By Lindsay Steele
The Catholic Messenger
DAVENPORT — The Immigration Office of the Diocese of Davenport is among local organizations that encourages the faithful to “Spread the Relief” provided by stimulus funds.
The “Spread the Relief” effort encourages people who have not suffered financially from the COVID-19 pandemic to share their stimulus money with programs and agencies that are providing food and housing assistance, as well as healthcare, to those most in need.
“The goal of the campaign is to call upon our neighbors in the greater Quad-City area whose income and financial security have not been negatively impacted, but who will be receiving stimulus checks from the federal government, to consider donating all or part of their stimulus funds to programs and agencies that are providing assistance to those most seriously affected by the pandemic,” says Rabbi Henry Karp, co-founder of One Human Family.
On March 11, President Joe Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan, which provides $1.9 trillion in coronavirus (COVID-19) relief funding, including direct payments of up to $1,400 to individuals who make up to $75,000 annually.
Sponsoring organizations, including One Human Family of the QCA, Metrocom NAACP, Progressive Action for the Common Good and Quad Cities Interfaith, have shared on their websites the names and contact information for local organizations that provide relief.
Donors should send funds directly to the organizations on the list, with “COVID Relief” in the memo line.
Do not send checks to the organizations sponsoring the “Spread the Relief” efforts. “We have done our best to organize a list of some of the more well-known agencies and programs that are assisting people in the greater Quad-City area in these three areas of concern (food assistance, housing assistance and healthcare),” Rabbi Karp says. “We have included contact information for the agencies we have listed. We may have missed some organizations, but this is a starting point. Our goal is to help those in the most need.”
“So many in our region have suffered job loss, food insecurity and the loss of their health insurance,” said Allison Ambrose, president of Progressive Action for the Common Good. “By teaming with agencies that provide these types of assistance, we hope those who have been spared these hardships will be able to pay it forward and help those who have been so severely impacted during this time.”Kent Ferris, director of the diocesan Social Action office, said local efforts to address immediate needs “are always worthy of attention. This local effort is one of several across the diocese happening right now where stimulus funds can be donated to help those in greater need. These are difficult times, but people still care about neighbors.”
For a list of donation opportunities, go to https://onehumanfamilyqca.org/docs/List-agencies-donate.pdf.
