It's that time of the year again....

Each year a coalition of caring community leaders comes together for a cause as worthy as they come:  handing out bikes to the youngest, and the neediest, among us.  Teaming up, each year, has been the Rock Island County Regional Office of Education, Bike N'Hike and Queen's Parlour.  This initiative, called "Bikes for Brains," seeks to give out 100 bikes (with helmets and training wheels) to qualified QC-area children deemed eligible by Head Start, the Early Childhood Centers and The Project, an AIDS charity.  The average cost of a bike with training wheels is about $50. The Pilot Club of Moline has pledged to donate helmets for all of the new young bikers, for which we are very grateful.  And we are pleased to announce that Walmart has again agreed to donate $1000 toward this year's effort.

Our goal is to raise a total of $6,000 between now and December 9th which is the happy day we give away the bikes.  On that day, from noon-6 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Center in Rock Island, we help the young children pick out their new bikes.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions or would like additional information.  Thank you!


Natalie Doyle

Early Childhood Program Coordinator & Education Consultant

Rock Island County Regional Office of Education

3430 Avenue of the Cities

Moline, IL 61265

309-736-1111

309-736-1127 (fax)

Rock Island, IL - The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois (RMHC-EIWI), a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating, finding, and supporting programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children, recently awarded Christian Care a grant to help continue its Children's Advocacy Program.

"Children who arrive with their mothers at our domestic violence shelter have been traumatized by what they have seen and experienced," said Dr. Elaine Winter, Christian Care's chief executive officer. "This grant through RMHC-EIWI will allow Christian Care to continue to provide the services that help our children begin to heal and overcome the childhood scars that come with physical, emotional, and mental abuse, and help them feel safe and secure again."

Christian Care is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization operating two facilities?a domestic violence shelter for abused women and children and a rescue mission for homeless men. It serves homeless individuals, victims of domestic violence, veterans, men and women coming out of prison, and those with mental illnesses.

Christian Care's community meal site is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner on weekdays Monday through Friday, and for breakfast and dinner on Saturday and Sunday. Breakfast is served at 6:30 a.m., lunch at 12:15 p.m., and dinner at 6:30 p.m. If you know of someone in need, call Christian Care's crisis hotline any hour of the day at (309) 788-2273 or visit online at christiancareqc.org.

Effort part of a Hy-Vee initiative to donate 10,000 turkeys in 10 cities over 10 days

BETTENDORF, IA - Today, Churches United of the Quad City Area is excited to announce that it has received a donation of 1,000 frozen turkeys?an excellent source of high quality protein just in time for Thanksgiving. The donation was made possible by Hy-Vee, a Midwestern grocery store chain operating in eight states, as part of a company-wide initiative to combat hunger.

"We are thrilled to have been able to partner with Hy-Vee to accept and deliver these turkeys to those in need in our local community," said Anne Wachal, Acting Executive Director "The donation of these turkeys comes at a time that is traditionally high need for our pantries. This donation helps to ensure that we continue to meet our growing demand and provide hope to families and individuals."

Hy-Vee is embarking on a 10 day, 10 city, 10,000 turkey effort in which the company will donate frozen turkeys to local food banks, missions and shelters to fight food insecurity, and ensure access to safe, quality and nutritious food. Turkeys will be delivered throughout Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Kansas and Missouri.

"As a grocery store and member of this community, Hy-Vee is committed to fighting food insecurity," said Randy Edeker, CEO of Hy-Vee. "In order to accomplish this goal, we will continue to look for ways in which we can make a difference by assisting local hunger relief organizations to help families in need within our communities. We have the responsibility to take care of each other, and we recognize that through these efforts."

- 30 -

Churches United of the Quad City Area is 501(c)3 non-profit organization that has a hunger ministry that contains 25 local food pantries, three hot meal sites and serves over 120,000 meals annually to individuals and families in the Greater Quad City area. To learn more about Churches United please visit our website at www.cuqca.org. CUQCA is Rooted in Faith, Focused on People, Dedicated to Service

Hy-Vee, Inc. is an employee-owned corporation operating 234 retail stores in eight Midwestern states. For 2013 the company recorded sales of $8 billion, ranking it among the top 25 supermarket chains and the top 50 private companies in the United States. To learn more, visit the company's website at www.hy-vee.com.

KENNEBUNK, Maine, Nov. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Inspiration across the nation! From Washington to West Virginia, 15 nonprofit organizations with a passion for human, healthy and environmental goodness are winners in the fifth annual Tom's of Maine 50 States for Good program.  With more than 58,000 votes cast online, the 15 nonprofits with the most votes will share $150,000 in funding to put towards preserving land, promoting community gardens, empowering children, helping people with disabilities and looking out for seniors. To date, the 50 States for Good community giving program has benefited 5.5 million people and dozens of communities.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110602/NY13344LOGO-b)

Each 50 States for Good winner will receive $10,000 to support their community project. The dedicated group of winning nonprofits follows, in alphabetical order, along with details on how they'll put the funding to use.

