Rotary District 6330 Foundation Newsletter - April 2023

Rotary International President for 2022-23, Jennifer Jones, wants Rotarians to imagine the possibilities in the change they can make to transform the world.

Rotary International President, Shekhar Mehta, India District 6330 Governor, Erin Shankie Club President, Joyce Nolin-Capman (2021-22)

Jones, a member of the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland, Ontario, Canada, urges us all to dream big and harness our connections and the power of Rotary to turn those dreams into reality.

Imagine, a world that deserves our best, where we get up each day knowing that we can make a difference.”

For the latest polio information, click here. Click here to make yourself smile!

1 Editor Kitty Bucsko

THE ROTARY FOUNDATION Trustee Chair's Message – April 2023

Think big, Act big.

In a letter to his brother Theo in 1874, Vincent Van Gogh wrote: “If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.”

You can see Van Gogh’s love of the natural world in his paintings: luminous sunflowers, gnarled olive trees, and the starry night sky over a Provenҫal village. When you see nature through Van Gogh’s eyes or through your own, such as during a trip to the park or a beach, you can’t help but stop to appreciate it. And when you love nature, you also want to take care of it.

April is Environmental Month for Rotary, and Earth Day is the 22nd of April. Marking the occasion with local projects such as roadside cleanups is fantastic and makes a difference. Consider also thinking big about protecting the environment – one of Rotary’s seven areas of focus – by partnering with other clubs and districts on a larger-scale project funded through The Rotary Foundation.

The more our clubs work together on larger projects, the more we accomplish. Supported by a Foundation global grant, Rotary clubs in Pennsylvania and Brazil teamed up to provide plastic-processing equipment for a waste pickers cooperative in the city of Rio Claro. The workers, who recover recyclables from trash, increased their income by 50 percent and expanded the cooperative, while contributing to a cleaner environment.

Acting big is also one of the main ideas behind the Foundation’s Programs of Scale. With each $2 million grant distributed over a program’s three- to five-year duration, the work doe on the ground scales up to fulfill the potential for long-term sustainable change. The 2021-22 Programs of Scale recipient, Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria, is hard at work right now on solutions aimed at reducing the country’s Maternal and Neonatal mortality rates.

Programs of Scale grants are among the most exciting developments of Rotary and its Foundation in recent years. They will have a big impact on the world. Remember that Programs of Scale grants take nothing away from your Foundation grant projects; the money invested is a relatively small portion of the Foundation’s total. In addition, The Rotary Foundation designed Programs of Scale to foster greater partnerships, which can include co-funding the initiative

So, think big this month – about the environment and about global grants and Programs of Scale – and you will see that, when it comes to the good we can do through our Rotary Foundation, the “starry night” sky’s the limit.

IAN H. S. RISELEY Foundation Trustee Chair

APRIL FOCUS on MATERNAL & CHILD HEALTH through THE ROTARY FOUNDATION

MATERNAL & CHILD HEALTH

HOW ROTARY MAKES HELP HAPPEN

Rotary provides education, immunizations, birth kits, and mobile health clinics. Women are taught how to prevent mother-to-infant HIV transmission, how to breast-feed, and how to protect themselves and their children from disease.

Linked through sister cities, Rotarians save newborns in Brazil.

By Vanessa Glavinskas Photographs by Robert Gill

A mother is in labor, and she’s frightened. Her baby isn’t due for three months. The closest hospital is 30 miles away, and although she makes it there in time, the baby is born weighing barely 2 pounds.

And there’s another problem.

The hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit has only seven incubators, and all are in use, so the baby must be transferred to another hospital to receive the critical care he needs. If he survives the transfer, his parents will need to find a way to make trips to that hospital for months.

Many new mothers were facing similar situations at Dr. Leopoldo Bevilacqua Regional Hospital, a state-run facility in Brazil’s Ribeira Valley. Lack of equipment meant some of the hospital’s most vulnerable newborns had to be transferred, which was a factor in São Paulo state’s high infant mortality rate.

By adding five incubators to the NICU, the hospital nearly doubled the number of babies its nurses and doctors can care for.

“There are two realities here: people who can pay for a private hospital and those who can’t,” says Lina Shimizu, who spearheaded the project for the Rotary Club of Registro-Ouro, Brazil. Those who can’t, she says, often have to travel long distances to get to a state-run hospital such as Leopoldo Bevilacqua, which serves 24 towns.

