Notre Dame Council 3021 is a non-profit organization, whose primary objective is to make a positive impact on the Wayne/Westland community. We are committed to providing support and assistance to the community in various ways. As part of our commitment, we actively seek opportunities to give back to the community.
As a nation, we are known for many things, but one of our greatest gifts is our gift of volunteerism. The United States of America is the most generous nation in the world, and Americans give more of their time, talents, and treasures than any other citizen of any other nation in the world. We are a nation of volunteers!
So thank you for all you do!
Volunteering Statistics
- Approximately 63 million Americans — 25% of the adult population — volunteer their time, talents, and energy to make a difference.
- The 2016 national value of volunteer time is $24.14 per hour. In other words, Americans contribute $193 billion of their time to our communities.
- The volunteer rate declined by 0.4% to 24.9% in 2016.
- Women volunteer at higher rates (27.8%) than men (21.8%).
- People aged 35-44 and 45-54 are most likely to volunteer (28.9% and 28% respectively) while 20-24-year-olds have the lowest rates (18.4%).
- On average, people spend an average of 52 hours per year volunteering their time.
- 72% of volunteers are involved with only one organization, while 18.3% are involved with two.
- The top four national volunteer activities are food collection or distribution (24.2%), fundraising or selling items to raise money (23.9%), general labor or transportation (18.8%), and tutoring or teaching (17.9%).
- The top four volunteer areas are religious (34.1%), educational (26%), social service (14.9%), and health (7.3%) organizations.
- 42.1% of people became volunteers with their main organization after being asked to volunteer.
- (source:https://nonprofitssource.com/online-giving-statistics/volunteering-statistics/)
Special Olympics
The Notre Dame Council is a group of individuals committed to supporting various charitable causes, with a special focus on The Special Olympics. We believe in the power of sports to change lives, and we work tirelessly to provide funding for the Wayne/Westland Special Olympics through a range of initiatives.
Our most notable fundraising events include our semi-annual Tootsie Roll drive and our annual Food Truck Rally. The Tootsie Roll drive is a beloved tradition where we distribute Tootsie Rolls in exchange for donations to the Wayne/Westland Special Olympics. The Food Truck Rally is a fun-filled event that brings together food trucks from across the region, offering visitors a wide variety of delicious eats to indulge in.
We are proud to say that our efforts have been successful, and we have been able to donate over $5000.00 to the Wayne/Westland Special Olympics in recent years. This donation has helped to make a real difference in the lives of the athletes who participate in the program, providing them with the resources they need to succeed and thrive. We are committed to continuing our support of The Special Olympics and other charitable causes that make a positive impact in our community.
Holly Cross Family Services
Children are some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society. They rely on adults and the system to care for them and provide an environment that is conducive to growing up with dignity and opportunities. Unfortunately, all too often, adults and the system fail to provide them with the necessary care and support. In such cases, organizations like Holy Cross Family Services step in to offer help and hope. However, such help often entails removing the child from an unsafe home environment and placing them into foster care. This means that the child becomes dependent on a system and a person they do not know, which can be scary and leave them feeling alone. Their dignity is compromised, and they may feel like they have nowhere to turn to. While foster care is necessary to protect children from harmful home situations, it can also be a cold system that does not always cater to the emotional needs of the child. The Knights of Columbus, Notre Dame Council 3021, recognized this need and decided to address it. In 2021, they created the Dignity program, whose primary objective is to provide Holy Cross Family Services with much-needed items for children in foster care. Over the past two years, the Dignity Drive program has received an overwhelming show of love and support, enabling it to provide children in need with the dignity they deserve.
Coats for Kids
The Coats for Kids program is a deeply meaningful initiative for the Knights of Columbus, an organization founded on the principles of protecting and caring for widows and children. With Coats for Kids, the organization extends its commitment to the children in their community by providing new warm winter coats each year to those in need. The council actively seeks cash donations from generous donors, which are used to purchase the coats that will be distributed to children in the Wayne/Westland area who are most in need. To help identify families in need and ensure the coats are distributed to those who need them most, the Knights of Columbus have partnered with the Wayne/Westland Salvation Army. Over the past few years, the program has been successful in donating over 1800 new warm winter coats, thanks to the generosity of the communities they serve.
Community
At the Knights of Columbus Notre Dame Council, we are committed to making a positive impact in the communities we serve. We believe that our mission extends beyond fundraising and donations as we recognize that the community is an integral part of our efforts. A few years ago, we embarked on a mission to transform the City of Wayne by seeking opportunities to make a difference in the lives of the people who live, work, and play in the city. Our search led us to the adoption of the City of Wayne’s Peace Memorial Park, located in the heart of the city.
When we first arrived at the park, we were saddened to see the state of neglect that it had fallen into. The overgrown and littered park was no longer the beautiful and inviting space it once was. But we saw the potential for something great, and we set out to restore the park to its former glory. We committed ourselves to the task of cleaning up this hidden gem, and in doing so, helping to make the City of Wayne a safer, more beautiful, and more welcoming place.
Every month, from spring to fall, we gather together for four hours to spruce up the park. This event has become a popular volunteer opportunity for people from around the surrounding area, and we welcome every volunteer with open arms, showing them the warmth and hospitality that the City of Wayne is known for. We are proud to be a part of the revitalization of the City of Wayne, and we take pride in the transformation of Peace Memorial Park.
Thanks to our efforts, this once-overgrown and littered space is being restored to its former beauty, and we look forward to continuing to make a positive impact in the community we serve.
Current Opportunities
Please consider donating to the 2024 Coats for Kids campaign. 100% of the donations received will be used to provide new winter coats to children in the Wayne/Westland area. To donate, you can mail in your contributions to the Knights of Columbus Notre Dame Council 3021 at 3144 S Wayne Rd, Wayne MI 48184. Please make sure to write “Coats for Kids” in the memo line when donating. Thank you for your support!
Have a project?
If you know of a local cause that you believe we can assist with, please send us your information for review. If we determine that this cause aligns with our mission, we would be happy to extend our support. Kindly send your details via email to GK3021@mikoc.org.