60,000 square foot facility will greatly increase the Foodbank's capacity to feed the hungry in its 17 Illinois counties and 5 Iowa counties

WHAT:  Press Conference/Tour of River Bend Foodbank's new facilities

WHERE:  4010 Kimmel Drive, Davenport, Iowa      

WHEN:  11 a.m., Wednesday, February 26, 2014

WHY:  To announce the Foodbank's move to a new location and hold a press tour of our new facilities

DAVENPORT, IA -  River Bend Foodbank Chairman of the Board John Weber and Treasurer Dale Baraks welcomed several new members to the organization's board of directors, filling vacancies created through the death and attrition of several long-term board members, many who began their service at the inception of  the River Bend Food Reservoir in 1982.  Weber is a deacon at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Bettendorf, IA, and Baraks is a retired Senior Vice President and Director of Southeast National Bank, Moline, IL

"Under the leadership of Tom Laughlin, the River Bend Foodbank has led the way in providing food to those in need in our region for more than 30 years," said Weber.  "Dale and I were a part of small, dedicated group that helped Tom and his staff with that mission.  To continue that support to the organization, over the past few months, we have actively recruited several new members and are proud to welcome them to the board."

New board members include :

Patricia Huber - Patricia Huber currently serves as the Deputy to the Commander for the Joint Munitions Command, making her the senior civilian employed in this Rock Island Arsenal-based facility charged with the production, storage, issue and demilitarization of conventional ammunition for all U.S. military services.  She has more than 30 years of increasingly responsible positions, mostly involving munitions, and has been recognized on many occasions for her work, including receiving the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) Iowa-Illinois Chapter's Lawrence Skibbie Award for Lifetime Contributions to the National Defense.

Chad Lewis - Robert W. Baird & Co. Financial Advisor and Private Wealth Manager Chad Lewis has more than 12 years of investment, banking and auditing experience and has led the formation and operations of a family office.  He is the current treasurer of the Riverboat Development Authority and also serves on the Boards of Directors for The Putnam Museum and Scott County Kids.  Lewis connects with his children's activities through coaching soccer and participating in Boy Scout Activities.

Janet Mathis - Renew Moline Executive Director Janet Mathis has nearly 25 years of experience in management, economic development, public relations and public policy honed in the not-for-profit, governmental and private sectors.  She is currently the Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Center for Youth and Family Solutions; the past Chairman of the Board for the Illinois Development Council; and involved in many other boards and volunteer activities, including the Small Business Development Center Advisory Committee and the Council of Development Finance Agencies Illinois Roundtable.

Matthew O'Brien -  Deere and Company Parts Distribution Center Accounting Manager Matt O'Brien is a Certified Public Accountant that has been with Deere since 2001.  With former experience gained at Deloitte & Touche and Alleman High School, O'Brien has knowledge in auditing, accounting, bookkeeping, marketing and fundraising.  He is active in the United Way, Junior Achievement and serves as Treasurer for the Bettendorf Soccer Association.

Kevin O'Hara - Kevin O'Hara has been employed in the insurance industry with Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services, formerly Cleaveland Insurance, in Rock Island for more than 35 years. He works specifically with larger commercial clients on conventionally insured property, liability, automobile and workers compensation programs or specially constructed programs like ones which require high deductibles or captives.  O'Hara currently also serves on the boards of Black Hawk College Foundation, the Development Authority of Rock Island and the Scott County Regional Authority.

Tony Riordan - Center for Youth and Family Solutions (CYFS) Chief Operating Officer Tony Riordan has spent his career serving families and children in need as a counselor, therapist and social agency administrator.  In 2011, he was integral to the formation of CYFS, a new independent, human service agency, committed to welcoming and serving everyone.  The intent to provide a seamless transition of critical social services from their former home at Catholic Charities was realized by this new organization in 2012 when its staff of 400 served an area covering 37 counties and more than 20,000 clients.

In 2013, the River Bend Foodbank collected, stored and redistributed nearly 8 million pounds of food to more than 300 charities which serve people in need.  These non-profits include food pantries, soup kitchens and those that manage programs that assist and low-income children and elderly.  The Foodbank serves 17 counties in Illinois and 5 in Iowa.

Last year, the Center for Active Seniors, Inc. (CASI) & Great River Brewery teamed up to make the Owney Irish Red Ale to raise funds for CASI. Well, last year was such a hit we brewed it again! The reasoning behind this fundraiser is because since 2009, government funding to non-profit organizations that provide human services has been in steady decline, forcing these service organizations to change much of their funding strategies or face a reduction in their ability to provide critical services to their communities.  Competition amongst non-profits for the "donated" dollar is extreme:  How can an individual not-for profit make itself standout from the crowd to garner more support and exposure plus increase donor dollars?

That's when CASI & Great River Brewery came up with the Owney and" brewed" the prefect fundraising plan. Owney, an old Irish name for "elderly" is on shelves now at retail locations throughout the Quad Cities.  Proceeds from the sale of Owney Irish Red Ale will be used by CASI to fund services for seniors in the Quad City community.  There a number of special events scheduled between February 19 & March 3 to help feature the beer:

Pre-Release Parties:

February 19, 6:00 p.m. O'Keefe's 1331 5th Ave Moline, IL

February 26, 7:00 p.m. Harrington's 2321 Cumberland Square Bettendorf, IA

February 27, 8:00 p.m. Kavanaugh's Hilltop 1228 30th St Rock Island, IL

Owney Tapping:

March 1, 1-5 p.m. Great River Brewery  332 E 2nd St. Davenport

Golden Keg is at 1:00 p.m. Food provided by Senior Star

Owney Dinner:

March 3, 4:00-7:00 p.m. Kelly's Irish Pub & Grill  Davenport IA

$25.00 tickets: include corn beef, cabbage, roasted potatoes and two pints of Owney. Purchase tickets at CASI, Kelly's or Great River Brewery.

*Proceeds will benefit CASI to help local seniors*

Stop in at any of these events to... Sit up, Take Notice & Raise your Pint to CASI!

Founded in 1973, CASI is a multi-service senior center providing a variety of social, educational, support and wellness programs and activities designed for adults over the age of 60 and their families/caregivers.