During this unprecedented time we are all or should be at home and it gives us an opportunity to give some consideration as to how we can help.

We have a proud history of supporting the Foundation and our Community at the Rotary Hawthorn, and I’m sure you all wish to see that continue.

Our Club’s board has agreed to ask members and guests to make a voluntary donation to attend our Zoom Club meetings.

We have selected various recipients of donations broadly based around the monthly themes of Rotary.  As the month of May is Youth Service, we have selected Boroondara Chances Scholarships as our recipient of this month’s donations (100% of donations will reach the recipient) 

In Boroondara there are approximately 7,000 people living below the poverty line. It is essential that their children be given every opportunity to maximize their potential and escape the poverty cycle.

Education provides a clear path to personal success, however these students encounter significant “headwinds “ in Boroondara.

Boroondara is an affluent suburb. If you are an financially challenged child attending school in Boroondara, the social divide between affluent and underprivileged is clearly visible. It is easy for children from underprivileged homes to perceive themselves as “ second class” and this attitude leads to under-achievement and a descending spiral of disengagement from the education system.

CHANCES Scholarship Program

The CHANCES Scholarship program aims to:

• Identify talented and motivated students who need our support
• Provide them with financial support to facilitate their studies and school experience
• Provide them with a sense of achievement, which elevates their self-esteem and inspires them to maximise their skills. (CHANCES is a “Hand Up , not a Hand out)

The CHANCES Program reached its 10th anniversary in 2017 and has an outstanding success record at keeping children in school through secondary and tertiary education.  We have awarded over 1100 scholarships, and 99% of our recipients have completed a degree or vocational qualification.

Today we provide more than 100 scholarships to students. ( and we could assist many more if funds weren’t limited).

http://boroondaracares.org.au/program/help-for-education/

The meeting process will change a little. You will receive an invitation to attend the weekly meeting (which is currently being held via Zoom) with a link to Trybooking where you can book your free ticket(s) to attend the meeting and should you wish to make a small donation you will have the option to do so at this time via credit/debit card on Trybooking. 

Then, on the Tuesday morning of each meeting you will be emailed the link to login to the Zoom meeting.

Remembering that it is a $37.00 outlay for lunch normally, and as we have had no formal Club meetings for the past 6 weeks that’s a saving of some $222.00 as well as a potential savings of at least $36 by not buying a glass of wine, for those who do.

Club changeover will also produce a savings of at least $150 (if you were to include a partner) and another $13 savings on 2 glasses of wine. This is a savings of at least $400 plus so far and this is not allowing for all of the coins you would have usually donated at Sergeant’s sessions, Miss Piggy and raffles.

So to make a small contribution we don’t think will be a problem for our members. It also recognises the work Jill Weeks (Program Manager) & Katrina Flinn (Zoom host) do to bring the meetings to you all.

If you have any questions, please contact Katrina our Treasurer katrinaflinn@gmail.com