The Rotary Club of Rock Island awarded $7,500 in community grants to five local nonprofits serving the people of Rock Island.
The grants, announced at the club’s Tuesday, Jan. 6 meeting, mark the second round of community grants for the 2025-2026 Rotary year.
These five organizations each received a $1,500 grant:
- Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Rock Island: For its Food Pantry program, which serves an average of 700 households monthly, distributing 2,000 to 3,000 pounds of food daily. The pantry served more than 23,000 people last year.
- Heart of Hope Ministries: For its Food Pantry Program, which provides fresh produce, meat, dairy and shelf-stable food to families in Rock Island’s West End every Thursday evening. The ministry also offers home delivery on Fridays for seniors and individuals with disabilities. Last year, Heart of Hope distributed 214,000 pounds of groceries to a total of 22,000 people.
- Project NOW: For its Senior Nutrition Program, which operates the Rock Island County Senior Center. The program runs five meal sites five days a week, serving more than 1,200 Rock Island County residents. Last year, the program provided 144,000 nutritional meals to seniors, including home-delivered meals for those unable to visit the center.
- Argrow’s House of Healing and Hope: The grant will cover essential repairs and preventative maintenance at Argrow’s Rock Island safe house. Argrow’s House provides a nurturing community and free, holistic services – including mental, emotional, physical and economic support – for female survivors of domestic abuse, sexual violence or sex trafficking in the Quad Cities.
- River Bend Food Bank: The funds are specifically designated to provide a minimum of 7,500 meals through Rock Island Schools. River Bend, based in west Davenport, is the main supplier for food pantries and kitchens across 23 counties in central Illinois and eastern Iowa, serving an area with 137,000 people suffering from food insecurity. The River Bend network includes 400 partner agencies.
