Community Service

We take part in a wide variety of projects that help improve life for people in the Cortland area. Many of these are annual events that Rotary members organize and volunteer in directly, often focusing on community needs and local groups.

Rotary Park

 
We coordinate the Rotary Park and Willow Park spring clean-up, where members help maintain and beautify local parks.

Warren Family Mission Christmas Toy Drive

The Warren Family Mission Christmas Toy Drive is an annual holiday outreach effort in Warren, Ohio that helps local families in need make Christmas special for their children. Each winter, the Mission collects new, unwrapped toys donated by community members, churches, businesses, and other groups—often with collection barrels or drop-off points—so that children from low-income households can receive gifts they might not otherwise have. Families must pre-register ahead of time, and on the day of the event parents come to the Mission to pick out toys for their kids, usually receiving several age-appropriate gifts for each child.

 

Lakeview School Bulldog Pantry

The Lakeview District School Bulldog Pantry is a school-based food support program in Cortland, Ohio, dedicated to making sure students and families facing food insecurity have reliable access to nutritious food and essential supplies. Started at the Lakeview K-8 building, the pantry provides bags of food students can take home on weekends so they don’t go hungry when school meals aren’t available, and also offers monthly food pick-ups and holiday assistance for families in need.
 
The pantry partners with organizations like our Rotary Club to keep its shelves stocked and relies on community donations and support to operate year-round. By helping to ensure students have what they need to focus and succeed in school, the Bulldog Pantry reflects the district’s commitment to student well-being and community partnership.

Salvation Army “Holiday Kettle Bell Ringing” Campaign

 
The Cortland, Ohio Salvation Army “Holiday Kettle Bell Ringing” campaign is part of a long‑standing Christmas tradition where volunteers stand by red kettles with bells outside local stores and shopping areas during the holiday season to raise money for people in need. The sound of bells and friendly greetings remind shoppers of the importance of giving and help encourage donations to support the Salvation Army’s local programs. In Cortland County, the red kettle campaign typically begins after Thanksgiving and continues through Christmas Eve, with volunteers ringing bells and collecting change, bills, or even cash‑less donations via tap features at participating retail locations.

All funds raised through the kettle campaign stay in the local community to help neighbors with essential needs—especially at the holidays—including food assistance, winter coats, utility and rent support, toys for children, and other social services provided by the Salvation Army throughout the year.

Halloween on Main Street

The Halloween on Main Street event in Cortland, Ohio, is a lively, family‑friendly celebration held each October on West Main Street, where the road is closed to traffic so children and families can enjoy a safe and festive evening of Halloween fun. The event typically runs in the early evening, featuring free candy giveaways, costumed trick‑or‑treating, and camaraderie among neighbors and local businesses as part of a community‑wide celebration of the season. It’s a chance for kids to show off their costumes, collect treats, and enjoy the spooky spirit of Halloween in a welcoming downtown setting.

In addition to these key projects, our club also:

  • Collects Coats for the annual Warren Family Mission Winter Coat Give away
  • Recognizes and provides breakfast for leaders of Fire and Police department's Patriot Day on September 11th
  • Annually award scholarships to applicants from the Lakeview Local School District
  • Annually host a breakfast for the Honors students in the graduating class of the Lakeview School System
  • Support the “Lightning Bots” robotics team of Champion High School with a $500 annual donation