center, Home page . The address and phone number are not listed on the home page. They appear in the Greater Des Moines Area Community Resources Book, Community Resources Book , and in the Polk County clothing and food listings, Free clothes, school supplies and furniture Polk County IA . Meal hours were listed as Monday through Friday, 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM in a 2015 community resource book; call to confirm current hours. ↩

  5. City of West Des Moines, Programs and Services  and Friends Foundation . ↩

  6. Catholic Charities, Diocese of Des Moines, Services . Office hours rest on the organization volunteer guide, Volunteer Opportunities , which states volunteer hours run Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM to coincide with office hours. ↩

  1. Ankeny Local Assistance Programs, Iowa.
  2. Cedar Rapids Local Assistance Programs, Iowa.
  3. Davenport Local Assistance Programs, Iowa.
  4. Des Moines Local Assistance Programs, Iowa.
  5. Iowa City Local Assistance Programs, Iowa.

About this information

SingleMotherGuide.com is an independent state-by-state reference guide and is not affiliated with any government agency. Program amounts and income limits are compiled from official federal and state sources, which are cited on the page, and are reviewed periodically and updated as those sources change.

The information is provided for general guidance and is not legal or financial advice. The administering agency makes the final determination of eligibility and benefit amounts. To report an error, please contact us.

Data freshness

Figures on this page are compiled from the public sources cited above and may change; refer to the cited sources for the most current information.

Last updated
Updated by
Ada Hu
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