Category Archives: Areas of focus

The Power of Connection: A Beacon of Hope for Ukraine

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Women in Dubno, Ukraine, show off the thermal winter clothing they received from a Rotary relief effort.

By Janet Kolepp, past governor of District 7430 and assistant Rotary public image coordinator in Zone 32

A beacon of hope arose from an unexpected collaboration between Rotary districts interested in responding to the crisis in Ukraine. Two years ago, as I sat with three of my district governor classmates at the Zone 28/32 Conference in Toronto, we began a dialogue that would set the stage for a remarkable journey.

Aware of the opportunity provided by The Rotary Foundation’s Disaster Response Fund, we began to form the idea of pooling resources to maximize our impact. With the enthusiastic support of the district governors and Rotary Foundation chairs from Districts 6310, 6290, 7430, and 7980 we secured a grant of $100,000. 

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Celebrate Earth Day with resources from the Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group

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Wildfires, heatwaves, droughts, and floods leave many people wondering what they can do to address the environmental challenges facing our world. In Rotary, the Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group (ESRAG) has provided a platform for environmentally-minded Rotary and Rotaract members to come together to seek solutions that have a sustainable impact. For Earth Day, 22 April, check out some of the many resources the action group makes available to members to carry out effective environmental actions. 

Ukrainian refugee joins with Rotarians to help people back home

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Rotarians have partnered with a solar energy company to provide solar generators that power critical medical equipment at front-line hospitals in Ukraine. Photo by Olena Vynohradova

By Heidi Rickels, past president of the Rotary E-club of WASH

As a Rotarian and development professional, I’ve witnessed many remarkable stories of resilience and compassion. One that deeply touched my heart is that of Yurii Zinchenko, a highly accomplished lawyer with more than 20 years of experience practicing and teaching law in Ukraine. As his apartment building burned, he fled his home in eastern Ukraine, along with his wife, Vitalina, and their young daughter, Anastasia, in February of 2022.

The journey for the Zinchenko family was marked by hardship and uncertainty as they navigated the perilous path westward, fleeing the violent Russian invasion alongside countless other Ukrainians desperate for safety. It was a journey filled with displacement, confusion, and fear, which ultimately led to a beacon of hope.

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A Rotarian’s journey with the Open World Program

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An Open World delegation attends a Rotary Club meeting in Maine, USA.

In 2023, Brenda Pollock’s Rotary Club of Biddeford-Saco, Maine, USA, was selected to host a delegation from Ukraine through the Open World program. For Rotary and Rotaract members seeking international service opportunities, the program allows clubs to host and curate multi-day visits for emerging Eurasian leaders to gain insight into the workings of local government, business, and community dynamics in the United States while fostering mutual understanding. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Rotary’s participation in the Open World Program offered by the Congressional Office for International Leadership. Read more about this exciting experience in Pollock’s blog post for Rotary Service in Action.

My purpose, passion in Rotary – and pet portraits

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One of Lewis’ oil paintings, a pet portrait.

By George Lewis, Rotary Club of Venice-Nokomis, Florida, USA

Extraordinary.
Amazing.
Spectacular.

This is how I feel about Rotary. I’ll be 90 years old in June and joined Rotary at a relatively late age. I went on my first volunteer trip to Guatemala in 2006 to help install stoves for Mayan families. Those stoves changed their lives, and the experience changed mine.

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