Some children go to school in smelly, dirty clothes because their family doesn't have the money to properly wash their clothes.

It's one of the reasons the church I pastor,

On May 15, 2016, Great River Brewery is hosting Give & Grub, a fundraising luncheon sponsored by Connection Quad Cities, to help Laundry Love QC give low-income families a chance to have their laundry washed for free.

Laundry Love QC i...

???On July 13, 2013, Connection Church throws a party. In effort to build neighborhood community and help children in need, Connection will host a Block Party featuring free food, entertainment, and a backpack and school supply giveaway.

At 3pm the party begins with fun and food. Two inflatable bouncers, a dunk tank, bike tune-ups, and raffle prizes will provide a fun, family-friendly afternoon. Sandwiches, chips, popcorn, and freezer pops will be available for free to eat.

The Block Party, now in it's 3rd year, continues it's tradition of giving away backpacks and school supplies to children in need. 2011's Block Party saw 40 children receive backpacks and school supplies. 2012 saw that total reach 150. This year, the goal is to help around 200 children.

Jason Holtgrewe, Associate Pastor at Connection, believes the Block Party is a great way to help those in need. "Not only is this party a way to bring neighbors together for a little fun, it's also an opportunity to be there for others," says Jason. "There are more families in our city than we realize who need help meeting the financial demands of another school year."

Quad City families wanting a free, family-friendly afternoon of fun--and the chance to receive a free backpack and school supplies--are encouraged to call Connection at 563-355-0919 by July 6th. Those who don't call ahead may still attend but, most likely, won't be able to receive a backpack and school supplies as supplies are limited.

Connection is hosting a Block Party on July 13th at 3pm. The location of the party is 4374 State Street, Bettendorf. Please call 563-355-0919

During the month of December, photographers from across the world will use their skills to give back to their local community. It's a movement called Help-Portrait, and local photographers Jesse Inskeep and Jeff Wros are joining the movement to serve the Quad Cities on December 1st.

Help-Portrait's purpose is simple: grab your camera, ?nd people in need, take their picture, and give them the prints free-of-charge.

"I have very few photographs from when I was growing up as my family didn't have the time or money to make it a priority," says Inskeep. "Now that I'm older and especially now that I have a daughter, it makes me sad that she's not able to see portraits of what I looked like when I was her age. My hope is that those who come to Help-Portrait will leave with something they'll treasure for generations."

Last year Inskeep and Wros participated in Help-Portrait for the ?rst time and were able to give nearly 30 families professionally-done portraits. This year they're hoping to do even more. And this year, like last, will include a team of hairstylists and makeup artists at the event to make sure each person getting their picture taken looks their best.

Help-Portrait will be hosted by Connection, a church in Bettendorf. Connection has helped Inskeep and Wros spread the word by promoting the event at Connection's Food Pantry and reaching out to local shelters. "The Holidays can be tough for many; our hope in hosting Help- Portrait is to help those going through a tough time feel beautiful and valuable," says Jason Holtgrewe, one of Connection's pastors.

Those interested in coming to Help-Portrait can reserve their time-slot by calling 309.524.5024.

Help-Portrait takes place at Connection on December 1st from 12-4pm. Connection is located at  4374 State Street, Suite 2, Bettendorf, IA 52722 and can be contacted by calling 563.355.0919 or by emailing annelyse@inskeep-photography.com.
On July 21, 2012, Connection Church throws a party. In effort to build neighborhood community and to help kids in need, Connection will host a Block Party featuring free food, fun games, and a school supply giveaway.

At 4pm the party begins with free food and exciting games. Two in?atable bouncers, a dunk tank, a photo booth and other games, as well as a free raf?e for an iPod and passes to Splash Landing and Niabi Zoo will provide a fun, family-friendly evening. Walking tacos, popcorn, and snow cones will be available for free to eat.

Besides having fun, the Block Party will be an opportunity to give backpacks and school supplies to kids in need. Last year's party saw 40 kids receive backpacks and school supplies; this year, the goal is to give away even more.

Jason Holtgrewe, a pastor at Connection, believes the Block Party is a great way to help those in need. "Not only is this party a way to bring neighbors together for a little fun, it's also an opportunity to be there for others," says Jason. "There are more families in our city than we realize who need help meeting the ?nancial demands of  another school year."

Quad City families wanting school supplies are encouraged to call Connection at 563-355-0919 before the day of the party. Those who don't call can still receive supplies, but please know, they'll be handed out on a ?rst-come, ?rst-served basis.

Connection is throwing a party and giving away school supplies on July 21st 4-7pm. The location of the party is 4374 State Street, Bettendorf. Please call 563-355-0919 or email jason@connectionqc.org for more information.
On December 10th, 2011, photographers from across the world will use their photography skills to give back to their local community. It's a movement called Help-Portrait, and local photographer Jesse Inskeep is joining the movement to serve the Quad Cities.

Help-Portrait's purpose is quite simple: grab your camera, ?nd people in need, and take their picture. When the prints are ready, the photographs get delivered.

"I have very few photographs from when I was growing up as my family simply didn't have the time or money to make it a priority," says Inskeep. "Now that I'm older and especially now that I have a daughter, it makes me sad that she's not able to see portraits of what I looked like when I was her age. My hope is that those who come to Help-Portrait will leave with something they'll treasure for generations."

