06 Sep 2013

Quad City Interfaith News

By QC Interfaith
June "Dream for All" Rally for Immigration Reform Brings Together Hundreds to Call for Change

Nearly 300 clergy, elected officials, lay leaders, union members and concerned citizens joined together t at QCI 's "Dream for All" Rally in Rock Island this summer to call on Congress to pass humane, comprehensive immigration reform that provides a path to citizenship. Casa Guanajuato, World Relief Quad Cities, QC Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees and the QC Federation of Labor all lent their voices to this call to justice and action and 
we thank them for their support.

Leadership Actions and Events

Transportation and Jobs Equity


The next meeting of the Transportation Equity/100 Ready Workers Project will be Wednesday September 11th at 900 am at St Johns Lutheran Church - 4501 7th Avenue in Rock Island.

We continue to develop the 100 Ready Workers project, and have developed a survey tool to asses what skills potential participants may have an may need to work on. We are working with community groups and congregations to create a pipeline of workers who want to prepare themselves for jobs in construction and other fields.

If you or your organization is interested in helping mentor participants or if you have potential candidates for this job preparedness project, please contact us at the QCI office - 563.322.4910.  Join us in recruiting organizations that want to help identify potential candidates in the area for job preparedness training, including the HCCTP through BlackHawk College, and creating a criteria for participating in 100 Ready Workers project. More information will be rolled out this month on 100 Ready Workers....


Tod Rowe from the Illinois Community College Board joined IDOT and BlackHawk College at QCI's 100 Ready Workers Community meeting in July at Church of Peace, Rock Island. They discussed the Highway Construction Careers Training Program coming to the QCA that will recruit more minorities and women into construction careers and prepare them for a path to good paying jobs! Work it QCI!

Immigration

On August 15th,QCI leaders presented our Congressional Representative's local offices with "anniversary" half cakes  to commemorate the First Anniversary of DACA - or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals- the Executive Order signed by the President in 2012, giving  youth who were brought to the United States by their parents without documentation, a discretionary grant of relief from deportation and so they may then apply for papers to work in the US.

The half cake to celebrate the progress made on immigration reform but to also symbolize that the work for immigration reform is only "half finished" and to call on our elected officials to finish the job and pass comprehensive immigration reform this year. Cakes were delivered to members of Congress' local offices in 17 states on that day as part of the Dream for All Campaign of the Gamaliel Foundation. 

Immigration Task Force next meets on Tuesday September 24th at 530pm at the new QCI Office at 601 Brady Street Ste 208 . Join us.

"Half" Cake to Commemorate DACA's First Birthday. Lets finish the job and pass immigration reform!

Health Equity

The Task force continues to work with the local health systems to ensure equitable access to medical translation services for those whose first language is not English. In July Health Equity Task Force members were invited by Genesis Heath Systems to tour their emergency rooms facilities in the Iowa and Illinois locations and to provide feedback and ideas. By working together, our community is removing barriers to access to professional medical translations services for those in our community. Call Karen if your congregation would like more information about our work and ways you can help. 563.322.4910. 

QCI Leadership Assembly meets Tuesday , Sept 10th at 6:30pm at St. Mary's Church in Davenport - 516 Fillmore.

Community Events

Friday, Sept 6th -Sunday Sept 8, 2013. Maitreya Project Heart Shrine Relic Tour / The Loving Kindness Tour- An Exhibition of Sacred Relics of the Buddha and other Buddha Masters.
At the Figge Art Museum - 225 W. 2nd Street Davenport Iowa.  Admission is FREE.  
Opening ceremony at 6:00 pm Friday. For more information visit www.buddharelicsqc.com

Wednesday, September 11th, 2013.  Political Activism and Civic Responsibility - Quad City Federation of Labor.
9:00 am -3:00pm.
UA Local 25 Hall 4600 46th Street in Rock Island. Presented by the Labor Center, University of Iowa  with support from the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. Send your reservation to quadcityfed@netexpress.net with your name, local phone number and email.


Saturday - September 21st, 2013  6pm.  NAACP #4019 Davenport's Freedom Fund Banquet - "We Shall Not Be Moved,"
at the Clarion Hotel in Davenport. Tickets are $40.00 a person and $450.00 for a reserved table. Keynote speaker is Kameron Middlebrooks, NAACP Region IV Director.
Call Ms. Shirleen Martin at 563.340-0011 to purchase tickets. 

