Tapestry Farms generously invests in the lives of refugees who resettle in the Quad Cities.

Access: We persistently work to eliminate barriers refugees experience to housing, education, medical and mental health care, work, food, transportation, community, and citizenship.

Urban farm: We reclaim underutilized land in Quad City neighborhoods experiencing food insecurity, growing culturally responsive food so that all in our community are abundantly fed.

The future: Our greatest hope is that building trusted connections will create a Quad City-wide welcoming infrastructure - a vibrant and thriving community for every single person, including refugees.

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Values

**Accompaniment:** We walk with refugees as they embark upon their new lives.
**Encouragement:** We recognize, respect, and celebrate the gifts of refugees.
**Resourcefulness:** We understand and engage the resources available to refugees.
**Humility:** We have a lot to learn about the culture and experiences of refugees.
**Hope:** We long for the day when resettled families find home once again.

**Maggie Jackson, administrative coordinator**
Maggie brings to Tapestry Farms her heart, her kindness and her ability to restore calm in the most chaotic of situations. She maintains our client and donor databases and provides support to all the team members. She lives in Bettendorf with her husband and is a proud mom of her grown son.

**Laura Lortz, community navigator - health**
Laura has spent 25 years working in social service settings, and focuses much of her work with Tapestry Farms on accessing medical/mental/dental health care. She has a master’s degree from St. Ambrose University. She lives in Bettendorf and is mom to three grown sons and two Australian Shepherds

Jenner Kealey, community navigatorJenner is a persistent and joyful presence, walking alongside families as they work to reach their goals. Jenner is a wife and mom to two adult children. She lives in Davenport, where she tends her backyard garden a… — **Jenner Kealey, community navigator - new beginnings**
Jenner is a persistent and joyful presence, primarily working with families new to Tapestry Farms as they navigate creating a home for themselves and their children. Jenner is a wife and mom to two adult children. She lives in Davenport, where she tends her backyard garden and loves to scout out estate sales.

Sonja Kinser, community navigatorSonja was born and raised in the QC, hopped around the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest, and has settled once again in Davenport. Sonja leads our WIC access program, among other family connecting efforts. She is work… — **Sonja Kinser, hydroponics manager**
Sonja was born and raised in the QC, lived internationally, hopped around the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest, and has settled once again in Davenport. Sonja is the leader of our hydroponics container, growing leafy greens and root vegetables that are distributed throughout the community.

**Chantal Maombi, seasonal urban farm specialist**
Chantal, originally from Democratic Republic of Congo, grew up in a refugee camp in Uganda. She arrived in the United States in 2016 - her family was the inspiration for Tapestry Farms. She is a graduate of Davenport West High School, and became a U.S. citizen in 2022. Chantal is mom to Aaliyah, and helps care for her younger siblings.

**Ann McGlynn, executive director**
Ann grew up on a small family farm in eastern Iowa. She spent more than 20 years as a journalist and communications director before founding Tapestry Farms in 2017. She has a masters in business administration from the University of Iowa, and lives in Davenport. She is married, and has two young adult sons.

**Aline Niyokwizera, seasonal urban farm specialist**
Aline, originally from Burundi, lives in Davenport with her husband and four children - Belize, Marielle, Briton, and Milton. Aline is very proud to say she is now a U.S. citizen. She loves to cook and wear beautiful clothes. She works as a custodian during the school year at St. Paul the Apostle School.

**Amy Sivertsen, finance**
Amy has a wide range of experience in crisp financial record maintenance, bookkeeping, budgeting, planning, and forecasting. Her work reflects her belief in advocating for opportunities for all and working to help identify and remove barriers restricting access to basic needs and education. Amy lives in Moline with her husband and four children.

**Kamari Sorensen, community navigator - nourishment**
Kamari is a graduate of Davenport Central High School and Eastern Gateway Community College with an associate’s degree in social work. She is the proud mom of two beautiful girls. Kamari leads our nourishment initiatives, ensuring families have access to programs such as WIC, SNAP, and our culturally responsive food pantry.

Board of Directors

Hans Schnekloth, President
Schnekloth Farms, Inc.

Ann Garton, Vice President
St. Ambrose University

Destiny Glover, Treasurer
Deere & Co.

Wafa Alhajri
St. Ambrose University

Ewelina Bergert
Black Hawk College

Nikki Habben
Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa & Western Illinois

Sarah Rissler
St. Ambrose University

Tina Stubbs
Edward Jones

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News from Tapestry Farms

Featured

Spring Fling 2024: Reserve your seats today

Gather together in joy and love - enjoy a casual evening of food, drinks, music, and a silent auction. A special guest will share a story of refuge in the Quad Cities.

The Power of Radical Hospitality: Dr. Diya Abdo Visits the Quad Cities

"Refugees are forced to seek safety elsewhere because home, forever soul-filled and memory-rich, is no longer safe. For refugees, exile is the solution to the problem of death."

American Refuge: The refugee experience and power of radical hospitality

Diya Abdo, founder of Every Campus a Refuge | Thursday, Feb. 22, 7 p.m. | Rogalski Center Ballroom, St. Ambrose University | Free and open to the public

Position posting: Ag & youth community navigator

We are hiring! Tapestry Farms seeks a year-round community navigator to lead our seasonal vegetable urban farm system and mentor refugee youth and young adults.

Tapestry Farms celebrates new hydroponics container

In partnership with the Deere Foundation, Freight Farms, the city of Rock Island, and the Quad City Botanical Center, Tapestry Farms announces a significant expansion of our food-growing capabilities for 2024 and beyond.

Holiday letter 2023: Remembering our language

Our most important aspiration is that all of the people of Tapestry Farms believe they are supported and cared for. We hope that kindness and perseverance are the languages of Tapestry Farms.

The beginning of year 7

As we start year number seven of Tapestry Farms, we have some wonderful things happening that I hope will encourage you to continue supporting our work.

LFPA: Food pantries & fresh produce

Very few things make us happier here at Tapestry Farms than when people with limited financial resources are able to easily access fresh, locally grown produce that they love to eat - for free.

Spring planting: Photo palooza

Eleven crews, about 100 people, planted, planted, and planted some more this spring. Thank you for helping get our crops in the ground!

Spring Fling - May 5, 7-10 p.m.

A beautiful setting, an inspiring story, good food, and opportunity to give - Spring Fling is Friday, May 5, 7-10 p.m. at the QC Botanical Center. Purchase your tickets, become a sponsor, volunteer, or donate today.