Inskeep will be working with a team of other volunteer photographers, hairstylists, and makeup artists to make sure each person getting their picture taken looks their best.

Help-Portrait will be hosted by Connection, a church in Bettendorf. Connection has helped Inskeep spread the word about this event, including telling those who attend Connection's Food Pantry and reaching out to local shelters and families who could use the encouragement a professionally-done portrait can give. "Our goal in hosting Help-Portrait is help those who are going through a tough time this holiday season feel beautiful and valuable," says Jason Holtgrewe, one of Connection's pastors.

Those interested in coming to Help-Portrait can reserve their time-slot by calling 309.524.5024.

Help-Portrait takes place at Connection on December 10th from 1-4pm. Connection is located at 4374 State Street, Suite 2, Bettendorf, IA 52722 and can be contacted by calling 563.209.6384 or by emailing jason@connectionqc.org.

On August 5th, 2011, Connection Church throws a party. In effort to build neighborhood community and to help kids in need, Connection will host a Block Party featuring free food, fun games, an outdoor movie, and a school supply giveaway.

At 7pm the party begins with free food and exciting games for the whole family. Two inflatable bounce houses, a dunk tank, as well as other games will provide children a fun and safe place to play. Walking tacos, fruit, and snow cones will be available for free to eat.

At 9pm the movie will start. An award-wining DreamWorks Animation film will be shown outside on the lawn. People are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs to sit on while enjoying the movie.

Besides having fun, the Block Party will be an opportunity to give school supplies to children in need. Quad City families in need of supplies can come to the party and pick up a backpack and some classroom essentials. For those who want to donate money towards this effort, stop by Connection's Food Pantry on Tuesdays from 9am-1pm. The Food Pantry is located at 4373 State Street, Bettendorf, which is also the location of the party.

Jason Holtgrewe, a pastor at Connection, believes the Block Party is a great way to help those in need. "Not only is this party a way to bring neighbors together for a little fun, it's also an opportunity to be there for others," says Jason. "There are more families in our city than we realize who need support in meeting the financial demands of another school year."

Connection is throwing a party on August 5th at 7pm. The location of the party is 4374 State Street, Bettendorf. Please call the church at 563.209.6384 or email jason@connectionqc.org for more information, including movie details.

On August 5th, 2011, Connection Church throws a party. In effort to build neighborhood community and to help kids in need, Connection will host a Block Party featuring free food, fun games, an outdoor movie, and a school supply giveaway.

At 7pm the party begins with free food and exciting games for the whole family. Two inflatable bounce houses, a dunk tank, as well as other games will provide children a fun and safe place to play. Walking tacos, fruit, and snow cones will be available for free to eat.

At 9pm the movie will start. An award-wining DreamWorks Animation film will be shown outside on the lawn. People are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs to sit on while enjoying the movie.

Besides having fun, the Block Party will be an opportunity to give school supplies to children in need. Quad City families in need of supplies can come to the party and pick up a backpack and some classroom essentials. For those who want to donate money towards this effort, stop by Connection's Food Pantry on Tuesdays from 9am-1pm. The Food Pantry is located at 4373 State Street, Bettendorf, which is also the location of the party.

Jason Holtgrewe, a pastor at Connection, believes the Block Party is a great way to help those in need. "Not only is this party a way to bring neighbors together for a little fun, it's also an opportunity to be there for others," says Jason. "There are more families in our city than we realize who need support in meeting the financial demands of another school year."

Connection is throwing a party on August 5th at 7pm. The location of the party is 4374 State Street, Bettendorf. Please call the church at 563.209.6384 or email jason@connectionqc.org for more information, including movie details.

On April 17th, 2011, Connection goes green. In honor of Earth Day and in effort to promote the city of Davenport's "Cleanup and Greenup" event, Connection's Sunday Service will feature some exciting opportunities to participate in environmental stewardship.

Davenport City Arborist Chris Johnson will be speaking during the service, talking about the city's "5 Hours, 1 Community, 501 Trees" campaign. On April 30 th, volunteers from all over the Quad Cities will gather with the goal of planting 501 trees in Davenport and cleaning up litter around the city. The event is called Cleanup and Greenup.

Building upon the momentum of Cleanup and Greenup, Connection will be introducing a new small group called Cultivation in early May. St. Ambrose student Liz Eckman will be leading the group and will be speaking during the service. Cultivation will meet bi-monthly, raising environmental awareness through watching documentaries and discussing articles; the group will also do "green" service projects around the Quad Cities.

Matt Temple, pastor of Connection, believes celebrating creation is a way to worship the Creator. "God loves what he has created, plain and simple," says Matt. "We just want to do whatever we can to make the world a better place. Raising awareness of environmental issues and taking action in our community seems like a great place to start."

One way Connection will help its congregation take action at the April 17th Sunday Service will be through reusable grocery bags. During the service, bags will be handed out to those in attendance.

Connection goes green on April 17th at 10:10am. It'll take place in downtown Davenport at the River Music Experience, on the corner of Main St. and 2nd St. Please call 563.355.0919 or email jason@connectionqc.org.