(Click on the image to access Michael's complete presentation)The war in Ukraine is having devastating consequences on civilians as families flee their homes. According to the United Nations, more than 5 million people, most of them women and children, have sought refuge in neighboring countries and across Europe, while about 7 million more people have been displaced within Ukraine.
Rotary and Rotaract clubs in Europe and around the world have taken swift action and are working with members nearby to provide food, water, medical equipment, and shelter for refugees.
Because of our generous donors, The Rotary Foundation has received more than $15 million in contributions that will be prioritized for disaster response grants.
Emily Parker, a second-year Masters student in the refugee and forced migration studies program, is a refugee resettlement caseworker with Catholic Charities of Chicago. Parker works to provide refugees housing and address other immediate needs within the first months of arriving in the U.S. Catholic Charities agencies across the country have been helping resettle refugees from Afghanistan. Chicago’s influx of Afghan refugees has overwhelmed aspects of the city’s resettlement infrastructure, leaving gaps in support services. “No one anticipated the Afghanistan situation, it all happened incredibly abruptly,” Parker said. “So, we have kind of just had to roll with the punches and completely transform our resettlement team.” 
Working with an established very local NGO with a record of service is a big bonus for our GC 2119212 global grant, that made possible the Rotary Mobile Medical Van that will provide needed attention to local Hemophilia patients.
A World Polio Day video created by Barbara Blane is on Vimeo at this link:
($500 from the district and $500 from donations from members) are being used to purchase fresh produce in large quantities for distribution to three organizations: North Chicago Community Partners Food Pantry, Midwest Veteran’s Closet and the Lake County Haven. 
We are thrilled with the impact of the District grant on the lives of those in need in our communities. We are exploring how to keep the project going and “growing” in the days ahead. There are so many ways that this project can grow yet at the same time, the current simple plan has already made an enormous impact toward achieving our goal. Food for Life is truly making a difference in the lives of many families. For more information, please feel free to contact the Club President Ellen Young, gov.ellen6440@gmail.com or Foundation Chair, Dr. Jenny Wojcik @ jennywojcik@aol.com. 
Binish Desai, former Rotary Youth Exchange Student hosted by the Waukegan Rotary Club in 2009, heads today his own EcoEclectic Technologies - EETech company designing and implementing processes for recycling solutions. Now, Dr. Binish Desai having earned a degree in Environmental Engineering, has a spot on Forbes' 2018 list of Asia's top social entrepreneurs under the age 30. [Recorded Program]. His story is featured in the August 2020 issue of the Rotarian Magazine, "Full Circle" starting on page 34. He credits his success to the boost received from his Rotary experience.
Every hero has an origin story. “I was 10 years old when the entire journey started,” explains Binish Desai. It began with a cartoon called Captain Planet, an animated TV series from the 1990s about an environmentalist with superpowers. Desai can still recite the show’s refrain: Captain Planet, he’s our hero / Gonna take pollution down to zero! “That tagline stuck in my mind,” he says. “I wanted to do something to help Captain Planet.” Full Circle Video
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