The community came out to support new shelter at fundraising event!
It was an evening of fun, fashion, and philanthropy at the YWCA QC fundraising event, Purses, Pumps and Pizzazz! On Thursday, September 12, 2024, people came to the Waterfront Convention Center in style and ready to give back to their Community.
We raised $55,000! All the funds raised will go towards our new Youth Shelter for at-risk and homeless youth. The event was emecee by Scott Naumann, who serves as Bettendorf’s 2nd Ward Alderman and Mayor Pro-Tem. One of the event highlights was the Charming Champion fundraising challenge. A group of male figures in the community were tasked with trying to raise money for the shelter. Whoever raised the most money would be named The King of Charm. Their efforts alone raised more than $15,000! Congrats to Chris Nelson who was crowned The King of Charm. He raised almost $6,500!
Later in the program, some of our teens in our ThePlace2B program spoke to the audience. They shared their personal stories and explained how the program has positively impacted them.
The need…
A youth shelter is a critical need in our community. Sadly, the only youth shelter in our community closed in 2008 and the only shelters close to the QC are in Rockford, Illinois (90+ miles away); the closest shelter in Iowa is over 165 miles away.
We are thrilled that we will be repurposing our old building to meet that need, allowing us to better serve the Quad Cities community. The shelter will be named “Alan’s House” in memory of Alan Egly, the former Executive Director of the Doris and Victor Day Foundation, who was instrumental in bringing ThePlace2B to fruition.
ThePlace2B, which serves the homeless and at-risk, has been an integral part of the YWCA since its doors opened in 2010. Unfortunately, foster or host homes have become very sparse since COVID-19, and finding placements for teenagers in emergency situations is very difficult. In situations where a youth is unable to return to their home, there are very few safe places for them to stay. In the absence of a family or friend’s home, they are likely to end up spending several nights in a social service agency office, which is not equipped to provide overnight accommodations. YWCA Quad Cities has been exploring a shelter option since mid-2023, and now that we have vacated the old building, plans are underway. The shelter, starting with 15 beds, will serve youths (ages 10 to 17 years), providing sleeping areas, restrooms, and male/female showers.
To meet DCFS requirements, the scope of work includes an elevator, fire sprinkler system throughout, kitchen renovations, installation of new windows (already purchased), and the addition of two showers on the 2nd floor of the facility. The total budget for such renovations is estimated to be $430,775.00; however, the YWCA Quad Cities was recently awarded a $250K grant from DCFS for said renovations.
We are still working to reach our fundraising goal for the new shelter. If you would like to help change the lives of the youth in our community you can donate here.
