On Tuesday, we had the pleasure of hearing from James Escortt, Director of Community Engagement, who shared insights into how Habitat for Humanity supports communities and helps families achieve their dream of homeownership.

DuPage and Chicago South Suburbs Habitat for Humanity partners with individuals and families with limited incomes to provide safe, decent, and affordable homeownership opportunities. Future homeowners complete a "sweat equity" requirement, contribute volunteer hours, and receive financial education to prepare them for the responsibilities of owning a home. Once these requirements are met, Habitat sells the home with an affordable mortgage, with payments 

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By Dave Humphreys

On Sunday, March 9, I carried on a longstanding tradition of presenting Rotary checks to the top two winners of the Senior Division of the annual Downers Grove Music Club Piano Festival and Competition. In my plug for Rotary before I presented the award checks, I told the kids that this event has been happening every year in Downers Grove for a long, long time. When I was their age, I played piano in this same Festival and Competition! Looks of disbelief resulted from my comments!

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On Tuesday morning, we were presented by Amber Quirk, who was elected as the Chief Administrative Officer of the DuPage Regional Office of Education (ROE) in July 2023.

With nearly 24 years of experience in education, Quirk brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her leadership position. Her career began as a classroom teacher in Scituate, Massachusetts, before transitioning to teaching and coaching in Lombard School District 44. Quirk later served as an assistant principal for three years and principal for five years in Maercker School District 60. In 2021, she became the Assistant Regional Superintendent, a role she held until stepping into her current position.

Quirk’s commitment to integrity, accountability, and quality was a cornerstone of her campaign, and she plans to prioritize effective use of tax dollars to ensure all students in DuPage County receive an excellent education. Additionally, as a parent, Quirk is deeply committed to school safety, which she considers a key priority in her role.
Below, you can find more details about some of the required ROE services:

Amber Quirk stumped the entire crowd with her quiz except for Richard Lam and Ann Hattan, who won the tiebreaker and special prize!


 

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Eric Rhodes, President of Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, presented at our club meeting along with Gina LaLa, Community and Cultural Liaison for the hospital.  Eric's upbringing in West Virginia coal country led him to a career in healthcare.  Eric has sons, 13 and 9.  He had this to say during his talk:

Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital is committed to continuing and cultivating relationships with organizations who share a desire to serve the Downers Grove community. The Rotary Club of Downer’s Grove Club is one such organization who epitomizes servant leadership. I was thrilled to share exciting updates with the Rotary Club and reinforce our partnership and commitment to serving the greater Downers Grove Community. As we prioritize quality care, service line growth and community engagement, we will continue to lean-in on our partnership with the Rotary Club.

(Pictured: Keith Hoffman, Eric Rhodes, Gina LaLa, Dean Malone)

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Today, on Giving Tuesday, members of the Rotary Club of Downers Grove Board gathered early to support numerous causes by donating and distributing $1,000 stipends to representatives of 10 local area organizations. These donations go to assist local individuals and families with needs ranging from food insecurity, lack of shelter, intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as seniors and veterans and demonstrates our strong commitment of ongoing support to those in need in our surrounding communities.
 

DuPage Pads Erica Whelan and Michelle Rollins accepted the donation (Richard Lam)
Hopes Front Door was accepted by Janelle Robinson (Heath Mielke and Kim Morton)
Sharing Connections had Mia Charma there to accept the donation (Barb Webster)
Dive Heart had Tinamarie Hernandez and Jim Elliott accepting the donation (Dean Malone)
DG Area Fish Pantry was represented by Lisa Rasin and Debora Aguzino (Cathy Mead)
Little Friends had Jason Altenbern accepting the donation (Courtney Sustr)
Variety the Children’s Charity of Illinois and accepting the donation was Mark Mazrimas (Keith Hoffman)
Friends for Downers Grove Township Seniors was Terry Jones accepting the donation (Lisa Rasin)
Honor Flight Chicago was there and accepting the donation was Kevin Williams (Harry McCabe)
Northern Illinois Food Bank was unable to come but was mailed their donation (Jeanette Oakeshott)

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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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(Pictured, Harry McCabe 1975)

The lead up to the day of the trip to Washington D.C., and the aftermath have combined to shake up old memories and create some thoughts and feelings that l will carry with me for the rest of my life. I cannot express how grateful this veteran feels about the Honor Flight Chicago (CHF) organization. I’ve observed close associates at American Legion Post 80 and their reactions to their Honor Flight experiences, but I never could imagine the impact. 
 

