The stories below? You make them possible through your gifts to the Quad Cities Community Foundation. Take a look at the impact people like you are having on our Quad Cities region.
Courage, love and joy were the three words Jayne Lee Andreesen used to describe her journey with cancer. Jayne believed a person needed to have courage in order to “beat the cancer,” needed to feel loved because “it is the greatest feeling of all” and a person needed to experience joy because “people can make the best out of things in any circumstance”.
Read MoreDon and Charlotte Williams were both life-long citizens of Moline with strong ties to their community. Charlotte's family owned the Moline Iron Works. She worked for a while at WHBF with her own radio show, "Kiddies Corner," and was known as Aunt Charlotte to her many listeners.
Read More"It's amazing how something small can become something great," says Marsha Pedersen. "It blossoms from people caring about something."
Read MoreFor Steve and Kathi Morency, it began with the very small action of picking up a book, White Oleander, by Janet Fitch. At the time, Kathi had no idea how this simple act would change the lives of her family, and the lives of so many students who have started life under challenging circumstances.
I was reminded recently of the wide spectrum of ability we have to help one another. As President and CEO of the Quad Cities Community Foundation, I have a front row seat to the most incredible and generous charitable acts, overseeing a staff that works alongside donors who bequeath thousands, sometimes even millions of dollars, to our region.
Read MoreTwenty-two area nonprofit organizations were awarded $279,900 earlier this month during the Amy Helpenstell Foundation Fund’s fall grant reception at Jumer’s Casino and Hotel in Rock Island.
Read MoreIn the mid-to-late 1800s millions of German citizens left their homeland for America. Scott County, Iowa, where the first passenger railroad crossed the Mississippi River, was the "Ellis Island" of the Midwest for many of these immigrants. Upon arrival, thousands stayed in the Standard Hotel, built in the 1860s and located on West 2nd and Gaines Streets in
downtown Davenport.
Surrounded by good friends and family, Lorraine Duncan recently celebrated her 91st birthday at the Davenport Public Library. While the Library might be an unexpected party location, to Lorraine it is a second home. She spent 40 years as a volunteer for the Scott County Iowa Genealogical Society and the Library's Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center.
Read Moresurrounded by thousands of people, and listened to the sweet sounds of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra during their Riverfront Pops Concert.
Read MoreEstablished in 1959, the Potter Family Foundation has focused on improving the lives of Quad City area residents. Since its inception, the Potter Family Foundation has granted over 1.3 million dollars to almost 90 non-profit organizations.
Read MoreThe Community Foundation and its family of donors have helped students throughout the community. Scholarship recipient, Bryan Berry, shared that, "I knew from a young age that getting ahead in life would be difficult, but I knew that was possible."
Read MoreBeatrice (Bea) Conrad wondered the same thing about the future of the Quad Cities in the early 1960s. She was a local volunteer and leader of the Girl Scouts. She was also one of the founders of the Community Foundation in 1964.
Read More“He was a self-made man,” said Larry Tschappat of his father, Ed. “My father earned everything he had. He paid his own way through Brown Business College, while working a night job and supporting his family.”
Read MoreHelen Mauer Simmons was born in the small town of West Liberty, IA. Helen's ancestors were all hard-working Swiss and English farmers. When she lived there, West Liberty was a little community of fewer than 2,000 people.
Read MoreToday you can find her enjoying retirement in St. Louis, Missouri – but Sue Stolze is an Iowa girl at heart. Born and raised in Des Moines, Sue went to school, married, raised two sons, and pursued her career in Davenport. These roots inspired her to look north when deciding where to make a charitable gift.
Read MoreWith my involvement on the Community Foundation Investment Committee and on the Community Foundation Board of Directors, I have seen firsthand how the Community Foundation has helped caring people in the Quad Cities fulfill their charitable giving goals.
Read MoreThere are so many needs in our community,” says Eda Hofmann, “I would have no idea which one is the most vital, and which one has no place to turn to for help.”
Read MoreJim Russell was surprised by a statistic his staff discovered recently. In the 28 years since Russell Construction has been in business, the company has given more than $1 million to charitable and civic causes.
Read MoreI love sharing examples of organizations and people who are going above and beyond to make the Quad Cities area a better place for all of us
Read MoreAs we look to the future, we at the Community Foundation have been reflecting on the heroes in our community who motivate us every day. For me, the first people that come to mind are the members of Teens for Tomorrow.
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