17 Jul 2014

Boys and Girls Clubs to Launch Great Futures Literary Challenge

By Mark McLaughlin
UPDATE: members of the community can start dropping off their donations of new or gently used books for young people at Boys & Girls Club locations and at Lagomarcino's in Moline. The Book Rack in Davenport has agreed to donate a big box of books, and more from the community would certainly be welcome.
IA/IL QUAD-CITIES - On Thursday, July 31, Boys and Girls Clubs across the country will celebrate the launch of the Great Futures Campaign to mobilize the community in support of today's young people. As part of that campaign, the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Valley has issued a community literary challenge, encouraging Quad-Citians to donate in support of young people, their reading habits, and the future of the community.
At 3 p.m., July 31, the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Valley (BGCMV) will introduce the Great Futures Literary Challenge at their Davenport Club, located at First Presbyterian Church, 1702 Iowa Street, Davenport, IA.
"The community is invited to the event," said Tim Tolliver, Chief Executive Officer of the BGCMV. "Quad-Citians will be asked to support literacy by donating new or gently used age-appropriate books for young people, ages 6 to 18. Each of our Clubs will conduct a reading contest from July 31 to December 12, with the winners of each club announced at our Holiday Ball event on December 13. Community members, companies and organizations are also welcome to donate to the general funds of the Boys and Girls Clubs, to help support our day-to-day operations."
To prepare for the event, Quad-Citians are asked to drop off books before July 31 at any Boys & Girls Club location:
  • Moline Club, 406 7th Street, Moline, IL
  • Teen Center, 1122 5th Avenue, Moline, IL
  • Davenport Club, First Presbyterian Church, 1702 Iowa Street, Davenport, IA
  • Administrative Office, 338 6th Street, Moline, IL
At the July 31 event, the books that have been donated so far will be given to members of the Boys and Girls Clubs in attendance. People can continue to support the Great Futures Literary Challenge by dropping off books at the above locations until December 12.
Tolliver added that the BGCMV has started a Wish List on their Amazon.com account for donations of books, e-books, e-magazine subscriptions and gift cards. To locate the Wish List, go to Amazon.com, click on the Wish List tab in the upper right-hand corner and choose 'Find a wish list or registry.' On the next screen, enter BGCMV in the space provided to reach the page.
"At the Holiday Ball, we will reveal how many books were donated and read by Club members, and we will also share this information with the media," Tolliver said.
The Needs of Today's Children
Through the Great Futures Campaign, the BGCMV is joining Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide in bringing attention to the needs of today's children. According to Tolliver, the BGCMV has multiple goals for the campaign, including:
  • Increase membership and access to Clubs for young people who need a safe place to go after school and during the summer.
  • Encourage regular reading habits and increase access to age-appropriate reading material.
  • Motivate kids to be healthy through better nutrition and health education, more access to healthy foods, avoidance of risky behaviors, and a lifelong commitment to fitness.
  • Ensure successful transitions to middle and high school, and foster college- or career-readiness with 21st century skills.
  • Engage youth in taking action in their community.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, one out of three children nationwide leave school every day with no place to go, putting them at risk of being unsupervised, unguided and unsafe. Statistics from the Afterschool Alliance show that during the summer, three out of four children in America lack access to summer learning programs, increasing their risk of learning loss and putting them at a disadvantage before the school year starts.  

Statistics from other sources show that today's children also face additional problems:
  • The U.S. Census Bureau has found that one in five American kids live in poverty.
  • National Center for Health Statistics has revealed that three out of 10 kids nationwide are obese or overweight.
  • According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, our nation's graduation rate ranks 22nd among 28 countries.
Tolliver is asking the public to help the BGCMV to reach more kids and put them on the path to a great future. "At the Boys & Girls Clubs, we've seen the positive impact that occurs when young people have access to a safe place with caring adult mentors and enriching programs during out-of-school time," he said. "We want today's generation to be successful in every aspect of their lives, so they can become future leaders for our country."
The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Valley, as a chartered member of Boys and Girls Clubs of America, is a tax-exempt organization, duly qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and contributions are tax-deductible in accordance with Federal law.
For more information on the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Valley, call (309) 757-5777 or visit www.bgcmv.org.
-- # --
17 Jul 2014

