Rotary - Supporting Local Organizations
In a world that can sometimes feel overwhelming, it’s important to remember that meaningful change often starts right here at home. Through the generosity of our community and the dedication of our members, the Pekin Rotary Club is proud to support local organizations doing incredible work every day.
Family Core
YMCA Pekin
Camp Hope
At Rotary, we often talk about “Service Above Self.” These partnerships are a great example of that in action. We’re grateful not only for the opportunity to give, but for the organizations doing the work every day to strengthen our community.
We’d like to shine a spotlight on just a few of those organizations:
Family Core
Mission/Focus: FamilyCore’s focus for the past 125 years has been and continues to be supporting individuals and families residing in Tazewell, Woodford, and Peoria Counties through our Mission of “Instilling hope by creating the right balance of resources and care to foster and equip healthy, productive children and families.” Our Vision continues to be “Strengthening Families for a Stronger Community.”
Impact: FamilyCore provides services such as counseling, case management, foster care support, adoption support, and outreach services to some of the area’s most at-risk populations in an effort to support long-term stabilization and self-sufficiency. Though we typically work with one “client,” we know that the impact to each client we support has a positive impact on that person’s family system, peer network, and community as a whole.
Rotary Support: The Rotary Grant allows us to provide practical support and resources that we aren’t always able to access to our single parent clients. These resources help take a burden off of our clients and allows them to shift their focus on achieving other priority goals instead of worrying about how they might meet their basic needs. This is critical in our work to support self-sufficiency for the single parents we serve!
YMCA Pekin
Mission/Focus: The YWCA Pekin and the YWCA Pekin’s Coalition for Equality embrace the national YWCA’s mission of “eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.”
Impact: The YWCA Pekin’s Coalition for Equality focuses on educational programming that develops awareness and appreciation of diversity. Coalition for Equality programs are offered primarily to Pekin youth and families, and we partner with many Pekin entities — such as Pekin School District 108, Pekin High School District 303, the Pekin Public Library, the Pekin Chamber of Commerce, and the Pekin Housing Authority.
Rotary Support: Specifically, the Rotary grant we received this year supports our “Feeding through Reading” program which provides a variety of diverse, free books to Pekin young people. Book give-aways occur at many Coalition events and frequently at events/programs hosted by our partners.
Camp Hope
Mission/Focus: Camp Hope Foundation brings hope and healing to children diagnosed with cancer, sickle cell disease, and related blood disorders—and to their families—through free, medically safe camps and year-round programs that nurture friendship, resilience, and a sense of belonging.
Impact: Camp Hope Foundation serves children and families across Central Illinois who are facing childhood cancer, sickle cell disease, and other serious blood disorders. Through our free, medically safe summer camp and year-round programs, we provide a place where kids can step away from hospital routines and simply be children—building friendships, gaining confidence, and creating memories.
Beyond the children, we support the entire family. A serious diagnosis impacts parents and siblings deeply, and our programs—like Hope Connections and Legacy of Hope—offer emotional support, connection, and a sense of community for families navigating treatment, survivorship, or loss. In a region where these types of services are limited, Camp Hope helps fill a critical gap by focusing on the emotional and social well-being of families alongside their medical journey.
Rotary Support: The Pekin Rotary Club’s generous grant directly supports our ability to provide a safe, meaningful camp experience for every child we serve. Because Camp Hope is offered completely free of charge to families, community support like this ensures that cost is never a barrier to participation.
This funding helps offset essential program expenses such as camper activities, supplies, and the resources needed to create a fun, engaging environment where kids can thrive. More importantly, it helps us continue delivering moments of joy, connection, and healing—giving children the chance to just be kids again and reminding families that they are not alone.
At Rotary, we often talk about “Service Above Self.” These partnerships are a great example of that in action. We’re grateful not only for the opportunity to give, but for the organizations doing the work every day to strengthen our community.