Happy Friday fellow Kiwanians! After our Board meeting last week, we are back on Monday for a regular meeting, and hope to see you there.

Our very own Joan Kranovich from Visit Quad Cities will be our guest, to bring us up to date on all that is going on in the Quad Cities this summer. Now let's get to the recap from our last meeting.

President Jeff opened the meeting and welcomed our 13 members, reminding us of our four aims this year: Invite, Inform, Inspire, and Impact. There were several reminders for members.

The John Deere Classic is coming quick, so please make a point to get your Birdies for Charity pledge form in. You can send them in directly to the Birdies office, give it to Jeff, or fill your information out online. CLICK HERE to download the pledge form this year. We'll have them at our meetings, or you can pledge online if that is easier also.

We have a tentative date for Peanut Days this year, September 12th and 13th at the Rock Island HyVee. More details to come on this fundraiser!

And finally our 2nd annual Bike Giveaway project is gearing up. Last year, we purchased 21 bikes to distribute to students in the Rock Island Milan School District, and we hope to do at least the same this year. A bike (with helmet and lock) costs $150, so any contribution is appreciated!

$10 was raised in Happy Sad dollars for the week.

Announcements

Our guest speaker for June 9th was Lynda Sargent with the Heart of Hope Ministries. Lynda was born in the west end of Rock Island, and received her accounting degree from St. Ambrose University. After a career which included working for John Deere and Unity Point, she decided to change the trajectory of her career, and in 2009 founded Heart of Hope Ministries. In 2013, they received the donation of a building, a former Doctor's office, at 1740 9th Avenue, which became their home.

They have many areas of outreach, including a food pantry, food delivery program, clothing, youth ministry, and more. Their budget is just over $500,000. In 2024, they fed over 20,000 people between their pantry and food delivery program. Their delivery program happens every Friday.

They were able to purchase the home next to their office and now use that for a temporary shelter for someone needing a hand up. They have also been able to purchase a building on 9th Street and 18th Avenue, across from Douglas Park, to office Diabetic services.

They are funded by donations and local grants, and receive no Federal funding.

Upcoming Programs:

Monday, June 23rd Joan Kranovich, Visit Quad Cities
Monday, June 30th No Meeting
Monday, July 7th Brian Allen, Quad City Arts