Blue Ribbon Foundation breaks Corndog Kickoff Fundraising Record for 4th Consecutive Year

By Lori Chappell

DES MOINES, IA (07/16/2014)(readMedia)-- Iowa State Fair fans were "Rock'n Round the Grounds" on Saturday, July 12th at the Blue Ribbon Foundation's 18th annual Corndog Kickoff Benefit Auction and Fair Food Grazing Party. For the 4th consecutive year, the Corndog Kickoff has broken a record. Last Saturday's event raised a total of $424,000 for the renovation and preservation of the Iowa State Fairgrounds!

More than 1,800 Iowa State Fair supporters gathered for a night of fun, food and fundraising .The Blue Ribbon Foundation auctioned off 31 live and 205 silent auction packages for totals of $145,000 and $47,850, respectively. Patron contributions totaled $185,375. The remaining funds consisted of ticket and merchandise sales.

"The Corndog Kickoff set another record this year in terms of attendance and dollars raised. We cannot thank Iowans enough for their support. Their State Fair will continue to grow and prosper because of their generosity. Thank you," said Peter Cownie, Blue Ribbon Foundation Executive Director.

The Blue Ribbon Foundation encourages the public to attend this year's Iowa State Fair, August 7-17, and see the many improvements made possible through the support of Fair-lovers. Make a point to explore the finished renovation of the Patty and Jim Cownie Cultural Center. The final phase of construction added more restrooms accessible from the second floor entrance. There is now access to the plaza area from the hillside with a new set of stairs and landscaping. Improvements have also been made to the Youth Inn. The first phase of the renovation includes: a replaced roof, remodeled showers and the addition of cooling to the upper level.

Since its inception in 1993, the Blue Ribbon Foundation has been raising funds to renovate and restore the historic Iowa State Fairgrounds. More than $100 million has been generated to date and has supported 40 projects throughout the Fairgrounds. Improvements have been made to the William C. Knapp Varied Industries Building, the Grandstand, the Campgrounds and Ye Old Mill. In addition, funds support the building of new facilities such as the Paul R. Knapp Animal Learning Center, Elwell Family Food Center and the Richard O. Jacobson Exhibition Center.

The Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. For more information, please contact the Foundation at (800) 450-3732, bluerf@blueribbonfoundation.org or visit www.blueribbonfoundation.org.

###

15 Jul 2014

Modern Woodmen "Pack the Truck" Event Rescheduled for July 17

By Rick Martin

All donations to benefit River Bend Foodbank

 

On Thursday, July 17 Modern Woodmen of America will invite members, family, friends and the public to help "Pack the Truck" at Modern Woodmen Park.  The event has been rescheduled due to a rain cancellation on June 19. Modern Woodmen volunteers will "Pack the Truck" when gates open at 5:30 p.m. All attendees are asked to bring a canned food donation to help feed the hungry. Media coverage is welcomed and appreciated.

Those with tickets or postcards from the River Bandits game on June 19 can use them to get into the game for free on July 17. Those who do not have the postcard or tickets can purchase a River Bandits ticket at half-price to enter the game. The first 3,000 attendees will receive a commemorative Quad City River Bandit's baseball cap.

Modern Woodmen's "Pack the Truck" event is just one aspect of the Knock Out Hunger campaign, a summer-long project to help food insufficient families in the Quad City area. Modern Woodmen employees donated and collected 1,551 pounds of food and $1,497 in monetary donations prior to the cancelled June 19 "Pack the Truck" event.

Knock Out Hunger campaign

This year, Modern Woodmen has selected River Bend Foodbank to support through its Knock Out Hunger campaign. Modern Woodmen employees and members will donate time, money and food to the food distribution center throughout the summer.

