Charity Navigator Awards the Y Its Highest Honor, Three Years in A Row

DAVENPORT, Iowa - August 7, 2009 - The Scott County Family Y is one of the best charitable organizations in the country, that according to Charity Navigator.  The nation's largest independent evaluator of charities has awarded the Y its coveted 4-Star rating for the third straight year.

The Scott County Family Y is the only Iowa Quad City charity to receive this rating; is one of 10charitable organizations in Iowa and one of only 16 YMCAs in the United States to receive this recognition in 2008.  In addition, only 12-percent of not-for-profit agencies receive this rating in consecutive years, according to Michael Smith, Interim President and CEO of Charity Navigator.  "The Scott County Family Y outperforms most charities in America in its efforts to operate in the most fiscally responsible way possible," said Smith.  This four-star rating was awarded to the Scott County Family Y for efficiently managing and growing its finances.

"One way in which the Scott County Family Y expresses its gratitude to our donors is by being a good steward of the gifts that have been entrusted to us - making the most of every donated dollar, said Kellie Esters, Vice President of Fund Development for the Scott County Family Y.  Frank Klipsch, President and CEO of the Scott County Family Y, stated that he was proud that our commitment to donors and our community, fostered by our partnership between our board of directors and staff has been recognized by this prestigious national organization.

Founded in 2001, Charity Navigator uses an unbiased and objective rating system that evaluates the financial health of more than 5,000 charities, with the goal of helping charitable givers make informed, intelligent donation decisions.  All of Charity Navigator's information is available to the public at no cost and can be found on line at www.charitynavigator.org.

Davenport, IA - August 7, 2009 - Helping men, women and children through rough times has been part of the Scott County Family Y's mission since its beginning in October of 1858.  From World War I to the Great Depression through the ups and downs of the Quad City area's economy, the Scott County Family Y has remained true to its belief - no one is turned away due to their inability to pay.

That is more than a saying at the Scott County Family Y especially when it comes to providing a safe and positive environment to area children.  The Scott County Family Y is the largest child care provider in the Iowa Quad Cities.  Serving more than 450 children a week and connecting more than 1,300 family members, the Child Care and Family Services Division is committed to all those it touches.

One of the ways the Scott County Family Y Child Care and Family Services is able to make this connection is through its participation in the United States Department of Agriculture's Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).  CACFP helps the Y insure that nutritious meals are provided, at no separate charge to children enrolled in the following programs: YMCA/Palmer Learning Center, Davenport Family YMCA's Learning Center, YMCA Kid's Club Before and After-School programs at Riverdale Heights Elementary School in Bettendorf and at the Davenport Family YMCA. Meals are provided without regards to race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability and the Scott County Family Y's Child Care and Family Services Division receives partial reimbursement based upon the income information provided by the children's parent or legal guardian.  Eligibility guidelines for reduced price meals are as follows:

Income Eligibility Guidelines for Reduced Price Meals

Effective 7-1-2009 to 6-30-2010

In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TTY). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

The Scott County Family Y's Child Care and Family Services division is committed to maintaining federal and state standards, which meet the physical, intellectual, emotional and social needs of area children.  All child care programs are licensed by the State of Iowa and staff members are trained to meet initiatives above and beyond licensing requirements.

In addition to following these income eligibility guidelines, the Scott County Family Y Palmer Learning Center has earned a level 4 rating from the Iowa Department of Human Services - one of the highest quality assurance ratings the state offers.

The Iowa Quality Rating System for Child Care Providers (QRS) is a voluntary program that rates child care providers on quality indicators such as professional development; health and safety; environment; family and community partnerships; and leadership and administration.  Established in 2005 by the state legislature, QRS is designed to make providers aware of the many paths and steps they can take to improve the quality of their care.  The system also offers parents another resource in evaluating and selecting a child care provider.

The Scott County Family Y Palmer Learning Center is one of only six licensed child care centers in Scott County to receive this rating, showing that the YMCA goes above and beyond state licensing standards.  "We believe that quality is an ongoing process and we continually strive towards maintaining and improving the quality of care we provide, said Deb Gustafson, Executive Director, YMCA Child Care & Family Services.  "This rating shows along with our participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program helps show that we arecommitted to nurturing the whole child, and his or her family, all while making sure they have a healthy and safe environment to grow and learn in."

For more information about the programs and services offered through the Scott County Family Y's Child Care and Family Services Division, call (563) 323-5725 or visit the Scott County Family Y website, www.ScottCountyFamilyY.org.

