New mural celebrates World Breastfeeding Week
DAVENPORT — A colorful new mural by artist Shayla Ray is helping Community Health Care Inc. counter the stigma surrounding breastfeeding. The new mural, unveiled Monday, adorns a wall of the Community Health Care location at 500 W. River Dr. Ray’s artwork, created in collaboration with others, will also be on display at Community Health locations in Clinton and Edgerton. Community Health commissioned the artwork to honor World Breastfeeding Week, happening this week to “reduce the stigma on breastfeeding and raise awareness of and support for breastfeeding issues.” Community Health Care’s (CHC) has 11 locations throughout the Quad Cities and nearby counties, and offers comprehensive healthcare, including dental, mental health, and women’s health services. Fees are based on a sliding scale for people with financial need. Learn more here.
Clock Inc. issues ongoing urgent appeal for more donations
ROCK ISLAND — Clock Inc announced July 30 that its desperate call for donations a week earlier succeeded and helped “keep the doors open” but continues to spread word about its push for more donations. The eight-year-old center began an urgent plea for donations through its newsletter and large media in mid-July, shortly after announcing its Besties and I Pledge Drive, which lasts through Aug. 17. Operations director Mary Francis told several traditional area media that the center — funded by community donations, numerous foundations, and revenue Clock Inc. receives from counseling services — may close if it did not raise an unspecified amount. She said Clock Inc. was catapulted into financial emergency in the fall because of lowered grant awards, rising costs, and the general impact of the Trump administration. It’s unclear how much Clock Inc. was short or how much it has raised so far through its emergency appeals. Francis has not responded to MainStream’s request for an interview; Clock Inc. founder Chase Norris issued MainStream “formal notice” Monday to halt any effort to seek comment from Clock Inc. about its finances and ongoing appeal for more donations. See “More To the Story,” MainStream‘s new series filling in facts and context where they’re lacking, about Clock Inc. finances. You can also lLearn more about Clock Inc. here.
TPQC invites feedback on LGBTQ+ health needs
MOLINE — LGBTQ+ community members in the Quad Cities can help shape the future of health care by participating in a survey by The Project of the Quad Cities (TPQC). The nonprofit’s Community Health Needs Survey asks respondents what they value and avoid when choosing clinics and healthcare providers; what would make health care more welcoming; and what additional services the community needs. Find and take the survey here. Respondents can also sign up to be part of in-person focus groups with TPQC to help them learn even more. The Project is based on John Deere Road in Moline but serves the entire Quad Cities region and provides outreach and testing to 20 other counties along the Iowa/Illinois border. It offers testing for sexually-transmitted infections; HIV testing, treatment and support; LGBTQ+ focused primary care; mental health services; healthcare advocacy; social events; harm reduction; and an on-site pharmacy. Learn more about TPQC here.