There are multiple mobile food pantry events scheduled, backpack programs, a "Meals from the Heartland" packing event, and a communitywide 5k run/walk. Each event will support the food bank.

River Bend Foodbank is the largest hunger relief organization in the Quad Cities and surrounding communities, distributing more than 8 million pounds of food annually to feed the hungry. The Foodbank serves more than 10,000 individuals every week through its distribution network of 300 charitable feeding programs in a 22-county service area in Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois.

Founded in 1883, Modern Woodmen of America touches lives and secures futures. The fraternal financial services organization offers financial services and fraternal member benefits to individuals and families throughout the United States.

For more information about the Knock Out Hunger campaign or the effort to support River Bend Foodbank, contact Amber O'Brien at 309-793-5660, 309-798-6704 (cell) or visit modern-woodmen.org.
11 Jul 2014

Connecting Advocacy to Your Mission

By Doug Schenkelberg

Please join the Community Foundation of the Great River Bend, Moline Foundation, and Donors Forum for a training session and discussion on connecting advocacy to your mission! This training session will be a follow-up to the meeting we had in October around "Building a Stronger Illinois" and will help you learn more about the nuts and bolts of effective advocacy.

Advocacy has a role in fulfilling the mission of nonprofits and making an impact in our communities. It can be connected to every organization's mission, no matter the level of experience, no matter the size organization. Participants will leave the training with:

  • skills on how to leverage advocacy for their organization through well planned educational action
  • tools and actionable next steps to make their voices heard by their Illinois elected officials
Please note that the training will be focused on Illinois advocacy and politics (though some of it will be general).

Tuesday, July 22, 2014
1:00 p.m. - Check-In
1:15 - 3:45 p.m. - Briefing and Discussion
Please RSVP by July 17
**Snacks will be served

The Deere-Wiman House
817 - 11th Avenue, Moline

We look forward to seeing you!
11 Jul 2014

NAMI GMV Announces New Board President

By Randy Stalsberg

NAMI Greater Mississippi Valley announces Board President, Max Ewalt, has stepped down as of June 10, 2014.  Max has served NAMI GMV as Board President for five years. He began work as President of the Board of Directors in 2009 when the organization was still named NAMI Scott County and has been instrumental in facilitating our merger with NAMI Rock Island County to become a NAMI of the Greater Mississippi Valley. NAMI GMV now serves the Iowa/Illinois Quad Cities and outlying areas, including Scott, Clinton, and Muscatine counties in Iowa and Rock Island, Mercer and Henry counties in Illinois.

The Board of Directors and members of NAMI Greater Mississippi Valley expresses their sincere appreciation to Max for his 5 years of service, dedication, and leadership.

NAMI Greater Mississippi Valley is proud to announce that Michael Freda, the former Vice President of the organization, has been confirmed as the new Board President of our local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.  He has assumed these duties as of our annual meeting on June 10, 2014.

Michael brings extensive experience and leadership to guide the organization forward into the future.

Michael shares, "Over the next 2 years we hope to build a strong bi-state board, continue to expand NAMI's education and support programs into Rock Island and Muscatine, and increase our advocacy efforts by working with local service providers, our legislators and the Statewide affiliates."

10 Jul 2014

Mobile Food Pantry on July 12 to feed hungry in the Quad Cities

By Amber O’Brien

Modern Woodmen sponsors second Mobile Food Pantry as part of the Knock Out Hunger Campaign 

 

On Saturday, July 12 more than 60 Modern Woodmen of America employees and their family members will host a Mobile Food Pantry, organized by River Bend Foodbank. Mobile Food Pantries are scheduled in areas where the need for food assistance is the greatest. The volunteer event will run from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Goose Creek Park (259 W. 61 Street, Davenport). Media coverage of the event is welcomed and appreciated.

Each Mobile Food Pantry provides approximately 10,000 meals and feeds hundreds of families in the Quad City community. All food is distributed in a farmer's market style of distribution.

