April 9, 2008

At the Deposit Rotary Club lunch meeting on Wednesday, April 2, Sue Elinsky was able to provide an update on the Feinstein Challenge.  Like I explained in my last column, Rhode Island philanthropist and Rotarian Alan Shawn Feinstein is offering one million dollars that will be distributed to hunger-fighting agencies throughout the country, based upon how much local Rotary clubs are able to raise on behalf of each agency during March and April.  The Deposit Rotary Club is committed to raising at least $11,000 for our local Food Pantry.  As part of the challenge, Sue wrote to dozens of businesses in the area, asking for donations of cash and food, and asked each Rotarian to not only give what they can, but to ask two other people to also donate.  Sue also explained that money and food items received this time of year are especially important because the Food Pantry experiences its most difficult season during the summer.  Because potential donors are busy with activities and vacations during the summer, they don't often think about those who are less fortunate and with kids staying home from school, families don't benefit from free and reduced breakfasts and lunches offered by the school.  Therefore, what amounts is a strain on the Food Pantry's resources, compounded by a considerable slow-down in donations.  Hopefully, the energy and enthusiasm generated by Rotary's Feinstein Challenge will remind the community of the need to consider our neighbors who might otherwise go hungry.

 

Also at the meeting, we were joined by guest speaker Mike O'Brien of the Hancock Rotary Club, who is also a Rotary Past District Governor.  He spoke to us about an international project he was involved in with Rotary clubs in California and in Monterrey, Mexico.  What began as a project to give wheelchairs to disabled people who could not otherwise afford them quickly grew into a larger project and partnership between Californian and Mexican Rotary Clubs.  The point of Mike's presentation was to highlight the benefits and rewards of working with other Rotary Clubs in international projects, citing the joys of traveling and meeting Rotarians and other individuals through these projects.  He also shared with us information on matching grant programs available to clubs through the Rotary Foundation, which offers one dollar to fund international projects for every two dollars raised by the participating clubs.  It seemed to be an excellent way to encourage Rotarians to develop a more global perspective in working to assist others through service.  Stay tuned next week for more local, regional, and international Rotary news!