The Rotary Club of Registro-Ouro and the Rotary Club of Registro partnered on a Rotary Foundation global grant with two clubs in Nakatsugawa, Japan.

Through the partnership, Brazilian Rotarians raised $172,500. They funded equipment including five incubators for the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), which nearly doubled the hospital’s capacity to care for fragile newborns.

In 2013, 129 babies were admitted to the NICU; since the completion of the project, the hospital has been able to care for about 220 babies per year.

Other equipment provided through the grant included five ventilators, a bilirubin meter, three heated cribs, five vital-sign monitors, and a super LED microprocessed phototherapy unit to treat babies with jaundice. The grant also funded the cost of publicity to inform residents about prenatal care workshops conducted by area health workers. The publicity campaign aimed to reach mothers in remote areas who may not know what services are available to them or about the importance of prenatal care and breast-feeding.

The Rotary clubs also used the grant to launch a publicity campaign on importance of prenatal care and breastfeeding.

This global grant marked a turning point for Rotarians in Nakatsugawa, who had stopped contributing to international projects after experiencing difficulties on a past grant.

The difference this time was in the relationship between the cities of Registro and Nakatsugawa, which established a “sister city” affiliation in 1980.

Rotarians from both cities meet regularly to foster their friendships, alternating between Brazil and Japan, and because of their close relationship, the Japanese Rotarians felt confident that their financial contributions to the project would be managed well. In addition, Shimizu, who is of Japanese descent and speaks fluent Japanese, helped build trust and effective communication.

A group of Japanese Rotarians visited the NICU after the project was completed. “After 37 years,” says Mitsuo Hara, a member of the Rotary Club of Nakatsugawa, “there’s a friendship and bond between Rotary members of both countries.”

Click here to read more.

Keeping children alive during their first year. Rotary members teach mothers how to breast-feed, promote immunizations and regular checkups, and distribute insecticide-treated bed nets.

Sustainable programs. Rotary programs improve women’s access to skilled health personnel: doctors, nurses, midwives, or community health care workers.

Clean births. Rotary members distribute clean birth kits and train health workers in safe delivery of babies

Click here to view a short inspirational Rotary video.

Click here for further inspiring Rotary stories

HOW DO DISTRICT GRANTS HELP AT HOME

A Rotary Club in the United States used a US $3,000 district grant to purchase food and personal care items for a local food pantry that saw a 50 percent increase in need.

A Rotary club in India is using a district grant to provide hygiene kits and training to girls who might otherwise miss school when they are menstruating. The project aims to help 40,000 girls.

Clubs worldwide use district grants to support similar shorter projects in their communities.

Every club has the opportunity to create positive change in their community with grants from The Rotary Foundation, one project at a time.

What do you want to accomplish in our community?

WHEN YOU DONATE TO TRF

Thank you to everyone in D6330 who has given to the Foundation, who has participated in a Foundation project, or has helped spread the word about the Foundation. Thank you!

Click here to view a short video about your contributions to TRF and the good that you do! We’re changing lives through our vision and unwavering commitment, bringing hope to those who need it most.

FROM THE DISTRICT

District Grants Information from Myrna Inglis, Chair

In 2022 – 2023, Clubs have been busy with projects to assist the homeless, support Ukrainian refugees, ship containers of supplies to Eswatini and hopefully Nicaragua, purchase park benches and Christmas decorations for the town, provide a method of solar cooking to a refugee camp in Kenya and more.

The possibilities are endless but must meet Foundation eligibility found in the Rotary Foundation Terms and Conditions for District Grants document located in the documents section of the grants module.

Current status for 2022-2023 grant projects

• 3 projects need more information before requesting approval from the District Grants Committee.

• 17 projects have been approved

• 8 projects have been funded.

Please complete the Individual Project Report or Final Report as soon as possible while the details are fresh in your mind. Send me a message when you are ready for the review. The deadline is May 31, 2023.

This can be an extremely busy time for District Grants as the proposal deadline for 2023-2024 projects is also May 31.

Looking ahead for 2023-2024

(a) The Qualification course is located under the Rotary Foundation heading on the District Website. The MOU is also there.

(b) Please remind your current President and your President-Elect to sign the MOU and send to Pat Cavan. Two clubs are already fully qualified, and 15 members have completed the course.

