Old Mission Rotary meets Tuesdays at noon in the community room at the Copley-Price Family YMCA, 4300 El Cajon Boulevard in San Diego. Parking is free.
·February 3 – Club Social at The Air Condition Lounge 5pm – 7pm
San Diego Chamber breakfast mixer – we are working with the Chamber to host a breakfast mixer in early May. Stay tuned for details.Once the date is set, we will need 2 – 3 people to help plan. It will be simple.
Project w/ Sharia’s Closet– Sharia’s Closet has reached out to see if we would like to do a group project and help them pack Bags of Hope. I have spoken with their representative, and we have a couple of options. The service option I feel is best for our club will be onsite at Sharia’s Closet helping them put outfits together for clients who have requested help from their organization and packing the clothes into bags. If we participate on a Sunday morning, we can be there when the store is closed and be indoors having a great time helping out.
Please let me know if you are interested in this opportunity. We need approximately 7 – 10 people. Family members are welcome – susanjosephson@oldmissionrotary.org .
Epic Day of Service – The official day is May 3 however we are welcome to have our day of service anytime in the month of May. Project Ideas are welcome. We can do our own project or partner with another club or join District activities.
There will be no afternoon club meeting at the YMCA on February 3. Instead, we will have a club social at The Air Conditioned Lounge from 5pm – 7pm.
Member Gary John has graciously opened his club to Old Mission Rotary so we can have a little casual social time together. The club will be closed to the public so we will have the run of the place : ) Old Mission Rotary will provide some snacks. If you would like to drink, they will be available for purchase.
In addition to being a CLUB SOCIAL, this is a great MEMBER RECRUITMENT opportunity. Please invite family, friends and POTENTIAL MEMBERS to come socialize with us.
Members from UCSD Rotaract will be our club meeting on January 20 to give a 5-minute presentation on WAPI. I hope to see some of our club members participate. There is a flyer attached with a QR code to register.
WAPI stands for Water Pasteurization Indicator. A WAPI is small plastic tube with a bit of wax inside. When water reaches pasteurization temperature, which is about 149°F, the wax melts and falls to the bottom. Pasteurization kills harmful bacteria, so once the wax melts, the water is safe to drink without needing to boil it. WAPIs help families in resource-limited areas access clean water more efficiently while also saving fuel and time.
During the event, volunteers assemble and test WAPIs that are later sent to communities around the world. Last year, nearly 900 WAPIs were made and shipped to Kenya and Chad with the help of Roger Haines. This year, the goal is to make and test 1,000 WAPIs. No experience is required, and all materials and instructions are provided. The project is funded through a district grant and through UCSD Rotaract’s fundraising. It supports Rotary’s focus on clean water and sanitation and gives volunteers a direct way to contribute to global health and sustainability.
The WAPI Project is also a great chance to meet people from across our broader community. More than 50 Rotary clubs are invited, along with all seven Rotaract clubs in the district and many Interact clubs. Students, professionals, and volunteers work together for a meaningful, hands-on service experience. Lunch will be provided.
If you are interested in participating, please use the QR code on the attached flyer to sign up.
Get ready to show off your knowledge of all things San Diego at our 2nd annual trivia night fundraiser - it's going to be a blast!
Mission Valley Evening Rotary invites you to join us at Novo Brazil Brewing Mission Valley for a night of fun and friendly competition. Test your knowledge of all things San Diego while supporting a great cause. Gather your friends, form a team, and get ready to answer questions about our sunny city. Prizes await the top trivia masters, so bring your A-game! Let's come together for a memorable evening filled with laughter, good drinks, and a dash of friendly rivalry.
You can sign up either as an individual or as a team of up to 4 members. Each round will include one San Diego focused question in addition to general knowledge questions. Delicious food and drinks will be available for purchase from Novo Brazil Brewing. Please arrive at 3:30pm so we can start promptly at 4:00pm. Attendees are encouraged to dress in San Diego themed attire so wear your favorite Padres jersey, rep your Aztec gear, wear your favorite beach look, or get creative!
With the help of Old Mission Rotary and a matching grant from Rotary District 5340, we’ll be able to pack over 10,000 meals for San Diegans experiencing food insecurity if we reach our goal of $1,500. Any additional funds raised our goal will go to the Mission Valley Evening Rotary Foundation (MVE Rotary Foundation). The MVE Rotary Foundation is the grant giving arm of Mission Valley Evening Rotary which provides funds to local and international organizations.
Mission Valley Evening Rotary is a group of professionals and community members serving San Diego, CA. Our club hosts service projects and social activities, along with our monthly meetings.
San Diego Rescue Mission Awarded with Art Pratt Foundation Grant
The San Diego Rescue Mission has been providing meals, shelter, clothing, education and job-skills training for men, women and single parents with children experiencing homelessness since 1955.
Each night, there are over 10,000 men, women, and children without a place to call home in San Diego. At the San Diego Rescue Mission, their goal is to get people off the streets permanently. They can’t do this without the support of the community. Volunteers, corporations, churches, and private donors make it possible to transform the lives of those who are experiencing homelessness.
Their programs are designed not only to meet the immediate, tangible necessities of those who come to them in need but also to address the underlying issues of the heart. This is how lives are transformed, impacting San Diego one life at a time.
