15-05-2025
Public invited as Davenport church recognizes 2 for community service
Two Quad City residents will be recognized Sunday for their community service, according to a news release.
'Viminda Shafer and Tyler Mitchell are tireless workers for Human Rights as individuals and in their roles working for The Project of the Quad Cities,' says the Rev. Rich Hendricks, pastor of Metropolitan Community Church of the Quad Cities.
During the worship service at 11 a.m. Sunday, May 18, Mitchell and Shafer will be recognized with Metropolitan Community Church's (MCC QC) Outstanding Community Service Award.
Shafer has been connected to the field of education for over 25 years. She spent the bulk of that time working with middle and high school students in special education programs. Shafer joined the staff of The Project in 2018 as the VOCA and LGBTQ Coordinator. In her current role as The Project's Community Relations and Development Coordinator, Shafer's passion for education and social justice work comes together allowing her to push for equity, provide community education, and connect people to resources. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Iowa Safe Schools, is the president of the Sherrard Soccer Club, is one of the leaders of her daughter's 4H Club, and is a member of the United Methodist's Illinois Great River Conference LGBTQ inclusion team.
In Shafer's free time, she likes to spend time with her family, craft, and 'think about ways to take down the patriarchy.' She 'is a proud queer Filipina and resides in a small country village in Illinois with her wife and daughter.'
Mitchell first began his journey with The Project first in 2018 as a marketing consultant. He officially joined the organization in 2019 as the marketing & communications manager and was promoted to development director in 2024. Prior to joining The Project, Mitchell worked at Genesis Health System in the corporate communication department for close to five years. He has a bachelor's in strategic communication from St. Ambrose University and a master's in strategic communication from the University of Iowa.
'As a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, Tyler aims to serve his community and make a difference through his work at The Project,' the release says. He also serves on the board of directors for One Iowa Action, a statewide advocacy group fighting for LGBTQ+ Iowans, and as a community advisory board member at WVIK.
During his free time, Mitchell enjoys hanging out with his cats, Basil & Meredith, listening to audiobooks, attending book clubs, and playing video games.
Asked why he does this work, Tyler says: 'I do this work for every single queer person who came before me, whose advocacy and power help paved my path I walk today. I do this work for all the human beings who lost their lives to HIV/AIDS. I do this work for the generations to come with the hope that I can help pave the same path. I do this work for 8-year-old me who believed that something was profoundly broken inside of him just 'cause he thought other boys were cute. I do this work to be a part of the solution that builds us a better future where all people can live fully regardless of your gender or who you love.'
The public is invited to hear Shafer and Mitchell accept their awards during the worship service at 11 a.m. at MCC QC, 2930 W. Locust St., Davenport, and celebrate with them in a brief reception after the service.
For more information contact Tyler Mitchell at tyler@ and Viminda Shafer at viminda@ or call The Project at 309-762-5433.
For more information about MCC QC, contact Hendricks at richdhendricks@ or 563-940-9630.
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