Club Blog
FIVE POINTS RINO ROTARY CLUB DECEMBER SERVICE PROJECT
December is the month of gift-giving. Gifts are a way to show thanks, gratitude, and friendship amongst friends and family. Christmas is an important holiday that billions of people around the world celebrate.
For the past Christmas season, the Five Points RiNo Rotary club has participated in the yearly gift-giving program at the Heart and Hand Center. Each member signed up to be a secret Santa gift giver and purchased a gift for a member of the Heart and Hand Center.
The Heart and Hand Center is a center for the youth and their families. The Denver center provides academic enrichment, health and wellness, family engagement, creative expression, and social-emotional skills. They focus on empowering the whole child and understanding the unique beauty and talent of each young person and their family.
On December 22nd, The Five Points RiNo Rotary club gathered at the Posner Center for International Development for a holiday get-together and service project. Each club member brought a gift for their Secret Santa giftee and wrapped it, together. Along with wrapping, there was festive music, holiday beverages, a plethora of food, and jolly good chatter. It was an exciting time!
After the gifts were wrapped, there was a final count and we counted over fifteen gifts for the members of Heart and Hand. It was a great feeling to gift people a present for the holiday, I recommend you do it next year too!
Being a member of Rotary is incredible and extremely rewarding. Networking, volunteering, and meeting new people is what Rotary is all about. But that's not all! Another perk when you join Rotary are the free monthly magazines which are chock full of great things, detailing what other Rotary clubs are doing across the world, club president insights, and upcoming plans Rotary has with its members. It is a great read and something I look forward to every month.
One of the articles in the magazine that I thought was cool and wanted to highlight this month is this: “Seven Reasons Why You Can't Miss The 2022 Rotary International Convention.” Every year Rotary International holds a conference in a selected country. The convention has been held all around the world, Honolulu, Hawaii; Sydney, Australia; Atlanta, Georgia; and next year it will be held in Houston, Texas.
The experience is incredible, according to my fellow Rotarianas who attended past conferences. When Ryan, a long-time member of Five Points RiNo Rotary Club, attended the conference three years ago, he met the President of New Guinea. As he recalls, it was a memorable experience, and a story he will always tell.
You meet Rotarians from all across the world, discover what other clubs are doing and attend insightful talks held by other Rotarians. It is an event one does not want to miss!
Here are seven reasons why attending the 2022 Rotary Conference is a must:
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You can attend in person. One thing that 2020 has reminded us is that we are social beings and we feel most happy when we are socializing and meeting new people. “There's nothing like shaking hands and seeing smiles in person,” says John Smarge, chair of the 2022 Rotary International Convention.
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You can take part even if you can't travel there. The Houston convention will be conducted in person and with an online experience. So everyone who can't make it can still participate, on a video chat platform, across the world.
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You might meet an astronaut. Rotary has partnered with the Space Center of Houston to allow Rotarians to tour the facility. “We [Rotary] planned an event for you. We will have transportation to and from the Space Center, food, and astronaut meet-and-greets.” I will most definitely, will be attending, and you should too!
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You might meet the love of your life. You meet new people everyday and one of them may be your future partner!
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You will hear world renown speakers. Over the years Rotary has invited some high level figures to speak at the conferences. Bill Gates, John Cena, Justin Trudeau all have spoken at conferences. At the moment the list of speakers has not been announced for Houston, but you can expect a variety of individuals and experts on environmental issues. We have a lot to look forward to. Electric vehicles may be a topic on the forum. (Wink, wink Tesla or Rivian)?
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You will experience a new city. Houston is diverse. Politically, socially and environmentally. It's the center of American space travel. There are more than 100 languages spoken in the city alone. Additionally, there are many historical sites, museums, restaurants and nightlife events. Mentioning Texas, one cannot forget to mention food. The city’s trademark offerings include Gulf Coast oysters, crawfish drenched in spices, Tex-mex and barbecue. It's delicious and something you should definitely try!
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You’ll be struck by Rotary’s power to connect you to the world. According to Ryan, there's nothing like walking through the house of friendship surrounded by hundreds of thousands of Rotary members from all around the world. It is overwhelming and exciting at the same time.
The Rotary International Conventions have an indescribable electric atmosphere, something that is rarely mimicked by any other international service organization. That's the reason why I will be attending in 2022, will you be attending?
Last year was a difficult time for many. It was filled with isolation and loneliness. As the pandemic winds down and the world regains its foothold, people are looking to re-establish connections. One thing that 2020 has reminded us is that we are social beings and we feel most happy when we are helping others and socializing.
What better way to help others and socialize than joining a service club like Rotary International? Becoming a member of Five Points RiNo Rotary Club allows you to be at the forefront of current issues that your community is facing. When you join a Rotary Club, you will be working alongside like-minded individuals who share similar values and hobbies and possess a concern for your community. You will be lending your time and talents to help others.
