HILLSDALE, Ill. - State Rep. Mike Smiddy, D-Hillsdale, attended a service project to benefit the River Bend Foodbank as part of the North American College and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Judging Conference, a large agriculture convention and competition, hosted by Blackhawk College on April 10.

"I'd like to thank Blackhawk College and agriculture teachers for setting up this excellent service project benefitting the River Bend Foodbank," Smiddy said. "I enjoyed the opportunity to meet so many fine young leaders in agriculture and join their effort to feed our community."

The service project was held on April 10 at the iWireless Center Lobby in Moline. Smiddy and other volunteers worked in teams to package American made meals which were later delivered to Riverbend Foodbank. In total, volunteers at the service day packaged over 49,000 meals for donation.

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According to Study, 12.9% of Residents in Eastern IA/Western IL Struggle with Hunger

DAVENPORT, IOWA- River Bend Foodbank announced the release of the annual Map the Meal Gap study, which details the startling rate of food insecurity experienced by community members in their 22-county service area. Map the Meal Gap 2015 results reveal that food insecurity disproportionately affects the most vulnerable populations, including over 49,000 children.

Food insecurity is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's measure of lack of access at times to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members.

"At River Bend Foodbank, we are constantly working to increase our capacity to close the Meal Gap," said Michael Miller, Executive Director. "While we were very pleased to increase our distribution to over 7.3 million meals in 2014, food insecurity rates have increased by an even greater amount."

Nationally, 15.8% of the population is food insecure, with 21.4% of children being food insecure. Furthermore, 43% of those who are food insecure are above the income threshold for food stamps, now called SNAP.

Other key findings local to River Bend's 22 counties:

·         49,710 children are food insecure, increasing from 20.6% to 21.5%.

·         131,900 people overall are food insecure, increasing from 12.4% to 12.9%.

·         The total number of meals missed increased from 22,196,800 to 23,346,200.

Map the Meal Gap 2015 is based on an analysis of statistics collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Census Bureau, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2013, the most recent year for which data is available. The study, commissioned by Feeding America, is a detailed analysis of the nation's food insecurity. An interactive map is available that allows viewers to explore the issue of hunger in Iowa/Illinois and across the country. The map along with an Executive Summary of the study can be found at riverbendfoodbank.org/hunger.htm and then click on "Map the Meal Gap."

"Map the Meal Gap 2015 provides unique insight into the prevalence of food insecurity in each county and congressional district in our nation," said Bob Aiken, CEO of Feeding America. "It will help policy makers and our elected officials understand the challenges they face in addressing hunger in the communities they serve."

The study is supported by the Founding Sponsor Howard G. Buffett Foundation as well as the ConAgra Foods Foundation and Nielsen. The food price data and analysis were provided by Nielsen (NYSE: NLSN), a global provider of information and insights. The lead researcher is Dr. Craig Gundersen, Professor of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois, Executive Director of the National Soybean Research Laboratory, and member of Feeding America's Technical Advisory Group.

County and congressional district food-insecurity details and the full report are available at map.feedingamerica.org/ .

River Bend Foodbank is the largest hunger relief organization in the Quad Cities and surrounding communities, distributing more than 8.8 million lbs. of food annually to more than 300 charitable feeding programs throughout a 22-county service area in Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois. Hunger programs include the Backpack Program which provides over 2000 children with nourishing food to take home on weekends during the school year, the Kids Café Program providing evening meals to children at three sites, Mobile Food Pantries which directly feed thousands of families each month, and School Pantries which serve needy children and their families.

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Revitalized camp will accommodate more outdoor adventures, year-round programs and people with disabilities

BETTENDORF, Iowa–Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois kicked off the public phase of its capital campaign at its annual meeting today. The campaign will fund improvements and expansion of the council's most centrally-located camp in New Liberty, Iowa. The organization announced that $1.6 million has been raised to date, with a lead gift coming from the John Deere Foundation.

Girl Scouts has been empowering girls to be leaders and confident young women since 1912. The capital campaign, "Outdoor Odyssey," will help fund the infrastructure Girl Scouts needs to expand their outdoor programming and continue its mission of "building girls of courage, confidence and character to make the world a better place."

"We couldn't be more appreciative of the campaign's lead donor, the John Deere Foundation," said Marie Ziegler, campaign chair. "This generous donation, combined with strong contributions from the Riverboat Development Authority and the Hunt and Diane Harris Family Foundation, shows unyielding support from the community for the work we do to build tomorrow's leaders."

"The John Deere Foundation is delighted to provide a lead gift in support of the Girl Scouts' capital campaign and their mission to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. We're pleased that with our support, the Girl Scouts can continue to provide unique and educational outdoor experiences at Camp Conestoga for girls of all backgrounds." Mara Sovey, president, John Deere Foundation.

"We are also incredibly grateful for the 100 percent giving participation in the campaign by members of our board of directors, the campaign steering committee and our staff," said Diane Nelson, CEO, Girls Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois. "By enhancing the current facilities and making the camp accessible to all girls, we ensure every girl has the opportunity to embark on the odyssey to becoming a strong leader."

Because of its proximity to 75 percent of members, the camp in New Liberty was chosen to be the premier residential camp for the council, providing year-round activities and experiences.

To make sure girls start their outdoor journeys with strong, confident steps, the organization will renovate and develop the New Liberty camp in three phases:

• Phase one includes building a new, climate-controlled lodge for year-round use; building adjoining cabins; updating facilities for American Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance and safety; updating the equestrian area; and providing an entry road, parking lot and accompanying infrastructure
• Phase two includes building cabins and a troop house and updating pavilions and activity areas
• Phase three includes building new activity areas and improving the lake and zip line

For the thousands of girls enrolling in outdoor programs, there aren't enough overnight facilities to meet the demand. And, the New Liberty camp currently does not have the buildings and resources needed to provide year-round programs. With these renovations, any girl or parent can enjoy camp regardless of climate or accessibility.

The council has a total of four camps that serve as starting points for girls to begin their leadership development. The other three camps will continue to be used for day camps, troop activities and council events.

"Girl Scouts has a long, rich history of outdoor programming. Experiences such as zip lining, canoeing and horseback riding are fun, but more than that, they build courage; they build confidence; and they build character," said Nelson. "Through the outdoors, girls are exposed to challenges that require teamwork, problem-solving and decision-making to overcome obstacles and build character."

"We are very thankful for all of the donations we have already received," said Ziegler. "By kicking off the Outdoor Odyssey campaign today, we hope the excitement will continue to build and will motivate others throughout our council to give."

Ziegler encouraged people to consider creative ways to give to the project, stating that people can make cash gifts or pledges, gifts of grain, stock or life insurance, or explore utilizing IRA rollover funds.

For more information, or to make a donation to the Outdoor Odyssey capital campaign, please call 800-798-0833 or visit www.GirlScoutsToday.org.

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