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A SPECIAL MESSAGE REGARDING COVID-19

During this time of national crisis, the Rotary Club of Evanston has suspended its weekly in-person meetings and moved them online. We gather "virtually" each Thursday at noon Central Time, connected by the internet, and will continue to do so until circumstances allow our in-person meetings to resume. Guests are welcome. Please contact Jane Ricciardi at ZoomForRotaryHomeClub@gmail.com for login information. In the meantime, we stand ready to assist the community in any way we can. If we can be of help to your organization, please reach out to us at rcevanston@gmail.com.

About Our Club

The Rotary Club of Evanston is an organization of local leaders and volunteers who are working together to improve Evanston and the world through service and giving back to the community. The club has been a gathering place and forum for leadership for nearly 100 years. We meet every Thursday at 12:00pm at Rotary International headquarters, 1560 Sherman Ave., Evanston, Illinois. Contact us at rcevanston@gmail.com.

We invite you to join us in celebrating our 100th year of service to Evanston and the world during our Centennial in 2020!

Fighting Food Insecurity: Hunger Resource Network

Andy Vass, Henry Fetta and Daniel Jariabka of the Hunger Resource Network joined us May 7 to share their insights about the issue and how their unique organization is helping feed those in need. The Network is an all-volunteer non-profit created 11 years ago and based in Northbrook. The Network started 20 years ago as a church effort to rescue unpurchased food from grocer Sunset Foods. Repurposing more than 50,000 pounds of food per year, they were able to help feed many Northbrook-area people in need. Their focus in recent years has been on supplying protein sources -- such as chicken -- for food pantries.

Since then, the Network has reached out to other local non-profits and expanded significantly – now working with agencies in other communities, including Evanston. Partners include Hillside Pantry, St Mary’s, Hilda’s Kitchen, Ebenezer Soup Kitchen, Second Baptist Church, Connections for the homeless, and the Salvation Army. They also rescue produce from the Evanston Farmers Market. To learn more, visit https://www.hungerresourcenetwork.org/.

Online Centennial Gala Was a Success!

The Rotary Club of Evanston formally celebrated its 100th birthday with an online gala and fundraising event May 1, 2020. You can watch a full recording of the event here. Club members and visitors from all over the world tuned in to a special evening that included remarks from Rotary International President Mark Maloney and Jennifer Jones, a member of Rotary International's Board of Directors (who served as emcee during the evening). More than $25,000 was raised to benefit the club's various charitable efforts. During the event we also launched a new award honoring long-time club member and former Evanston Chief of Police Bill Logan. Many thanks to Gala co-chairs Michele Berg and Helen Dickson, our event-planning partner, Bon Events, and our sponsors, whose generous support made a huge difference: Hagerty Consulting, Fischl Dental Associates, Albion Evanston, Northshore University Health System, Alim, Byline Bank, the Rotary Club of Evanston Lighthouse, Dempster Auto Rebuilders, First Northern Credit Union, Avidor, Gene Servillo Consulting, Levy Senior Center Foundation, the Isrealite Group, ZS and Swigert & Associates. Thanks to all who made this event a success!

Club Launches New Award Honoring Bill Logan

The Rotary Club of Evanston has announced a new annual award for civic engagement and leadership, which will be launched during its Centennial Celebration on Friday, May 1, 2020. The new William H. Logan Jr. Legacy Service Award is named for former Evanston Police Chief William “Bill” Logan, a longtime member of the club who will be honored as the first recipient of the award during the event – which is being held online Friday from 6 to 7 p.m. The public is invited to attend the free event via computer, tablet or mobile phone. Registration is at https://www.betterunite.com/EvanstonRotary100. The new award recognizes a pioneer in the community who is making significant contributions to Evanston through their time, action, talents and dedication. Honorees will be seen as a role models of civic engagement who have established a history of distinguished service. Chief Logan, the city's first black Chief of Police, has made significant contributions to the city over the course of his life. Congratulations to our friend, Bill Logan!

Monique Jones: Leading the Evanston Community Foundation in Challenging Times

Joining us remotely for our weekly online meeting on April 16 was Monique Jones, President and CEO of the Evanston Community Foundation. Monique shared information on a variety of new programs and resources that have been rolled out in record time to assist local organizations and individuals struggling during the COVID-19 crisis. The Foundation has already distributed thousands of dollars in emergency relief and is playing an essential role in the community during these challenging times. Evanstonians are encouraged to make donations to the Foundation's Rapid Response Fund. Thank you, Monique, for all that you and your staff are doing for Evanston!

Mayor Hagerty Provides COVID-19 Report

Evanston Mayor Steve Hagerty joined us as our special guest during our online meeting on April 9, providing a detailed report of the city's actions as it faces the COVID-19 pandemic. The mayor gave us the latest details on new cases and deaths locally and outlined the city's multi-pronged approach to meeting the crisis. The city's crisis center is located at the new Robert Crown Community Center, and a task force and crisis team are meeting regularly to ensure local efforts are coordinated. Evanston is fortunate to have Mayor Hagerty at the helm during this crisis, with his long experience professionally in disaster management and relief. For a detailed summary of the mayor's report, visit our Rotopep newsletter.

Update From Meals On Wheels

Our April 2 speaker was Debi Genthe, Executive Director of Meals on Wheels, Northeastern Illinois.

Debi updated us on the vital work Meals on Wheels is doing in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The food Meals on Wheels provides for vulnerable populations in Evanston has never been more important and the organization seeks donations and volunteer assistance as the volume of need has increased.

Meals on Wheels is now located at 1723 Simpson (near the corner of Simpson and Darrow), and its new food production facility will soon begin producing meals. To learn more about Meals on Wheels, visit https://mealsonwheelsnei.org/.

STAY CONNECTED!

The Rotary Club of Evanston is available on social media!

Like and follow us @EvanstonRotary to stay up to date on our club’s activities, news and events.

Learn about the history of our club in this short video.

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the Rotary Club of Evanston's Centennial Gala was hosted online Friday, May 1. We proudly celebrated 100 years in Evanston and had a wonderful evening, raising thousands of dollars for our Charitable Fund. You can watch a recording of the full celebration at our Facebook page.