August 1-7 is National WIC Breastfeeding Week

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2015 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is recognizing state and local agencies of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (more commonly known as WIC) that excel in offering education and support for breastfeeding mothers. As part of World Breastfeeding Week activities, Vilsack has also proclaimed this week, Aug. 1-7, as National WIC Breastfeeding Week, "in appreciation of breastfeeding mothers and of all the dedicated volunteers, professionals, communities, and organizations who support their efforts."

"The work being done by WIC programs to empower mothers to breastfeed?addressing societal barriers, enhancing peer counselor programs, building key coalitions, and more-is absolutely vital and deserves recognition," said Vilsack. "There is no better food than breast milk for a baby's first year of life. Increasing breastfeeding rates can help reduce the prevalence of various illnesses and health conditions, which in turn results in lower health care costs."

According to a 2010 study, if 90 percent of U.S. families could comply with medical recommendations to breastfeed exclusively for six months, the United States would prevent more than 900 deaths save $13 billion per year and from reduced direct and indirect medical costs and the cost of premature death.

Throughout the week the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is recognizing outstanding breastfeeding programs with WIC Breastfeeding Performance Bonuses and the WIC Loving Support Awards of Excellence. The recognition supports the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which calls for increased emphasis on breastfeeding promotion and support in the WIC program.

This year, WIC Breastfeeding Performance Bonuses are presented to large (>1,000 infants) and small (<1,000 infants) high-performing WIC agencies with the greatest improvement in the percentage of exclusively breastfed infants over the past year. A total of $500,000 will be awarded to eight state WIC agencies and Indian tribal organizations that have demonstrated successful breastfeeding promotion and support efforts. The performance bonuses highlight WIC agencies' successful breastfeeding initiatives, while encouraging and motivating other state agencies to strengthen their breastfeeding promotion and support services.

For the first time, USDA is also recognizing exemplary WIC local agencies with the WIC Loving Support Awards of Excellence. WIC agencies utilizing the USDA Loving Support Model for a successful peer counseling program were eligible to apply for the honor, which considers their breastfeeding performance measures, effective peer counseling programs and community partnerships. A total of 55 local WIC agencies across the country qualified for an award. By recognizing their success and sharing best practices, the WIC Loving Support Awards of Excellence will provide successful models and motivation to other WIC local agencies with the goal of ultimately increase breastfeeding rates among WIC participants.

The WIC program provides nutritious foods to supplement diets, nutrition education (including breastfeeding promotion and support), and referrals to health and other social services to low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age five. Services are made available through approximately 1,900 local agencies and 10,000 clinic sites. Visit www.fns.usda.gov/WIC to learn more about the WIC program.

In addition to WIC, USDA's Food and Nutrition Services administers several other programs including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, National School Lunch Program, and the Summer Food Service Program which together comprise America's nutrition safety net. For more information, visit www.fns.usda.gov.

Glen Leach, Immigration and Disaster Relief Coordinator for Catholic Charities with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport:

"Hate and violence have become ingrained parts of our culture. We are so filled with them that we are in-sensitive to their effects, sometimes even when another horrific event occurs. We immediately divert our attention to ancillary issues, flags, militarization of police, the economy, lack of mental health support. The issue remains hate, and its inevitable sibling, violence. We deify hate, we worship it. We seek justification for our hate by reference to our religious texts, by defining individuals and groups as being less than us, less than loved by God. Our hate is the mirror of our own sense of inadequacy, our own fear that if we do not strike out at someone or something, we will be less or have less."

It is exactly because of that intransigent culture of hate that "Going to the River: the Quad Cities Standing United Against Hate," was started. Four City Governments are now poised to stand united against hate in the Quad Cities and organizers of this no hate event are challenging everyone to come down to the River that unites us on Sunday, August 30th at 5:00 p.m. When Rev. Rich Hendricks first heard the song, "Going to the River to Pray," by Ella Henderson, all he could think of was the need for Quad Citians to go use the resource of the mighty Mississippi River to unite us against the ghost of hate that so haunts our world today.

"In a world where our young people being recruited to join hate groups like the KKK and terrorist groups like ISIS, we need a proactive approach to combatting hate," says Hendricks. "We don't have to wait until some horrible tragedy strikes locally; we can be an example for communities all over the world."

The proclamation being considered by Davenport, Bettendorf, Rock Island and Moline states:

WHEREAS, one of the Quad Cities' greatest strengths is the diversity of its people, and

WHEREAS, the Quad Cities seeks to be a community that exemplifies the ideals of respect, fairness, diver-sity, equity, and the freedom to pursue an individually defined quality of life, and 

WHEREAS, there is too much hate in our world, as evidenced by racism, gang violence, Islamaphobia, Anti-Semitism, homophobia, religious intolerance and lack of respect for one another, and

WHEREAS, on Sunday August 30th, 2015, friends and neighbors and various houses of worship and community organizations all over the Quad Cities will join together at the Mississippi River at 5:00 p.m. to stand united against hate;

NOW THEREFORE, We, the Mayors and the City Councils of the City of the Quad Cities, do hereby proclaim Sunday, August 30th, 2015 to be "Standing United Against Hate Day" in the Quad Cities, and encourage all citizens to join in celebrating the spirit of love and respect for one another.

"We want to stand shower to shoulder with one another and take a stand against hatred in our community," states Latrice Lacey, Director of the Davenport Civil Rights Commission.