Dan Harrington was a CHF Ambassador and our Bus Captain on Wednesday. He did a marvelous job attending to all of us “Senior” Veterans' needs as he entertained us with his knowledge and compassion for our country.  Pictured With Dan outside the National Air and Space Museum:

The most moving part of the day was the homecoming reception we received at Midway airport.  The  Honor Guards, bagpipes, and military that met us at the gate were a prelude to the scene at the main terminal.  Throngs of people wildly cheering and waving welcome home signs & American flags. I was overtaken with tears of joy when I spotted my siblings and members of my Rotary family. Being so warmly thanked for my service had never happened before. 

The outpouring of love will never be forgotten.

In respectful gratitude, Harry M. McCabe, ARMY.

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The Rotary Club of Downers Grove’s newest members distributed mini-grant stipends to local organizations earlier this month. As part of their development, each new Rotarian was asked to identify their favorite Not-for-Profit / Charity for a $1,000 donation.  
 

The Rotary Club of Downers Grove reviews applications from organizations throughout the year. Funding primarily comes from Rotary GroveFest proceeds.  

MINI-GRANT APPLICATION CRITERIA

• Each application must be a non-profit organization based in Downers Grove or serving Downers Grove residents.  
• Distributions are made to organizations that promote basic humanitarian needs.  These include the simplest of needs, such as food, clothing, shelter, physical and mental health, education, and sanitation.
• Rotary funds must have a measurable impact on the organization and the community it serves.
• Applications are judged on their merits.  No distributions are made to individuals, political groups or for political activities, or to Rotarians or their families.  

Completion of the mini-grant application is required for consideration. If your organization is interested, the application can be found on the club's website dgrotary.org. 

Michelle Imes
When I first heard about SEASPAR many years ago, I was touched by their mission to offer organized sports programs and activities for children with disabilities.  I chose them as the recipient of the mini-grant because I work with children with disabilities and have seen the joy it brings them to be involved in sports and a member of a sports team.    I have great respect and admiration for what SEASPAR does.

Pictured with Michelle Imes, Matthew Corso, SEASPAR Executive Director


Tinamarie Hernandez
Rotary is all about supporting our community and so is Diveheart, so I thought it was a perfect match. Bill Bogdan added “With this generous donation from the Downers Grove Rotary Club we will be able to help support our Women of Diveheart Program.  Thank you so much Rotary".

Diveheart is a nonprofit tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. The purpose of Diveheart is to provide and support educational scuba diving programs that are open to any child, adult or veteran with a disability, with the hope of providing both physical and psychological therapeutic value to that person.

Tinamarie Hernandez presents $1,000 check to Bill Bogdan, board member for Diveheart


Rob Brannigan
A couple of years ago, I organized a food drive for Downers Grove Area FISH food pantry. The
people who volunteer their time there were so great. I became a senior driver for them. I've really
enjoyed volunteering there so when the opportunity came to be able to donate money to them.
from the Rotary Club, it was a no-brainer. They absolutely deserve it.


Courtney Sustr
I'm proud to support the programs and initiatives of NAMI DuPage who provide vital support to individuals and families navigating the challenges of mental health.
 
Pictured: Jessica Schneider- Director of Community Education and Courtney Sustr


Chris Johnson
Chris Johnson is acutely aware of the challenges facing anyone who has lost a child, especially fathers. He serves on the Board of Directors of Dad’s Of Steele.  Their mission is to strengthen families and communities by encouraging & equipping Dads to be more present in their children's lives.

Pictured: Chris Johnson and David Steele, Founder of Dads of Steele


Further donations to be featured in future newsletters.
 

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