Clients and staff of Human Support Services (HSS) have spent countless summer afternoons fishing, swimming, hiking and picnicking on the grounds of Camp Wartburg, a Lutheran retreat center and summer camp facility outside Waterloo. It was through these activities that Robert "Bob" Polansky, executive director of Camp Wartburg, first came to experience the people and culture...
HSS saw 46% more youth in our mental health counseling program in the first quarter of this fiscal year than ever before. What kind of mental health concerns are the children of our community facing? We see youth who are dealing with a variety of concerns, from depression and anxiety related to school and family issues, to...
One worker spends his nights caring for adults with intellectual disabilities, and his days working a job part-time to make ends meet. Two others left their caregiver jobs last year to become waitresses, choosing better pay over a fulfilling career they loved. Many more here at Human Support Services (HSS) are logging 60-plus hour work weeks...
Pictures are worth a thousand words but there isn’t a photograph that will show you all that we do here at Human Support Services (HSS.) Our services are complicated and not always pretty. Suicide prevention, substance abuse treatment, job training for those with intellectual or developmental disabilities - these are not the billboard photo-worthy services that capture...
Paul John “PJ” Broske has been working at Pizza Hut in Waterloo for about a year, but he’s not sure it’s what he wants to do for a lifelong career. Very few people do know – at 20 years old – what they want to do with the rest of their lives. Broske got the job...
Left untreated, addiction is a wrecking ball – destroying careers, relationships, finances and even life itself. Ultimately, the repercussions of addiction affect everyone in its path – from the person struggling to overcome it to their families and friends. That’s why loving an addict, and supporting them through the highs and lows of their struggle, can...
“I got the job,” Coach Mike said proudly, as his sister stood beside him beaming and a TV camera captured the exchange for tons of viewers at home. It was a touching moment for all of us here at HSS who have been rooting Mike Kuhlmann on from the sidelines, watching as he pursued his dream...
Over the years, our annual celebration event has evolved from a dinner with clients, families and staff to this year’s full banquet and program at The Falls Reception & Conference Center in Columbia. We were honored to host a crowd of more than 250 people on Oct. 17, 2018 as we celebrated our clients, staff and...
For nearly half a century, Human Support Services has been shining a light of hope on the people of our community who need help to pursue their best lives. Whether she’s a working mom who needs outpatient counseling services to be her best self, or he is an individual with a developmental disability who needs job...
