The Kiwanis Club of Davenport will present a check for $4,000 to River Bend Foodbank. The money will sponsor the children that receive backpack food at Madison Elementary School in Davenport.

The Backpack Program provides children at risk of hunger with nourishing food to take home on Fridays to get them through the weekend when programs like school breakfasts and lunches are not available.  The Backpack Program targets pre-school, elementary and middle school children who are at risk of chronic hunger.  These children are identified by name by their school staff.  Each child receives a weekly food pack on Fridays to put in their Backpacks and take home for the weekend.  The food is child friendly, easily consumed and vitamin fortified. The bags contain about eight items and include two "entrees" like stew or soup, two servings of fruit, cereal, milk, and juice. We partner with the schools to select the children and distribute the food. Currently we are serving 43 schools and 1,700 of the neediest children in the Quad Cities.

DAVENPORT, IA -  River Bend Foodbank Chairman of the Board John Weber and Treasurer Dale Baraks welcomed several new members to the organization's board of directors, filling vacancies created through the death and attrition of several long-term board members, many who began their service at the inception of  the River Bend Food Reservoir in 1982.  Weber is a deacon at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Bettendorf, IA, and Baraks is a retired Senior Vice President and Director of Southeast National Bank, Moline, IL

"Under the leadership of Tom Laughlin, the River Bend Foodbank has led the way in providing food to those in need in our region for more than 30 years," said Weber.  "Dale and I were a part of small, dedicated group that helped Tom and his staff with that mission.  To continue that support to the organization, over the past few months, we have actively recruited several new members and are proud to welcome them to the board."

New board members include :

Patricia Huber - Patricia Huber currently serves as the Deputy to the Commander for the Joint Munitions Command, making her the senior civilian employed in this Rock Island Arsenal-based facility charged with the production, storage, issue and demilitarization of conventional ammunition for all U.S. military services.  She has more than 30 years of increasingly responsible positions, mostly involving munitions, and has been recognized on many occasions for her work, including receiving the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) Iowa-Illinois Chapter's Lawrence Skibbie Award for Lifetime Contributions to the National Defense.

Chad Lewis - Robert W. Baird & Co. Financial Advisor and Private Wealth Manager Chad Lewis has more than 12 years of investment, banking and auditing experience and has led the formation and operations of a family office.  He is the current treasurer of the Riverboat Development Authority and also serves on the Boards of Directors for The Putnam Museum and Scott County Kids.  Lewis connects with his children's activities through coaching soccer and participating in Boy Scout Activities.

Janet Mathis - Renew Moline Executive Director Janet Mathis has nearly 25 years of experience in management, economic development, public relations and public policy honed in the not-for-profit, governmental and private sectors.  She is currently the Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Center for Youth and Family Solutions; the past Chairman of the Board for the Illinois Development Council; and involved in many other boards and volunteer activities, including the Small Business Development Center Advisory Committee and the Council of Development Finance Agencies Illinois Roundtable.

Matthew O'Brien -  Deere and Company Parts Distribution Center Accounting Manager Matt O'Brien is a Certified Public Accountant that has been with Deere since 2001.  With former experience gained at Deloitte & Touche and Alleman High School, O'Brien has knowledge in auditing, accounting, bookkeeping, marketing and fundraising.  He is active in the United Way, Junior Achievement and serves as Treasurer for the Bettendorf Soccer Association.

Kevin O'Hara - Kevin O'Hara has been employed in the insurance industry with Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services, formerly Cleaveland Insurance, in Rock Island for more than 35 years. He works specifically with larger commercial clients on conventionally insured property, liability, automobile and workers compensation programs or specially constructed programs like ones which require high deductibles or captives.  O'Hara currently also serves on the boards of Black Hawk College Foundation, the Development Authority of Rock Island and the Scott County Regional Authority.

Tony Riordan - Center for Youth and Family Solutions (CYFS) Chief Operating Officer Tony Riordan has spent his career serving families and children in need as a counselor, therapist and social agency administrator.  In 2011, he was integral to the formation of CYFS, a new independent, human service agency, committed to welcoming and serving everyone.  The intent to provide a seamless transition of critical social services from their former home at Catholic Charities was realized by this new organization in 2012 when its staff of 400 served an area covering 37 counties and more than 20,000 clients.

In 2013, the River Bend Foodbank collected, stored and redistributed nearly 8 million pounds of food to more than 300 charities which serve people in need.  These non-profits include food pantries, soup kitchens and those that manage programs that assist and low-income children and elderly.  The Foodbank serves 17 counties in Illinois and 5 in Iowa.