Bethany for Children and Families is raising money to pay for the purchase of its new home in downtown Moline.
The 125-year-old nonprofit moved last spring to the Caxton Block building at 1701 River Drive, after it outgrew its longtime space downtown on 6th Avenue.
The three-story building has ample space for current staff and room for the anticipated growth of services, according to a Monday release. Bethany is starting Phase II of a $3-million capital campaign for the larger agency service center.
Monday’s public announcement comes as the agency achieved the halfway mark in fundraising, with donations and pledges totaling $1,514,914 to date. In addition to the private donors of Bethany, board members, and staff, Bethany is deeply grateful to the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust, The Bechtel Trusts, and Modern Woodmen of America for generous donations and support during the first phase of the campaign, the release said.
The goal is to retire the mortgage on the building by the end of 2025. Bethany’s board and management invite the community to “Gift and Uplift for this project that will house this 125-year-old community asset so that it may continue to serve the neediest members of this community.”
More people are suffering from poverty, homelessness, and mental illness, Bethany said. In order to provide office and meeting space for caseworkers, supervisors, therapists, and educators to efficiently address clients’ needs, Bethany purchased the Caxton Block building for $4,158,000. The total left on the mortgage is $3,406,000.
In the 45,000-square-foot building, Bethany employees nearly 100 staff in the Quad Cities, and an additional 40 in Clinton, according to Christina McNamara, director of development and communication.
Bethany also leases space to other non-profits and businesses in the Caxton Block Building. ProMedica Hospice and Hutchison Engineering have suites on the first floor, and part of the third floor of the building is occupied by a private tenant.
Founded in 1899, Bethany for Children & Families is a non-profit, child welfare, mental health, community education, and social service provider for children and adults in western Illinois and eastern Iowa. Offering 37 programs and services, Bethany annually serves nearly 15,000 children and families.
Services include:
- Adoption and foster care
- Counseling and therapy services to children at their school
- Mobile dental program that visits children at their school to provide dental examinations and cleanings free of charge
- After-school program that helps at-risk youth learn anger management and social skills
- Programs to help families and teens overcome homelessness
- Child welfare services that provide protective and preventative services to children who are at-risk or are victims of abuse or neglect
- Education programs for junior high and high school students that teach self-esteem, respect, risks of sexual behavior, and responsibility
For more details, visit its website HERE.
