Reach Out
(Above) CROYA Volunteers help kids pick out Christmas presents for their parents and siblings at the annual Gorton Holiday Shop.
Want to boost your community service hours? Get involved in something new? Learn valuable leadership skills? CROYA has lots of fun opportunities available for high school and middle school students, created and organized by students in the Community Service and Leadership (CSL) group. CSL provides kids with a chance to help the community while being themselves. To get involved in planning CROYA Service and Leadership, contact Joanne Yorro or stop by the Student Union.
Some ongoing programs and annual events we support are listed below. For a complete list of upcoming community service opportunities, see the daily calendar.
- Peer Training 1 and 2 - A 10 week voluntary course for high school students to learn active listening skills, how to be a good friend, and how to be a strong leader.
- Fall and Spring Retreats - an opportunity for high school students to get away, learn more about themselves, meet new people and build self-esteem.
- Worktrips - The CROYA summer worktrip is a week-long service opportunity in which high school students to help repair, replace and renew homes of underprivileged or needy families. We have worked in Appalacha and Battle Creek Michigan.
- Workstays - The CROYA summer workstay is a 3-day long service opportunity for high school students, and a 2-days opportunity for Middle School students, to work on various service projects in the LF/LB community.
- Women’s Residential Services - is a home for women recovering from substance abuse and their children. WRS offers volunteers a unique opportunity to put a smile on the face of a child who has already experienced so much at such a young age.
- Senior Citizen Dinners - students enjoy the opportunity to have dinner and visit with local senior citizens.
- Westmoreland - several times a year students visit the residents at the Westmoreland nursing home and bring smiles to their faces.
- Center For Enriched Living - students volunteer at this recreation center to enrich the lives of people with disabilities.
- Equestrian Connection - is a horse riding stable for persons living with a disability. Our students help maintain the trails and lead the horses around during events.
- American Cancer Society Relay For Life - is an overnight walk to raise awareness and funds to fight cancer.
- 8th grade transitional activities - students ease the minds of 8th graders as they transition into high school by having questions and answer sessions, panels, and tours of the school.
- Elawa Farm Organic Garden - CROYA students harvest food grown at Elawa Farm and deliver produce to Shields Township Food Pantry.
- Soup Kitchens - Not only do students volunteer at soup kitchens, but we involve the entire CROYA youth group to make hundreds of sandwiches to be donated to the Depaul Soup Kitchen in Chicago.
- College Transition Programs - Students organize informative workshops for those students going off to college.
- Grotto Dance - Volunteer to chaperone the 6th grade Grotto Dance on either Friday, October 1 or Saturday, October 2, from 6:30 - 9:15. Contact Joanne to volunteer.
- Artisans for CROYA Art Fair - Help the LF / LB Artisans Guild set up for the Deer Path Art Fair.
- Friends of Lake Forest Library Book Sale - Help unpack and repack books for the Book Sale.
- Lake Forest Tree Lighting Ceremony
- Christmas Times Brunch for Lake Forest/Lake Bluff Junior Women’s Club
- ELAWA Christmas Market
- Gorton Holiday Shop - Help young students pick out presents for their parents and siblings.
- Westmoreland Bingo Nights