-UPDATED APRIL 30-
In only a few weeks since announcing the District Grant program, 54 clubs have put plans in place to support their community during this time of heightened need. Most programs support local food pantries, others support local health care workers, the elderly, vets or homeless families. Read on to see a recap of these great initiatives.
Antioch Rotary will assist the Open Arms Mission, a food pantry serving low income families in the Antioch township area. They will donate $2,000 to OAM and arrange for drop-shipment of those supplies that are most immediately needed.
Arlington Heights will be making donations to the following: Journeys the Road Home, which serves the homeless population in their community; Arlington Cares, which provides emergency relief with rent, utilities and other essentials; Northwest Community Hospital; Wheeling Township Food Pantry; Community Cares Food Pantry. They will match member donations up to $5,000 from their foundation and encourage those who cannot help financially to donate blood.
Barrington Breakfast will donate $2,000 to the Northern Illinois Food Bank, which provides relief to those facing food insecurity, including those children who cannot depend upon school meals at this time.
Barrington Noon club will be making a $6,000 donation to the Barrington Area COVID Response Fund (BACRF). Several non-profit organizations serving the Barrington Area have partnered to create this fund, providing vital basic needs, services, and resources to disproportionately impacted individuals and families in vulnerable populations.
Bartlett Rotary will use its matching grant to donate $1,000 to Hanover Township food pantry and $1,000 to Wayne Township food pantry.
Batavia will be supporting the Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry through a Social Media campaign in the following two ways: 1) Donate $2,000 and request community donations be made directly to the pantry (highlighting the 8x1 factor). 2) Share the list of most-needed items with the community through Social Media and encourage additional donations.
Bloomingdale-Roselle Rotary will address the current critical need for food security. They have made an initial gift to the Northern Illinois Food Bank and will be donating the $2,000 in matched funds to the Roselle United Methodist Church Community Food Pantry, which is preparing emergency kits for families with children who normally rely on school meals and other residents who are in sudden financial need.
Buffalo Grove will be creating and distributing 200 boxed lunches to first responders. 100 lunches will go to NW Community Hospital in Kildeer and 100 to Good Shepard Hospital in Barrington.
Carol Stream will donate $2,000 to local food pantries to meet the growing need for food security.
Cary Grove will donate $2,000 to The of Home of the Sparrow, whose mission is to "reduce homelessness among women and children through community partnerships and strategies resulting in lasting self-sufficiency." The grant will provide monetary support for HOS women and children by assisting with rent, food, bills, prescription medicine and health/care services. The club also provided 250 Trinity Advocate Hospital on the Southside of Chicago for health care workers who are having a hard time finding the time or a place for meals. This was done in collaboration with nonprofit Breaking Bread in Cary and the Rotary Club of Chicago Southeast (District 6450).
Chicagoland Korean Northbrook will offer support families with children who are out of school and may be facing food scarcity. They will donate $2,000 to the Northfield Township Food Pantry, which will match any donation dollar for dollar to ensure that every child on free/reduced lunch will have access to food during the shutdown (for a total of $4,000!). Families that qualify will receive food items from the pantry as well as Aldi gift cards for each child.
Crystal Lake Dawnbreakers will be providing much-needed funds to the Northern Illinois Food Bank to help combat current shortages. Their Food Bank Truck is a regular visitor to the Crystal Lake area and Rotarians look forward to helping serve their community.
Dundee Township will donate $1,000 to a local food pantry such as Fish Food Pantry of Carpentersville, which serves families located within Dundee Township. An additional $1,000 donation will be made to the Boys and Girls Clubs "Dundee Food Project." This food program utilizes local restaurants to prepare low-cost dinners which are then delivered nightly to deserving families struggling to make ends meet due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Elgin has already donated $500 to the Salvation Army to provide home delivery of food and pantry items to seniors who cannot or do not wish to leave their homes. These packages will include disinfectant, paper towels, toilet paper, and food items; they will be delivered to around seventy seniors in need by volunteers from Rotary Club of Elgin, Elgin Breakfast Rotary and Elgin Kiwanis on April 3. In addition, they have also donated $1,000 to Food for Greater Elgin, which has an immediate need to replenish its supplies.
Elgin Breakfast Club will donate $1,000 to Food for Greater Elgin, which serves over 1,000 adults and children in the community. In addition, their club treasurer has spearheaded an ongoing fundraising drive to raise $600,000 for the pantry.
Elk Grove Village will donate $2,000 to a local pantry that supplies boxes of food every Wednesday for families in need. They have implemented a no-contact drive-through distribution system to meet the current and increasing demand.
The Rotary Club of Evanston has been collecting food donations for the Hillside Food Pantry (a ministry of Hillside Free Methodist Church in Evanston) for the past eighteen months. Hillside supports Evanston and the surrounding communities. The food donations were collected in the lobby of Rotary International Headquarters and the Evanston will now provide financial support instead. People with food insecurity will benefit immediately from the resources distributed through Hillside Pantry.