"One Mobile Food Pantry distribution costs approximately $1,500 to $2,000 to hold, but that's just operational expenses. That number doesn't cover the cost of food, which has a retail value of $10,000 to $15,000. Our goal is to hold 50 Mobile Food Pantry distributions each year. To have Modern Woodmen sponsor this event and contribute to the cost of the food and operations means more families in the Quad Cities will have meals this summer," said River Bend Foodbank marketing director Caren Laughlin.

Modern Woodmen, a fraternal financial services organization based out of Rock Island, Illinois, will sponsor the Mobile Food pantry. Modern Woodmen employees will staff the event by unloading trucks, distributing food and offering assistance to load cars. This is the second Mobile Food Pantry sponsored by Modern Woodmen and is part of the summer-long campaign to Knock Out Hunger.

 

Knock Out Hunger campaign

This year, Modern Woodmen has selected River Bend Foodbank to support through its Knock Out Hunger campaign. Modern Woodmen employees and members will donate time, money and food to the food distribution center throughout the summer.

There are multiple mobile food pantry events scheduled, backpack programs, a "Meals from the Heartland" packing event, and a communitywide 5k run/walk. Each event will support the food bank.

River Bend Foodbank is the largest hunger relief organization in the Quad Cities and surrounding communities, distributing more than 8 million pounds of food annually to feed the hungry. The Foodbank serves more than 10,000 individuals every week through its distribution network of 300 charitable feeding programs in a 22-county service area in Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois.

Founded in 1883, Modern Woodmen of America touches lives and secures futures. The fraternal financial services organization offers financial services and fraternal member benefits to individuals and families throughout the United States.

For more information about Modern Woodmen Night or the effort to support River Bend Foodbank, contact Amber O'Brien at 309-793-5660 (office), 309-798-6704 (cell) or visit modern-woodmen.org.

-end
07 Jul 2014

FRATERNITY MEN CYCLE THROUGH DAVENPORT, ACROSS COUNTRY FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

By Nick Travaglini

SEE PEOPLE'S ABILITIES, NOT THEIR DISABILITIES

Journey of Hope believes in the abilities of all people.

 

DAVENPORT, Iowa - Journey of Hope will join the Davenport Parks & Rec and Davenport citizens for dinner and a Friendship Visit after 60 miles of cycling. Journey of Hope will cycle an average of 75 miles a day for people with disabilities. The team will enhance the lives of countless individuals with disabilities through grant funding and community events.

 

What:  Journey of Hope, organized by Push America, is a cycling trek that raises funds and awareness on behalf of people with disabilities. Every cyclist commits to raising at least $5,500 on behalf of people with disabilities. Combine their individual efforts with corporate sponsorships and the Journey of Hope 2014 team will raise more than $500,000 for people with disabilities.

When: Wednesday, July 9, 5:00 p.m.

Where: Davenport Parks & Recreation

700 W River Dr

Davenport, IA 52802

Who: Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity members from across the country.
03 Jul 2014

Bettendorf Community-Wide Food Drive Seeks to Raise the Quality of Nutritional Items Available to the Food Pantry Visitors

By Rhonda Johnson

Thanksgiving in July to collect non-perishable food items to benefit three Bettendorf pantries

Bettendorf, IA (June 16th, 2014) - Thanksgiving in July, a community-wide food drive seeks to collect non-perishable food items for three Bettendorf area pantries - the Bettendorf Community Center, First Baptist Church and St. James Food Pantry. The drive will be held Monday, July 14 through Saturday, July 19.

"Food pantries spend up to $1,500 each month on purchasing perishable and non-perishable food items," said Jeff Herzberg, Founding Member. "Our goal is to collect enough non-perishable food items to allow the pantries to use those funds for milk, eggs and other high protein, good-for-you products on a regular basis to their visitors."

  • Items in demand include canned fruit, vegetables, meat (tuna, chicken, Spam), peanut butter, rice, pasta/pasta sauce, Macaroni & Cheese, juice boxes, boxed meals and soups.

