by Sue Hafkemeyer
President and CEO

There is no more exciting way to begin the New Year than with the announcement of the Quad Cities Community Foundation’s Transformation Grant, the largest single grant award we fund each year.

I’m proud to share that the Community Foundation has awarded a three-year, $300,000 grant to Tapestry Farms.

Our board of directors and staff of the Community Foundation are moved by the work Ann McGlynn and the team at Tapestry Farms are doing, and we cannot wait to see the transformation it undergoes in the years ahead. The grant will ensure Tapestry Farms’ visionary mission can sustainably grow as they deliver greater opportunities to the community and take on the intertwined challenges of food insecurity and supporting the refugee families who make the Quad Cities region a thriving, beautiful community.

Tapestry Farms—founded in 2017—is a nonprofit urban farm system that invests in the lives of refugees who resettle in the Quad Cities. They are already making the Quad Cities a healthier and more equitable place. And there is so much more to come.

The organization employs refugees as farm specialists, who, along with over 300 volunteers, use regenerative farming techniques to grow culturally specific food and flowers. Some produce is distributed for free by delivery and through food pantries, and the rest is sold at the Quad Cities Farmers Market. Their urban farm system spans 10 seasonal plots throughout the Quad Cities, ranging in size from small, raised beds in west Rock Island to a 7,500 square-foot garden in central Davenport. Much of this space is on reclaimed, underutilized land, creating beautiful and productive green spaces for the community.

The Transformation Grant will provide Tapestry Farm leadership with the time and resources to discern a path to long-term sustainability. The organization will move into a new, larger operational space, retain full-time staff, and explore new resources for refugees. Planned programming includes community English language classes, navigation of legal services, and courses to encourage neighbors to grow food in their own backyard.

We know that food insecurity is a critical issue in our community. Last year, 670 refugees joined our community, all seeking safety and hope for a better future, all ready to help our community flourish. This is the moment to invest in organizations like Tapestry Farms. It is a community of Quad Citians who are driven by compassion, creativity, and boundless community spirit.