You are invited to: "Put a Smile on a Child"

Tuesday, May 25, 2010, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Augustana College PepsiCo Center
1025 30th Street, Rock Island

Fun children's activities and • Free dinner!

Community agencies with useful information!

Bring your youth group, school group, neighborhood, friends and family.
All activities and food are free!

For more information call:
Churches United, 309/786-6494

The Respect Campaign in cooperation with others presents a very special rally on January 18, 2010 at Beyond the Baseline on the campus of the former Marycrest College in Davenport from 2pm til 6pm.

The program will consist of local and regional talent along with exhibitions and informational booths. Our keynote speaker will be Branden Johnson from Longview, Tx who was instrumental in the formation and operation of a pro-peace initiative in Longview which resulted in a measureable reduction in violent crime in recent years in that city. That program continues on in that city and continues to show success.

Mr. Johnson is a small business owner who felt compelled to take a leadership role in order to preserve the community he calls home. He is also a native of the Quad Cities having been born in East Moline where his mother Drucilla Johnson still resides.

The program is sponsored by the Quad Cities faith-based community, which consists of many local churches, along with Beyond the Baseline and local elected officials. The focus of the rally is to maintain a presence in the community and to provide a venue where victims of violent crime can be heard, to bring people together so that those who serve can come in contact with those in need of service so that a network might be established in order to close some of the gaps that exist in society.

The public is invited and admission is free.

Churches United of the Quad Cities Area presents the 17th Annual Festival of Thanksgiving on November 15, 2009, at 4:00 p.m. at Hope United Church of Christ, 3324 - 41st Street in Moline

We invite all people of the Quad Cities to join us in this celebration without regard to church affiliation.

Refreshments will be served following the service in the fellowship hall of the church.  Please join us as we come together in fellowship.

For more information, please contact the Churches United office at (309) 786-6494.

As you may know, Churches United has the 27 food pantries that cover every single neighborhood in the Quad Cities on both sides of the river. Last year we provided meals for over 105,000 individuals. THIS year, because of the economy, some of our food pantries are experiencing a 75% increase. We also have 3 hot meal sites: The Churches United meal site @ Salvation Army in Davenport, the Churches United meal site @ Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist church in East Moline and the Hope UCC Meal Site in Moline. Every single night in the Quad Cities, a hot meal is served. Last year over 30,000 meals were served and so far in 2009 they're seeing increases of up to 50%! Additionally, Churches United has our Winnie's Place Woman's Shelter which serves women who are homeless or victims of domestic violence, with or without children. Just this year, Shelter has seen a 100% increase in clients in need.

With the economy the way it is, donations are down and usage at the food pantries, meal sites and the shelter is up. People who have never had to use a food pantry are having to do so. Same with the meal sites. So Churches United is trying to be creative in increasing it's financial support. This is where you come in!

• Non-Gala - September 31, 2009 - No, it's not a typo. It's a non-event on a non-day. We had some supporters who suggested that instead of holding a Gala which requires them to buy a new dress or pay a babysitter, they'd rather just write out a check and know that 100% of the money goes to help feed and shelter. We have been encouraging businesses to have fundraising events at their places of employment - departments preparing food and selling it to the other departments, jean day, etc. and sometimes the company is matching the money earned by it's employees! And some people are holding "Non-Gala's" in their homes as just a fun way to have a get together with neighbors and friends and let them know how many people Churches United helps out week after week, year after year. We are hoping to raise $100,000 by the closing day which is another non-day - November 31, 2009.

• Silent Auction: Great prizes that can be bid on beginning MONDAY! Go to our website at www.churchesunited.net and see great things like a pair of AirTran tickets anywhere AirTran flies, Farm Day with Happy Joe, digital photography package, restaurant packages and many many more!

• Trivia Night - Friday, October 16th is a very special Trivia night, held in October which is domestic violence awareness month and will benefit our Winnie's Place shelter. However, this is the first of it's kind...a Bi-State Trivia. One in Illinois (@ First UCC in Moline) and one in Iowa (@ St. John's UMC Davenport) at the same time! The top 3 from each state will do an extra round of questions to get the STATE WINNER! Mike Mickle will host the Iowa side and Jim Mertens the Illinois side. It's only $10 per person with 8 to a table. Dinner will be available along with mulligans, 50/50, Silent Auction, etc.

If you have any questions about our upcoming events, or Churches United in general, please give us a call at 309-786-6494. Thank you for your support!