Flood Recovery & Emergency Relocation
Tax deductible
UPDATE: Thank you to the QC Community Foundation, the Doris and Victor Day Foundation, QC Bank & Trust and anonymous -- $17,500 has been committed as of 5/20!
Due to historic flooding, we have been forced from our leased building. We plan to partially resume our services in a vacant retail space donated for 60-90 days by a generous business partner... but in the meantime, we have been informed that our lease has been terminated due to extensive damage to our flooded location at 311 E 2nd St, Davenport, Iowa. Six years and over $40,000 invested in improving an old building for a future that no longer exists :-(
Will you help us empower more local women and families? Support through GoFundMe helps us bring our staff and client services back to capacity, replace equipment and inventory lost in the flood, secure a new location and get moved in. We project the costs related to moving, renovating a space for our particular services, loss of revenue from planned clothing sales, and loss of productivity to be anywhere between $25,000 - $50,000 depending upon how long we are displaced and what our future location costs will be. We have insurance... but it doesn't cover flooding. Our annual budget is modest at $290,000 and these losses have a serious impact on our momentum. Without support, we will not be able to reach all the women who need our free services.
Dress for Success Quad Cities provides free professional attire to women who have been referred for services after homelessness, domestic violence, incarceration, job displacement or other challenging life situation, as the final step and confidence boost before their interviews and new jobs. Most of the clothing is donated by women in the community and volunteers conduct the "suitings." We also provide free monthly professional development seminars and career development workshops to help women get a job, keep a job, and grow a career.
We lost our first home in 2013 when our lease was terminated after the historic Union Arcade building in downtown Davenport was sold to convert to residential apartments. We would really like to find a permanent home so that we won't be ever be homeless again. We hope to raise another $25,000 to jump start fundraising for a permanent location.
More on the flood emergency:
Dress for Success Quad Cities has been serving the Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois region since 2011 and over 1500 women and families have benefited to date.
However, all this came to a halt on Tuesday, Apr 30, 2019, when a levee breach on the Mississippi River in Davenport, Iowa, completely surrounded our 2 story building, after holding back a swollen river above major flood level for a record number days. https://tinyurl.com/y3ctsk3z
Water poured into the downtown area and into our basement like a waterfall. Everyone had to be evacuated from flooded buildings by fire rescue teams, including Dress for Success QC staff members, which was captured on video by our local NBC affiliate and shared on national NBC news the following night. https://tinyurl.com/y6epvr4u
A few days later, the river reached a historic crest of 22.7 feet which completely filled our 5000 sq ft basement and partially flooded the first floor. Our small staff was able to get into the building that day by boat to save as much of the clothing and equipment as we could as we waited for the river to slowly recede.
Thanks to a generous business partner, the Heart of America Group, the Suiting Program has a temporary home to begin providing free suitings again but only for 60-90 days. In the meantime, Dress for Success Quad Cities was informed that they were being released from their lease agreement effective immediately due to extensive damage of the building and desire of the owner to sell the building.
Suitings should resume the week of May 20th. Clothing sales held up to 4 times per year are on hold, and the professional development workshops are being held off-site until we are re-settled. Our future is in real jeopardy.
We are asking for your support. Any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution!
More information about Dress for Success Quad Cities: Our mission is to empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. We are a 501c3 nonprofit legally affiliated with Dress for Success Worldwide, begun in 1997 and now located in over 150 cities in 23 countries. https://quadcities.dressforsuccess.org/
https://www.facebook.com/dfsqc/
Due to historic flooding, we have been forced from our leased building. We plan to partially resume our services in a vacant retail space donated for 60-90 days by a generous business partner... but in the meantime, we have been informed that our lease has been terminated due to extensive damage to our flooded location at 311 E 2nd St, Davenport, Iowa. Six years and over $40,000 invested in improving an old building for a future that no longer exists :-(
Will you help us empower more local women and families? Support through GoFundMe helps us bring our staff and client services back to capacity, replace equipment and inventory lost in the flood, secure a new location and get moved in. We project the costs related to moving, renovating a space for our particular services, loss of revenue from planned clothing sales, and loss of productivity to be anywhere between $25,000 - $50,000 depending upon how long we are displaced and what our future location costs will be. We have insurance... but it doesn't cover flooding. Our annual budget is modest at $290,000 and these losses have a serious impact on our momentum. Without support, we will not be able to reach all the women who need our free services.
Dress for Success Quad Cities provides free professional attire to women who have been referred for services after homelessness, domestic violence, incarceration, job displacement or other challenging life situation, as the final step and confidence boost before their interviews and new jobs. Most of the clothing is donated by women in the community and volunteers conduct the "suitings." We also provide free monthly professional development seminars and career development workshops to help women get a job, keep a job, and grow a career.
We lost our first home in 2013 when our lease was terminated after the historic Union Arcade building in downtown Davenport was sold to convert to residential apartments. We would really like to find a permanent home so that we won't be ever be homeless again. We hope to raise another $25,000 to jump start fundraising for a permanent location.
More on the flood emergency:
Dress for Success Quad Cities has been serving the Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois region since 2011 and over 1500 women and families have benefited to date.
However, all this came to a halt on Tuesday, Apr 30, 2019, when a levee breach on the Mississippi River in Davenport, Iowa, completely surrounded our 2 story building, after holding back a swollen river above major flood level for a record number days. https://tinyurl.com/y3ctsk3z
Water poured into the downtown area and into our basement like a waterfall. Everyone had to be evacuated from flooded buildings by fire rescue teams, including Dress for Success QC staff members, which was captured on video by our local NBC affiliate and shared on national NBC news the following night. https://tinyurl.com/y6epvr4u
A few days later, the river reached a historic crest of 22.7 feet which completely filled our 5000 sq ft basement and partially flooded the first floor. Our small staff was able to get into the building that day by boat to save as much of the clothing and equipment as we could as we waited for the river to slowly recede.
Thanks to a generous business partner, the Heart of America Group, the Suiting Program has a temporary home to begin providing free suitings again but only for 60-90 days. In the meantime, Dress for Success Quad Cities was informed that they were being released from their lease agreement effective immediately due to extensive damage of the building and desire of the owner to sell the building.
Suitings should resume the week of May 20th. Clothing sales held up to 4 times per year are on hold, and the professional development workshops are being held off-site until we are re-settled. Our future is in real jeopardy.
We are asking for your support. Any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution!
More information about Dress for Success Quad Cities: Our mission is to empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. We are a 501c3 nonprofit legally affiliated with Dress for Success Worldwide, begun in 1997 and now located in over 150 cities in 23 countries. https://quadcities.dressforsuccess.org/
https://www.facebook.com/dfsqc/
Fundraising team (3)
Regina A Haddock
Organizer
Davenport, IA
Dress for Success Quad Cities
Beneficiary
Marie Kretz
Team member
Cheryl Kung
Team member