Thanks to the success of our fundraisers this Rotary year, primarily our Flag Service Project and annual Citrus Sale, we’re proud to share that over $43,000 was raised and given back to our community through projects, scholarships, and grants!
This past Monday evening at Maldaner’s Upstairs, our Club gathered to celebrate giving back by awarding community grants to 13 incredible local nonprofits and charitable organizations. These grants were allocated by our Springfield Rotary Foundation Board of Directors. The Foundation Board also allocated our annual donation to Lincoln Land Honor Flights.
Foundation Board Treasurer Bill Smith had the honor of presenting the grant checks to the 13 nonprofit representatives in attendance. The image below shows Bill presenting the grant check for Titan Fuel to Merideth Ferguson.
Each awardee briefly described their organization and their grant project. We recognizing the following grant recipients and their projects at this event:
• Animal Protective League for purchase of food for the Pet Food Bank
• Beerlahai Roi Women’s Ministries for meals for pregnant mothers experiencing homelessness
• Compass for Kids for food for educational programs for K-5 students
• Contact Ministries for food for new store and meals
• Helping Hands of Springfield to provide warm breakfasts for shelter residents
• Land of Lincoln Goodwill Industries for supporting enrichment trips for youth
• MERCY Communities to supplement the client Food Bank with produce and milk
• Mini O’ Beirne Crisis Nursery to provide nutritious foods for children in the nursery
• Ridgely Elementary School for food for weekend food bags for 30-40 students in need and their families
• Sleep in Heavenly Peace for materials for building beds for children with no beds
• St. Patrick Catholic School for purchase of Science of Reading Curriculum Kits for third graders
• Titan Fuel for food for backpacks for 350 K-8 students and 69 high school students
• Wooden It Be Lovely for purchase of food and toiletries for women in recovery
Several grant recipients were not present for Grants Night. Peace Lutheran Church received a grant for food and literacy enrichment for students at Black Hawk Elementary School, and Frontiers International received a grant to help support a youth scholarship. Although they were not able to attend Grants Night, Land of Lincoln Honor Flights will receive our Club's annual donation of part of the proceeds from our Flag Service Project.
Our Club is inspired by each of these organizations and the difference they make in the lives of so many within our community.
Key for Individuals in in image at top:
Front row (right to left): Chriss Wilson, Mini O’Beirne Crisis Nursery; Kris Cavanagh, St. Patrick Catholic School; Jennifer Butcher, Ridgely Elementary School; Megan Murray, Wooden It Be Lovely; Dawn Peck, Titan Fuel; Merideth Ferguson, Titan Fuel; Chris Terry, Compass For Kids; John Webb, Rotary Club of Springfield, Illinois President-Elect
Back row (right to left): Tim Holliday, Sleep In Heavenly Peace; Robert Gillespie, Helping Hands; Cindy Drum, Contact Ministries; Alexis Haven, Animal Protective League; Lynn Ducey, MERCY Communities; Laura VanProyen, Beerlahai Roi Women’s Ministries; Ikenna Martin, Land of Lincoln Goodwill Industries
Back row (right to left): Tim Holliday, Sleep In Heavenly Peace; Robert Gillespie, Helping Hands; Cindy Drum, Contact Ministries; Alexis Haven, Animal Protective League; Lynn Ducey, MERCY Communities; Laura VanProyen, Beerlahai Roi Women’s Ministries; Ikenna Martin, Land of Lincoln Goodwill Industries