(c) When you do the course, please remember to submit your name and Club at the end so your course completion can be uploaded to the data base.

Do you need project ideas for your Club? Check out the links to previous year’s projects under Foundation on the website.

Just a reminder. The money for District Gants now is from a portion of the contributions to the Annual-Share Fund of three years ago.

So, let’s Contribute Today to ensure adequate funding for grant projects in 2025-2026.

Myrna Inglis Chair, District Grants Minglis65@hotmail.com

or 519-881-0586

SEMINAR FOR TOMORROW’S LEADERS – 2023 An in-person event!

Registration is now open!

We are excited to announce that registration for this year's Seminar for Tomorrow's Leaders is now open! What's more, this year we are returning to an in-person event!

The leaders are working hard to put together an amazing program of inspiring speakers, engaging activities, and thought-provoking discussions that will help students develop their leadership skills and potential and leave them feeling excited and ready to take on new challenges in their communities. And they are thrilled to be back to in-person this year!

We'll be sharing some exciting information about this year's Seminar including the names of our fantastic speakers in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, if you already have someone to register, click the button below.

To register the students your club is sponsoring, click here!

April 20. The registration deadline is April 20, so don't wait! This is something the youth in your community will not want to miss!

The seminar is Friday, May 12 to Sunday, May 14 at Western University in London, Ontario.

The cost is $500 CAD or $450 USD per participant, and $450 CAD for Rotary Youth Exchange Inbound students.

For more information, click here to visit the Rotary Seminar for Tomorrow's Leaders page of the D6330 website

We look forward to receiving your registrations! Don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. Yours in Rotary,

Kirk Langford, on behalf of The D6330 Rotary Seminar for Tomorrow's Leaders Committee

POLIOPLUS SOCIETY

Our District 6330 proudly joins The Rotary Foundation and fellow districts across the world to announce the new Polio Plus Society and invite all of our members to join.

This simple act of generosity by our fellow Rotarians around the world will bring the life saving polio immunization to countless children until the day that the world has been rid of the virus. We are truly This Close, and we need your help to complete the job.

The Polio Plus Society is an organization of like-minded individuals who have committed to contribute $100 US or more each and every year to Polio Plus until the world has been declared free of the Wild Polio Virus. This is our commitment to fulfill the promise Rotary made in 1985 to immunize all the children of the world.

It’s easy and rewarding to become a member. Download, complete and submit the Polio Plus Society Pledge Form and email to the Polio Chair at katherine.hahn@rotarystratford.com Complete your contribution commitment in one of three ways:

Contribute with your credit card online at: https://www.endpolio.org/donate

- OR -

Write a for cheque for $100 or cheque for the US $100 equivalent (or more!) to The Rotary Foundation with "Polio Plus" in the memo line and give it to your club's Rotary Foundation Chair for submission.

- OR -

Enroll in Rotary’s recurring giving program, Rotary Direct, which makes giving easy, fast, and secure. You can schedule a monthly, quarterly, or annual donation that empowers Rotarians to change lives in communities around the world. https://my.rotary.org/en/rotary-direct

YES, all donations will be matched 2 to 1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Anyone can join the society, not only Rotarians. Everyone will be recognized with a special pin, an End Polio Now bracelet, a Society Certificate and a great feeling in their heart.

With your help, we will reach every last child and achieve a polio free world. Please reach out to Katherine and sign up today!

From the D6330 Governor Team –

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!

Many thanks to Jean Aitcheson and Deurence Onyango for sharing their inspiring stories of service.

For those of you who were not able to attend, here is the recordinghttps://youtu.be/Qz5tqWE5sCk

Thanks to those of you who were able to join us. If you have any ideas of future Zoom presentations, please forward them to the DG Team.

An outstanding presentation. Don’t miss it. You get a second chance!

DG Mike Chaffee, DGE Sonja Glass, DGN Katherine Hahn, DGND Mike Hurry

PAUL HARRIS SOCIETY

What your giving supports

Supporting families and changing lives! By giving from your heart each and every year, you’ll support families and change lives.

Paul Harris Society gifts have helped provide:

• Vocational training for teachers establishing an early childhood education center in South Africa

• Water filters, toilets, and hygiene training to prevent fluorosis, diarrhea, and other diseases in India

• A scholarship for a medical professional in Italy to research treatments that minimize mortality rates among premature babies

• Peace-building seminars for 200 teachers and 1,300 students in Uganda

• Treated mosquito nets and medical services that prevent malaria in Mali

In District 6330 we are proud to have over 116 members in our Paul Harris Society.

