August 13, 2026 Meeting Notes

Call to Order
President Dale McClain called the meeting to order and welcomed all attendees. President McClain noted that at the August 20, 2026 Business Meeting, he plans to hold a discussion focused on member recruitment.

Guest Speaker Presentation

Speaker: Laure Krause – Deerfield Free Store

Ms. Krause provided an overview of her background and the history of the Deerfield Free Store. Key points included:

• The Free Store was founded to support recent immigrants, initially serving Afghan refugees arriving in the United States. Early efforts centered on identifying specific needs such as plastic tablecloths, rice cookers, and other essential household items.
• With the start of the Ukraine War in 2022, the nature of support needs changed. The organization began assisting Ukrainian families with clothing, household items, and supplies for school-aged children. They also prepared packages to send directly to Ukraine.
• Following the pivot due to the Ukraine War war, the Free Store saw an influx of immigrants arriving by bus from Texas. Volunteers provided coats and essential items to help migrants travel to immigration centers in Chicago.
• The Deerfield Free Store has served individuals from more than 30 countries.
• By 2025, the organization had assisted 1,365 individuals. A change in federal administration policies affected demand, and by April 2025 the Free Store expanded its mission to help individuals transitioning into homes by providing household essentials to families moving into new housing across Chicagoland.
• The Free Store operates as a ministry of Holy Cross Church and works closely with multiple partner agencies, including:
  • A Safe Place
  • World Relief
  • Center of Concern
  • Highwood Family Organization
  • Zion Woods
  • Niles Township
• The organization relies on partner agencies to identify families in need, as the Free Store does not have capacity to conduct its own vetting.
• Clothing is no longer a primary focus, except for adult coats and select children’s clothing.
• Members inquired about furniture needs: the Free Store is primarily seeking small dining room sets and compact furniture appropriate for smaller apartments. The organization does not offer pickup or delivery services.
• Ms. Krause highlighted GiveNKind as an important partner for sourcing donated items.
• The Free Store is one of the few organizations that provides donated car seats; a volunteer researches each seat to ensure safety and recall compliance.
• Current critical donation needs are posted on the organization’s website.

President McClain reiterated that next week’s meeting is a Business Meeting and will include discussion about recruitment efforts.

Committee & Project Updates

4th of July 5K Race / July 3 Results (Alan) – 10 minutes

• Brief review of race outcomes.
• No pressing follow-up items identified.

Flags for Community Heroes (Janice & Brad)

• Update provided on flag placements and upcoming coordination needs.

Come From Away Veterans Event – Special Recreation Association of Central Lake County (Brad)

• Veterans attending: 18
• Rotary members attending: 18
• Unpaid registrations: 10
• A discussion of member attendance at the performance followed. Members determined there are 6 club tickets to the performance available for purchase. Brad Burke noted he would reach out to the Special Recreation Association of Central Lake County to see if any We Serve veterans were on the waitlist for tickets. Members were encouraged to find other potential buyers of the remaining tickets.

Upcoming Topics

• “Confirm who we want to be” – club identity discussion
• Member recruitment push

Q3/Q4 Calendar Review

• August 20, 2026 – Business Meeting
• August 27, 2026 – No Meeting (Last Thursday of the Month)
• September 3, 2026 – Business Meeting
• September 10, 2026 – Guest Speaker: Judy McNiff – 100 Caring Women of Lake County
• September 17, 2026 – Business Meeting
• September 19, 2026 – Veterans Project (Come From Away)
• September 19, 2026 – Flags for Community Heroes
• September 24, 2026 – No Meeting (Last Thursday of the Month)
• October 1, 2026 – Business Meeting
• October 8, 2026 – Guest Speaker: Kalie Schultz – Lake County Haven
• October 17, 2026 – Business Meeting
• October 22, 2026 – Quarterly Social Event at Half Day Brewery – 6:00 PM
• October 29, 2026 – No Meeting (Last Thursday of the Month)

Raffle

A raffle was conducted.

Adjournment

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.