Who we are

Rotary International brings together a global network of volunteer leaders who dedicate their time and talent to tackle the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges.

Evanston Lighthouse Rotary Club’s (ELRC) 80-plus members are active in hands on Community Service and International Service projects as well as contributing more than $100,000 annually, which is raised through our Taste of Evanston and other fundraising efforts, to local and international charitable projects, including housing insecurity, youth empowerment, and other essential health projects such as clean water, sanitation and health education and the eradication of Polio.

Our work impacts lives at both the local and international levels.

Community Service Committee

Each year the Community Service Committee accepts letters of intent from non-profit organizations serving Evanston residents for specific programs in the amount of $500 to $3,000.

The theme for this year's community service grants was to fund projects that would improve and enhance the quality of life for Evanston school-aged children and youth in the areas of health, safety and the environment.  We were excited to give grants to seven outstanding organizations, representatives of which spoke at our June 2 meeting.  Click here for a brief description of our grantees.

Every spring club members do significant repairs that enable a family to remain in their home.
We support Rotary's efforts to eradicate Polio.
We keep a one-mile stretch of Golf Road clean.

International Service Committee

International Service Committee
 
The International Service Committee supports projects around the world: we've worked with Haiti Outreach to bring clean water to communities in Haiti, supported the ABCs for Sex Education in their HIV/AIDS Prevention work in Kenya,  provided scholarships for tribal children in India, and worked with Smile Train to train local surgeons in cleft repair in Mexico and the Philippines.
 
 

 

Young Leaders

Youth Day at Rotary International Headquarters
 
RYLA

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards is an intensive leadership experience organized by Rotary clubs and districts where young people can develop leadership skills while having fun and making connections.

Exchange Students
We have hosted inbound youth exchange students from Mexico, Italy, Brazil, and Thailand and have sent outbound students to Finland and Ecuador.
 
 
Eradicating Polio
Rotary has been working to eradicate polio for more than 35 years. Our goal of ridding the world of this disease is closer than ever. As a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, we've reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent since our first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979

Ride to End Polio

Club members have always supported PolioPlus, Rotary International's campaign to completely eradicate Polio.
 
Since 2014, several members have participated in the annual Ride to End Polio.  RTEP takes place in Tucson every November and has raised over $15 million for this important cause. 
Our International Service Committee learned about important work being done there by our partner and grantee Pamoja.  Then we toasted to a collaborative future doing international work and heard some great Kenyan music!

JOIN US

 

HELP GLOBALLY

We work with groups and organizations of all sizes to accomplish even more. We make our effort felt internationally. 

AND LOCALLY

Discover and celebrate diverse perspectives with your local community. Help starts at home.