We have over 32 of our clubs that now have members in the Paul Harris Society.

D6330 Paul Harris Society Chair is Rotarian Jamie Pole.

Rotarian Jamie Pole

Summary of new polioviruses this week:

• Pakistan: one wild poliovirus type 1-positive environmental sample

• Benin: one circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) case

• Burundi: one cVDPV2 case and five cVDPV2-positive environmental samples

• Chad: two cVDPV2 cases

• Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo): six cVDPV2 cases

• Niger: one cVDPV2 case

For more information, click here - http://polioeradication.org/polio-today/polio-now/this-week/ Click here to learn the difference between Wild Polio Virus (WPV) and Vaccine-derived Polio Virus. (VDPV)

GPEI STATEMENT ON cVDPV2 DETECTIONS

In Burundi and Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

March 16, 2023

Through ongoing surveillance, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) has received notification of the detection of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) linked with the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2).

The viruses were isolated from the stool samples of seven children with acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) – six in DRC (eastern Tanganyika and South Kivu provinces), one in Burundi (Bujumbura Rural province) – and from five environmental samples collected in Burundi (Bujumbura Mairie province).

All reported isolates stem from two separate and new emergences of cVDPV2 linked with nOPV2 that originated in Tanganyika and South Kivu provinces in DRC.

GPEI is supporting local authorities in both and neighbouring countries to conduct a thorough risk assessment and plan vaccination responses to reduce the risk of further transmission, as per outbreak response protocols.

Burundi and DRC have scheduled initial vaccination campaigns to be conducted in April and based on the ongoing risk assessment, subsequent campaigns may be expanded to include areas in neighbouring countries.

Additionally, both AFP and environmental surveillance are being stepped up in the areas of detection, and the operationalization of further environmental surveillance sites is being evaluated. Samples from Burundi, DRC, and neighboring countries are also being prioritized for testing by the Global Polio Laboratory Network.

These are the first instances of cVDPV2 linked with nOPV2 since roll-out of the vaccine began in March 2021.

While detection of these outbreaks is a tragedy for the families and communities affected, it is not unexpected with wider use of the vaccine.

All available clinical and field evidence continues to demonstrate that nOPV2 is safe and effective and has a significantly lower risk of reverting to a form that cause paralysis in low immunity settings when compared to monovalent oral polio vaccine type 2 (mOPV2).

To date, close to 600 million doses of nOPV2 have been administered across 28 countries globally, and the majority of countries have seen no further transmission of cVDPV2 after two immunization rounds.

Throughout the vaccine’s extensive field use, the strains in DRC and Burundi are the only two cVDPV2 emergences detected that have been linked with nOPV2. A preliminary assessment suggests an estimated 30-40 new cVDPV2 emergences, conditional on surveillance inputs, would have been detected by 1 March 2023 if mOPV2 was used instead of nOPV2 at the same scale.

Focused safety, effectiveness and genetic stability monitoring will continue for the duration of the vaccine’s use under WHO Emergency Use Listing (EUL) and work continues to advance towards nOPV2’s WHO prequalification, expected by the end of this year.

Importantly, eastern DRC is classified as one of GPEI’s seven most consequential geographies for poliovirus outbreak risk.

Complex humanitarian challenges in the country, including insecurity, have created longstanding barriers to reaching every child with the polio vaccine. This has contributed to the continued spread of variant poliovirus within DRC and its exportation to nearby countries.

GPEI continues to adapt its strategy and work with local authorities to protect all children from this devastating disease through targeted, flexible campaign efforts.

Ultimately, no vaccine sitting in a vial can protect a child. The success of nOPV2 and any polio vaccine depends on the ability to rapidly implement high-quality immunization campaigns to ensure that every child is vaccinated and poliovirus’ spread is stopped.

Click here to read more.

Imagine a Polio-free world!

Everyone, especially Rotarians, should be in awe of the work being done worldwide to eradicate polio from the face of the Earth for several reasons:

1. It is a massive undertaking: The eradication of polio is one of the largest public health initiatives ever attempted. Since 1988, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) has worked tirelessly to immunize children, conduct surveillance, and improve sanitation in countries affected by polio.

