ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — After a year of service, the Clock Inc. LGBT+ Community Center threw a anniversary celebration with the people it has served in its first year.
The center opened in 2019 and offers support and education to members of the LGBT+ community and their families in a place free of discrimination.
The company invited community members, people it has served, and local politicians and celebrities to the anniversary party. Patrons popped open bottles of non-alcoholic champagne to mark the occaision.
At the same time, the shelter announced that it had served 1700 people in its first year, 40% of which consisted of Quad Cities youth. The center also brought people from as far out as Iowa City, Peoria, and even Chicago.
Executive Director Chase Norris reminisced on the experience, saying, "It`s crazy to think how fast a year has been. But I just remember when we signed the lease and got the keys last year, it was so much pressure of like, OK, we did it now how do we make this bigger and better. And just over the last year, just how much we've done and accomplished. We`re going to top that, we`re going to triple it this year."
