Community Service
Give back to your community, make life-long Rotarian friends, and have fun. Contact Jane Engel, chair of the community service committee.
Grants
The community service committee, a group of about 16 Rotarians, awards grants every year to nonprofit 501(c)3 organizations in the Boulder community. For the Rotary 2009-2010 year our club chose to focus our funds and volunteer efforts on hunger needs in our community.
Boulder Valley Rotary granted over $8,000 in total to the following Boulder-area organizations that provide food to the hungry:
- Meals on Wheels
- Emergency Family Assistance Association
- Community Food Share
- Carriage House
We also invited these agencies to a Rotary Club meeting in January to participate in a panel discussion on hunger issues in Boulder County. It was a very informative discussion for all of our members.
Volunteer Programs
Most of our members lend a hand with our active volunteer program. We combine our capable hands with club funds (about $6,800 this year) to have a truly significant impact on hunger needs in the community.
Our volunteer efforts in 2009-2010 included the following projects:
- We built 4 raised garden beds at the Hawthorne Community Gardens. The community Gardens now have garden facilities available to disabled or elderly persons.
- We collected food items for Community Food Share at Safeway stores in Boulder and sorted food at the CFS facility.
- We prepared and served a meal for 160 homeless individuals at the Homeless Shelter.
- We prepared and served a meal for Lambs Lunch (Shekina House).
- We will be doing some landscaping work at Community Food Share in April 2010.
Our members make a huge beneficial event possible each year: the Share-a-Coat drive that distributes about 3,000 warm coats to needy people. We collect coats in collaboration with the Boulder Valley School District and distribute them at a holiday event hosted by Community Food Share. Art Cleaners graciously donates coat cleaning services each year.
Please join us in working together to improve our community and our world!