2. It has saved millions of lives: Before the introduction of the polio vaccine, polio was one of the most feared diseases in the world, causing paralysis and death in children. Since the GPEI's efforts began, the number of polio cases has decreased by 99.9%, saving millions of lives.

3. It demonstrates the power of collaboration: The GPEI is a partnership between governments, organizations, and individuals around the world, including Rotary International. The success of the initiative shows what can be achieved when people come together to tackle a global problem.

4. It is a shining example of Rotary's commitment to service: Rotary International has been a key player in the effort to eradicate polio, providing funding, volunteers, and advocacy. This work exemplifies Rotary's commitment to service above self and its mission to make the world a better place.

In short, the work being done worldwide to eradicate polio is a remarkable achievement that demonstrates the power of collaboration, saves lives, and exemplifies Rotary's commitment to service.

The Beginnings of Rotary

– continued from last month

Annual Rotary Themes

1957-58: RI President Charles G. Tennent announced a theme, “Enlist – Extent – Explore – Serve,” to serve as Rotary’s program of emphasis. Since that time, each president has issued a theme for his Rotary year. The shortest theme was in 1961-62 when Joseph Abey selected “Act.” Other one-word themes were chosen in 1958-59 by Charles Tennent (“Serve”) and 1968-69 by Kiyoshi Togasaki (“Participate!”)

2022-23 – Jennifer Jones (Canada) - Imagine Rotary

2021-22 – Shekhar Mehta (India) - Serve to Change Lives

2020-21 – Holger Knaack (Germany) - Rotary Opens Opportunities

2019-20 – Mark Daniel Maloney (USA) - Rotary Connects the World

2018-19 – Barry Rassin (Bahamas) - Be the Inspiration

2017-18 – Ian H.S. Riseley (Australia) - Making a Difference

2016-17 – John F. Germ (USA) - Rotary Serving Humanity

2015-16 – K.R. Ravindran (Sri Lanka) - Be a Gift to the World

2014-15 – Gary C.K. Huang (Taiwan) - Light up Rotary

2013-14 – Ron D. Burton (USA) - Engage Rotary, Change Lives

2012-13 – Sakuji Tanaka, (Japan) - Peace Through Service

2011-12 – Kalyan Banergee (India) - Reach Within to Embrace Humanity

2010-11 – Ray Klinginsmith (USA) - Building Communities - Bridging Continents

2009-10 – John Kenny (Scotland) - The Future of Rotary is in Your Hands.

A few recent Rotary themes shown below -

Definition of Rotary

How do you describe the organization called “Rotary”?

There are so many characteristics of a Rotary club, as well as the activities of onver a million Rotarians – there are the features of service, internationality, fellowhip, clasifications of each vocation, development of goodwill and world understanding, the emphasis of high ethical standards, concern for other people, and many more.

In 1976, the Rotary International Board of Directors was interested in creating a concise definition of the fundamental aspects of Rotary. They turned to the three men who were them serving on Rotary’s Public Relations Committee and requested that a one-sentence definition of Rotary be prepared. After numerous drafts, the committee presented this definition, which has been used ever since in various Rotary publications:

“Rotary is an organization of business and professional persons united worldwide who provide humanitarian serice, encourage high ethical tandards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.”

Those 31 words are worth remembering when someone asks, “What is a Rotary club?”

The Four-Way Test

The Four-Way Test was created by Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor in 1932 when he was asked to take charge of the Chicago-based Club Aluminum Company, which was facing bankruptcy. Taylor looked for a way to save the struggling company mired in depression-caused financial difficulties.

He drew up a 24-word code of ethics for all employees to follow in their business and professional lives. The Four-Way Test became the guide for sales, production, advertising, and all relations withi dealers and customers. The survival of the company was credited to theis simple philosophy. Herb Teylow became President of Rotary International during 1954-55. The Four-Way Test was adopted by Rotary in 1943.

“Of the things we think, say, or do” -

1. Is it the TRUTH?

2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?

3. Will it BUILD GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

Source: https://rotary1.org/101-things-about-rotary/

Herbert J. Taylor, Author of the Four-Way Test

Lessons from a hurricane hot spot

"Maria, Dorian, Michael..." Padraic E. "Pat" Mulvihill is rattling off a list of the hurricanes he's responded to as a disaster relief coordinator for his Rotary district (6970) in northeast Florida. The storm-tested logistics networks he has helped set up are what have made Rotary members in the Jacksonville, Florida, area so effective at responding to the war against Ukraine, including helping find housing for around 140 refugees.