Organizers of this event include leaders from Jewish, Muslim, Catholic and Protestant Christian and Unitarian houses of worship and persons without any religious affiliation. They are adamant in their belief that we as a community are not powerless against hate and that now is the time to stand united - both to remind ourselves and to show the world that the power of love and peace is greater than the forces of evil in our world.

Rev. Jay Wolin of the Davenport Unitarian Universalist Congregation states: "My peace is not a passive peace but an active peace. We need to act with compassion to build the world we dream about." Any and all individuals or groups that support this simple premise are invited to come participate and to get out the word to all.

Kent Ferris, Director of Catholic Charities for the Diocese of Davenport reminds us of Pope Francis' words regarding civil dialog: "Indeed, we are a single human family that is journeying on toward unity, making the most of solidarity and dialogue among peoples in the multiplicity of differences."

At each site, there will be an opportunity for people to participate through chants and music. An interfaith prayer will also be offered, with the leaders symbolically dipping their hands in the Mississippi River as a sign of cleansing against the ghosts of hate in our world. Ella Henderson's song has a refrain that states: "Give up the ghost." That's exactly what organizers of the event are asking people to do?to give up the ghost of hate. Quad Cities Interfaith Executive Director, Leslie Kilgannon says: "This gathering is an important opportunity for our Quad Cities to come together to proclaim that there is no room for hate in our community. Bringing together people to celebrate the human dignity in all of us is a powerful thing."

Representatives of Quad Cities Standing United Against Hate Committee:
Kent Ferris, Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport ferris@davenportdiocese.org
Rich Hendricks, Metro Community Church pastorrich@mccqc.org
Rabbi Henry Karp, Temple Emanuel ravkarp@msn.com
Lisa Killinger, Muslim Community of the Quad Cities killingerlisaz@gmail.com
Anne Walchal, Churches United of the Quad Cities Area
Jay Wolin, Davenport Unitarian Universalist Congregation jaywolin@gmail.com

There is no "other" - one human race, one planet earth

The Quad Cities Standing
United Against Hate
5 pm Sunday, August 30th
LeClaire Park, Davenport; Leach Park, Bettendorf
Butterworth Park, Moline; Sunset Marina Park, Rock Island

For more info contact MCC QC at 563.324.8281

DES MOINES, IA (08/03/2015)(readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald announced today that a stop at the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt booth during the 2015 Iowa State Fair may pay off. "The State Fair is a tremendous opportunity for us to reunite people with their lost treasure," Fitzgerald said. "With over a million names listed in the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt, fairgoers could find they have unclaimed money waiting for them to claim."

"Over the years, we have been successful in reuniting people with their lost treasures," Fitzgerald added. "Last year during the fair, over 7,200 unclaimed property claim forms were printed off, totaling more than $1.6 million. Computers will be set up at the booth for people to search for their name and staff will be on hand to answer questions and help treasure hunters print claim forms."

The Great Iowa Treasure Hunt program has returned over $198 million in unclaimed property to more than 468,000 people since Fitzgerald created it in 1983. Unclaimed property refers to money and other assets held by financial institutions or companies that have lost contact with the property's owner for a specific period of time. State law requires these institutions and companies to annually report unclaimed property to the state treasurer's office. The assets are then held until the owner or heir of the property is found. Common forms of unclaimed property include savings or checking accounts, stocks, uncashed checks, life insurance policies, utility security deposits and safe deposit box contents.

Stop by the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt booth at the Iowa State Fair, August 13-23 in the Varied Industries Building. The building will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Visit the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt at GreatIowaTreasureHunt.com to begin your search. Be sure to like Great Iowa Treasure Hunt on Facebook and follow the program on Twitter @GreatIATreasure.

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38th ANNUAL PINEAPPLE SALES & 37TH ANNUAL PINEAPPLE GALA

MONTICELLO, IOWA- Fresh pineapples will be in Iowa for the 38th Annual Pineapple Sales for Camp Courageous the week of August 5th - 9th. The pineapples will be on sale at nearly 30 Hy-Vee Stores in Bettendorf, Cedar Rapids, Cedar Falls, Clinton, Coralville, Davenport, Dubuque, Iowa City, Marion and Waterloo. Most locations will have the ability to core and place the pineapple in a container for the customer. Pineapple sales will go to benefit Camp Courageous, a year-round respite and recreational facility, serving over 7,000 individuals with special needs annually. Customers not interested in pineapples are encouraged to buy a gift card for food and send it to camp. 

The 37th Annual Pineapple Gala, will be Friday August 21, at the downtown Cedar Rapids DoubleTree Hotel beginning at 6:00 PM. This is one of Iowa's largest charity silent and live auctions with hundreds of items available for bid. The silent auction includes everything from wine and golf packages, Hawkeye, Cyclone, and UNI Packages, to numerous themed baskets. Highlights of the live auction are a weeklong stay at a lovely homes in the mountains of Colorado, a golf course in Arizona, and a condo in Florida and a pick-up truck and a lot more. To view the auction items go to www.campcourageous.org.

An exceptional Hawaiian dinner, entertainment, and door prizes, including a trip for two to Hawaii, are planned for this year's Gala.  Justin Roberts and Honorary Camp Courageous Board Member Ralph Palmer will emcee the event. Tickets are $60 each or a table of 10 for $600. Auction items can be donated, or tickets can be obtained through camp by calling Charlie Becker at 319/465-5916, ext. 2100 or e-mailing at cbecker@campcourageous.org.

Camp Courageous is honoring the memory of Cathy Faulkner at this year's Pineapple Gala.  Cathy Faulkner was a long-time Pineapple Gala volunteer and camp volunteer.

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Camp Courageous