Events

As an award-winning entrepreneur, Dr. Nina Craft, PhD. MBA, has had a passion to help organizations make money making a difference. Organizational partners have included, Toyota; Disney; Shell Oil; Wells Fargo; Bank of America; utility companies, the U.S. federal government; schools, universities, Rotary, Kiwanis, religious organizations, sororities and fraternities. As an author, speaker, publisher, trainer and  facilitator along with her degrees in media psychology, business strategy, positive psychology, neuropsychology & certificates in philanthropy, social enterprise management, Ai prompt engineering, grantsmanship & fundraising have guided her to create the perfectly orchestrated collaboration. She calls it the Charity Partnering Quartet Model^™ which connects Cause, Creator, Corporate and Community for meaningful messages to help make money making a difference.

She will be sharing examples of Charity Partnering – the perfectly orchestrated collaboration at our meeting.

Nikki is the Interim Recreation and Human Services Director with the City of Gardena.  She will be joined by Jocelyn Alfarro who runs the city's food pantry and assists our club with Operation Gobble.

Toro Guardian Scholars, also known as TGS, at California State University, Dominguez Hills is a comprehensive program dedicated to supporting current and former foster youth, McKinney-Vento students (previously homeless), and unaccompanied minors. TGS is a unique program that connects eligible students to a wide range of services, resources, and workshops that empower them to build community and a network of support. This holistic approach is meant to enrich students' educational journey, equipping them with the skills needed to become professionals and leaders within their communities. 

David is Rotary District 5280's Camp Pendleton Co-Chair.  His efforts extend to other military locations, as See's, clothing, and other donated items are shared.

Discussion of goals and projects for the 2026-2027 Rotary year.

NAMI South Bay will lead an important conversation about mental health and suicide prevention, including recognizing possible warning signs, knowing how to respond when someone may be struggling, reducing stigma, and connecting individuals and families with support. We will also share information about NAMI South Bay’s free support groups, educational programs, and community resources.

Every day, blood donors help patients of all ages: accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those battling cancer. In fact, every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood.  The Red Cross provides about 40% of our nation’s blood and blood components, all from generous volunteer donors. But supply can’t always meet demand because only about 3% of age-eligible people donate blood yearly. Each new donor helps us meet patient needs.

Rotary Districts 5280 and 4340 are collaborating on a humanitarian trip to bring Rotarians from California and Chile together to achieve various projects.  The humanitarian trip is scheduled from March 29 to April 4, 2027, with two optional post-trips to Patagonia or Easter Island.  Information will be provided on the global grant and direct-funded projects.

Updates on Operation Gobble and Operation Santa fundraising efforts.  Discuss upcoming visit with the District Governor on October 14th.

Ramon is the VP Branch Manager for Columbia Bank in Torrance.  As a new member, Ramon will share information about himself, his family and his career.

As a virtual Rotary Club, D5280 Rotarians Fighting Human Trafficking partners with all agencies working for this cause.  Discussion will center on lessons learned from the recent FIFA World Cup experience in Los Angeles and how we can be better prepared for the 2028 Olympics.