"We have the institutional knowledge already in place and the infrastructure," explains Mulvihill, a semiretired business executive who has served as an infantry officer, paratrooper, and Green Beret in the U.S. Army Reserve.

His district's Rotary clubs have raised more than $95,000 for Ukraine relief efforts. They have channeled food, protective equipment, and EMT supplies to Ukraine. They even organized a day at the Jacksonville Zoo for the children of refugee families.

Rotary clubs unite across continents.

Rotary members in North America, South America, and Europe have collaborated with a U.S.-based association of Ukrainian health care workers and used their connections to collect and ship more than 350 tons of critical medical supplies to Ukraine.

As of May, five cargo planes packed with medical supplies such as tourniquets, blood-clotting gauze, negative pressure wound therapy equipment, and medications have been flown from Chicago to Europe, where members have helped deliver them to Ukraine.

"It is Rotary doing what Rotary does best. It networks, pulls people together, and gets the job done," says RI Director Pat Merryweather-Arges, who has helped coordinate the shipments.

North American and Argentine Rotary clubs combined their resources to purchase medical supplies and worked with pharmaceutical companies and medical equipment manufacturers to arrange donations. For example, a hospital in Peoria, Illinois, sent an ambulance and networked with others to have seven ambulances shipped to Ukraine.

Supplies streamed into a warehouse operated by the Ukrainian Medical Association of North America near Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Rotary clubs in Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Iowa collected supplies to ship to the warehouse.

"It's amazing what one Rotarian talking to another Rotarian can accomplish," says Marga Hewko, immediate past president of the Rotary Club of Chicago.

Rotary clubs in Ukraine are leading relief efforts.

Ukraine has 62 Rotary clubs and seven satellite clubs about 1,100 members in total, as well as 25 Rotaract clubs that combined have more than 300 members.

The Rotary Club of Cherkasy purchased medical supplies and medicine and delivered them to local hospitals. Members of the Rotary Club of Kharkiv International have traveled to border countries to help refugees adapt to their new situations and have worked, through their project Yellow Help, to evacuate families near war zones. The Rotary Club of Kyiv Synergy collected 350 boxes of medical supplies from Italy and distributed them to areas within Kyiv and Sumy.

The Rotary Club of Kyiv-Sophia prepared hot meals and delivered them to residents of Kyiv and its suburbs of Irpin and Bucha. Members purchased hygiene products and medicine and delivered them to young mothers and the elderly.

Rotary relief efforts in Europe

Poland has taken in more than 3 million refugees, and Rotary clubs all over the country created a central account for contributions. The Rotary Club of Olsztyn collected and managed donations for more than 150 Ukrainian refugees, most of whom are unaccompanied children whose parents stayed in Ukraine. Four cars full of supplies including food, clothes, toiletries, and toys were donated to a local refugee center hours after it began accepting refugees.

Also in Poland, members of the Rotary Clubs of Zamosc and Wolsztyn partnered with other organizations to collect supplies and equipment. Members of the Rotary Club of Gdansk Centrum have provided accommodations and jobs for four refugee families.

In Germany, the Rotary Club of Berlin Platz der Republik, supported by the Rotary Club of Berlin International and the Rotary E-Club of Wall Street New York, has developed a housing-specific platform called Spaces for Ukraine. Nearly 400 refugees have found homes through the site, and 925 host families have registered.

In Hungary, the Rotary Club of Kisvárda coordinated contributions and mobilized members to donate necessities and deliver the items to where they're needed. Rotary members in Romania and Moldova used WhatsApp to organize shelter for refugees. In Slovakia and the Czech Republic, clubs partnered with a railway and cargo company to transport some 2,300 refugees to safety.

This story originally appeared in the July 2022 issue of Rotary magazine.

Click here to read more.

SHELTERBOX AND ROTARY

Rotary and ShelterBox have a close relationship as they work together to provide humanitarian aid and disaster relief around the world.

ShelterBox is an international disaster relief charity that provides emergency shelter and essential supplies to people affected by natural disasters and conflicts. Rotary is a global network of community volunteers that work together to tackle various humanitarian issues, including disaster relief.

