UPDATE DEC. 11: Nearly $900 was donated by club members to our super quick-outreach program to help Westerville Caring & Sharing’s 2020 Holiday Project. THANK YOU, ROTARIANS!
At President Ellen’s direction, Club Community Funds will be used to match all member donations, dollar for dollar, plus – as of now – a little extra. Today we are cutting a $2,000 check to the Caring & Sharing Holiday Project, which has been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is desired that we reach that half-way point in that donation through member contributions. So this is a LAST CALL for donations to the special Rotary Lends a Local Hand project, to help out a wonderful local charity in need at Christmas 2020. We will retain the donation on this page of our website for another week.
If you are able and haven’t had a chance yet to donate, please consider helping this special cause. On behalf of President Ellen and the entire Rotary Club of Westerville board, thank you for your consideration!
Original Dec. 2 Announcement of this project:
Rotary Club of Westerville President Ellen Cathers has declared a special Rotary Lends a Local Hand fundraiser to help our friends at Westerville Caring & Sharing.

At Ellen’s direction, the Club will match dollar-for-dollar, up to $1,000, donations by club members to the special fundraiser. Time is VERY SHORT for this special project. All donations must be received by Dec. 11.

Westerville Caring & Sharing is an all-volunteer local charity. It was recognized with our 2005 A. Monroe Courtright Public Service Award. For more than 30 years, Caring & Sharing has organized two big annual programs for Westerville children in need: the Back-to-School Project and the Holiday Project.

The Holiday Project provides Christmas gifts for Westerville children who qualify for free or reduced-price lunches at school, and holiday meal food baskets for their families. About 700 children from 200 families have been helped by the Holiday Project annually in recent years.

Unfortunately, the Holiday Project is threatened by the Coronavirus pandemic. Organizers fear a double-whammy: Greatly reduced donations on top of increased demand.

For years the principal financial support for the Caring & Sharing Holiday Project has come from Westerville’s high schools, with students from Central, North and South competing to raise the most money. But in 2020, the schools will only be in session for two weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, with only half the students attending in person each week.

President Ellen asks Rotary Club of Westerville members to step up to help meet this exceptional need through our inaugural Rotary Lends a Local Hand effort.

Please Lend a Local Hand and donate to Caring & Sharing through our website at WestervilleRotary.com/Epay-secure, or drop a check in the mail to the Rotary Club of Westerville, PO Box 595, Westerville, OH 43086-0595. Note “Caring & Sharing” on the memo line.

Each $50 will provide Christmas to a local child in need. The Club looks forward to matching the first $1,000 in donations from members and targets raising a total of $2,000 or more for this very worthy project.

Read more about the Caring & Sharing Holiday Project at westervillecaringandsharing.org.

Join the Rotary Club of Westerville us via Zoom for our weekly noon-Thursday meetings. The meeting link is the same each week:

Via one-click: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8743047403?pwd=TEFVek5RTEV1M2U3YUdRaUVKV2QwZz09
Manually via the Zoom app: Meeting ID: 874 304 7403 Passcode: 022056

Founded in 1959, the Rotary Club of Westerville is a service club of business professionals and leaders working to improve our community and larger world. We are part of Rotary International. Find out more at WestervilleRotary.com. Contact the Club and learn how to join at WestervilleRotary.com/JoinUs

 

Donate to Rotary Lends a Local Hand, for Westerville Caring & Sharing’s 2020 Holiday Project