By Dan Russo
The Catholic Messenger
BETTENDORF — Hope will be one of the ingredients served with enchiladas and tacos at St. Joan of Arc Parish in Bettendorf Sept. 22 when its Our Lady of Lourdes campus hosts a unique charity fundraiser.
Proceeds from the Martha’s House Fiesta of Hope from 4:30-7:30 p.m. will support a Rock Island, Illinois, residential space that provides shelter for homeless women and children.
“Our facility can house 20 women with children,” said Frank Roe, the executive director of Christian Care, the parent organization of both Martha’s House and the Rescue Mission, which houses single men. “Martha’s house serves 175 women per year. In December, we are celebrating its fifth year being open. With this fundraising campaign we are starting, we want to make sure Martha’s House lasts a lifetime.”
St. Joan of Arc is hosting the Fiesta of Hope, in part, because of the passion of Kimberly Mayeski, a member of the parish who serves on the board of Christian Care. The recent retiree from John Deere now spends a lot of time volunteering and said she was not familiar with the nature of the homelessness problem in the Quad Cities until she got involved with the charity. Christian Care’s shelters serve people from all over the country, but most of their clients come from the local community, including across the river in Iowa.
In 2025, 62 men from Iowa came to the Rescue Mission and 37 Iowa women came to Martha’s House, according to Mayeski. At the mission site, Christian Care also serves three meals per day for anyone seeking food, amounting to about 50,000 meals per year, Roe said.
Marta’s House opened its doors in December 2021 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic after a previous women’s shelter at that location shut down. Christian Care made improvements to the site and is hoping to keep Martha’s House going strong.
“If you’re hungry, come on the 22nd and join us,” urged Roe.
Rudy’s Tacos of the Village of East Davenport will be providing a menu of various Mexican foods. Admission is $20 for adults 17 and over and $15 for youth. Take-out is available.
On Oct. 9, Christian Care is celebrating is celebrating its 110th anniversary, according to Roe. For more information on the fundraiser or the organization’s ministries, visit https://www.christiancareqc.org/