The partnership between Rotary and ShelterBox began in 2000, when a group of Rotarians recognized the need for emergency shelter and supplies in the aftermath of the earthquake in Gujarat, India. They formed ShelterBox as a project of Rotary and it has since become an independent organization that continues to work closely with Rotary.

Rotary and ShelterBox work together on various initiatives, including disaster response and preparedness programs, fundraising campaigns, and awareness-raising activities. Rotary clubs around the world often collaborate with ShelterBox by hosting fundraisers, volunteering at events, and contributing to disaster response efforts.

Rotary's support has been vital to ShelterBox's success over the years, helping to expand its reach and impact in providing aid to those in need around the world. Through their partnership, Rotary and ShelterBox have demonstrated the power of collaboration in addressing humanitarian challenges and making a positive difference in people's lives.

• Click here to read more. Or Click here for ShelterboxUSA

• Click here to learn more about what is contained in a Shelterbox.

• Click here to view a short video about what’s happening in the world.

Upcoming conventions

Click the Melbourne link for the website.

For more insight into RI President-elect Gordon McInally, click here.

The Rotary Foundation – the Engine that runs Rotary!

WAYS TO GIVE TO THE ROTARY FOUNDATION

Your donation changes lives! and this information bears repeating…

There are numerous ways to support The Rotary Foundation.

Every amount contributed to The Rotary Foundation is spent in support of humanitarian, educational, and cultural programs and their operations. Clubs and districts apply for and receive Foundation grants to carry out worthy projects worldwide.

Here are a few of the ways that your contribution can make a difference:

• $100 can buy textbooks for one elementary school in Zambia

• $5,000 can buy vaccine to immunize 10,000 children against polio

• $24,000 can buy an academic-year Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship

• $100,000 can buy funding for two to complete a two-year graduate program for a Rotary World Peace Fellow

Donate Online

When you donate online, you get to choose where your donations go. Support thousands of service projects our people of action are tackling around the world. Outright gifts can be made easily with The Rotary Foundation online contribution form.

This method expedites processing your tax receipt and Paul Harris Fellow recognition points. For online donations please visit https://www.rotary.org/en/donate

• Memorial or Tribute Donations: A gift to The Rotary Foundation is a meaningful way to honour a loved one.

• Recurring Donations: Rotary Direct allows you to help year-round by automatically giving each month, quarter, or year.

FOUNDATION GRANTS – 7 AREAS OF FOCUS

Rotarians can get involved in various types of service –Club Service, Community Service, International Service, Vocational Service, New Generations (Youth) Service

COMING IN MAY – Youth Services

One of the primary ways Rotary celebrates youth is through its youth programs, which include initiatives such as Interact, Rotaract, and Youth Exchange.

These programs provide opportunities for young people to develop leadership skills, engage in service projects, and build connections with other youth locally and internationally.

ROTARY’S CORE VALUES

WHAT IS ROTARY?

Rotary International is an international service organization whose stated purpose is to bring business and professional leaders together to provide humanitarian service and to advance goodwill and peace around the world. It is a non-political and non-religious organization.

Rotarians can get involved in various types of service –Club Service, Community Service, International Service, Vocational Service, New Generations Service

Click the 4-way test above to hear the Four-Way Test by RC of Saskatoon Nutana

THE ROTARY FOUNDATION EREY – Every Rotarian Every Year

Our Every Rotarian, Every Year (EREY) initiative encourages all Rotary club members to contribute something each year to The Rotary Foundation. We hope that you can consider at least $100 USD every year to help us reach our goal to support the Rotary Foundation financially each year

Sustaining member. One who contributes $100 USD every year is a Sustaining Member. With EREY, we encourage you to contribute an amount you can afford every year.

ROTARY BEQUEST SOCIETY

What is a Rotary Foundation Bequest Society Member?

Those who have made commitments for future gifts of $10,000 or more to The Rotary Foundation are invited to join the Bequest Society.

Donors may elect to receive various benefits and recognition pieces commemorating their commitment at each new recognition level, including pins, crystals, named funds, and special seating at the Rotary International Convention.

A bequest gift of at least $10,000 in your name to The Rotary Foundation creates a legacy of your generosity and compassion as you are helping many people live better lives around the world.

Today there are over 18,000 Bequest Society Members worldwide.

Will you join them by leaving a gift to Rotary in your estate? Contact the Rotary Foundation’s Planned Giving team

When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever. In its place is something that you have left behind. Let it be something good.