Racine Community Foundation

05/29/2026

Hiking. Canoeing. Archery. Survival skills. And all the mud a kid could ask for.

River Bend Nature Center is enrolling campers ages 4-12 for Summer Nature Camp - weekly sessions running June 15 through August 14. Rain or shine, kids spend their days outside exploring forest, prairie, ponds, and river, guided by weekly themes and a strong environmental education curriculum underneath all the adventure.

This isn't a screen-free week by default. It's a screen-free week because there's no time to think about one.

Camp runs 8 AM - 1 PM with an extended day option until 5:30 PM. Space is limited and registration is required.

Details and registration: riverbendracine.org/programs-2/summer-camp/

05/28/2026

Sometimes what you need most is a quiet trail, wildflowers you didn't expect, and nowhere you have to be.

The Siena Retreat Center sits along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Racine - a place of walking paths, wooded trails, and the kind of stillness that's harder to find than it should be. Right now, the spring wildflowers are putting on a show, and the grounds are open to all.

Whether you come for a retreat, a guided forest therapy walk, or just an hour of quiet with nowhere to be, Siena is one of Racine County's most beautiful places to slow down and breathe.

We're proud to support the Siena Retreat Center and their mission of renewal, peace, and welcome - for everyone.

05/27/2026

A young prince searching for purpose, a troupe of performers pulling the strings, and one of Stephen Schwartz's most dazzling scores - there's magic to do at the Racine Theatre Guild.

Pippin runs May 15 - 31, and it's a production with a story of its own: six members of the same family are part of the cast and crew, which says everything about the kind of community theater RTG has been building since 1938.

Tickets start at $17 for students, and an ASL-interpreted performance is available on May 22. Value night pricing on May 21 and May 28.

We're proud to support the Racine Theatre Guild and the artists - onstage and off - who keep live theater thriving in Racine.

Tickets and details: racinetheatre.org/event/pippin

05/26/2026

Not every path to success runs through a classroom - and Rocco Fiorita is proof.

The J.I. Case High School senior found his direction at a school job fair, where he connected with metal contractor Martin Petersen and landed a position that changed his trajectory. Since the summer before his junior year, Rocco has logged more than 1,000 hours on the job site through Racine Unified's youth apprenticeship program - learning metal fabrication, building communication skills, and discovering what it feels like to know exactly what you want to do with your life.

This is what Racine Unified Schools - meets students where they are and opens doors they didn't know existed. Job fairs, apprenticeships, hands-on career pathways - not every student thrives the same way, and the district's commitment to giving every kid a real shot at their future is what makes stories like Rocco's possible. When our schools invest in young people this way, the whole county gets stronger.

Rocco graduates from J.I. Case on June 7 with a union career already waiting for him. His advice for students who might be struggling the way he once did? Get into the trades and get your foot in the door.

Rocco Fiorita was looking for a purpose inside the confines of the classroom, but found it outside with metal contractor Martin Petersen.

05/22/2026

Two hours on a Saturday morning, your hands in the dirt. The result? A local ecosystem a little healthier because you showed up.

Hawthorn Hollow Nature Sanctuary and Arboretum is looking for volunteers for its upcoming Ecology Workdays - hands-on conservation mornings spent removing invasive species, maintaining trails, clearing brush, and restoring habitat across their beautiful grounds in Racine County.

Upcoming dates, all Saturdays from 10 AM - 12 PM: May 23, July 18, September 5, and October 3.

05/21/2026

Healing doesn't always happen in a clinic. Sometimes it happens in a garden.

At the Racine Friendship Clubhouse, adults living with mental illness work side by side - building skills, building confidence, and building something together. The Clubhouse is the only program in Racine County dedicated to supporting people with serious mental illness as they pursue social, educational, and vocational goals, and everything there runs on voluntary participation and peer support.

Right now, members are deep in their Garden Program - constructing a shed from the ground up, reading directions and fitting pieces together as a team, digging out packed dirt to prep beds for planting, and pruning bushes to help them grow back stronger. It's the kind of work that looks like gardening but feels like purpose.

We're proud to support the Racine Friendship Clubhouse and the belief that everyone deserves a place to show up, contribute, and grow.

05/20/2026

It all starts with a job - and leads to independence, confidence, and community.

The Arc of Racine County's 100%ers program is a peer-to-peer mentoring group for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, meeting monthly to build the skills that lead to employment, independence, and a strong social network.

Robert Hanson is an Arc 100%er - and recently he stepped up to volunteer at the annual Knights of Columbus Tootsie Roll Drive at Piggly Wiggly, helping raise funds for programs that support people with disabilities. That's the kind of full-circle moment this program makes possible: someone who benefits from community support turning around and giving it right back.

We're proud to fund the Arc 100%ers program and the belief that everyone deserves the chance to grow, contribute, and belong.

05/18/2026

Loving the new floral sculpture downtown - and the best part? No need to worry about frost.

Gateway Tech welding students created this beautiful metal flower pot sculpture now on display in Downtown Racine. It's public art, job training, and community pride all welded into one.

We love seeing Racine's students leave their mark on the places we all share.

05/15/2026

See those numbers? That's what it looks like when a community refuses to let its neighbors go hungry.

The The Salvation Army Racine operates a food pantry, the Healthy Kids Diner, Weekend Food Sacks for students, and Meals on Wheels for seniors - meeting people where they are and making sure no one falls through the cracks. With new rules for FoodShare and SNAP benefits, this work will be more important than ever.

We're proud to be a long-time supporter of child nutrition programming at The Salvation Army, thanks to the generosity of our donors. Because a kid who isn't hungry is a kid who can focus, learn, grow, and give back to this place we all call home.