Grand Opening Dedication Celebration of their new church building located at 2930 W. Locust Street, Davenport, IA to be held the weekend of November 15 and 16.

DAVENPORT, Iowa, November 3, 2014 -. The community is invited to participate in the MCC QC Sneak Peek Open House on Saturday, November 15 from 2:00 - 6:00pm. Guests will be treated to coffee, punch and desserts as they tour the newly remodeled former Blockbuster building, which is now the home of an inviting social hall and a sanctuary wrapped in the warmth of stained glass windows. As artist Jim Rocker of Glass Illusions in East Moline says, "It's raining color to nourish our souls." All of the windows were purchased by members and friends to honor loved ones.

MCC QC was without its own church home for about a year after selling its former property at 3019 N. Harrison. The congregation was blessed to be able to meet for a time at the TriCity Jewish Center in Rock Island, and then at Tanglewood Chapel in Bettendorf. "The remodeling has been quite a challenge, both time-consuming and financially, but it is the result of the efforts of many, many loving hands and we are excited about the possibilities for new ministries and outreach at the new location," says MCC QC's pastor of ten years, Rev. Rich Hendricks.

The old Blockbuster Video sign at the location has been repurposed, with the same ticket shape that now has "MCC QC" and the MCC denominational logo on it. "It suits us," says Hendricks, "because after all, we're all a little bent, we're all a little torn, but with God and Jesus' love we've got just the ticket!" The Grand Opening and Dedication Service will take place at 11:00am on Sunday, November 16, and will be presided over by the Rev. Rachelle Brown, Emerging Church Specialist for Metropolitan Community Churches worldwide. Rev. Brown has served as a Pastor at two Chicago-area MCCs and is also the North Central MCC Network Leader. She holds a Master of Divinity from Eden Theological Seminary, St. Louis, MO, a Master of Communications from Missouri State University, and is a current PhD Candidate at Chicago Theological Seminary.

Immediately following the Dedication Celebration, MCC QC will host a spaghetti dinner in their new social hall. Those interested in attending the dinner should RSVP by November 13. For additional information, or to RSVP, please contact Rev. Rich Hendricks at 563-324-8281 or by email at richdhendricks@msn.com.

While most Americans will worry about eating too much this holiday season, 16 million of our country's children live in households that struggle to afford food, according to a 2012 report from the United States Department of Agriculture.

"We hear about 'food insecurity' quite a bit, especially after the 2008-09 economic crash, but I think most people don't have a clear picture of what that means," says Lois Brandt, a former Peace Corps volunteer and author of "Maddi's Fridge," (www.MaddisFridge.com), a children's picture book that asks the question: what do you do if your best friend's family doesn't have enough food?

"Food insecurity means an empty refrigerator. Food insecurity means soda instead of milk. Food insecurity means a child coming to school hungry and unable to focus. Poverty may not look exactly the same in our country as it does in a war-torn region or a developing country, but it is affecting our children and their futures. Sometimes, working parents have to choose between rent and food, medicine and food, or gas and food.

Brandt suggests four things you can do to help prevent childhood hunger.

•  Support non-profit organizations like Feeding America (www.FeedingAmerica.org). Previously known as Second Harvest, Feeding America is a national network of food banks that feeds more that 37 million people through food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters. It's the nation's leading organization for countering hunger and educating the public about this crisis.

"Public awareness is important," Brandt says. "Many people simply do not know that we're surrounded every day by hungry children."

•  Talk to your children about childhood hunger and how they can help. "When I was a child I opened my best friend's refrigerator to get a snack and was shocked to see it held almost nothing," she says. "I didn't know what to do."

As an adult, Brandt says she's amazed by the number of people who share with her their own stories of childhood food insecurity.

"Rather than sheltering your children from this sad fact of American life, talking to them about it can help nurture their compassion and empathy," she says. "And there's plenty they can do to help, from making posters to raise awareness, to organizing a food drive at school."

Taking action teaches children that they do have the power and ability to change the world for the better.

•  Don't make childhood hunger a political issue. Of course, childhood hunger doesn't exist in a vacuum; issues like welfare, minimum wage, income inequality and access to health care - all of which are heavily politicized - surround the problem. Whatever your take on these topics, realize that no matter the decisions a parent has made in his or her lifetime, children are innocent and have no control of their family's circumstances.

•  Volunteer with your family at a shelter or food pantry during the busy holiday season. While serving or cooking food for a holiday-themed meal at a shelter during Thanksgiving or Christmas does not solve the larger problem, it will affect every person whose life you touch that day. Your efforts and kind words can become a fond, lifelong memory for a child, or remind adults that others care and they're not alone.

Volunteering also has personal benefits, not the least of which is knowing that, despite whatever problems you're facing, you were able to help someone else.

About Lois Brandt

Lois Brandt is a children's fiction writer whose work has appeared in Highlights and other fine children's magazines. Her new book "Maddi's Fridge," (www.MaddisFridge.com), illustrated by Vin Vogel, is the first picture book to address child hunger in the United States. It was inspired by Brandt's childhood memory of opening her friend's refrigerator and finding only condiments and a lunch milk carton her friend had saved from school for her little brother. Ten percent of proceeds from sales of "Maddi's Fridge" go to hunger solutions. Brandt, who holds an MFA from Northwest Institute of Literary Arts, served as a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa.

IRS impersonators are making their rounds throughout our service area. BBB is receiving numerous calls from consumers who are inquiring about the legitimacy of a call from someone claiming to be from the IRS.  The impersonator states that the IRS is pursuing a lawsuit against the consumer for "back taxes," and they are demanding payment via prepaid money card or a wire transfer.

Those who don't answer their phone are left with a threatening message to call them back at 202-864-1213. Scammers often target the elderly or immigrant population. Some of the threats include jail time, deportation or suspension of the victim's business or driver's license.

BBB offers the following tips to protect you from the IRS scam and others like it:

• Don't wire money to people you don't know. The IRS will never ask for payment over the phone. Furthermore, they will never ask for payments by wire transfer or prepaid debit card.

• Just hang up. Don't engage in conversation with a scammer. A scam artist is often cunning. They may extract information from you the longer you engage in conversation with them.

• Never give out your personal information. Caller ID spoofing makes it very easy for callers to pretend to be someone else. You should never give anyone your credit card, social security number or bank account information if they are soliciting you.

• Call the IRS/ or company directly. If you owe taxes or think you might owe taxes, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. An IRS employee will help you with payment issues. Verify legitimate phone numbers on company websites or in the phonebook.

• Contact the BBB. Check out the latest scams across the country by visiting our BBB Scam Source at http://www.bbb.org/iowa/get-consumer-help/scam-source/

About Better Business Bureau: BBB is an unbiased, nonprofit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. All BBB services to consumers are free of charge. BBB provides objective advice; free BBB Business Reviews on more than 4 million businesses, 11,000 Charity Reviews, dispute resolution services, alerts and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust. BBB Serving Greater Iowa, Quad Cities and Siouxland Region was founded in 1940 and is one of 112 local, independent BBBs across North America.