The Rotary Club of Exeter
ANNUAL "STUFF THE BUS" FOOD DRIVE
Photo on right: Rotarian members Leigh Willet, Treasurer and Tressa Bickford, President-elect. Photo on right: Rotarian Steve Geiger and Exeter Police
The Exeter Rotary Club held its 7th annual food drive known as “Stuff the Bus” to benefit the town’s major food pantry at The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Community Assistance Center on Saturday April 13th. This year over 1,200 bags of food were sold – the most ever! Along with cash donations received of over $17,000, the total amount raised in food equivalent has reached over $100,000 for the last seven years!
The Exeter Rotary Club includes many other community organizations to make the food drive a great success. The Southern District YMCA Camp Lincoln and First Student Bus Company of Salem, NH donate two mini buses and a full-size school bus that are placed in front of three area grocery stores for the day. Rachael Ela, Exeter Rotary “Stuff the Bus” Coordinator points out the other sources of volunteers. “We couldn’t accomplish all that we do without the volunteers that include friends and family members, Vincentians, the Exeter and Stratham Police Departments, Exeter Area Chamber of Commerce members, Rotary Interact Club members from Exeter High School, Rotaract Club members from UNH and the Youth Group from St. Michael’s Parish.”
As in previous years, this year’s event has a “green” side. The pantry transitioned to more earth friendly bags for clients accessing food assistance; each grocery store packed donations in paper bags or has generously donated reusable cloth bags which are given to the pantry’s clients.
This food drive is critical in preparing for the Summer Family Food Program. According to Molly Zirillo, Executive Director of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Exeter Food Pantry & Cleo Castonguay Community Assistance Center, "the food donations we receive through this incredibly generous food drive, allow us to invite client households with school age children to visit the pantry on a weekly basis to make up for the meals they would be receiving at school. We are blessed to be surrounded by a community civic organization, such as Exeter Rotary, that helps us put food on the table for our most vulnerable neighbors."
Leah Grant, Society of St. Vincent de Paul volunteer said, “there are 66 families that came to the center in the past year with school aged children that will need extra assistance during the summer months. These 66 families are comprised of 131 children who will not receive free or reduced lunch from schools during summer break. This food drive makes a major contribution to what will be needed for this year’s program.”
ROTARY SCHOLARSHIPS FOR LOCAL EXETER STUDENTS
This spring the Exeter Rotary Club will offer its annual scholarships to help students of all ages further their education. Proceeds from the Exeter Rotary Club annual apple sale, “Dollars for Scholars,” funds the scholarships, this year totaling $5000.00 that will be awarded as follows:
Two Exeter High School students will each receive $1,000
Two Seacoast School of Technology students will each receive $1,000
Exeter Adult Education will receive $1,000 to help students defray education costs
The apple sale fundraiser has been a staple of Exeter Rotary’s commitment to the community for decades. This signature fundraiser has taken place for 40+ years and over $60,000 in scholarships have been awarded to students of Exeter High School, the Seacoast School of Technology and Exeter Adult Education. Over the years, the dollar amount of the scholarships given has increased in consideration of the rising costs of education.
EXETER ROTARIAN RECEIVES PHF RECOGNITION
Long-time member Dick Parker receives the Paul Harris Fellow recognition from Kathy Flygare, President of the Exeter Rotary Club.
13TH ANNUAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SMALL BUSINESS SHOWCASE
President-elect Tressa Bickford and Marilyn Kellogg (shown above), as representatives of the Exeter Rotary Club and other businesses, participated in the 13th annual Exeter Chamber of Commerce event on April 6th. The event is held at Seacoast School of Technology and is arranged by students in the Marketing Education class, with food provided by the students in the Culinary program.
MARKETING EDUCATION STUDENTS FROM SEACOAST SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY
Left to right: Sarah Waleryszak, Hailey Simes, Mitchell Bradley and Exeter President Kathy Flygare