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This week, Elizabeth Andaas from Blessings in a Backpack presented information about the meals that her organization provides to over 6,400 food insecure children in the Chicagoland area. Two hundred of these kids attend school in Downers Grove District 58 and are currently benefiting from the Downers Grove Rotary Club's generous donation of $2500.
 

These meals, tucked into the children's backpacks on Friday afternoons, bridge the gap between Friday lunch at school until Monday breakfast at school.  They have a Registered Dietitian that ensures the food in the meal packs meets or exceeds USDA and National School Lunch Guidelines. Each pack contains 6 to 8 name brand food items, carefully selected as containing whole grains, being high in fiber, low in sugar, and more nutrient rich than typical grocery store products. They prioritize portable, shelf stable foods that do not require adult supervision to prepare.

Elizabeth also highlighted a Corporate Partners program, providing corporate partners with powerful and compelling opportunities to help feed kids on weekends. Local companies host on site packing events at their locations as opportunities for employee engagement and volunteerism. The food packed at these events feeds children in their local community.

Blessings in a Backpack impacts students in 96 schools, after school programs, CHA housing locations, and Boys and Girls Clubs across the city and suburbs. 92% of students receiving food from Blessings report that they enjoy the weekend more because of Blessings, and 80% report that it is easier to focus in school.

For more information, visit Blessings In A Backpack or contact Elizabeth Andaas at ElizabethA@blessingsinabackpack.org.

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Sheila shared a deeply personal story about losing her son, David, to an opiod overdose in 2021. She spoke about how advocating for the widespread use of Narcan, the opioid overdose antidote, has helped her process her grief and create positive change.

Sheila joined the West Side Heroin/Opioid Task Force, a coalition of harm reduction organizations. She brought forward the idea of getting Narcan-only dispensers on train platforms to a receptive group with powerful organizing skills. Through their tireless efforts, and the amazing support of some activist bureaucrats, they succeeded in launching a pilot program which has significantly increased the availability of Narcan to CTA riders.

As part of her presentation, Sheila also provided a brief training on the use of the nasal version of Narcan and passed out 'kits' to any members who wished to take some home.
 

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Offering a helping hand is what we do, and these organizations need our help. Please take a look at each one by clicking on each link. And if you are interested in running the Thanksgiving Day Grove Express 5k, we have the sign-up linked for your convenience. Thank You!

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Nine Downers Grove Rotarians worked in Hanover Park, IL, to help Habitat for Humanity build housing for local residents.  Thank you volunteers for activating our motto of "Service Above Self"!

 

 
 

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Our club was a collaborator on the Forging Opportunities for Refugees in America (FORA) Local Global Grant. Congratulations to the Rotary Club of Chicago Cosmopolitan and the Rotary Club of Puebla Industrial on receiving approval of this grant to upgrade learning facilities to foster peace in a multicultural learning environment! FORA is located in the West Ridge neighborhood on Chicago's Far North Side and provides high-impact tutoring to refugee children to bridge educational gaps.

Villages In Partnership gets $40K Matching Grant with our donation. Timing is everything!

Our board of directors at our last board meeting approved a $22,500 donation to Villages In Partnership (VIP), a nonprofit we have supported the last few years. This money is designated for drilling 3 wells in Malawi. Each well will provide potable water for an entire village which consists of hundreds of people.

I received an email from VIP on Tuesday morning asking for help to unlock a $40K Matching Grant with the deadline at the end of the day. They had their Giving Tuesday a week before everyone else. Well, the timing was perfect! I called VIP and asked if our donation could be applied towards the matching grant. The answer was a resounding YES! Here was the email that I received from VIP the day after.
 

"He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness"- 2 Corinthians 9:10

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined our livestream last night! Thanks to your generosity and the support of our amazing partners, we unlocked our $40,000 matching gift! This will help our brothers and sisters in Malawi "moo"-ve on up from from scarcity to sustainability!

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At our weekly meeting we had the pleasure of hearing from Adam Forker, the Executive Director of the DuPage County Health Department. Adam gave a brief overview of the Health Department’s services before offering a deeper look at a transformative new resource for the community, the DuPage County Crisis Recovery Center (CRC).

The DuPage County Health Department provides a wide range of behavioral health, crisis response, and public health services designed to support the well being of residents across the county. As part of this mission, the Department has expanded its continuum of care with the opening of the (CRC), a first of its kind facility in Illinois offering 24/7 support for individuals experiencing mental health or substance use crises.

The Crisis Recovery Center, located in Wheaton, provides immediate walk-in care for both youth and adults, reducing unnecessary emergency room visits and easing the burden on law enforcement by offering a more appropriate, therapeutic alternative for crisis response. The CRC is the latest step in DuPage County's long-term effort to build a comprehensive crisis system centered on “someone to call, someone to respond, and somewhere to go.”

During the meeting we learned more about the center and how to support the positive impact it is having on the community.  Adam’s presentation slides are available here, and those interested in learning more can view a short informational video on the CRC website.    DuPage County CRC | Official Website  

 

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On Saturday, December 20th, downtown DG got a dose of holiday harmony. Our talented team (Martin, Joe, Shanon, Kim, Barb, and Jeanette) brought the house down—specifically at Another Round, where patrons were literally chanting for an encore!

Between the high notes and handing out glowing Santa hats to the kids, it was a day to remember. Check out the highlights on Shanon Tully’s Facebook reel!

Cydney Chikalema was born and raised in Kalupe village in Malawi, Africa. He passionately told his story about the Rotary Club’s "Water is Life" activities to the large gathering at Tuesday’s breakfast meeting.

Cydney arrived in the U.S. last August after graduating from the African Bible College. He is currently working on his Master's Degree at Wheaton College with the support of Villages in Partnership, the international partner of the Rotary Club of Downers Grove. He grew up an orphan and later interned with VIP and saw first-hand the positive impact of our club's funding of borehole drilling to install fresh water wells and other activities.

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