Community Service

Community Service covers the projects and activities the club undertakes to improve life in its community.

Current Activity

The Rotary Club of Emerald and District is very much aware that many in the local community have been hit hard by COVID  and the storm of 9 June 2021 The club members are looking at ways to facilitate helping those in need in our locality this year.
 
  • Ensure strong local connections are increased and maintained to gain an understanding of local needs
  • Other ideas on being considered and news will be posted when consolidated
 
UPDATE 2022
 
  • Easter baskets made by Emerald Primary School Prep students and chocolates presented to Emerald Glades residents
  • $2000 donation to Lismore (NSW) flood victims via Rotary Club of Lismore – major challenges in the area with so many home not habitable
  • Emerald Rotary Market conducted in March and April, raising $1600, looking forward to the May Market
  • $1000 donated to Emerald Junior Football Club and St. Joseph’s Church each for purchase of a defibrillator machine for each community group
 
Easter Bunny Delivers at the Glades
 
Emerald Primary School children have been busy making Easter baskets for the residents of The Glades.  This is a wonderful opportunity for the children to be aware of the community around them and, of course, the residents are delighted that the young members of the school have taken so much trouble to brighten up their Easter.
 
 
Emerald Community Joins Forces for Good
 
When a local service club, a local business, a local community house and local residents join forces, wonderful things happen!
 
Thanks to the generosity of the people of Emerald and surrounds, a financial contribution from Woolworths in Emerald, and the efforts of the Rotary Club of Emerald and District and Emerald Community House, local residents doing it tough will benefit from the distribution of more than 200 donated food items.
 
President of the Rotary Club of Emerald and District Shalini Penny said people of the Hills’ community are renowned for working together for the benefit of all.
 
“Our community has banded together after fires and storms, and throughout the pandemic. That same unwavering community spirit has come to the fore again with our Rotary club partnering with Emerald Woolworths and Emerald Community House to distribute food donated by members of the community to those in need,” Shalini said.
 
“Many of the food items were donated by shoppers who placed them into a dedicated ‘Rotary trolley’ set up at the front of the store in the first week of November. Additional food items were also selected by our Rotary Club with a $250 donation from Woolies.
 
“We thank the people of the Emerald and surrounds for contributing to the initiative, and to Woolies for their support.”
 
The food items will now be distributed to people in the community via the Emerald Community House.
 
 
Rotary Club of Emerald and District President Shalini Penny and Emerald Woolworths Manager Mark Doffetter load up the food items.
 
 
Rotary Club of Emerald and District President Shalini Penny delivers the food to Emerald Community House Co-Manager Donna Asling ready for distribution to the community.
 

2020-2021 Highlights

Supporting the local community is an absolute focus of the Rotary Club of Emerald and District and this year impact was made in 3 key areas:
 
  1. Volunteering
  2. Supporting local community groups
  3. Supporting community events

The club contributed $15,000 to the community in 2020-21 despite restricted fundraising activity due to COVID.  We adapted the formula used to assist during the Ash Wednesday Fires and reached out to partner with ECHO, St Luke's Church in Cockatoo and the Emerald Community House to ensure our voucher scheme was a success.

Whilst the privacy of recipient families is maintained, we did receive many grateful notes from those who had benefited during a very difficult time.

The committee also produced a single page document 'How to keep safe in COVID' which was distributed with the vouchers.

The aged in our community were extremely vulnerable and we developed a non-contact to contribute to their celebrations at Easter and Christmas with personalised cards written by Club members.

At the end of the year we forged a partnership with 'Help the Hills - Dandenong Ranges Task Force' that saw volunteers come from surrounding suburbs and Melbourne to assist families in the clear up after the storms.  Again, the many we helped were extremely grateful for the help and support they recieved. 

We continue to work with the District fundraising appeal to ensure those in need gain much needed support.

Food Voucher Program
We continue to work hard to raise funds to support the voucher program to assist families in need in the local community.
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PP PHF Emma Clark
Chair 2021-22
PP PHF Emma Clark
Chair 2020-2021