5/13/26, 5:00 PM

Dawn Hunter, CNCR Executive Director

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” — Galatians 6:2

At CareNetworkCR, we have learned something powerful: true transformation rarely happens through a single phone call, a one-time resource, or a quick financial fix. Transformation happens when people are known, when dignity is protected, and when the Church becomes what it was always meant to be - a family walking together through both hardship and hope. That is why our mission has never been to simply act as a service provider.

Our mission is to walk with our neighbors toward restoration: spiritually, relationally, emotionally, and practically.

This summer, as we gather around the theme, “The Breaking Is the Becoming,” we invite you into one family’s story, a story that reflects what happens when compassion moves beyond crisis response and becomes long-term discipleship, community, and belonging.

A Family Searching for a New Beginning

In September 2025, a family of seven packed everything they owned into an SUV and traveled from Arkansas to Cedar Rapids in pursuit of new opportunity. They came with faith. They came with courage. They came with very little certainty about what would come next. Like many families who call CareNetworkCR, their immediate needs were practical: clothing, household essentials, beds for their children, employment connections, and a church family.

But we believe people are more than their immediate needs.

That’s why every family who enters CareNetworkCR begins with an individualized care plan; a plan that is not built around programs, but around people. Each care plan is designed with the caller and may include:

● A pathway toward stabilization and resource navigation
● Prayer and spiritual encouragement
● Personal goal setting and next steps
● Employment and skill-building opportunities
● Connection to trusted community resources
● Most importantly, connection to a local Church partner for ongoing discipleship, belonging, and spiritual family

While CareNetworkCR may be part of someone’s journey, we never want the journey to end with us. We believe long-term flourishing happens when individuals and families are connected back into the life of the local church, where relationships deepen, faith grows, and community lasts long after a program ends.

This reflects the teaching of the Chalmers Center: poverty is not simply a lack of material resources, it is often rooted in broken relationships with God, self, others, and creation. And true ministry means helping restore all of those relationships.

When Life Broke Again

After settling into the community, this family began to find stability. Employment and supplemental income opened up through CareNetworkCR connections.

Community was forming.
A church family was found.
A house became a home.
The kids felt welcomed at school.
Hope was growing.
Then everything changed.

Their ten-year-old daughter suddenly lost mobility and was later diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder. Medical appointments increased. Bills piled up. Fear returned. Like so many families facing unexpected hardship, they wondered how they could carry the weight. So they called CareNetworkCR again.

From Receiving Help to Building a Pathway

This time, they were invited into our newly launched “Pathway Development Program.” The Pathway Development is built on dignity, accountability, and growth. Participants serve, learn, develop skills, and contribute to the community through ministries like Hidden Gems, ESL School and the Care Connection Center. As participants complete pathway hours, financial support is directed toward a verified need identified in their care plan.

This may include:

● Housing payments
● Mortgage support
● Utility assistance
● Transportation needs such as gas cards
● Other verified essentials tied to stability and next steps

This is not cash handed to participants. This is not a financial transaction. This is intentional support connected to growth, stewardship, and long-term sustainability.

As this mother shared: “I love the dignity of working toward the help we need. The Pathway Program allows me to give back as I receive help.” That is what restoration looks like. Not dependency. Not rescue. Relationship. Responsibility. Renewal.

Walking With Our Neighbors

At CareNetworkCR, we believe ministry is not about doing for people what can be done with them. It is about walking beside them. It is about helping families discover that what feels like breaking may actually be where God begins the work of becoming.

Join the Movement

This summer, we invite you to become part of that story. When you partner with CareNetworkCR, you help create:

● Individualized care plans rooted in faith and dignity and include the local church
● Church connections that lead to lasting belonging
● Employment and development pathways for families in crisis
● Verified support that strengthens stability without creating dependency
● Communities where neighbors walk with neighbors through our GAP Ministry and multiple volunteer opportunities
● Free ESL School Classes (English as a second language) for our immigrant and refugee neighbors

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” — Hebrews 10:24

The breaking is the becoming. And together, we can walk with more families toward hope.