Viminda Shafer And Tyler Mitchell Honored For Work With The Project
“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 Rev. Rich Hendricks, pastor of Metropolitan Community Church of the Quad Cities.
During the worship service at 11am on Sunday, May 18th, Mitchell and Shafer will be recognized with Metropolitan Community Church’s (MCC QC) Outstanding Community Service Award.
Viminda 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. Viminda 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, Viminda’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, 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 their free time, Viminda likes to spend time with her family, craft, and think about ways to take down the patriarchy. Viminda is a proud queer Filipina and resides in a small country village in Illinois with her wife and daughter.
Tyler 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, Tyler worked at Genesis Health System in the corporate communication department for close to five years. He has a Bachelors in Strategic Communication from St. Ambrose University and a Masters 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. 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, Tyler 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 11am at MCC QC, 2930 W. Locust Street, Davenport, Iowa and celebrate with them in a brief reception following the service.
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