Press release submitted by Royal Neighbors

Nearly 200 Royal Neighbors volunteers will plant gardens to raise food for 100 area families

(Rock Island, IL) –Nearly 200 volunteers from the Royal Neighbors of America Home Office and area chapters are scheduled to observe JOIN HANDS DAY on Saturday, May 5, by "Growing & Giving TogetherSM." The group also will include individuals from local service organizations such as Project NOW, Casa Guanajuato Quad Cities, Friends of Riverside Park Gardens, Girl Scouts, City of Moline, University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners, and Broadway Presbyterian Church, to plant vegetable gardens throughout the Quad Cities to help teach women to grow healthy, affordable food for their families. Master gardeners will be on site to teach participants how to plant and maintain the gardens. It is estimated that when harvested, the food will feed approximately 100 women and their families.

Children's Community Garden

Time: 9:30-11:00 a.m.

Location: Corner lot at 19th Street and 8th Avenue, Rock Island

Community and Demonstration Gardens, Children's Garden, and Butterfly Garden

Time: 9:30-11:00 a.m.

Location: Riverside Gardens and Park, 5th Avenue and 34th Street, Moline

Make-and-Take Container Gardens for women in transitional housing and area youths

Time: 2-3 p.m.

Location: Martin Luther King Center, 630 9th Street, Rock Island

Contacts: Vickie Sedam (563) 320-1137 or Sarah Reemtsma (563) 343-7770

In the event of inclement weather, outdoor gardens will be planted in June; the make-and-take container garden event will go on as scheduled.

In its 13th year, JOIN HANDS DAY is sponsored by America's fraternal benefit societies such

as Royal Neighbors of America. The day of service provides an opportunity for adults and young people to build relationships through volunteer activities. As partners, adults and youths work together to plan, organize, and implement activities that improve their neighborhoods.

Royal Neighbors of America, one of the nation's largest women-led life insurance companies, exists for the benefit of its members. It offers insurance and annuity products to fulfill financial needs of growth, savings, and protection. Members receive valuable benefits and can participate in volunteer activities through the organization's local chapters to help make a difference in their communities. The organization's philanthropic efforts are dedicated to changing women's lives through its national programs, including the Nation of NeighborsSM Program, and through the Royal Neighbors Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity.

Headquartered in Rock Island, IL, with branch offices in Mesa, AZ, and Austin, TX, Royal Neighbors serves more than 215,000 members and is licensed to do business in 42 states and the District of Columbia.

For more information about Royal Neighbors of America, call (800) 627-4762, or visit www.royalneighbors.org.