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 to people in need in the Boulder Community. Art Cleaners graciously donates coat cleaning services each year.
Please join us in working together to improve our community and our world!