Rock Island, Illinois, March 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Royal Neighbors Foundation made a $25,000 donation to the River Bend Foodbank to help support its efforts to ensure on-going access to food for families in the Quad Cities Area. The donation was made in response to a request made by the Regional Development Authority (RDA) to raise funds for pandemic relief during this time of crisis.
"We wanted to do something to help address the evolving needs of our local area," said Foundation President Mary Staver. "When the Regional Development Authority approached us with this opportunity to help some of the most vulnerable in our community, joining them was an easy decision."
The funding comes from the Royal Neighbors Foundation Disaster Relief Fund. Ms. Staver adds, "This donation was made on behalf of the Royal Neighbors of America members and chapters across the country who have made monetary contributions to the fund."
In light of the current pandemic, the Regional Development Authority has been developing a process to quickly funnel funds out into the community in order to support work to flatten the contagion curve and to support nonprofits that serve vulnerable populations.
"We were looking for local organizations to help us raise funds for pandemic relief efforts. The Royal Neighbors Foundation rose to the challenge and chose to support the Foodbank," Matt Mendenhall, president/CEO of the RDA said.
The River Bend Foodbank serves more than 300 partner agencies in eastern Iowa and western Illinois, distributing more than 17 million meals in fiscal year 2019-2020.
"River Bend Foodbank is committed to continuing charitable food distribution as long as it is safe and legal for us to do so," said Mike Miller, president/CEO. "Many thanks to the Royal Neighbors Foundation. This gift will be used to help even more people - now even more in need because of the COVID-19 crisis - throughout the 18 Illinois counties in the Foodbank's service area."
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About the Royal Neighbors Foundation
The Royal Neighbors Foundation is the independent philanthropic foundation of Royal Neighbors of America. It was established in 2002 as a 501(c)(3) public charity to provide financial education and support causes that empower women and their families. Special emphasis is placed on its mission of building women's futures through financial education. The Foundation is funded through donations from Chapters, individual donors, Royal Neighbors vendor partners, and employees.