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LOCAL SERVICE
Elmbrook Rotary Club's local service focuses on the passions of our members. We engage in both hands-on service and material/financial support for worthy local projects. We serve the children and young adults in our community. We are a part of the fabric of Brookfield, Elm Grove and the Milwaukee metro area. Below are just a few of our local service projects:
ADDRESSING BIG SOCIAL ISSUES |
Literacy Educational Project
While the educational level of Brookfield and Elm Grove is exceptionally high, a sad fact is that Milwaukee, WI has as many as one in six adult citizens who are functionally illiterate. Illiteracy is a problem whose reach extends beyond an individual: the children of parents who cannot read will often be consigned to illiteracy in their own adulthood. Programs like the Elmbrook Rotary Club, Capitol West Academy Tutoring program are just one of the examples of our committment to literacy. Watch the video below for more information on the program.
ERC is undertaking projects to tackle this problem. For the hands-on portion of the effort, many Rotarians and the spouses of Rotarians are tutoring students from Capital West Academy--a charter elementary school in Milwaukee--who need extra help to get onto a path of academic success. For the broad-brush approach, ERC will be supporting existing efforts that need community support to get off the ground.
Literacy is a great example of how Rotary captures the potential of passions--a member became aware of the problems of illiteracy and took an interest in helping to solve it. Based on his passion, ERC took up the charge with enthusiasm and now is making a difference in the effort.
Support of the Child Abuse Prevention Fund into Sustainability
ERC was one of the original supporters of the Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Fund, and helped get the effort of the ground. With ERC's Spikes for Tykes annual fundraiser, ERC provided a financial backing that allowed the organization to grow and show success to other donors. ERC members also sat on the board of the organization to help guide the organization towards making a difference.
To date, the CAP Fund has provided millions to local-area efforts to ensure safety of children.
DEVELOPING FUTURE LEADERS |
Service Above Self in High School: Brookfield East Interact Club
ERC advises and supports the Brookfield East High School Interact Club. Interact is the high school service arm of Rotary International, and its Brookfield chapter is an exceptional example of students changing the world. They focus on literacy, on Polio eradication, on helping those in need. They work hard to get to know students in Kilifi, Kenya. They are an exceptional group of 30 students.
Supporting the Future: Endowed ERC Scholarships for College and Technical School Students
Elmbrook Rotary Club awards nearly ten thousand dollars each year of college and technical school scholarships to the exceptional students from the Brookfield or Elm Grove communities. ERC not only provides financial support to these students, but also serves as a resource for students who need professional or educational advice or other support.
Supporting the Future: Wisconsin Leaders of Tomorrow
Wisconsin Leaders of Tomorrow (WLT), a chapter of the International Leadership Network, is dedicated to encouraging and applauding high school juniors who are outstanding citizens, students and leaders. Nominated by a teacher or school administrator, or by an official youth advisor, the accepted students undertake a progressive leadership development program that includes a professional interview.
ERC support is integral. Rotarians have supported this important program as Board members of the chapter for the past 15 years as well as by providing ERC members, who are business professionals, to interview the students. Rotarians complete approximately sixty interviews each year. The program culminates with a leadership workshop and awards ceremony that is held each September.
IMPROVING THE COMMUNITY |
Material Support for Local Arts: Wilson Center Sponsor
Elmbrook Rotary Club was an early donor in the drive to build the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, a special resource for area residents. During the initial phases of fundraising, the effort seemed not to be gaining enough traction--ERC, seeing an unmet need for community infrastructure, provided vital support and helped to bring the Wilson Center from the planning board to an invaluable community resource.
The Wilson Center has changed the face of arts in the Milwaukee Area. Dedicated to arts education and enrichment, the Center offers classes, performances, exhibits and lectures in visual and performing arts, as well as vital performance space for local area schools and students. Elmbrook Rotary Club is a named sponsor of the Wilson Center and has served to sustain the educational programming through an annual gift. The Wilson Center remains one of ERC's key charities, and several ERC members are found on the board of the center.
SERVING COMMUNITY FAMILIES |
Building Community While Supporting Causes: Elmbrook Family Fest (formerly Spikes for Tykes)
Spikes for Tykes was a tradition: an opportunity for the community to come together for a beautiful day of volleyball in a picnic environment. While families have fun, money is raised for children's causes, both at home and around the world. Spikes for Tykes was an extraordinarily successful event. It has been renamed the "Elmbrook Family Fest" and is an expanded version of the original Spikes for Tykes event.
Download the website sponsorship guide