Community Service

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Community Service

Community Service: Making a Lasting Impact

2024-2025 District Community Service Chair:  Nathan Graves, Rotary Club of Waikiki

At Rotary, we believe in the power of Time, Treasure, and Talent to make a difference in our communities. Community Service, alongside Youth Service, embodies the spirit of Rotary—where members come together to serve with purpose and passion. Here's how we can create meaningful and impactful community service projects:

Keys to Creating Successful Projects

1) Find a Need: Identify a genuine need in your community. Then ask yourself:

  • Is this project worthy of our commitment of time, treasure, and talent?
  • Does it meet the expectations of my fellow Rotarians?
  • Will it help build and strengthen our team?

Engage club members in discussions to ensure everyone is on board and passionate about the project.

2) Project Planning: Careful planning is crucial for success. Consider the following:

  • Resources: Identify human, physical, and financial resources. This can include club members, district members, those being served, and Rotary Community Corps.
  • Planning Tools: Use available resources such as the Rotary Learning Center on project planning for guidance.

3) Quality vs. Quantity: Remember, you will be known by the quality of your work. Focus on delivering high-quality projects that truly make a difference.

4) Document, Document, Document: Thorough documentation helps in many ways:

  • Replicate successful projects elsewhere.
  • Identify lessons learned.
  • Facilitate publicity with detailed records of who, what, when, where, and how much.
  • Capture the project’s impact with photos and videos.

5) Share the Victory: Celebrate your successes! After completing a project, share the results with your club. Discuss the challenges and lessons learned to engage all members, even those who couldn't participate directly. This inclusivity encourages greater participation in future projects.

Highlight: Hawaii H.O.M.E. Project

The Hawaii H.O.M.E. Project is a student-run free clinic from the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), aimed at improving healthcare for Hawaii’s homeless. Staffed by volunteers, this initiative also raises awareness and understanding among students and physicians about the needs of the homeless.

The Dual Benefit of Rotary

As Past RI President Richard King beautifully said, "Rotary always benefits two people. The child who is sick, who is hungry, who is thirsty, who has no clothes, no shelter, no education, no future, no hope…that child is the beneficiary of Rotary’s outreach. But another benefit comes to the Rotarian—the one actually performing the service. That person grows and fulfills the real reason for his or her existence, which is to serve others."

Join us in making a lasting impact in our communities. Your time, treasure, and talent can change lives, including your own.