The Art Pratt Foundation has supported the San Diego Rescue Mission with $54,000 in grants since 2010. Funds have helped purchase a van, bedding and computers.
Many of us are familiar with the main facility downtown in a former hospital building at First and Elm where meals are served to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. These events are always in the local news and offer about 900 people a hot meal in a dignified setting as well as other services.
This is also the home of a cornerstone program the Mission Academy. Mission Academy is a holistic approach to recovery, focusing on the needs of the mind, body, and soul. Students of Mission Academy confront and overcome the problems that led to homelessness in the first place. This 12-month residential Christian program for men, women and single parents helps get people back on their feet, kids back in school and brings hope back into the lives of men, women and children in our city. The program has an 85% success rate.
The South County Lighthouse is a 30-day, referral-only shelter for men, women and families experiencing homelessness. Guests are offered the immediate resources they need to stabilize and recover from life on the streets. This new facility is a permanent, 162-bed shelter in National City.
At our meeting on Tuesday, January 13th, Cara Mears accepted a $9875 grant from the Art Pratt Foundation. The funds will be used for security cameras to protect their new 30,000 square foot warehouse as well as bins to help organize food donations. Cara is the Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations and when our scheduled speaker dropped out, she delivered a wonderful “off the cuff” program that totally engaged our members.
Cara also announced that there are many volunteer opportunities at the San Diego Rescue Mission both for individuals and groups like our Rotary Club.
Photo: (L-R) Old Mission Rotary President Susan Josephson, Art Pratt members Bob Chalfa, Stan Vogelsang, Aryanna Edwards, Eric Benink, Lee Kaminetz, and Cesar Cervantes. Cara Mearsis the Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations of the San Diego Rescue Mission.
Paula Kelly was our club host at our meeting on Tuesday, January 13th.
She shared a wonderful quote by Margaret Meade: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has"
Paula also thanked the club and the Old Mission Rotary Foundation for contributions to International Relief TeamsFeeding San Diego's Kids program, providing weekend food packs to hungry children in San Diego County through eight local elementary schools. The program fills the gap when school meals aren't available with nutritious, kid-friendly foods packed by volunteers to combat childhood hunger. These backpack programs provide shelf-stable items, often supplemented by family-sized staples and hygiene kits, ensuring kids have nourishment for the weekend, supporting families, and fostering learning readiness.
Paula and Paul are looking forward to a trip they have scheduled to Bangkok and Hong Kong. In Hong Kong they will be celebrating the Year of the Horse Chinese New Year!
Chris Chase of the Mission Valley Evening Club Visits Old Mission Rotary
Add text hereChris Chase is the International Service Chair of the Mission Valley Evening club and she first met members of our club at a joint club Sunday afternoon concert at Civita Park in Mission Valley in the fall. President Susan invited her to introduce herself at our January 6th club meeting.
The Mission Valley Evening club meets once a month and is very active in local service projects including participating in a recent shopping day for foster youth. For international service they assist the Tepehue Community Center in Chapala Mexico with clean water and maternal health efforts.
Chris retired from the non profit world ten years ago and describes herself as a volunteer extraordinaire!
In addition to Rotary, she is active in the Mission Hills Garden Club where their biggest annual event is the Garden Walk, held on the Saturday of Mother’s Day weekend. Funds raised go to a variety of community projects as well as to Horticultural scholarships at San Diego community colleges.
Chris is also in the process of becoming a mentor for a previously homeless person who is just now in stable housing. She has also applied to KPBS for a project where you engage with others who hold different core beliefs and then document your experiences.
We are delighted that Chris visited our club and look forward to future cooperation between the Mission Valley Evening and Old Mission Rotary Clubs.
Our 2025–2026 theme is “All Hands-on-Deck – Rebuild, Restore & Innovate.” This year, we are focused on growth — not just in membership, but in ideas, community partnerships, and the depth of our impact. I bring tremendous energy and commitment to this role and am dedicated to serving both our members and our community with enthusiasm and heart.
To those who are curious about Rotary or considering joining — we invite you to come aboard! Whether you’re looking to make new connections, give back, develop your leadership, or be part of something bigger than yourself, there is a place for you here.
Together, we will build on the strong foundation of those who came before us: restoring what is timeless in Rotary, rebuilding where there is need, and embracing innovation to ensure a vibrant future. I invite every member (past, present, and future) to get involved, bring your talents forward, and join me in making this a year of action and meaningful change.
Here’s to rolling up our sleeves and making a difference — together!
Join us at the Copley-Price Family YMCA in City Heights – Kensington at 4300 El Cajon Blvd. We meet on Tuesdays at Noon for lunch, fellowship and guest speakers that make a positive difference in and around our community. All are welcome to attend.
Copley-Price Family YMCA is "Located at the Corner of Fairmont and El Cajon".
This history of the past 75 years of our Club is dedicated to all of our past presidents. Take a moment to click on the image and read our history.
Remember the Bwana of Old Mission, Mike Rogers is our longest tenured member. He joined our club in 1962. That is remarkable.
Read his section on our past presidents in the beginning of the history. Dave Blum who kept the Tom Baumann Old Mission Rotary History Book is included. Win Bishop's photo albums are included. Many parts of Matt Risi's past newsletters are included.
In the "About our Club" section of our website are all the individual sections of the History. You can download and save them for yourselves.
