$55,500 grant to help QC Hispanic chamber foster innovation

The Greater Quad Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GQCHCC) is boosting its Multicultural Speaker Series and small business education programming thanks to a $55,500 grant from a national grocery chain.

The GQCHCC is one of 15 Hispanic chambers in the Midwest to receive a share of the $1 million that Meijer is donating this year to U.S. Hispanic chamber organizations “to foster innovation that leads to a hopeful and equitable future for all,” according to the family-owned grocery company.

“Our Diversity & Inclusion journey focuses not just on our own team members, customers and business partners, but on our communities at large,” Meijer President & CEO Rick Keyes said in a news release announcing the Midwest awards. “We look forward to seeing how the Hispanic Chamber uses our gift to create intergenerational wealth and opportunity for people in our communities.”

The Quad Cities organization said it will use the donation to “pillar the chamber’s mission to support, promote, and enhance the growth and success of businesses and organizations by leveraging assets, contributions, and expertise of our Hispanic and multicultural identities.”

Janessa Calderon, GQCHCC executive director, aded, “We are very grateful to have received this large of a donation. It will make a great impact in the business community and the greater Quad Cities area.” 

That includes through the chamber’s Multicultural Speaker Series. The series provides an opportunity for individuals and organizations to engage diverse residents and employees from multiple sectors in the Quad Cities region, broaden their networks, and enhance their awareness of diversity issues, the GQCHCC said.

The donation is part of Meijer’s 2021 end-of-year donation efforts, totaling $6.5 million that will support its key areas of giving: hunger relief, diversity & inclusion, sustainability and local giving. Meijer also announced a $1.2 million gift to Boys & Girls Clubs, as well as a $300,000 donation to National Minority Supplier Development Council affiliates across the Midwest.

Meijer is a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based retailer that operates 258 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. A privately-owned and family-operated company since 1934, Meijer pioneered the “one-stop shopping” concept and has evolved through the years to include expanded fresh produce and meat departments, as well as pharmacies, apparel departments, pet departments, garden centers, toys, and electronics. For more information on Meijer, visit www.meijer.com. 

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