Local Projects
Rotary’s mission is “Service above Self” and Southtowne Eugene Rotary members live out that mission locally. Below is a list of the many projects we are involved in.
With those 11 Community Partners, Southtowne Rotary has developed 14 programs to assist and serve their clients.
The 14 projects can be divided into three categories:
LOCAL YOUTH SUPPORT
LOCAL COMMUNITY SERVICE
These programs maximize the use of Southtowne funds by avoiding duplicating efforts of other community services offered. Southtowne Rotary developed areas of service where we believe there exist important needs, using existing community partners with whom we help serve people in need and bridge the gaps existing in community services offered by other organizations.
Local Youth Support
- 15th Night – RAN: We respond to various requests of the Rapid Access Network (RAN) that serves area youth who lack secure housing, by providing food, clothing, hygiene products, backpacks, camping equipment and food cards for homeless students. We work with the 15th Night staff and other community partners to assist homeless students in acquiring necessary legal documents (e.g., birth certificate, Social Security number, Oregon ID).
- 4J McKinney-Vento: We provide much-needed school supplies for homeless students.
- Hosea Drop-In Center: The center is open every weekday. We provide one dinner and two lunches each month. We also provide clothing, camping items, hygiene products, and equipment as our budget allows.
- SVDP’s Youth House: Providing food every week to the residents of this facility for homeless females ages 16-18. We are in the process of figuring out what we might have the capacity to do to support them.
- Eugene Mission: Serving dinner to Mission residents one night per month. We also assist the Eugene Mission with other volunteer needs they might have during the year.
- Rotary Youth Leadership Training Program (RYLA): Providing high-school students with important life tools, with an emphasis on leadership, citizenship and personal growth.
- Looking Glass/New Roads: We provide clothing, shoes, hygiene supplies and other items for homeless youth.
Local Community Service
1. Pilas Program/Downtown Languages: Plaza de Nuestra Comunidad (Downtown Languages) hosts events providing bilingual books and family fun, supported by Southtowne Eugene Rotary with supplies and incentives. Rotarians engage English-learning families through activities, food boxes, and craft booths at cultural celebrations.at Dia de la Muerta, Posada party with Santa, Spring Planting & Graduations. Partnership provides family activities with foodbox -prize incentives and gifts provided. These efforts reflect the club’s commitment to community engagement and literacy support.
2. Southtowne Opportunity Scholarships: Southtowne Eugene Rotary offers scholarships to adults returning to school for degree or trade certificate programs, supporting career advancement for those in need. Mentorship is provided to assist candidates in achieving their educational objectives effectively. These students are recommended by our community partners such as Head Start, Plaza de Nuestra Comunidad, Bethel School District.
3. Southtowne Scholarships: We manage an annual budget exceeding $50,000 to offer various scholarships, including traditional awards starting at $2,000 for graduating high school seniors facing financial adversity, as well as renewal scholarships of up to $2,000 annually for students persisting through their college years. Additionally, specialized opportunities include support for GED completion and a $20,000 grant-funded scholarship spread over four years for four AVID high school graduates, alongside a $2,000 scholarship for students who have experienced homelessness during high school.
4. Head Start Service Team: Providing storytime and craft time monthly with our little friends in Head Start Classrooms, primarily in Bethel & Whitaker areas. Your donations go toward providing every student with a book. During winter break each year, we give over 100 sets of warm sweatsuits to Head Start children as well as meeting other emergency clothing needs. The team provides identified safety equipment such as cabinet and door locks, car seats, and safety gates for Head Start and Early Head Start families.
5. Emergency Services: When Head Start teachers learn of a crisis with one of their families where they cannot identify a non-profit serving that need, they call Southtowne Rotary members for help. Rotary leaps to action, whether it’s providing a working refrigerator, appliances, beds or keeping a family housed. We work with other non-profits and fill short-term gaps for these identified needs.
6. Community Partners Food Box Program: We provide boxes of non-perishable foods for counselors at three Bethel school locations, as well as Downtown Languages, so that the educators can provide food to families in need. Additional food boxes are delivered to families in crisis who for various reasons cannot access food. These families are recommended by community partners. We now deliver over 1000 food boxes each year. With the partnerships of the Mission and Food for Lane County we are able to provide over 60 lbs of food & cleaning supplies per box for under $20. We are now delivering boxes once per month.This program has over 40 volunteers each month.
7. Fairfield Elementary Support: Rotarians provide books and coach 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade children for the Oregon Battle of the Books competition, meeting with children under the librarian’s supervision to prepare them for the school-wide and reigional competition. Our Rotary club coaches the teams weekly preparing for the battles, organizes the End-of-Battles Party Celebration and presents the participants with books.
8. Food for Lane County/Meals on Wheels: Rotarians deliver meals every Friday to community seniors through the Meals on Wheels program. Two Southtowne Rotarians deliver hot meals to senior citizens on the Irving Route.
9. School Supplies: School supply needs are identified by the McKinney Vento programs in 4-J and Bethel each year. Head Start and Fairfield Elementary school also identify needs. Southtowne Rotarians buy and deliver these supplies.
Our Current Community Providers
