A Rock Island non-profit has been awarded a $20,000 grant from the state of Illinois to aid its efforts in combating food insecurity in the Quad Cities.
Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs announced in Rock Island on Friday, May 9th, that Christian Care will receive funds from the state’s Charitable Trust Stabilization Program. Christian Care, which also provides services for people experiencing homelessness, is among ten small nonprofits in the state granted $20,000 in the latest grant cycle.
“We know the essential work that organizations like Christian Care do to support our communities. They deliver services to those in need,” Treasurer Frerichs said at a news conference at Christian Care’s headquarters in downtown Rock Island. “It’s a domino effect. I believe when you invest in people, people invest in themselves, and in turn we all benefit.”
Christian Care Executive Director Frank Roe said the funds will help the organization’s meal service, which is estimated to serve 45,000 meals this year, a 9% increase from last year.
“[W]e work here in a neighborhood where our neighbors are about 20.9% living below the poverty level, that means that they're going to struggle part of the month on where to eat,” Roe said. “So, by us providing breakfast, lunch, and dinner 365 days a year, it helps them ensure that nobody's going hungry.”
Roe said the organization is helping residents, in part, with its seven garden beds, which provide fruit and vegetables. He said that is thanks, in part, to community donors and individuals who are also assisting the nonprofit in its mission by donating their own garden produce as well as monetary donations.
The organization also provides shelter for up to 42 men at its site and a shelter for 20 women and those with kids at Martha’s House. The grant funding from the state is specifically for its food service program.
“[W]e're going to use it for all aspects of the kitchen,” Roe said. “So the garden beds, we are at a max with our garden beds. But we do purchase food, supplemental-type things that we're not able to get from River Bend [Food Bank] every single week. So it will help with food supplies, [and] it will help with utility costs. And then I have two cooks on staff, so part of that will also be used to help in their salaries. So it's much like an operational grant covering only just the meal site.”
Illinois’ Charitable Trust Stabilization Program has awarded 241 grants since its inception in 2017, totaling $4.8 million. The state funds, which come from fees that not-for-profit corporations pay when filing annual reports with the Illinois Secretary of State, have supported 204 nonprofits.
An independent 11-member committee chose 110 applicants in this cycle. The next application opportunity for the grant is from July 1st to September 30th, 2025. The committee will pick nonprofit organizations with charitable programs in two categories: food and housing. For more information, visit ilcharitabletrust.com or contact the Treasurer’s Office at (217) 836-4590.
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