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WOOD RIVER/GODFREY - Riverbend Family Ministries is preparing for its biggest fundraiser of the year, and you can help.
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From 5:30–7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, at The Commons at Lewis and Clark Community College, RFM will host their annual banquet. It’s completely free to attend, though donations are encouraged. Development Director Rachael Craddick hopes to welcome a huge crowd so they can do more to support their clients at RFM every day.
“It’ll be great information, a great meal, a great sense of community and great fundraising, hopefully,” Craddick said. “It really is a great chance to gather the entire community — donors, volunteers, community partners who make this work possible. It’s a celebration and it’s our fundraiser. We’re looking to bring in $100,000 this year.”
RFM’s building, located in downtown Wood River, is home to several nonprofits. The goal is to allow collaboration between these organizations so they can work together to help clients.
Meanwhile, RFM provides trauma-informed care for individuals experiencing homelessness and families in need of support. They offer everything from rental assistance to showers to counseling.
Craddick noted that this mission — to prevent homelessness and assist unhoused community members — guided the decision to bring in Christine Haley as the featured speaker for the Sept. 17 fundraiser. Haley is the Chief Homelessness Officer with the Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness.
“That’s really what RFM is all about: keeping people housed. How do we prevent homelessness from happening?” Craddick said. “We’re really excited to hear [Haley’s] take on what that looks like on the state level, what’s being done, and how that affects people here in Madison County. We’re really excited about that.”
Themed “Building a Better Tomorrow,” the banquet will encourage attendees to connect and learn more about RFM’s work. The organization asks people to RSVP online to reserve your seat, but the tickets and meal are free.
Craddick thanked the sponsors for making this possible, including Atomic Pinball Arcade. The sponsors have put forth nearly $50,000 already, which allows RFM to welcome guests for free to the banquet. Now Craddick and her team are looking for donors to take this a step further and support RFM’s work.
“Every dollar raised can go right back to helping the people and programs that we help at RFM every single day,” she said. “That’s people coming in for utility assistance, rental assistance, getting showers, laundry, all the supplies, the team that makes that happen. It’s just one more thing that takes off our plate and allows us to help more people every single day.”
For more information about RFM’s fundraising banquet, visit the official webpage. To learn more about Riverbend Family Ministries, including how to receive or offer support, visit their official website.
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