What We Do
Rotary has five “Avenues of Service” through which Rotarians channel their activities: Community Services, Vocational Services, International Services, Youth Services, and Club Services. The Edmonton Glenora Rotary has a special commitment to efforts that will improve the lives of women and children in need, although we have on occasion supported other causes outside this commitment.
Our Community Services Committee has a strong history of supporting important community initiatives – both large and small, new and established.
Our support has extended throughout the community including:
- YONA Sistema,Terra Centre/Braemar School,YESS, Suit Yourself, Edmonton Food Bank,Wings of Providence, Win House and Bridge Healing.
We have coordinated collections of professional clothing, winter gear, household items and baby supplies and combined those efforts with club fellowship events that celebrate the impact of our club.
We look forward to continuing to meet the needs of our community and are energized by our club’s decision in 2025 to focus on Bridge Healing for the years to come!
In the area of Vocational Services, we sponsor bursaries at NAIT, Norquest, and MacEwan University, primarily directed at women who are pursuing post-secondary studies under what are often challenging conditions. We have the pleasure of meeting these candidates and seeing their commitment to their personal and professional goals. We support WISEST, an organization that enables high school students to serve as summer research assistants for University of Alberta professors in science, engineering, and technology areas. Each year, our club also gives bursaries to a University of Alberta student in the areas of Art and Design. We also participate in the Integrity Award program for the District recognizing non-Rotarians in the community who demonstrate Rotary values.
Our International Service activities are diverse and are often undertaken with other clubs. We have built playgrounds in the poorest communities of Belize, organizing and supplying not only the materials, but assist with the manual labor as well. Club members join local citizens and Rotarians in Belize to contribute the sweat equity in creating safe places for children’s play. We have also partnered with other Rotary Clubs to support Edzimkulu, A Society for Children of AIDS in the village of Ndawana, South Africa. Much had been accomplished with this village, and despite a shattering set back in 2009, efforts are continuing to rebuild all that has been accomplished there. Starting in 2016, we spearheaded an "Adopt a Village" project in Honduras, bringing sustainable water and other services to that community. See more under our projects list.
For Youth Services, we have sponsored a Rotary Interact Club with Amiskwacy Academy. Interact Clubs empower young people through activities that serve their community and that increase their understanding of global issues and challenges. Some of the Amiskwaciy students joined a 2014 playground-building trip to Belize, forever changing them and their perspectives on the world outside of Alberta. We have also created a bursary for an Amiskwacy student pursuing post-secondary education.
Finally, our Club Services committee provides social and organizational support for our club, including activities for members and fellow Rotarians that promote personal and professional relationships....and just plain fun.