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:
HOMELESS SUPPORT
FAMILY SUPPORT
SENIOR SUPPORT
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.
Homeless Support
- 15th Night – RAN: Provide emergency supplies help keep homeless youth safe and well.
- 4J McKenney-Vento: Provide much-needed school supplies for homeless students.
- 4J ECCO Highschool: Aid young adults apply for and receive their Oregon State Identification Card.
- Hosea Drop-In Center: Cook and provide meals as part of a rotation of volunteer organizations to homeless young adults who find refuge at the Hosea Drop-In Center.
- SVDP’s Youth House: Providing food every week to the residents of this facility for homeless females ages 16-18.
- Sock-it-to-me!: Provide socks to adults experiencing homelessness through our partnership with St. Vincent DePaul.
Family Support
1. Pilas Program: Provide educational materials to children and fiesta fun for the whole family at different events throughout the year hosted by Downtown Languages. Provide supplies and also provide incentives for graduation (such as food, gift cards, books, to families). Pack lunches are donated for their summer program.
2. Southtowne Opportunity Scholarships: Not every adult needs to attend college, but there are many parents that need a leg up to get a certification so they can begin a career that provides for their family. The school district and head start staff recommend adults who are taking classes to complete a certification, do a training program or certification, and when possible a Rotarian with similar career mentors the scholarship winner.
3. Head Start Service Team: Providing storytime and craft time monthly with our little friends at Head Start in the Bethel School District.
4. Emergency Services: When Head Start teachers learn of a crisis going on with one of their student’s family life, they call Southtowne Rotary members for help. Rotary leaps to action, whether it’s providing a working refrigerator or helping a family to be housed rather than living in a car.
5. Community Partners Food Box Program: We provide boxes of non-perishable foods and school supplies to the food cupboards at three Head Start school locations, Downtown Languages, and Fairfield Elementary so that the educators there can provide food to families in need. Emergency food boxes go to families recommended by Community partners during the crisis. We are now just over 3000 boxes delivered since the beginning of the pandemic. 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 about $12. Now we are doing it about once per month.
6. Fairfield Elementary Support: Rotarians coach 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade children for the Oregon Battle of the Books competition, meeting with children under the librarian’s supervision to help them comprehend what they are reading. The Spirit of Giving Program helps students select gifts for their family members.
Our Current Community Providers