QCI is On the Move - Really! Office Relocation!!


The QCI office has relocated to the Priester Building - 601 Brady Street Suite 208 in Davenport. Just three blocks up on Brady Street from the old office - more office space and still close to downtown IL and Davenport!

We do have a few needs - we are in need of a bookcase to replace the built in we had to leave behind, and a medium sized meeting table - round or rectangular . Please call the QCI office at 563.322.4910 if you'd like to help.... Also would appreciate anyone who is especially good at hanging pictures....

Welcome to Quad Cities Interfaith Newsletter

We hope you are enjoying our newsletter.  QCI welcomes information about justice,and faith-based activities to post to our newsletter. We reserve the right to edit f or space and content.  If you like this, please forward to your friends. QCI is a 501c3 and donations to QCI are tax deductible as allowed by law. Visit our website for more information and to donate!

Quad Cities Interfaith

601 Brady Street Suite 208 Davenport Iowa  52803  - qcinterfaith@gmail.com - 563.322.4910
06 Sep 2013

QCI Trivia Night Fundraiser is this Saturday, Sept. 7th !!!

By Jared Johnson
A Trivia Night Fundraiser to Benefit QCI is this

Saturday, September  7th

Knights of Columbus Hall -

1111 W. 35th Street , Davenport , Iowa .  

$10.00 a person or $80.00 for a table of 8.  

Mulligans, Basket Raffles, 50/50 Raffle. Bring your own food, but drinks must be purchased the venue.

To reserve your table, or for questions,  call 562.233.4910 .

Please spread the word and join us!
29 Aug 2013

Wish Granting Volunteers Needed in Illinois Quad City Area

By Dr. Jeffrey Bassman

October 15 Training Session in Moline Now Open for Registration

 

PEORIA - Have you ever thought about the impact you could make in the life of a child with a life-threatening medical condition? More than 11,000 children across Illinois have experienced the magic of a wish coming true, thanks to the hundreds of community supporters of Make-A-Wish Illinois. Volunteers in your community are needed to help grant wishes for local children.

Make-A-Wish Illinois is hosting a free training session for wish-granting volunteers in the Moline area on Tuesday, October 15th with a 5:00 PM check in and training from 5:15-7:45 PM.  Exact training locations will be provided upon sign up.  Volunteers bilingual in English and Spanish are especially needed.

Wish-Granting volunteers will work in teams of two to help grant the wishes of children in their community. Volunteers plan and carry out wishes from start to finish with support from the Make-A-Wish staff. Wish Granters are asked to give 10-12 hours per month to grant at least three wishes per year.

To attend the training, potential volunteers must complete the volunteer application and online training in advance; therefore RSVP is required by October 1.  Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Reserve a spot by contacting Tonisha Daniel at daniel@illinois.wish.org or 312.602.9413. All volunteers must be over 21 and submit an application, reference and background check; complete an online and brief in-person training to begin granting wishes.

Make-A-Wish® Illinois grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich their lives with hope, strength and joy. Since being founded locally in 1985, the chapter has granted more than 11,000 wishes and continues its mission to share the power of a wish® with special children across the state with help from dedicated volunteers and generous community members. For information visit www.illinois.wish.org.

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20 Aug 2013

UNDERWEAR COLLECTION TO BENEFIT THE NEEDY AND HOMELESS

By Grant Curtis
Underwear Because We Care is excited to announce the dates for this year's underwear collection. The campaign will begin on October 6, 2013 and conclude November 3, 2013. The campaign will collect packages of new underwear; underpants, undershirts, bras and socks for Women, Children and Men. We will also collect clean, serviceable prosthetic bras for distribution to women in need.

The following places have agreed to be drop points: Trinity Episcopal Church, Trinity Lutheran Church, St. Albans Church, Blue Grass Presbyterian Church, all Churches in the Catholic Diocese of Davenport. The following business has agreed to be collection points: The Hair Society, Bettendorf. Additional drop off points are being developed and will be announced prior to the beginning of the campaign.

The underwear will be distributed to organizations that provide shelter for the needy and homeless.

Additional distribution, subject to adequate collections, will be made to other organizations that serve clients who have a need for underwear.

