Mount Prospect Lions donate market funds to community charities
Every Sunday for 20 weeks each year from June through October, the Mount Prospect Lions coordinate and staff the downtown Farmers Market in the west Metra train station commuter parking lot, at the corner of Elmhurst Road and Northwest Highway.
The club has been running the market for 14 years. Over 40 vendors participate each week, including farmers from Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Some 2,000 people stop by on any given Sunday to shop for fresh produce, meats, cheeses, breads, other baked goods and arts and crafts. Charitable groups are given free space.
"For many folks, the Mount Prospect Lions Club Farmers Market is a regular destination on Sunday mornings," said Fred Steinmiller, Mount Prospect Lions Club first vice president and Farmers Market coordinator. "It's a great way of taking care of some shopping for the week. The weather is usually warm and pleasant. Plus, you are bound to meet many friends and neighbors there and make new acquaintances among some of the vendors you frequent."
"While this year's market ended several weeks ago, the most rewarding part of volunteering as a Mount Prospect Lions Club member is only beginning," continued Steinmiller. "Now the club gets to donate the money we raised through the market."
Steinmiller said that in 2014 major contributions from market proceeds will be made to the following organizations: Mount Prospect Human Services Department (to stock the Food Pantry and help support the Holiday Food Basket program); Saint Mark Backpack Ministry (to provide weekend food for families in need); Saint Raymond Special Education Program (for the resources needed for special education students); Woodfield Area Children's Organization (provides Christmas Gifts for needy children); and local churches that will receive Jewel Foods gift cards for members of their congregations that are struggling this holiday season.
"The Mount Prospect Lions thank everyone who came out to shop our Farmers Market this year," said Steinmiller. "Your purchases and presence at our market make it possible for us to help many people in need this holiday season."
"The generous monetary donation we receive from the Lions Club reaches many households in Mount Prospect each year," said Julie Kane, village of Mount Prospect Human Services director. "The Human Services Department Food Pantry program operates year-round as well as providing holiday meal basket assistance in both November and December to 125 families in need of assistance. Residents are provided with a $25 gift certificate to a local grocery store at the time of assessment and as part of their holiday meal basket to assist them with the purchase of perishable items which are not available through our food pantry. The Lions Club donation makes it possible for us to provide gift certificates and helps to keep our pantry stocked with needed items throughout the year. Both the Human Services Department staff and the clients we serve are grateful for the support we receive from the Lions Club."
The women and men of the Mount Prospect Lions Club volunteer countless hours of service to the community and are a true embodiment of the Lions Clubs International "We Serve" motto. Major annual club fundraising initiatives, including a five-month farmers market and a five-day summer festival, enable the club to give to many charitable endeavors such as: Lions of Illinois Foundation (free hearing and eye exams, and sight/hearing-impaired youth camps), Mount Prospect Food Pantry, eyeglasses and hearing aids for those less fortunate, Operation ROAR (United States Lions natural disaster relief), local school activities, college scholarships for qualifying local high school seniors, Mount Prospect village services, and Mount Prospect Historical Society. The club welcomes new members willing to give of their time and talents to help others who are in need. For information, visit www.mtprospectlions.com.