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About Us

At Project NOW, we believe every person deserves stability, respect, and opportunity. As a consolidated community resource, we coordinate housing, energy assistance, senior services, and supportive programs, so individuals don’t have to navigate crisis alone. Our work is grounded in dignity — recognizing that the people we serve are our neighbors, and their humanity is shared with our own.

Project NOW integrates early education, housing stability, energy assistance, emergency supports, and senior services into one coordinated system of care. Rather than operating in silos, we align programs to address both the immediate crises and root causes of poverty and aging in our region. Through this consolidated structure, we increase access, reduce duplication, and ensure individuals are treated with dignity while navigating hardship.

Our Mission: We strengthen communities by helping people help themselves and one another.

Our Vision: We envision the whole community working hand in hand to meet human needs, protect human dignity and restore hope.

Dwight L. FordDr. Dwight L. Ford serves as President and CEO of Project NOW and is the agency’s seventh Executive Director.

Prior to joining Project NOW, he served as Executive Director of the Eastern Nebraska Community Action Partnership and previously led the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center in Rock Island, Illinois.

Born in Crystal Springs, Mississippi, and raised in Rock Island, Dr. Ford’s leadership is deeply rooted in both national experience and local commitment. Following high school, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, where he honorably completed a six-year military career — an experience that shaped his disciplined, service-oriented leadership approach.

Dr. Ford earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Western Illinois University and a Master of Divinity from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is currently pursuing doctoral studies in a dual-degree program through Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

Our leadership team is guided by an experienced C-Suite comprised of dedicated professionals in finance, human resources, and nonprofit operations. This executive team works collaboratively to ensure organizational stability, regulatory compliance, strategic growth, and mission alignment across all programs and services.

Together, they provide the operational oversight and strategic direction that allows Project NOW to deliver coordinated services with integrity, accountability, and excellence.

As a Community Action Agency for over 55 years, Project NOW is governed by a dedicated Board of Directors that provides strategic oversight, ensures accountability, and champions the agency’s mission. Our Board is tri-partite, representing the low-income community (C), the private sector (Pvt), and elected officials (P). By bringing together leaders from these diverse sectors, the Board guides policy, supports resource development, and helps shape programs that address poverty, aging, and other community needs across Rock Island, Henry, and Mercer Counties.

Project NOW’s Board of Directors:

At Project NOW, we provide a wide range of coordinated services designed to meet the needs of individuals and families across Rock Island, Henry, and Mercer Counties. From early childhood education to housing support, utility assistance, senior services, and emergency aid, each program is rooted in dignity, access, and our shared humanity. Explore the links below to learn more about the specific programs and services that help our community thrive.