Thank you Henry Rotary Club and Rotary Foundation!
The Henry Rotary Club received a district grant from The Rotary Foundation for the third year. The focus of these grants is to help local Rotarians people’s health, support education, and alleviate poverty. The 2023 grant from The Rotary Foundation was $1500 and the Henry Rotary Club matched the $1500 as a requirement to receive the funds. The local club decides how to use the district grant by identifying a local project that addresses one of the The Rotary Foundation focus areas.
The Henry Club chose to provide financial assistance to the Family Consumer Science Program at the Henry-Senachwine High School with the district grant monies in 2023. The program was reinstated at the beginning of the 2022 school year after a seven-year hiatus.
The Family Consumer Science Program provides education programs in child development,
foods/nutrition, and sewing as well as other basic life skills. Second year teacher Izabelle
Schoepke, a recent graduate of Illinois State University, and Dr. Jon Hill, principal, helped the
Rotary Club coordinate the use of the grant monies. Ms. Schoepke teaches English classes as
well as Family Consumer Science classes and uses an integrated approach to these disciplines in her classes.
Ms. Schoepke used the grant money to purchase kitchen supplies/equipment needed to teach food preparation and nutrition; materials for sewing aprons and baby blankets; and children’s books for the units on child development. Ms. Schoepke stated that the aid that the Henry Rotary Club provided to this program was a blessing to both the students and her in rejuvenating the program.
The Henry Rotary Club is pleased to be able to contribute to our community with these grants.
The Henry Rotary Club used the 2021 grant for a commercial-grade freezer for the Henry Food
Pantry and the 2022 grant by planting five hardwood trees at the new park at Indian Town
Homes. In early January, 2024, the club will begin the process to identify a need that meets The
Rotary Foundation criteria and again apply for a grant to be used in our community.