United Way of the Quad Cities Board Chairperson to match another $50,000 to Quad Cities Disaster Recovery Fund
Linda Bowers
Fund surpasses $1 million in contributions, Quad Citizens donating their stimulus checks to support community
The Quad Cities Disaster Recovery Fund has now surpassed $1 million in contributions to support the community’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund was activated by the Quad Cities Community Foundation six weeks ago with lead contributions from the Community Foundation, United Way of the Quad Cities, and Regional Development Authority.
In the first week of the fund’s activation, United Way of the Quad Cities Board Chairperson Linda Bowers stepped up with a $50,000 challenge gift to spur local, individual, and business giving to the fund. Now, she is gifting another $50,000 challenge to the Quad Cities so that the fund can continue to meet basic needs for those most vulnerable people during this pandemic.
The next $50,000 donated to the Quad Cities Disaster Recovery Fund will be matched dollar-for-dollar. Gifts can be made online here or by mailing a check made payable to the Quad Cities Community Foundation to 852 Middle Road, Suite 100, Bettendorf, Iowa 52722. Include “Disaster Recovery Fund” in the memo line.
“With a partner and leader like Linda, we’re ensuring those hit hardest by this pandemic receive assistance as quickly as possible,” said Rene Gellerman, president and CEO of United Way of the Quad Cities. “She proves that when we work together, we can truly create lasting change.”
“Collaboration is key as we figure out how to respond to this pandemic,” said Linda Bowers. “United Way is in a position to mobilize resources that Quad Citizens from all walks of life are giving from their hearts. Compassion, leadership, and collaboration make us a capstone community.”
To date, a total of $590,772 from the Disaster Recovery Fund has been granted swiftly back into the community. Two rounds of grants have been announced, and a third round will be awarded in the coming weeks. More than $3 million in grant support has been requested from area organizations.
“In the past week, we’ve seen gifts of $1,200 donated online and mailed to the Community Foundation,” said Sherry Ristau, president and CEO of the Quad Cities Community Foundation. “Quad Citizens are even donating part of—and sometimes all of—their stimulus checks. The handwritten notes that accompany some of the checks are heartfelt and point to the generosity of donors. ‘I know someone else needs this more than I do,’ said one of the recent notes. Our community knows there are others with tremendous need, and they are doing what they can to help one another.”
Funding will continue to be granted to support nonprofits providing basic needs to vulnerable populations. For instance, the second round of grants supported organizations like Milestones Area Agency on Aging in Davenport, which helps seniors lead independent lives. The nonprofit is providing nutritious meals for isolated and home-bound seniors by implementing critical safety steps to keep these seniors safe and healthy.
Moline-based nonprofit YouthHope is doing the same for low-income kids and teens with their recent Disaster Recovery Fund Grant. The organization has seen an increase in the amount of food families need, are delivering food bags and at-home learning materials, and implementing digital programs so staff can continue to connect with the kids and teens they support.
“This is a tough time for many in our community. We find hope and comfort, time and again, in the generosity of Quad Citizens—through their financial gifts, and through the actions people are taking, to lift one another up right now,” said Ristau. “Our hearts are full of gratitude for everything this community is doing right now.”