• Cape Ann Farmers Market Backyard Growers Program (Gloucester, MA) - Backyard Growers will enhance and expand the school garden program, which provides elementary school students with opportunities to grow, harvest and eat fresh vegetables.
• Connecticut Radio Information System (Windsor, CT) - Ten schools will receive a one-year subscription of CRISKids™ for Schools, audio recordings of print materials for children who are blind or print-challenged, including those with learning, physical, emotional or intellectual disabilities.
• Gilda's Club Quad Cities (Davenport, IA) - A new program called G.R.O.W. (Giving Resources Organically Within) will plant an organic community garden and provide workshops on sustainability for members who have all been impacted by a cancer diagnosis.
• Kompost Kids (Milwaukee, WI) - A large scale food waste collection and processing pilot will be executed in the Milwaukee area in order to divert from the landfill and create compost to sustain urban agriculture projects.
• Michael T. Goulet Traumatic Brain Injury and Epilepsy Foundation (Saco, ME) - The Foundation's efforts to advance brain safety and awareness in Maine will be expanded and serve as a model program for other states.
• MISSION POSSIBLE KIDS (Plano, TX) - 5,000 existing and 1,000 new program participants will be empowered to make a social impact on their communities, enacting service-oriented "top secret missions" to change the world and impact thousands in need.
• Mountaineer Food Bank (Gassaway, WV) - The Mobile Pantry Program will provide healthy, nutritious foods to people in need in rural or underserved areas of West Virginia.
• Neighbor Ride (Columbia, MD) - The expansion of Neighbor Ride's volunteer program will aid in continuing to serve the growing number of seniors who rely on the Neighbor Ride transportation service to remain healthy, independent and connected to the community.
• One Simple Wish (Trenton, NJ) - More than 100 simple, special wishes will be granted to children in foster care.
• Operation BBQ Relief (Pleasant Hill, MO) - Funding will purchase the perishable supplies necessary to feed approximately 10,000 meals during the organization's next disaster deployment.
• Play-Place for Autistic Children (Sterling Heights, MI) - Building a new playscape will help to advance the coordination, climbing, balance and motor-planning skills of children affected by autism.
• Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland (Mount Vernon, WA) - InFARMation radio programs will provide information to area highway travelers about seasonal happenings in Skagit agriculture and help grow community support for the organization's mission.
• The Poverello Center (Missoula, MT) - Completing the construction of a new emergency housing facility will aid in feeding and sheltering thousands of area neighbors living in poverty each year.
• Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership (Warren, OH) - Up to 100 free-standing flower boxes, soil and plants will be made available to residents of the Garden District to help the neighborhood earn its name.
• Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park (Gansevoort, NY) - Funding will support the start of the organization's accessible trail project.

"The ingenuity of this year's winners to help their neighbors and the environment is incredibly inspiring," said Susan Dewhirst, goodness programs manager at Tom's of Maine. "These community projects are an important reminder that we can accomplish so much more when we work together. Community support, passionate volunteers and creative thinking can bring lasting goodness to our communities in a way that matters every day."

During the public vote, volunteer and nonprofit nominators were showcased as part of an interactive voting hub that highlighted inspiring stories across the country. From a pool of more than 1,000 nominations, 51 finalists were chosen by a judging panel of passionate leaders in the nonprofit community including Sam Davidson, president of Cool People Care, nonprofit strategist and Huffington Post columnist Lisa M. Dietlin, Matt Petronzio, assistant features editor covering social good for Mashable.com, and star of "The Vampire Diaries" and nonprofit founder Ian Somerhalder.

Since it was founded in 1970, Tom's of Maine has donated 10% of its profits back to the community and encourages employees to use 5% (12 days) of paid time off to volunteer every year. To learn more about this year's winners, visit www.50StatesforGood.com.

About Tom's of Maine
Tom's of Maine is a leading natural products company focused on oral and personal care carrying high quality toothpaste, mouthwash, dental floss, deodorant and bar soap products. The company has a long-standing commitment to supporting people, communities and the living planet. For over 42 years, TOMs has sponsored hundreds of nonprofit efforts by giving 10% of its profits back to organizations that support human and environmental goodness and by encouraging employees to use 5% (12 days) of employee time to volunteer. TOMs employees regularly contribute suggestions for improving the company's high sustainability standards. And their ideas, from wind power to ways to improve recycled and recyclable packaging options, are critical to the company's sensitive way of doing business. Most Tom's of Maine products are vegan, kosher, halal-certified and gluten-free. All packaging is recyclable through a partnership with upcycling leader TerraCycle or participating municipalities. Tom's of Maine enjoys partnering with its consumers, suppliers and community organizations to support lasting, positive change that is good for people and the planet. Visit us online at http://www.tomsofmaine.com/ or at http://www.facebook.com/TomsofMaine.

SOURCE Tom's of Maine