Local Service Projects

The Rotary Club of Lake Forest - Lake Bluff has dedicated countless volunteer hours and over $1 million to improve the lives of others. Club Members choose the project or projects that interest them. If you see a need that isn't being addressed, you can start a new initiative. Join us to create more of an impact by working together.
EARLY LITERACY
 
The 'My Book from Rotary' initiative promotes reading to children, birth to 5 years old and beyond by donating books and meeting with older siblings and parents. We work with Beacon Place and the Boys and Girls Club of Lake County to deliver books for kids and parents to read to and with the youngest members of their households.
 
MENTORING
 
Club members volunteer for programs such as Waukegan to College and the Boys and Girls Club of Lake County. Members help with homework, review resumes, prepare students for interviews, discuss the college experience, and connect students with contacts across industries.
 
YOUTH EXCHANGE
 
Students, ages 15-19, live with host families, discover another culture, often learn a new language, and truly become global citizens. The Rotary Club of Lake Forest - Lake Bluff has a history of supporting both inbound exchange students coming here from around the world and outbound exchange students from Lake Forest and Lake Bluff.
 
WARM COATS
 
We purchase and distribute new winter coats to children in the North Chicago School District, Foss Park–Park District, and the Nuestro Center in Highwood. In the past six years, the Rotary Club of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff has distributed over 2,700 winter coats to children in need in these communities. Rotary Clubs work with Operation Warm, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to distributing high-quality winter coats to children living in need.
 
 
This well-attended breakfast event is both a fundraiser and an educational opportunity for our community. The club hosts speakers such as Charles Evans, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. The current state of the Economy is discussed along with federal reserve policy on interest rates, employment, and inflation and economic growth outlooks. Check out videos of previous Economic Breakfasts.
 
CARING FOR NATIVE TREES
 
New trees around Lake Forest received bags to retain water and get a better chance at establishing strong roots. More recently, the club donated funds for new trees and volunteered their time to clear buckthorn with the Lake Bluff Open Lands Association (LBOLA).
 
ALLEVIATING HUNGER
 
Club Members support and have regular outings to Feed My Starving Children. These events are both a team-building activity and an efficient way to package food for those in need. In addition, the club has supported and provided food to food banks in the area such as the Northern Illinois Food Bank.
 
END POLIO NOW
 
Two Lake Bluff residents from our club traveled to India to vaccinate individuals and contributed to the eradication of endemic Polio in that country. This is part of a larger Rotary International project to eradicate polio worldwide. Club members continue to support this effort until the last three countries are free of Polio as well. Rotary is uniquely positioned to help future vaccination efforts to address other concerns such as CV-19.