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CHARITY ENDOWMENTS

CHARITY ENDOWMENTS

The Wheaton Lions Charities shall donate benevolently at least 80% of its net profits annually to non-profit organizations (preferably serving DuPage County) that provide services to individuals or do research within the pillars of The International Lions Club. These pillars are:

  • Vision

  • Hearing

  • Diabetes

  • Hunger

  • Environment

  • Pediatric Cancer

 

The less than 20% remaining profits can be donated to non-profit organizations as the Wheaton Lions Club Board sees fit.

The net annual profits shall be calculated at the end of the third quarter of each fiscal year and donations made by the end of that fiscal year.

 

The Wheaton Lions Club Annual Grant Award Presentation happens in June of each year.

 

The Wheaton Lions Club hosts three fundraising events each year: Candy Day!, our Annual Charity Golf Outing and the Reindeer Run. Every dollar raised at these events goes to charities, our Club set a record of awarding $100,000 in grants and donations to local nonprofit organizations.

 

Each spring, the Wheaton Lions Club Benevolence Committee accepts grant applications and awards non-profit organizations (preferably serving DuPage County) that provide programs and services to individuals or do research within our Six Pillars of Service in the community - Sight, Hearing, Diabetes, Hunger, Environment, and Pediatric Cancer.  At the presentation, Lion John Vires, Benevolence Director of the Wheaton Lions Club announced and introduced the grantees to club members and stated what each grant would support.

 

Congratulations to all the nonprofit organizations and thank you for what you for the community with our support!

  • SCARCE - Books for Pediatric Cancer patients, supplies for the visually impaired and support for the Reuse Center to keep unsafe items out of landfills

  • People's Resource Center - Support for the Food Pantry services in Wheaton

  • Northern Illinois Food Bank - Mobile Market distribution at Marian Park

  • Cosley Zoo Foundation - Blanding Turtle Project 

  • Hadley School for the Blind - Equipment for those reading Braile

  • Child's Voice - Early Intervention Scholarship Program

  • Donka - Training visually impaired students

  • Ross K. MacNeill Foundation - Support for Pediatric Cancer Research

  • Bridge Communities - Support for their nutrition program

  • Wheaton Public Library - Books for vision impaired readers

  • DuPage Health Coalition - Support for providing access to pharmaceuticals for low-income residents with Diabetes

  • Eversight - Sight saving transplants for Illinois residents

  • Casa DuPage - Casa's advocacy services for children who have been abused or neglected

  • Play for All Foundation - Fragrance Garden and Sensory Garden Playground garden beds

  • Doodlebug Workshop - Support for maintaining commercial lease of their Main Street Wheaton facility

  • Marklund - Airvo 2 oxygen and humidification system and supplies to ease breathing for children and young adults with developmental disabilities and severe aspiratory compromise

  • Home Centered Health Care Institute - In-home vision care for Wheaton area residents with Diabetes related vision needs

  • Slam Dunk for Diabetes - Support for Slam Dunk Diabetes Camp in Wheaton

  • Spectrios Institute for Low Vision - Sponsorship of Golf Outing and Gala fundraisers

  • Humanitarian Service Project - Provide nutrition and support for low-income seniors in DuPage County

 

The total amount of donations distributed back into the community, to these organizations, was over $85,000 in 2023.

 

 

WHEATON LIONS FUNDS SIGHT & HEARING EXAMS

The committee issued a total of 35 authorizations for either eye exams and glasses or hearing exams and aids.

Authorizations were issued for 17 children to receive eye exams and glasses in coordination school district 200 nurses. The parents of two of these children never made appointments for the eye exams and glasses. The new Spanish version of the clubs Referral Form has been very helpful for some of the school children's parents to complete.

Authorizations were issued for 18 adults (11 for eye exams and glasses/contacts, 7 for hearing aids) in conjunction with PADS caseworkers and referrals from other sources such as Lions Club members, past clients and our website. Four of the PADS clients never made appointments for the eye exams and one of the PADS clients referrals was rejected by the committee. One of the referrals requested assistance for a serious eye condition that required special treatment. This request was approved by the committee and the Wheaton Lions Club Board of Directors.

Five authorizations were issued for hearing exams and aids and 2 authorizations were issued for hearing aid repair.

SIGHT & HEARING PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Lion James Jakubiec
jajakubiec@netscape.net
630-665-1967

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