Evanston Lighthouse’s ECF (Evanston Community Fund) has launched the Evanston Community Rapid Response Fund to foster a unified philanthropic response to the impact of COVID-19 in the Evanston community. They will donate $2,000 to ECF, which is working closely with community-based organizations to identify how to strategically use these funds to support community needs as they evolve. They are preparing to address both immediate and long-term needs. The club will also help create awareness of the Rapid Response Fund to help increase financial support.
Fox Valley Sunset will make a $4,000 donation to AMITA Health Foundation for the purchase of iPads to provide virtual visits and services for patients at home or in the hospital. Their offerings include telehealth and web chats, virtual groups, and behavioral health medicine to those who have been impacted by COVID-19 and social distancing recommendations.
Geneva will use its matching grant money to make a $2,000 donation to Chapelstreet Church Shepherd's Heart Food Pantry. The money will go toward the immediate purchase of food by the pantry to support residents in need. This will provide some relief to families facing food scarcity due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Glen Ellyn Rotary Club will donate $700 that was not used for their March meeting meals to the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry.
Glenview Sunrise Rotary will use its grant money to support the Northfield Township Food Pantry. The pantry has a shortage of cereal, pasta, and other items, which their donation will help to replenish.
Grayslake will address local food insecurity in their immediate community by making a $2,000 donation to Lord of Glory Foodbank, which serves approximately 1800 people per month (including high percentages of children and elderly).
Gurnee will support the school-based food pantry for Woodland District 50. One day each week during the regular breakfast/lunch grab and go drive-thru line, families are also provided a bag of groceries with snacks and dinner supplies. The club is also delivering groceries to families that are unable to come to the school and pick them up.
Highland Park-Highwood Rotary will be supporting the Moraine Township Food Pantry, the primary source of food for underserved families in the Highland Park/Highwood area. The pantry serves a large population of restaurant workers who live paycheck to paycheck as well as a significant number of children who are dependent on the pantry with the schools being closed. They will donate $2,000 to help replenish the pantry and keep it stocked.
Huntley will support the Grafton Food Pantry with a $2,000 donation as soon as possible.
Illinois Beach Sunrise will be using their grant to support local food pantries as well as two non-profit organizations in that work with seniors who are unable to obtain necessary supplies (either due to financial constraints or mobility issues).
Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Rotary will be donating $2,300 to three different local services:
Beacon Place, Boys and Girls Club of Lake County, and the Northern Illinois Food Bank, all of which are stepping up to provide food and educational services to families in need despite the present challenges. NIFB provides food through a network of 800 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, youth and senior centers, while Beacon Place and Boys and Girls Clubs help with local provisions and distribution to the communities most in need of assistance.
Beacon Place, Boys and Girls Club of Lake County, and the Northern Illinois Food Bank, all of which are stepping up to provide food and educational services to families in need despite the present challenges. NIFB provides food through a network of 800 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, youth and senior centers, while Beacon Place and Boys and Girls Clubs help with local provisions and distribution to the communities most in need of assistance.
Lake in the Hills will donate funds to purchase supplies for the two food pantries in town: Algonquin/Lake in the Hills Pantry and Grafton Township Pantry. Depending on the individual needs of each pantry, the funds will either be allocated to one of them or evenly split. The initial plan is to provide the pantry/pantries with the funds to purchase the items needed; if they do not have someone able to do the physical shopping, the club will assist by attempting to make the purchases online.
Lake Zurich will donate $2,000 to the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry. The Pantry will use the donation to purchase discounted food supplies from the Northern Illinois Food Depository. St. Vincent’s will then safely distribute the food to in-need families once a week through a drive-by system.
Libertyville Sunrise will make donations to at least two organizations providing emergency food aid: one in Waukegan and the other in Libertyville. After verifying these two organizations' credentials, they will issue them checks or purchase food on their behalf.
Lombard Rotary will be donating $2,000 immediately to local food pantries serving the Lombard area.
The Long Grove/Kildeer/Hawthorn Woods clubs will donate $2,200 to area food banks, to be split among St. Mary's Food Bank, St. Francis' Food Bank, and Northern Illinois Food Bank.
McHenry will offer support to local Veterans Transitional Living Services, providing immediate shelter and food for homeless veterans. They will make a cash donation to purchase necessary food and medical supplies, and to provide essential services for the well-being of veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic. They will also offer financial support to a local food repository.
McHenry Sunrise is donating $2,000 to the local food pantry, FISH of McHenry, to replenish their depleted supplies and to help meet the increased demand during this outbreak. There is a specific need for hygiene and cleaning products, which are particularly hard to come by at this time.
Mundelein/Vernon Hills will purchase food, paper products, and sanitation supplies to be donated to Districts 75 and 120, which will be distributed to families in need during the outbreak. Each club member will purchase the needed goods and deliver them to a distribution center. The club will reimburse them based on submitted receipts.