"While the beneficiaries of this year's food drive are the citizens residing in the City of Bettendorf, we hope to expand our scope and help more pantries throughout the Quad-City area in the future," said Herzberg.

Ways the Bettendorf community can support Thanksgiving in July:

  • Businesses are encouraged to hold a non-perishable food drive.

  • Athletic clubs, dance troops and nonprofit or civic organizations can sponsor a food drive through ball games, dances, raffles or other community events

  • Individual donations can be made at Hy-Vee on Devils Glen or Fareway on Belmont, in Bettendorf.

  • Personal checks payable to "Thanksgiving in July" can be sent or delivered to, Thanksgiving in July - Bettendorf, Northwest Bank, 2550 Middle Rd. Bettendorf, IA 52722.

Food items will be collected on Saturday, July 19 from 10 am to 2 pm at Faye's Field parking lot - near the Family Museum, Bettendorf. Volunteers will load the food, weigh it and deliver items to the food pantries in the City of Bettendorf.

To learn more about Thanksgiving in July, contact Jeff Herzberg by calling 563 343 9737 or emailing jherzberg@pfgc.com.

About Thanksgiving in July

 

Locally in Scott County, 19.6% or approximately 8000 children under the age of 18 are faced with food insecurity -- a need that's even greater during the summer months when children are out of school. Local food pantries see a significant amount of their contributions during the November and December months. Our local pantries have demand all year long and the summer months are an especially high period of demand for their services. Thanksgiving in July is an opportunity for the citizens of Bettendorf to provide support to the food pantries in Bettendorf.

03 Jul 2014

BBB Asks Donors to Honor July 4th by Helping Advocacy Charities

By Better Business Bureau
BBB Wise Giving Alliance Urges Donors to Actively Show Support for Advocacy Charities that Meet its Rigorous Standards
As Americans celebrate Independence Day on July 4th, BBB Wise Giving Alliance calls for donors to show their support for charities that fight for a variety of causes.  "As we gather to cheer America's birthday," notes H. Art Taylor, President & CEO of BBB Wise Giving Alliance, "we should also applaud and assist those charities that conduct advocacy."
"The freedom of choice, to support the causes we care about, reminds us of the spirit of the July 4th holiday. But whether the charity advocates for issues related to civil rights, immigration, the environment, animal welfare, health care, veterans,  military service members or other issues," Taylor cautions donors to, "verify if the charity meets the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability by visiting give.org."
"Donor trust is essential for helping to maintain a vibrant and independent charitable community," notes Chris Coleman, President & CEO of BBB Serving Greater Iowa, Quad Cities & Siouxland Region, "we believe that charities that seek to meet our rigorous standards understand the significant role that trust plays in successful fundraising."
To help donors support advocacy charities during the Independence Day and throughout the year, BBB offers the following tips:
  1. More than a Charity Name. Don't assume the nature of the advocacy charity's programs based solely on its name. Review the organization's website to better understand its positions and activities.
  2. Be Wary of Overly Emotional Appeals. Watch out for charity appeals that seek to stir your passions for an advocacy issue but don't tell you what the charity is specifically doing to address the matter.
  3. Many Voices for Each Cause. For any advocacy issue, there are a variety of charities seeking to address the matter in their own way.  The charity soliciting you is not the only option to consider. Many charities that carry out program services such as health care research, education, veterans assistance are also engaged in advocacy activities related to their mission.
  4. Accountability is More than Finances. It would be a mistake to overemphasize charity finances when assessing a charity.  BBB Wise Giving Alliance reminds donors that its broad standards address many other aspects of accountability such as governance, effectiveness reporting, appeal accuracy, website disclosures, donor privacy and other matters.
  5. Deductibility Verification. Don't assume that all advocacy organizations are tax exempt as charities.  If deductibility is important to you, see if the advocacy appeal references whether the organization is tax exempt as a charity under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
ABOUT BBB WISE GIVING ALLIANCE: BBB Wise Giving Alliance produces reports on over 1,300 nationally soliciting charitable organizations, and local BBBs report on another 10,000 local and regional charities. BBB Wise Giving Alliance does not rank charities but rather seeks to assist donors in making informed judgments by providing objective evaluations of national charities based on 20 standards that address charity governance, finances, fund raising, appeal accuracy, and other issues. The outcomes of the evaluations are available online at give.org.  For more information on local charities, you should contact Lynn Ross-Cope, Charity Review Coordinator, at lynn@dm.bbb.org or 515-243-8137 x309.
02 Jul 2014