Arnold's Body Shop in Davenport received recognition last week for leading Iowa's collision repair industry in switching to environmentally friendly water-based paint. On July 29, 2009, Governor Chet Culver honored the company at the State Capitol with the 2008 Governor's Iowa Environmental Excellence Award with the Special Recognition in Air Quality. Arnold's was the first collision repair shop in Iowa to convert its processes away from petroleum-based base coatings, reducing its output of volatile organic compounds (VOC) by 54 percent and hazardous air pollutants (HAP) by 91 percent.

"Ever since our family started this business in 1969, we have continually used the most sophisticated products and systems available to meet or exceed environmental standards," said John Arnold, CEO of Arnold's Body Shop. "Now, with water-based base coatings and improved exhaust systems that exceed EPA standards for 2011, we can repair vehicles so they're like new and safe for families as well as the planet."

Arnold said that the effort to go green involved dramatic changes for the four-person paint team. The team consists of Refinish Manager, Jeremy Gripp, who accepted the Governor's award in July, as well as paint team members Joe Schoenthaler, Aaron Houzenga and apprentice Mitch Matje.

"With an attitude of success, they implemented the new product, trained for it, learned it and made it part of a very efficient, earth-friendly process," said Arnold.

According to Arnold, the water-based paint formulas only recently became suited for midwestern climates, and Arnold's Body Shop is among the first in the region to convert. In addition to spending many hours of labor on the conversion, the company invested approximately $60,000 in new paint formulas and air-handling systems. This enabled huge reductions in VOCs and HAPs, substances that contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone pollution. New fans also reduce energy consumption by curtailing the need to dry vehicle finishes with intense heat.

"Despite the dramatic changes to our process, the customer won't be able to tell the difference," said Arnold. "That's why we're eager to educate anyone with an interest in this advance in refinishing vehicles."

As education chair of the Iowa Collision Repair Association (ICRA), Arnold is volunteering to educate body shops statewide about making the water-based conversion through a series of seminars this fall. The ICRA, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Iowa Waste Reduction Center are sponsoring the seminars.

Arnold's Body Shop has served Davenport, Iowa, and the greater Quad Cities community with comprehensive collision repair since 1969. It became Iowa's first body shop to adopt environmentally friendly water-borne refinishing system in 2008. It is a member of the Automotive Service Association and the Better Business Bureau. See www.arnoldsbodyshop.com for details.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) will be traveling across the state this month on the Building Iowa's Future tour. This future of Iowa includes one where all Iowans will have access to affordable, quality health care and preventive care that can reduce chronic disease and rein in high health care costs; a future where Iowa leads the green economy and where our heroes get the benefits they deserve.

Senator Harkin will post daily entries chronicling his trip on his Senate website at http://harkin.senate.gov/.

Details of events from August 8th through August 14th are below.

Saturday, August 8th - Des Moines

2:00pm: Harkin will visit Des Moines Primary Health Care, Inc., 1200 University Ave, Des Moines.

Harkin will visit Des Moines Primary Health Care to discuss progress being made on health reform in Washington and the important role Community Health Centers play in our state.

Sunday, August 9th - Ottumwa

Noon: Harkin will attend the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the new Job Corps Center with Labor Secretary Solis at the Industrial Airport Complex, Ottumwa.

Senator Tom Harkin will join U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis at a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Job Corps Center in Ottumwa. Harkin worked to secure $25 million in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, also known as the Recovery Act, for the completion of the Ottumwa Center.

Monday, August 10th - Waterloo, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City

9:15am: Harkin will visit Peoples Community Health Center, 905 Franklin St, Waterloo.

Harkin will visit Peoples Community Health Center to discuss progress being made on health reform in Washington and the important role Community Health Centers play in our state.

11:30am: Harkin will attend the Grand Opening of Linn Community Care Center, 1201 3rd Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids.

Harkin will attend the grand opening of the Linn Community Care Center. Harkin has been an ardent supporter of Iowa's 13 federally-funded Community Health Centers, obtaining funds for the facilities' construction, equipment purchases, and dental expansions through his work on the Labor, HHS, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee.

2:00pm: Harkin will Present Military Medals to Veterans, American Legion Post #17, 3016 Muscatine Ave, Iowa City.

