By: Sarah MacGillivray
District 7780 Foundation Public Image Coordinator
RC Bath Sunrise
District 7780 Foundation Public Image Coordinator
RC Bath Sunrise
Is your Club wondering about a project to help people abroad or possibly closer to home? And the next question might be, where will we get the money for the project? Each year our District has funds made available from YOUR donations to OUR Rotary Foundation’s annual fund. One can apply for these funds through a District Grant to help fund your project.
To help you prepare for completing the grant process, the District is holding a Grants Management Session on Tuesday, March 15 at 7:00 pm, via Zoom. To apply, two of your members must take this training session by May 15. Attending the on-line session will be a wonderful way of answering any questions you may still have, as there will be Q&A throughout the training. If you are unable to join via Zoom there will be other opportunities for watching. The training will be recorded and then posted on our district website (rotary7780.org) in modules that can be watched at a time more convenient for you. Once you have finished watching there will be a short quiz to complete to receive credit. There will also be a chance to attend the training in person at our District Assembly in April! Visit the district website for more information and to sign up for the Zoom training on March 15.
To continue my series “Let’s Connect the Dots,” I wanted to share an interesting project that my Club, Bath Sunrise, worked on last year. We all know that finding a project can be a little challenging especially with Covid turning things upside down. Nonetheless, our Club found a 4-year-old project that was new to us, yet allowed us to help the community. Rotarian Jim Atherton from our club volunteers regularly with The Midcoast Youth Center. He introduced our Club members to a project Set for Success where we could really make a difference. Jim said, “MYC is an amazing organization that is doing so much good in our community. It is inspiring. We’ve got to be a part of it.”
The Midcoast Youth Center’s Set for Success project takes place at the end of August at Morse High School. Our Club helped to set up for the event and cleanup afterwards. Most importantly, we were able to donate funds to help purchase backpacks and supplies, thanks to our District Grant. Last summer, Set for Success served 525 students in grades pre-K through 12.
Jim described the project, “The students arrived and were greeted by their school principal and then given a list of supplies they needed for their classes. They walked to the different tables gathering everything they needed. Volunteers from the community were on hand, but most tables were staffed by teachers so that they would see familiar faces on the first day of school.
The Set for Success project goes above and beyond most school backpack programs by arranging for a Cosmetology classroom, staffed by local professional hair stylists, where students can receive free haircuts. Last year they provided approximately 100 haircuts. The next stop is the Clothing Closet where kids can find gently used clothing, winter gear, and shoes. Finally, they can stop at the over 30 vendor tables to find information to get to know all of the area’s local youth & family service organizations.
Jamie Dorr, Executive Director of Midcoast Youth Center, shared in a thank you note to our Club, “Many new families were so amazed and impressed by the level of care that was provided on this day. They thought they were just coming in for supplies, but they left with so much more, including full hearts! We could not have done this event without the support of the Rotary Club of Bath Sunrise and are grateful for all of the many, many ways you support our community.”
Last year almost half of the Clubs in our district applied for district grants, with 16 being awarded! Do you think your community has the need for a project like this, or is there a community abroad that needs your help? It all starts with District 7780 Rotarians’ donations to OUR Rotary Foundation’s annual fund. Let’s put our donations back to work in our communities and get the number of Clubs participating even higher this year!
Visit our district website and learn more about what projects would qualify for a District Grant and the steps you need to take to complete the grant. If you have questions, members of the District Foundation Committee are more than happy to help you along the way!