On Monday, September 10th, your Toledo Rotary Club Foundation Chairman Kathy Mikolajczak, presented a check in the amount of $10,000 to Lona Lakatos, founder of Social Services for the Arab Community. Our International Service Committee members received the request, participated in the vetting process and made the decision to recommend grant approval to our Club Board and Foundation Trustees—the grant was recently approved.

The funds are being used for the SSFAC’s Family Education Program. The goal of the program is to educate the whole family. The SSFAC Family Education Program, in partnership with the Sylvania (Ohio) Public School system, offers English & cultural courses for parents and homework help, tutoring and socialization opportunities for school aged children. Because language proficiency is linked with economic progress, the refugee & immigrant families who need this program cannot afford to pay for this important opportunity.

The SSFAC’s Family Education Program will improve the academic performance of 30—40 immigrant and refugee elementary to high school age students by assisting with their homework through the Student Homework Help component of their program. It is also improving the English communication skills of 20—30 adults through their Adult English Communication component of their Family Education Program.

It is due to the countless Toledo Rotarians who give unselfishly, which enables us to provide these grants.  Thank you to everyone who continues to support our Toledo Rotary Club Foundation so we can continue to aid in supporting the needs of our community.