Annual Report

I am pleased to announce that FY2017 we had our second most successful campaign collection and distribution of underwear 6,400 items, valued at $30,000! The underwear was distributed through 31 partner organizations and reached approximately 2500 women, men, girls and boys. The estimate of 2500, is due to  several partners not yet providing a report on the number of clients they helped. We are continuing to  pursue receiving reports, however if we fail to receive a report, they will not be allowed to  participate in the distribution this year. Our other program, the Emergency Program, was our most successful to date. We distributed 469 items helping 99 women, men, boys and girls! I would note that we do not determine what is an emergency, but allow our partners to make that determination.  While we have not segregated the funds for this program, we will be this year, as the Doris and Victor Day Foundation has contributed $500 for this program! While last year was filled with good news, we also had some bad news. One of our key committee member passed away unexpectedly, Kathid Gunnare. She provided some needed energy, was full of ideas on moving forward and had many key contacts. Kathie will be missed and in her honor, with the permission of the family, the spring collection and distribution was officially named: the Kathie Gunnare Spring Memorial Campaign. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the family. I would like to extend a thank you to the following foundations and groups for their financial contribution last year: Rock Island Community Foundation, Moline Foundation, Modern Woodman,  Christ the King Catholic Church, The Islamic Center of  the Quad Cities, as well as numerous individuals.   The need for underwear never goes away, it just seems to grow larger. To this end, we have initiated two additional efforts on underwear. The first is to reach out to the manufactures of underwear and seek a direct donation of underwear in support of our program. The second is we have started working to determine if there are enough  organizations dedicated to veterans that would be not only joining us as partners creating a year round program specifically I look forward to seeing both these efforts to completion. Finally, I would like to thank all of our collection and distribution sites, as well as our volunteers for their effort in FY2017 to whom without, we would not be able to conduct this program. I look forward to their continued participation in FY2018. Sincerely, Grant Curtis Chairperson, Underwear Because We Care