Community

Iowa’s Walking Club is holding a group-guided hike on May 7 in Cedar Rapids. There will be 5K and 10K options for walkers.

Several Cedar Rapids organizations that serve people of color, women and youth voters are banding together to boost voter turnout and registration.

In celebration of Earth Week, the Linn County Office of Sustainability invites the public to join in an engaging conversation on climate change and climate action. This in-person event is free and open to the public, and will be held Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Every dollar donated will enable the CommUnity Food Bank to purchase five pounds of food. Each year, this event raises enough funding to stock the shelves for nearly six months. Registration is online and ends today.

The flight’s estimated return time to Cedar Rapids is 8:45 p.m., barring any delays. Organizers hope to see a large crowd at the Eastern Iowa Airport on Tuesday evening, as many veterans never received a “thank you, welcome home” when they returned from their service. Here is our chance to make up for that.

April is Child Abuse Awareness Month and various organizations in Iowa are creating opportunities to families to bond and learn more about preventing child abuse.

Johnson County is accepting applications from area nonprofit and charitable organizations that provide services to reduce food insecurity and improve access to healthy food for residents in the community. Priority will be given to applications that serve households in or near food deserts, individuals who lack access to transportation, and homebound residents.

Families Helping Families of Iowa is hosting a bowling fundraiser on April 23 at Lancer Lanes, 3202 Sixth St. SW, Cedar Rapids. Cost is $25 per person, four players on a team. All proceeds benefit Iowa's children in foster care.

The Cedar Rapids Fire Department seeks input as part of its five-year strategic plan at a public forum at Central Fire Station on Thursday. Senior command staff members plan to engage one-on-one with participants, listen to ideas and, if possible, get written input that will be used as material to drive the strategic plan.

The Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission is launching its 7th Annual Fair Housing Art Contest. The competition is open to all Cedar Rapids students in kindergarten through 12th grade, including students who are not U.S. citizens, virtual learners, and those who are homeschooled. The submission deadline is April 22.

School-age students are encouraged to participate in the 2022 Choose Iowa Calendar Contest hosted by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Artwork submitted should feature at least one aspect of Iowa agriculture — food, livestock, crops or renewable fuels, for example. Submissions will be judged on both creativity and the ability to connect agriculture to everyday life. The deadlnie for entries is June 1.

Cedar Rapids is asking residents to participate in the city’s Green Homes program by completing sustainable actions or making future commitments and then logging them online through April 21. Participating residents and neighborhoods will be recognized at EcoFest, held in person this year on April 23 at NewBo City Market.