Here are three reasons why getting involved in your community through a Rotary Club is important:
Community involvement strengthens our communities. People are invested in their community and want to see it flourish. Civic organizations, such as Rotary, can sometimes facilitate the rapid fellowship of community members and help direct group activities for maximum effect. With a Rotary backed mindset and values, like the four way test, gives the members an even stronger reason to do good and participate in the community.
Community involvement raises social awareness. Community involvement promotes advocacy that not only works to raise awareness, but so passionate, locally-informed voices can be heard inside and outside of the community. When a group of like-minded individuals come together to support a cause, it shakes up the community, for the good.
Take for example: Denver has been struggling with homelessness for years. Many policies have come and gone. But not until recently, did non-for-profits and many local community groups, like Five Points RiNo Rotary Club, help improve the situation. With donations and support from our club, and many others, the Colorado Village Collaborative has established numerous “safe outdoor spaces” to temporarily house the homeless across Denver. It was a breakthrough innovation that was supported by many. This would have not been possible without the help and support of local community members who advocated, raised awareness and informed others within their communities.
Community service makes you feel good. Any kind of involvement or service in the community can lead to long-lasting friendships. Working together in any capacity in person is more productive and more fulfilling than zoom calling.Once you start donating your time to others, a small “fire” is lit inside and the more you do it, the larger it gets. It satisfies the unknown desire inside of each person.
WRITTEN BY: NOAH BUSTAMANTE | SECRETARY OF FIVE POINTS RINO CLUB
Around the world, Rotarians provide support to many causes such as ending polio, promoting peace, and fighting diseases. Ensuring people have access to clean water and sanitation to maintain proper hygiene is another important cause that Rotarians support.
In 2020, Five Points RiNo Rotary Club created the Manual Highschool Toiletry Drive to support students that could not afford hygiene products.
It was our way to give back to the community during the pandemic. We wanted to mobilize our community members and give them the opportunity to be an influential part of the fight. The Five Points Rotary Club is invested in our young leaders and wants to support them in any way possible.
It was a giant success and the support shown by the Denver community was incredible!
Dozens of boxes of supplies were collected for Manual Highschool students such as toothbrushes and toothpaste, feminine hygiene products, soap, deodorant, and shampoo.
Five Points RiNo would like to thank its co-supporters: the Denver Mile High Rotary Club and our surrounding neighborhood groups from Five Points, Curtis Park and Whittier.
The Manual Highschool Toiletry Drive has proven to be a consistent success, helping both families and students by taking care of the “little things,” and allowing both to focus on what matters -- education.
If you’d like to get involved in next year’s Drive -- or if you’d like to participate in an upcoming community outreach event -- follow us @RotaryClubofFivePointsRiNo.
WRITTEN BY: NOAH BUSTAMANTE | SECRETARY &
MILENA GARCIA | PROGRAM CHAIR
Bring a friend to happy hour or to a service initiative
A great way to introduce prospective Rotarians to other Rotarians is to socialize and meet at Happy Hour! Five Points RiNo has a happy hour once a month at many of the breweries located in the Five Points RiNo district of Denver. In June, the club met up at Spangalang Brewery in Five Points, a casual and fun atmosphere to eat, drink and socialize.
Service projects are great ways to engage potential members, too. Once a month, our club gets together to donate some of our time to the non-for-profits and charities in the Five Points District. We also help sponsor events, and organize them, too -- like the Cherry Creek Trail Clean-Up, the Pollinator Project and Project Worthmore.
By bringing a friend to a happy hour or service project, it allows them to see what our club in particular is really about -- and who the members are. It's an incredible experience, and one that I highly recommend.
Actively talk about Rotary
Have you ever gotten into a conversation and it wasn't interesting? Was the topic boring? Or have you run out of ideas to talk about with your friends? Talk about Rotary! It is a great conversation starter and the majority of people will have never heard of it.
As a recent graduate, I am constantly being asked, “How's post-graduate life going?” Or “What are you up to now, since you graduated college?” The first thing I tell them is, I'm involved in Rotary, it's a service club for business professionals. Nearly all of them have never heard of it and it gives me an opportunity to explain who we are, what we do and how they can get involved.
Involve young adults
Rotaract is a club for young adults, 18 years and older, to start their membership in Rotary early. This club focuses on self-development and smaller initiatives that are geared for this younger audience. They are students who are extremely motivated to spur change in their community.
If you have a young adult, nephew and or cousin in highschool or around the age of 18, convince them to join or start a Rotaract club in their school or district. Have them get in contact with the district Rotary club and work from there.
Interacting, supporting and funding Rotaract clubs are crucial for the future of Rotary. They are, in part, the soon-to-be, future club leaders and district governors of Rotary.
Create a strong online presence
Having a strong online presence is crucial for clubs and organizations! Keeping the public up-to-date about club activities is great to grow public awareness and engagement.
One way to strengthen our online presence and grow awareness is by publishing one article a month on our club page. It would be a great way to boost club engagement and update our online image for prospective members looking on the site.
Publishing articles about club activities, important issues that Five Point members support and other miscellaneous topics associated with Rotary will show how involved Rotary is in communities around the world.