North Chicago will use their matching grant to make donation to the local food bank, providing immediate aid to the most vulnerable residents of North Chicago and surrounding areas. This donation will help with the purchase of food, water and other necessities. They will also work with their Rotary community partners and network with neighboring Rotary clubs to plan and provide services in a timely manner.
Northbrook will use their grant to benefit those individuals and families who are experiencing food insecurity by donating to the Northfield Township Food Pantry. This will have an immediate impact, as the pantry will use these funds to stock a greater quantity and variety of both shelf stable and fresh foods for immediate distribution. They will provide volunteers to the pantry when necessary and appropriate.
Northwest Supper club is donating $500 to the District 300 Food Pantry run out of Carpentersville Middle School. Every dollar donated will buy $8 worth of food, so this grant will purchase $4,000 of food to feed the community.
Palatine will donate their grant money to support the Palatine Township Food Pantry to purchase food and replenish supplies.
Park Ridge will make a $2,000 donation to The Center’s Older Adult Meal program, which provides over 6,000 meals annually to adults over 60, as well as offering social activities to keep seniors engaged. The Center has now launched phone and computer activities to reduce isolation during COVID-19 lockdown.
Richmond/Spring Grove will support the Pioneer Center, which provides developmental, behavioral and homelessness services to the local community. The Center currently has an urgent need for financial assistance to keep their important community programs operating.
River Cities will donate $1,000 to the Des Plaines Senior Center and $1,000 to WINGS, a nonprofit serving domestic violence victims.
Schaumburg/Hoffman Estates will be donating $1,000 to the Schaumburg Township Food Pantry, which will enable them to purchase food at deeply discounted rate for the Food Depository.
Schaumburg AM will provide much needed financial support to the Township of Schaumburg. The Township uses funds to purchase supplies for the Community Food Pantry from the Greater Chicago Food Depository, so their purchasing power is much higher per dollar spent than at local grocery stores.
The Township of Schaumburg has organized a drive-through food distribution system in order to provide the community with much needed support while practicing safe social distancing. Club members may volunteer to participate in a food distribution event if they so choose.
The Township of Schaumburg has organized a drive-through food distribution system in order to provide the community with much needed support while practicing safe social distancing. Club members may volunteer to participate in a food distribution event if they so choose.
Skokie Valley will donate $2,000 to the COVID-19 Food Insecurity Project, which will provide food for hungry people. This donation will be used to purchase for the Niles Township Food Pantry, one of 700 partner agencies of The Greater Chicago Food Depository.
St. Charles Breakfast club will donate $1,000 to the Northern Illinois Food Bank. In addition to their regular food distribution process, the NIFB has implemented Mobile Food Pantries, and an Emergency Food Team to help identify the most efficient strategies around food sourcing and distribution to all residents of northern Illinois. They will donate an additional $1,000 to Lazarus House, an organization which addresses the needs of the homeless. This grant money will be used to support the cost of hotel rooms, which must replace traditional shelter spaces at this time due to social distancing.
Villa Park will contribute $2,000 to Neighborhood Food Pantries in West Chicago.
Waukegan will be making a $2,000 donation to the non-profit organization that provides diapers, baby wipes, and related items to families in need in the Waukegan area. While the need for their services has increased during this time, their funding has decreased, making this donation urgently needed. They will also assist them with packaging and distribution.
West Chicago will donate $2,000 to local food pantries to replenish their dwindling supplies.
Wheaton Rotary will donate $2,000 to PADS, which will place homeless people into vacant hotel rooms during the COVID-19 crisis.
Wheeling Rotary will be working together with the Village of Wheeling Social Workers, Wheeling High School District 211, School District 21, and the Wheeling Park District to provide food, shelter and clothing for Wheeling residents affected by COVID-19.
Wilmette will make a $5,000 contribution to the Greater Chicago Food Depository and another $5,000 contribution to the New Trier Township Food Pantry. In addition, the club launched a fund to help the Sisters of Christian Charity. Their convent houses 29 elderly sisters who rely on food donations that stopped due to high demand at grocery stores. The club now provides the convent with a weekly allowance for groceries plus a weekly catered meal from a local restaurant.
Wilmette Harbor will donate to the Greater Chicago Food Depository to help feed the less fortunate people in Cook County during the COVID-19 outbreak. Their need is immediate; the club will send a check including the matching grant as soon as possible.
Winnetka-Northfield will make a $2,000 donation to the New Trier Township food pantry, enabling them to purchase food at deep discounts from the Northern Illinois Food Depository. This will allow the pantry to better meet its increased demand for food and supplies during the COVID-19 crisis. The club is also partnering with its caterer to send meals to local nonprofits serving destitute families and victims of domestic violence and with a local restaurant to send meals to healthcare workers at local hospitals.
Woodstock will be using their grant money to provide $100 grocery gift cards to Blessings in a Backpack. Before this crisis, BIB provided nineteen families with students on the free breakfast and lunch program with a package of non-perishable foods every Friday after school. With schools closed, this project has come to a halt. These gift cards will help address the families’ food insecurity while the pandemic is ongoing.