CAMP COURAGEOUS BOARD OF DIRECTORS ANNOUNCES ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND MEMBERS

By Camp Courageous

MONTICELLO, IOWA. -The Camp Courageous Board of Directors announced the election of the following officers and members for the 2014-2015 term. The new President of the Board of Directors is Margo Ahrendsen of Oxford Junction, IA.  Margo has been involved with Camp Courageous for nearly 25-years as an advocate and also as a parent of two campers.  Margo, and her husband, Monte, farm in the Oxford Junction area and she is active in a variety of organizations.

  • Officers:

President: Margo Ahrendsen, Farmer, Camper Parent, and Advocate, Oxford Junction, IA

President-Elect: Jim Zimmerman, Principal Sacred Heart, Monticello, IA

Secretary: Mary Van Houten, Banquet Manager, Kirkwood Hotel, Cedar Rapids IA

Treasurer: Randy Faulkner, Pres. Hawkeye Dry Ice, Cedar Rapids, IA

  • Those re-elected to a three-year term included:

Margo Ahrendsen, Farmer, Camper Parent, and Advocate, Oxford Junction, IA

Aaron Cook, Farmer, Winthrop, IA

Mary Johnson, Retired, Rockwell, Marion, IA

Jim Klinger, Retired, Cedar Memorial Funeral Homes, Cedar Rapids, IA

Trish Ohlson, GE Capital, Cedar Rapids, IA

Steve Supple, Farmer, Cascade, IA

Mary Van Houten, Banquet Manager, Kirkwood Hotel, Cedar Rapids IA

Dan Vorhies, Newton Sales, Monticello, IA

Chris Wiese, VP Sales LimoLink, Cedar Rapids, IA

  • Other board members include :

Dr. John Bailey, Retired Medical Doctor, Anamosa, IA

Steve Carter, Branch Manager, Dr. Pepper/Snapple Group, Cedar Rapids, IA

Jim Foels, Farmer, Brooklyn, IA

Brian Gay, Retired Executive Director, Midwest Free Community Papers, Coralville, IA

Larry Greco, Retired Cedar Rapids Police Department, Solon, IA

Merlin Hulse, Retired Farmer, Tipton, IA

Bill Northup, Vice President for Advancement at Central College at Pella, , Des Moines, IA

Kay Pitlik, Retired Special Educator/Advocate/ Cedar Rapids, IA

Bob Thoeni, Retired owner of Bob's Pioneer Seed, Monticello, IA

Mag Welter, Retired Special Educator, Monticello, IA

Winnie Williams, of Monticello, Retired Fawn Creek Homes, Anamoso, IA

Pages

Subscribe & Listen to Reader Podcasts

On Stands Now

 

Tagged Content

    

Two Ways to Subscribe

1. Subscribe to free weekly e-mail content updates.

You'll get both the current official narrative challenge and What's Happenin' in the Quad Cities.
(Did you know we publish a new Real Astrology and RCR Crossword every week?) 

Subscribe!

* indicates required

2. Get 12 monthly issues mailed first class for $48

Get 12 issues mailed monthly for $48 per year.

Get the printed Reader edition mailed to you (or anyone you want) first-class for 12 months for $48.
$24 goes to postage and handling, $24 goes to keeping the doors open!

Click this link to Subscribe now.