Happy Holidays!
On November 13th, Quad Cities Interfaith held its fourth annual Fundraising Breakfast. The theme of this year's breakfast was "Honoring Our Founders, Embracing Our Future". Our supporters gathered at St. Ambrose University to help us honor the founders of QCI. The honorees included Reverend Ken Kuenning, Reverend William Grimes, Monsignor Marvin Mottet, Justice Thomas Kilbride, and Joseph Smith. Also during the event QCI honored Loxi Hopkins with the 2012 Marvin Mottet Leadership award.
QCI began in 1986 as a coalition of congregations and people of faith to provide an interfaith response to the farm crisis. "Reverend Keunning was pastor of Church of Peace, and also involved with the formation of the Community Caring Conference, which is based at Church of Peace. At the same time, local clergy, led by Rev Kuenning, Rev. Grimes, Joe Smith, Thomas Kilbride and others began to talk about addressing systemic injustices and larger issues like joblessness and foreclosures in the QCA." -Leslie Kilgannon
"Reverend William Grimes was one of the first local clergy to organize around the idea that the faith community should lead in the work for addressing systemic injustices in the QCA. Already a recognized community activist, Reverend Grimes lent his considerable reputation and leadership to the effort of forming Quad Cities Interfaith." -Leslie Kilgannon
"From this work they began to think strategically about forming an organization that could address community needs and combat systematic injustices and racism. Rev. Kuenning, worked with Monsignor Mottet to connect QCI to Greg Galluzzo and the Gamaliel Network out of Chicago and the rest is history." -Leslie Kilgannon
From their efforts, Quad Cities Interfaith was formed. With leadership from Thomas Kilbride who provided the legal support to form the organization, these pastors lead the development of this multi-faith coalition that has progressed ever since to co-create a more just Quad Cities. Joe Smith, former member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Rock Island, worked with Rev. Grimes, Rev. Ken Kuenning, Thomas Kilbride, and Monsignor Mottet to organize QCI.
The event was a great success. QCI supporters enjoyed breakfast while learning about the work that QCI has done and the work that QCI hopes to get done in the 2013. 2012 has been a year of new issues, new relationships with congregations and community groups, and of measurable progress on the work of jobs equity. Thanks to all of its supporters, the breakfast raised $4,100 in donations and 30 sustaining donors were established. As part of our fundraising efforts, QCI created an ad book to be distributed at the breakfast. The ad book raised $5,000. We'd like to thank all the people who placed an ad in our book.
Please Consider Becoming a Sustaining Donor!
We are trying to diversify our funding. To do this, the breakfast kicked off the individual sustaining donor campaign. The goal is to get 200 individuals donating at least $20 a month. Any contributions to Quad Cities Interfaith are an investment in the work for justice in our community. Your tax-deductible donation is essential to our future and the work for justice. Making a monthly (or an annual) sustaining donation is easy and convenient through VANCO services on our website. You are able to make a secure payment using your credit or debit card. Sustaining donors make an on-going contribution. Each month or year you will be charged the same amount. You can also decide to stop or change your contribution at any time.
1.) Visit our website at www.qcinterfaith.org
2.) On the top right hand side of the site, click on donate now
3.) You will be taken to a secured website provided by VANCO Services to the Online Donation Page which has our logo
4.) Go to Donations
Enter the dollar amount you wish to contribute.
Donation Frequency: Identify how often you will be giving i.e weekly, monthly, one time gift
Donation Start Date: Identify the date you want a withdrawal to begin or to be made
5.) Click on Continue
Fill out donation information including how you would like to pay, your name and address, etc.
Review the information carefully
Make sure you click on process
6.) Confirmation. A confirmation page comes up with a thank you, confirming the donation and a confirmation number.
You can print off a receipt of your donation for your records.
It is recommended that you create a profile so that the system remembers you and you can log in and make changes, etc.
Fire of Faith
Pictured below is Reverend David Bigsby, Gamaliel of IL, as he addresses our event by informing us of the introduction of the Fire of Faith Principles. Thank you Rev. Bigsby for coming to our event. We appreciate that you could be apart of our program.
QCI Issue Updates
Healthcare
Research is starting to show that medical communication problems caused by language barriers are not only distressing, they are also potentially dangerous.
Medical interpretation and translation are key health care services in reducing health disparities. There are many other issues of disparity, of course: geography, ethnicity, physical and mental limitations, but the disparities caused by language services in our communities are the current focus of the QCI Health Equity Task Force.
Immigration
The immigration task force will working on their issue and action for 2013 at their meeting in January 2013 at the Village Inn on Harrison Street in Davenport. We are looking for every member congregation to send a representative to this task force. Please call QCI office at 563.322.4910 for more information.
Education Equity
QCI is in the process of developing a round table on education and is looking for clergy and community leaders to join together to establish round table that will identify and advance local issues and connect to regional and national education issues. If you are interested please email us at qcinterfaith@gmail.com. A kick off meeting will be announced in November!
Continuing Series -Race Matters at St. Ambrose University Jan 15th-Feb 22, Catich Gallery
Friday, Jan. 25 Artist Lecture 4-4:45 p.m.
Opening Reception 5-7 p.m.
Race Matters? Racism Matters!
Post Racial, My Ass
Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr.
Saturday, Jan. 26, 7:30 p.m.
Allaert Auditorium, Galvin Fine Arts Center
For more info and Race Matters updates visit: www.sau.edu
Upcoming Dates
Jan 15th-Feb 22, Catich Gallery
Friday, Jan. 25 Artist Lecture 4-4:45p.m.
Opening Reception 5-7 p.m.
Race Matters? Racism Matters!
Post Racial, My Ass
Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr.
Saturday, Jan. 26, 7:30 p.m.
Allaert Auditorium, Galvin Fine Arts Center
The Quad City Federation of Labor, in conjunction with our various coalition partners, such as the Alliance for Retired Americans, will be organizing a Candlelight Campaign Against Cuts outside of Sen. Chuck Grassley's (R-IA) Davenport office on December 10th @ 4pm.
Tuesday, December 11th - 6:30pm
QCI Leadership Assembly
St Mary's Church , 516 Fillmore, Davenport
This will be our final meeting of the year! There will be some work around strategic planning 2013 but mostly fellowship !
Come and join us for a meal together, to reflect on 2012 and
renew our commitment to making 2013 our best year yet! Please RSVP to this meeting.