Please call Grant Curtis at 563-528-0835 for information or email Underwear@mediacombb.net with a subject line of Underwear Donations.

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20 Aug 2013

Food Drive at Modern Woodmen Park

By Rick Martin

This evening, volunteers from Churches United of the Quad City Area will be hosting Strike Out Hunger, a food drive at Modern Woodmen Park. 

Fans are asked to bring non-perishable food items with them to the game tonight and in return the River Bandits will give them 2 Bandit Bucks per item up to 5 items (10 Bandit Bucks) per family. 

All food collected will be distributed to many of the 24 local food pantries that Churches United oversees. The food collection will take place from 5:30 until approx. 7:30 this evening. Churches United thanks you for your support.

16 Aug 2013

AmeriCorps NCCC Team: Fun in the Sun with Camp Courageous

By Charlie Becker
Monticello, Iowa - An AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) team is providing additional support to Camp Courageous from August 9 to September 27. The team is serving as camp counselors to help children and adults with disabilities have an enjoyable summer through camp festivities.

The NCCC team of nine from the Vinton, Iowa campus is assisting with activity scheduling, greeting campers, helping campers settle into camp, scheduling weekly activities, assisting with personal care, promoting activity participation, assisting campers in preparing to return home and performing maintenance work around the campsite.

Through their service work with Camp Courageous, the NCCC team is allowing the camp to host a greater number of campers and decreases the waiting list dramatically. Every year, over 6,000 individuals with disabilities are served by the camp but hundreds are left on a waiting list.

"The opportunity to impact individuals' lives in a positive manner, such as the one we are being given at Camp Courageous, is really exciting. I look forward to our adventure," says NCCC member Reilly Allen from Littleton, Colo.

Camp Courageous is year-round camp for recreational activities serving the disabled population. The camp enables disabled children and adults to grow socially and personally through the encouragement of a supportive staff. The camp was founded in 1972 with the donation of 40-acres of land dedicated to the establishment of a site to serve the disabled. Today, Camp Courageous serves over 6,000 individuals yearly, ranging from infants to elderly.

AmeriCorps NCCC is a full-time, 10-month, residential, national service program in which 2,800 young adults - all 18 to 24 years old- serve nationwide each year. The NCCC program oversees two service tracks - Traditional NCCC and FEMA Corps - and members in these programs serve in teams of eight to twelve on three to seven service projects during their service. NCCC Members serve on projects that address critical needs related to natural and other disasters, infrastructure improvement, environmental stewardship and conservation, energy conservation, and urban and rural development. FEMA Corps Members focus solely on emergency management and long-term recovery projects through FEMA. The North Central Region campus in Vinton, Iowa is one of five regional campuses in the United States and serves Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. The other campuses are located in Baltimore, Md.; Sacramento, Calif.; Vicksburg, Miss.; and Denver, Colo.

In exchange for their service, members receive $5,550 to help pay for college, or to pay back existing student loans. Other benefits include a small living stipend, room and board, leadership development, increased self-confidence, and the knowledge that, through active citizenship, people can indeed make a difference. AmeriCorps NCCC is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The Corporation improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. For more information about AmeriCorps NCCC programs, visit the website at www.nationalservice.gov/nccc.

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16 Aug 2013

WQPT NAMES ALLISON FOSTER 2013 VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

By Lora Adams

MOLINE, ILLINOIS - WQPT honored its youngest Volunteer of the Year naming Allison Foster, a 14-year-old freshman at Rock Island High School, the 2013 recipient.

Foster was presented the award by WQPT General Manager Mary Pruess and WQPT Special Projects Coordinator Bea Brasel at a breakfast celebration Aug. 7.

"Allison became involved with WQPT as a member of our Kids Club. As the years have gone by, Allison has continued as a volunteer, including becoming our 'go-to' talent for costume characters," said Brasel. "Volunteers are important to WQPT. In our 30-year history we have relied on more than 7,000 volunteers in various capacities doing everything from stuffing envelopes to serving as pledge talent."

WQPT is a media service of Western Illinois University located in Moline, Illinois.

