The YWCA of the Quad Cities is gearing up for Giving Tuesday by opening up the doors of its new Iowa Empowerment Center in Davenport and asking for help to fill its cupboards with household supplies for the families it serves. In observance of Giving Tuesday on Nov. 28, the YWCA will hold a “sneak […]
The YWCA of the Quad Cities is gearing up for Giving Tuesday by opening up the doors of its new Iowa Empowerment Center in Davenport and asking for help to fill its cupboards with household supplies for the families it serves. In observance of Giving Tuesday on Nov. 28, the YWCA will hold a “sneak peek” at its newest facility, located at 1115 Mississippi Ave. The public is invited to tour the Empowerment Center – formerly the Temple Emanuel building – from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. that day. Deanna WoodallThe Rock Island-based YWCA purchased the building in the fall of 2022 after being awarded a Nonprofit Innovation Assistance Grant from the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA). The $1.6 million state grant allowed the nonprofit to buy the building from the B’nai Israel Congregation, which relocated to Davenport’s East Kimberly Road.“We’re tired of growing out of facilities,” YWCA Vice President Deanna Woodall told the QCBJ at the time of the IEDA award. “We want a facility we can grow into.” The new location now will house the entire Empowerment Center operation, which has been bursting at the seams at its nearby facility at 140 E. River Drive. “The Empowerment Center will not only expand current programs and services like our immediate needs pantry, clothing closet, and continuing education opportunities … but now we can introduce new programs and services that include more educational and career-building opportunities, shower and laundry facilities,” Ms. Woodall, the vice president of Development, Growth and Empowerment Services, said in a recent news release.
Help Stock the Shelves
For Giving Tuesday, the YWCA also is asking the community to help to “Stock the Shelves” of its Empowerment Center. Essentials that are needed most for the YWCA’s families include: nonperishable food of any kind, cleaning supplies (all-purpose cleaner and liquid dishwashing detergent), laundry supplies (detergent, dryer sheets and spot remover), hygiene items (body wash, shampoo/conditioner, soap, toothbrush/toothpaste) and toilet paper. Ms. Woodall said the move will expand the Empowerment Center from its original 2,300-square-foot office to more than 13,000 square feet in the newly remodeled facility. Headquartered in downtown Rock Island – where a new facility still is under construction, the YWCA first opened an Iowa satellite facility in 2019 Davenport, where its Empowerment Center has experienced extraordinary growth. The center helps empower women and families who are less fortunate through a variety of services and educational programs. They include: a food pantry, clothing closet, personal hygiene and baby supplies, as well as access to computers, copiers, a printer and Wi-Fi. The new space’s larger footprint will give the YWCA more room to grow including an events space, stages, offices, and a full commercial kitchen, where future plans are to offer meals and culinary classes.“We will also continue to identify additional services and resources that will best serve the Quad Cities community,” Ms. Woodall added.
