Eric Ryan, President of the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise, presented a contribution of $2,375 to Erik Talkin, Chief Executive Officer of the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County. The donation was made through the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise Charitable Foundation.  
 
As thousands of families have struggled with food insecurity during the COVID-19 crisis, the Foodbank has stepped up to provide tons of nutritious food to community members in need! 
 

A new clean water source community project in Africa, which was awarded a Rotary District 5240 grant (round two) for $850.00, was recently completed. In a unique collaborative partnership, the DDF FY 2020-2021 project grant monies, were combined with Rotary Club of Bakersfield Twilight ($850.00) and Rotaract Club of Kern County ($2800.00) funds to benefit Ugandan residents with a clean and sanitary water source that includes establishing a community water committee and a repair savings account, and providing instruction on sanitation/hygiene and preventative maintenance. The $4,500.00 global community water source project now provides a clean community water source to approximately 500 villagers for the Naibinga community in Uganda. The global project was made feasible by the international community development non-profit Love Water Incorporated (LWI) which is based in Bakersfield, California. Since 2010, LWI has provided clean, potable water in developing countries to over 63,000 people.

An Amazing Journey of International Cooperation
March, 2021 - by Leslie Bouche, International Service Committee Chair

Prashanti International School (PIS) is a non-profit day school for Kindergarten through 8th grade in a poor village area outside the city of Puri, India. PIS provides a quality, values-based education for a current enrollment of 270 students at a very low tuition accessible by poor families. Enrollment is growing each year. The program also includes a residential children’s home for 40 of the students from the most impoverished backgrounds that provides housing, food, clothing, medical care, education and daily tutoring for them on full scholarship.

In 2016, 2017 and 2018, the Rotary Club of Ojai created and successfully completed five District and Club grants to benefit the children of Prashanti International School. These grants provided drinking water purification units, laptop computers and related items, water storage tanks, washrooms tiling and fixtures, and a septic tank and sanitation system for the school. The grants ranged in value from $1032 to $10,937. Additionally, RC Ojai granted $1000 to PIS to provide emergency food items to local families who were unable to get basic foods at the beginning of the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown in Puri. The projects totaled over $20,000, and they were very successful and completed on time and to budget.
 

 

Simi Valley, CA – Lighting the Cross at Mount McCoy in Simi Valley during Easter week has been a tradition  for the Rotary Club of Simi Valley for nearly 60 years. Club members volunteer to light the cross from dusk  until midnight and on many nights, they are joined by community members. Many of whom express their  gratitude for this special gift to the community. Last year the Cross remained dark during Easter week due to the  COVID-19 pandemic. “We were disappointed that we had to cancel the lighting last year. I am happy to share  that we will be resuming our tradition and lighting the cross March 29 – April 3,” said Lynne Kline, president of  the Rotary Club of Simi Valley.

 

The Rotary Club of Camarillo gave its first Exemplary Service Award to Kate Lewis, Chaplain at St. John's Pleasant Valley Hospital, in recognition of her "extraordinary effort and sacrifice for fellow citizens through this difficult time."

 
Nominations are being accepted from the community to recognize Camarillo's local heroes including first responders and other essential workers.  Nominations can be sent to tsprinkl@aol.com.

 

Photo (L to R) is of President Dave Drumright, Kate Lewis and Community Service Chair Tim Sprinkles

 

One aspect of Rotary’s Vocational Service calls on us to empower others by sharing our unique skills and expertise which will help others discover new professional opportunities and interests. During this COVID-19 period, many people find themselves light on work or are embattled in unemployment situations. If you are an active, engaged Rotarian, you probably view vocational service as a way of life, even if you find it difficult to characterize a clear definition.

I have found myself to be a type-A person, with characteristics associating self-worth with achievements and always looking for something to do. This parallels the notion that “work is dignity,” where I’ve transitioned from career to career with the passion to engage in what I believe is important and what I find fun in “doing.”

 

At the beginning of the Pandemic, the Moorpark Rotary Club knew they were going to be be needed, now more than ever, so they developed a plan to focus on their local food pantry.  They kicked off their plan by providing much needed school supplies, and throughout the pandemic held various food drives to help back fill the increasing needs of those who were food challenged.  As Rotarian’s, they knew they could do more, so they asked the food panty what other critical items were needed.  The food pantry quickly responded by sharing what they really needed: fresh vegetables and fruit.  Moorpark Rotary Club President, Kelly Best, reached out to a local farmer and told him their food pantry was in need of healthier choices in food.  He provided the Club with the opportunity to purchase local vegetables, and also connected them to a fresh fruit connection in Los Angeles.  Each week Club members from the Rotary Club of Moorpark picked up several large boxes of fruits and vegetables from the farm and they delivered them to the food panty in Moorpark.  They consider each delivery a win/win, as it provides healthier food choices for their families and a very rewarding experience from the heart.