Quad Cities, USA - The Salvation Army of the Quad Cities is grateful to the Scott County Regional Authority for their 2013 Fall Grant Award. The $20,000 award helped to purchase eleven new high quality metal bunk beds, 22 specially covered mattresses, and a bed bug heat treatment machine.

Residents at the Family Service Center are families experiencing the personal disaster of homelessness. The new beds and mattresses are helping The Salvation Army provide their residents improved health and well-being while transitioning to permanent housing.

The heat treating system will heat an apartment up to 130 degrees F, and a special Salvation Army staff training was also paid for by the Scott County Regional Authority as part of this grant award.

Check presentation held at Foodbank

Davenport, IA– On August 18th, Gretchen Mohr of Long Grove, IA and Stephen J. Brady STOP Hunger Regional Honoree, presented River Bend Foodbank with a check for $1,000. This money will help sponsor children on the Backpack Program for the 2014-2015 school year.

Gretchen is a sophomore at St. Louis University and attended North Scott High School. She is very passionate about fighting hunger and malnutrition. "I am grateful for this opportunity to assist with the worthwhile work that the River Bend Foodbank is doing, along with their sponsors, to help fight hunger in the Quad Cities through the Backpack Program," said Gretchen. As a Stephen J. Brady STOP Hunger Regional Honoree, Gretchen received a $1,000 grant for the hunger-related charity of her choice.

Caren Laughlin, River Bend Foodbank Marketing Director and Backpack Program Coordinator, said, "This is an incredibly wonderful donation by Gretchen and we are so thrilled that she chose the River Bend Foodbank Backpack Program as her charity of choice."

The Backpack Program provides children at risk of hunger with nourishing food to take home on Fridays to get them through the weekend when programs like school breakfasts and lunches are not available.  The Backpack Program targets pre-school, elementary and middle school children who are at risk of chronic hunger.  These children are identified by name by their school staff.  Each child receives a weekly food pack on Fridays to put in their Backpacks and take home for the weekend.  The food is child friendly, easily consumed and vitamin fortified. The bags contain about eight items and include two "entrees" like stew or soup, two servings of fruit, cereal, milk, and juice. We partner with the schools to select the children and distribute the food. Currently we are serving 43 schools and 1,700 of the neediest children in the Quad Cities.

The Stephen J. Brady Stop Hunger Scholarship is named for the Sodexo Foundation's founder and former president, who was an unstoppable champion in the fight to end hunger. Thanks to Steve's efforts, which made these scholarships possible, an emerging generation of leaders will be cultivated in the fight against hunger.

Hunger and poverty are problems that impact communities around the world. Locally, here in the Quad Cities, we know the struggle. We see it around us, and know the work of the community to end it. Nationally and globally, hunger and poverty are also a problem. Every night, 1 in 7 people in the world go to bed hungry. In the United States, more than 17 million households, or 14.5 percent of Americans don't know where their next meal may come from.¹

In October, the community is coming together to end hunger both locally and globally. Starting with churches in the community, and including local businesses, schools, and the entire community, the 43rd annual Quad Cities CROP Hunger Walk has been planned for Sunday, October 5th at 2:00 p.m. Our walk, which is the only bi-state CROP Hunger Walk in the nation, will raise funds to go toward hunger alleviation efforts both in the Quad Cities and through the work of Church World Service around the world. The 600 or so walkers also raise awareness of the struggle families dealing with hunger and poverty face on a daily basis.

"Here in our area, 25 percent of funds raised will go to local hunger programs which make a real impact for families dealing with hunger and poverty in our community. These funds really do make a difference in peoples lives in our community," said Rick Martin, coordinator of the Quad Cities CROP Hunger walk.

"The money and awareness raised by the more than 70 CROP Hunger Walks across Iowa make a huge difference in the lives of people around the world," said Jordan Bles, Church World Service Assistant Field Director for the Iowa Region. "$110 raised is the equivilant of an emergency food package - locally purchased and culturally appropriate enough for a family of five for one month. $300 equals 10 meters of a shallow borehole well for a community desperate for clean, safe water and sustainable food security."

Everyone is invited to participate, and play a part in ending hunger both in the Quad Cities area and around the world. For more information, please contact Rick Martin (qccrophungerwalk@gmail.com).