 Allison1146844_10151620818072800_137305295_o.jpg

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16 Aug 2013

Milan, Illinois couple establishes $2.8 million foundation to benefit Village of Milan

By Natalie Anderson

?Milan, Illinois - The Grant W. Brissman and Virginia M. Brissman Foundation has been established to benefit the Village of Milan. The Foundation assets total $2.8 million, and it will make its first grants this fall. Applications are now being accepted from nonprofit organizations located in Milan.

Grant and Virginia Brissman were long time residents of Milan, Illinois. Grant Brissman was a graduate of Rock Island High School and the former Brown's Business College. He was a pioneer Milan business owner, having started Brissman's Auto Supply in 1948. The company served Milan and the surrounding communities for nearly 30 years before Mr. Brissman retired in 1978.

Virginia Brissman worked for the Illinois Bell Telephone Co. for 40 years before retiring from her position as a schedule clerk in 1977. They had been married for 60 years when Grant Brissman passed away at the age of 88 on April 3, 2004. Virginia Brissman was 94 when she passed away on January 23, 2010. The Foundation was established through their estate.

The mission of the Grant W. Brissman and Virginia M. Brissman Foundation is to improve the quality of life in the Village of Milan, Illinois by funding work to enhance youth development, foster community development, support cultural activities, and invest in ways to relieve the suffering of underprivileged people.

Grant and Virginia Brissman were active in their community, and cared about helping their neighbors. Grant was a World War II Army veteran and received a battlefield commission as a 1st Lieutenant. Together they were members of Calvary Lutheran Church in Moline, and the Holiday Ramblers R.V. Club, and the Pinnacle Country Club in Milan, where Grant was an avid golfer. He also was a Founding Director and Founding Shareholder of Blackhawk State Bank in Milan, where he has served on the board of directors for many years.

The Brissmans appointed a board of directors to oversee their Foundation. Grant applications are available on the Foundation's website at www.brissmanfoundation.org and are due by October 15th. Nonprofit organizations located within the Village of Milan, Illinois, are eligible to apply. Organizations located outside of Milan may be considered if they provide significant services benefitting the Village of Milan and its residents. The administration of the Foundation will be conducted by the Community Foundation of the Great River Bend.

"This partnership between the Brissman's Foundation and the Community Foundation ensures that the charitable wishes of Grant and Virginia will be carried out for years to come," said Susan Skora, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of the Great River Bend. "We are regional experts in philanthropy, identifying community needs, and the grant making processes, and will provide our support to The Grant W. Brissman and Virginia M. Brissman Foundation to create maximum impact in the Village of Milan."

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09 Aug 2013

St. James food pantry spaghetti luncheon fundraiser

By Sharon Wren

The St. James Food Pantry is hosting a spaghetti luncheon fundraiser on Saturday, August 17 from 11: 30 a.m.-2p.m. in the fellowship hall at St. James Lutheran Church, 1705 Oak Street (corner of 18th and Oak Streets), Bettendorf, IA.  The menu will include spaghetti, tossed salad, garlic bread, desserts, and drinks. A freewill donation will be collected to benefit the St. James Food pantry.

The food pantry's mission is to feed the hungry in the city of Bettendorf.  In the month of July alone, 313 people received food assistance.  Visitors to the food pantry receive a variety of canned goods, along with frozen meat, milk, eggs and fresh vegetables when available.
07 Aug 2013

Shop 'til You Drop For Christian Care

By Rick Martin

Rock Island, IL, August 14 -Did you ever wish that you had a good excuse to shop? The Bling Bling Sisters are hosting a shop for charity day that will benefit Christian Care. Shop in their store on August 14th from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and a portion of all items purchased there will benefit Christian Care. The Bling Bling Sisters are located at 5169 Utica Ridge Road in Davenport (in Biaggi's parking lot). Visit their website at www.blingblingsisters.com for a showcase of items you can purchase for yourself, for gifts--and to help Christian Care.

Christian Care's services are available in the Quad Cities to a growing number of homeless men and abused women and children 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Through their two facilities?a domestic violence shelter for abused women and children and a rescue mission for homeless men?they provide safe shelter, nutritious meals, clothing, counseling, referrals and guidance to anyone in need. They serve homeless individuals, victims of domestic violence, veterans, men and women coming out of prison, and the mentally ill. Their vision is to transform the lives of those they serve by providing their residents with an opportunity to start a new, more productive life. For more information on the event contact Lindsey at 309-786-5734.

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