This month’s theme gives us ample opportunity to focus on the news of the moment: the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. Mothers and children in the country are under attack, and risking their lives as they attempt to escape to neighboring countries. Those neighbors are working hard to absorb the refugees into their populations, offering food, shelter, and sanctuary. Our Rotarian brothers and sisters in those districts are working hard to help where possible. And so, our list of projects for this month starts there:
- The Rotary Foundation has created a funding channel for relief efforts in Ukraine. Organize fundraisers to donate directly to the fund: https://my.rotary.org/en/disaster-response-fund.
- Connect with, and contribute to, Rotary members in Romania and Moldova who have created a central fund for contributions and set up WhatsApp groups that organize food donations and coordinate shelter for refugees.
- Shelter Box is at work providing shelter for families displaced due to the conflict in Ukraine. Create a Shelter Box event, introducing your newer members and the community to Shelter Box and explaining how the organization works to provide shelter for families who have lost their homes as a result of disasters.
- Is there a Foster Child Closet in your area? (For example, The Kindness Project in Upper Milford Twp.) Bring in the director to explain how it helps foster parents and children, and perhaps ask people to donate boxes of diapers or formula if it’s an in-person meeting.
- If there isn’t a Foster Child Closet in your area, consider starting one, with a Diaper Closet or Formula-and-Diaper Closet for low-income families. Partner with a social services agency.
As always, these are just a few ideas, and perhaps they will be a jumping-off place for you to come up with other ideas for your own club. Some of these ideas will require grants, others can be accomplished just with your own club membership. Create a great project, find creative ways to help mothers and children and to promote peace and sharing!