Community Service

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Community Service relates to activities that Rotarians undertake to improve the quality of life in their community. Emphasis is given to helping children, needy families, the aged, the handicapped, in short those most in need of assistance, projects your Club has selected to support within your community. Examples include reading to school children, food drives for the hungry, collecting donations during the holidays, cooking or/and serving holiday meals for the needy, and providing sleeping bags for the homeless. Rotarians strive to promote the ideal of service in their personal, business, and community lives.

Effective Projects

The primary challenge in selecting projects involves ensuring that they have relevance to your community. The best project isn’t always the most elaborate or expensive. Rotary clubs must determine their role in their community and identify those segments they can best serve with the resources at hand.

Planning A Project

Do some preliminary preparation and budget planning and discuss goals for the proposed project wit club members. Once a project is agreed upon, select a committee to refine the specifics. Don’t assume that all of your members will feel they should participate. Clubs with limited resources should consider working with other organizations to expand the project’s impact.

Public Relations

If a club has planned in advance, communicating the project’s message will be relatively easy. Members should spread the word throughout your community. Utilize Rotary’s public relations tools to help your club communicate effectively, post flyers and contact your local media.

Raising Funds

Conventional fundraisers like auctions, contests, dinners, festivals, lectures and golf tournaments can often provide sufficient funding for a community service project. Depending on the amount of support required, it may be necessary to contact individuals and/or businesses directly to request donations or help in other ways. Provide a short, one-page summary of your project and its needs to each potential donor. Consider contacting local foundations known to support your cause.