Harkin, who is a Navy veteran, has been a leader in the Senate in calling on the Department of Defense to improve the process for issuing military medals. These medals are being presented to the families of Kenneth Hein, Harlan Henely, Richard Donegan and Clarence Davis. In 1999 Harkin added an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill that directed the Secretary of Defense to eliminate the backlog in decoration requests. Since then, delays in receiving medals have been greatly reduced.

Monday, August 11th - Bettendorf, Davenport

9:00am: Harkin will visit Eastern Iowa Community College's Nursing Program, 500 Belmont Rd, Bettendorf.

Harkin will visit Eastern Iowa Community College's Nursing Program to discuss how the Senate health reform bill will increase the medical workforce with incentives for more doctors and nurses.

2:00pm: Harkin will Present Military Medals to Veterans at the Center for Active Seniors Inc.(CASI), 1035 W. Kimberly Rd, Davenport

Harkin, who is a Navy veteran, has been a leader in the Senate in calling on the Department of Defense to improve the process for issuing military medals. These medals are being presented to John Bohy, as well as the families of Wayne Simmons and Richard Williamson. In 1999 Harkin added an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill which directed the Secretary of Defense to eliminate the backlog in decoration requests. Since then, delays in receiving medals have been greatly reduced.

Wednesday, August 12th - Storm Lake, Ft. Dodge, Story City

10:30am: Harkin will Attend Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for United Community Health Center, 630 Ontario St., Storm Lake.

Harkin will visit United Community Health Center to discuss progress being made on health reform in Washington and the important role Community Health Centers play in our state.

1:30pm: Harkin will visit Ft. Dodge Community Health Center, 126 N. 10th St., Ft. Dodge.

Harkin will visit Ft. Dodge Community Health Center to discuss progress being made on health reform in Washington and the important role Community Health Centers play in our state.

3:30pm: Main Street Tour, 602 Broad St., Story City

Harkin has secured a total of $55,000 in federal funds to revitalize the Story City Herald Building and the Charlson Buildings. Built in 1898, the Charlson Building, initially known as the Swan Building, has stood as a cornerstone at the center of Story City's downtown district for over 100 years. The funds will be used to renovate the commercial and residential spaces, and put an end to the ongoing deterioration of the building, with a new roof, tuck pointing and the addition of a basement floor. To date, Harkin has secured nearly $4 million for the Main Street Iowa program, which preserves the character and vitality of Iowa's small towns by providing communities with the grants to help revitalize their main streets.

4:00pm: Renewable Energy from the Heartland Event, NextEra Energy Resources, I-35 Business Park (exit 124 off I-35), Story City

Harkin will tour this facility and visit with company and local elected officials about their collaborative work on this project. Harkin will use the opportunity to see the major components of a gear box that generates the power produced in the wind turbines around the state. NextEra Energy Resources, the largest wind and solar energy producer in North America, broke ground on the Generation Repair and Service (GRS) facility in April.

Iowa has been a national leader in renewable energy and green collar jobs. The state currently ranks second in wind energy generation with nearly 3,043 megawatts from 2,136 turbines across the state. Iowa also leads the nation in wind generation as percentage of its total power output at 15 percent.

Thursday, August 13th - Des Moines, Mason City

9:00am: Harkin will attend the Iowa State Fair, State Fairgrounds, Des Moines

Harkin will participate in a number of events at the Iowa State Fair, including serving as a guest chef at the Iowa Pork Producers tent on Grand Avenue at 11 A.M.

5:45pm: Main Street Tour, 7 North Federal Ave., Mason City

Harkin will take a walking tour of Mason City and visit the Parker Opera House, Park Inn Hotel and the Lundberg Building. Harkin has been able to secure a total of $110,000 in federal funds to revitalize the Parker Opera House Building and convert the old Lundberg Building into four residential apartments. Each unit of the Lundberg Building will be equipped with energy efficient equipment, using "green" practices wherever possible for long-term sustainability. To date, Harkin has secured nearly $4 million for the Main Street Iowa program, which preserves the character and vitality of Iowa's small towns by providing communities with the grants to help revitalize their main streets.

In addition to the two Main Street stops, Harkin will visit the Park Inn Hotel and City National Bank site. Harkin secured $393,760 for the rehabilitation of the building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is next to the Park Inn Hotel, the only remaining hotel in America designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Friday, August 14th - Mason City

9:00am: Harkin will visit North Iowa Area Community College, 500 College Dr., 104 H McAllister Hall, Mason City.

Harkin will visit North Iowa Area Community College's Nursing Program to discuss how the Senate health reform bill will increase the medical workforce with incentives for more doctors and nurses.

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