The YWCA of the Quad Cities located in Rock Island, Illinois has been serving our community since 1917. We operate a licensed child care center, empowerment center with employment training programs and job placement assistance, health & wellness programs, and ThePlace2B drop-in center for homeless youth.
In 2010, the YWCA of the Quad Cities was approached by community leaders and a group of churches who were concerned about the large number of homeless youths in our community. After months of fundraising, the YWCA was able to convert the first floor of our facility into a drop-in center for homeless and at-risk youth. ThePlace2b opened on 8/1/2010 and continues to meet the immediate needs of homeless and at-risk youth, including emergency housing, medical, dental & mental health services, crisis intervention, counseling, and much more. ThePlace2B provides hot meals, life skills programming, laundry & shower facilities, food pantry, clothing closet, recreational activities, homework help, transportation, career exploration, employment training programs and job placement assistance.
Our community does not have a youth shelter which makes host homes the only options for youth under the age of 18. Pre-COVID, the YWCA had many host home families where youth could be placed. That has since changed and we have limited options, with DCFS Case Workers forced to have youth sleeping on the floors in their offices. In October 2023, the YWCA had a meeting with DCFS in regard to housing options for youth. DCFS stated that a shelter in our region was marked as a high priority, since Case Workers had 22 youth that month alone without housing options. The YWCA agreed to move forward and DCFS has requested to contract with the YWCA for 10 beds, and DHS 4 beds: 24/7, 365 days per year.
The YWCA Building Committee met with local contractors to identify the costs associated with converting our current building into a shelter. The following scope of work is needed to meet the building code for a youth shelter: Replace existing windows at courtyard with owner furnished Pella windows; replace existing exterior doors with new exterior doors throughout the facility supplied and installed; new pre-finished sheet metal fascia to be installed over the wood fascia; renovate the first-floor small kitchen with new ceilings, lights, cabinets, new sink, new faucet, new paint, new flooring; renovate 2nd floor restroom with new ceiling, lights, flooring, paint, and new restroom fixtures at a normal adult height; provide and install a LULA elevator at the entry lobby area; saw cut and demo of existing concrete SOD, steel support for 2ndfloor concrete SOD edge support; installation of a fire sprinkler system throughout the facility; upgraded security system.
The total cost for renovations is $795,000. The YWCA has secured a $250,000 construction grant from DCFS and is in need of $525,000 to complete the project. The YWCA has completed the DCFS application and budget process, however, needs to secure the additional funding needed to move the project forward. Any an all donations no matter the size would be greatly appreciated.
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