The Rotary Club of Chicago—Far North

Service Above Self!

The Rotary Club of Chicago Far North is currently participating is a number of important service-oriented activities. We coordinate with other Chicago land Rotary Clubs to effect useful change in our community and around the world. 

After 20 years of hard work, Rotary and its partners are on the brink of eradicating Polio in the world. Polio remains in only 4 countries of the world. Fewer than 1300 cases of Polio were reported last year. Finishing the job, however will be challenging. The Gates Foundation has pledged $100 million dollars to this effort and the Rotary Foundation must match this gift through fundraising efforts by all clubs worldwide. The Rotary Club of Chicago Far North is proud to be part of the this effort and has raised over $1,200.00 this year to help eradicate this terrible disease.

This year, we will provide “hands on” support for “Between Friends” an organization that serves victims of  domestic violence. Our volunteers will paint and upgrade lighting fixtures in two areas of the agency. This will benefit the agency’s hot line program, and children’s program, both which are staffed by volunteers.

We have also supported Touhy Park and the Howard Area Community Center with special service projects.

Our club schedules volunteer evenings at the Food Depository. We help sort and pack food that goes out to food banks and community kitchens all over the Chicagoland area. We partner with the Lakeview Rotary Club for this project.

Through our ongoing work with the Food Depository, hundreds of families have been provided essential food staples and nourishing meals they might otherwise not be able to obtain. As one of our most successful partnerships, Rotary Club Chicago Far North continues to bring relief and hope to families both within and outside of our community.

Club members have filled three sturdy boxes with supplies that would be needed by families after a hurricane or other disaster. These will be sent to a central organization and then will be directed to an area of the world struggling with the aftermath of a disaster.

Each year, the Rotary Club of Chicago Far North distributes dictionaries to third graders in our local schools. In 2008/2009, we distributed dictionaries to all third graders in the following schools:

Gale Academy
Jordan
Boone
Jordan
Gale
Pierce
Stone
Goudy
Trumbell

Maintaining our global view of service above self, we also distributed dictionaries to a school in the Philippines and a school in Kenya.

Eradicating Polio Across the Globe

Aqua Box Project

Volunteer Support for the Food Depository

Support for Local Service Organizations

Dictionary Distribution to Local Schools

Current Projects

Upendo Village is a community in Uganda dedicated to serving people with AIDS and their families. It provides comprehensive services such as health, education, job training, and community organization. The well-run organization has built housing, schools and clinics. Ouor club has been supporting this project for over 5 years and we receive visits from the director as well as regular progress reports. Our members are privileged to learn about, and be part of, the efforts of this wonderful organization that is combating the AIDS epidemic in Africa.

Support for Upendo VIllage