A moment to show what community looks like

By Sue Hafkemeyer
President and CEO

If you spend any time talking with local nonprofit leaders these days, you’ll hear a mix of determination and deep concern. Food pantries are seeing record numbers. Housing providers are juggling waitlists that seem to grow by the day. Mental health, childcare, and senior service organizations are working to meet a growing need.

Every one of them is doing everything possible to fill the gaps left by shrinking or uncertain federal support.

At the Quad Cities Community Foundation, we see both the strain and the strength behind those efforts. Nonprofits are the heart of our community’s safety net, and they are working harder than ever. The people leading and staffing them are often the ones who step in first and stay the longest when our neighbors need help. They do this because they care deeply about the people and communities they serve.

Right now, they need us to stand behind them.

That’s why we’ve joined forces with nine other area funders to launch a matching gift campaign for River Bend Food Bank, which distributes food across 23 counties in eastern Iowa and western Illinois. Every dollar donated to the River Bend Food Bank Hunger Relief Fund at the Quad Cities Community Foundation is being matched 1:1, up to $250,000, doubling the impact for families facing hunger.

Even before the most recent disruptions in federal programs, food insecurity in our region had reached a four-year high, impacting more than 137,000 people. Now, with additional cuts on the horizon, families are facing even tougher choices. When you give to this fund, you’re helping to feed local families today, and you’re standing with the organizations and volunteers who make sure none of our neighbors will go without a meal. In addition to our gift to the fund, we have waived all fees. One hundred percent of donations will support River Bend Food Bank’s efforts.

This is what community looks like—neighbors helping neighbors, partners pooling their resources, and generosity outpacing uncertainty. Together, we can make sure that compassion remains one of the Quad Cities’ most abundant resources.

If you’ve been looking for a way to make a tangible difference right now, this is it.