If you cannot see this email, view it here.


		Service

December 2016 | Connect. Partner. Serve.

Rotary’s commitment to creating a healthier world

Rotary members are committed to fighting and preventing diseases. In fact, 15 of 26 Rotarian Action Groups (RAGs), which help Rotary clubs and districts carry out community development and humanitarian projects, are focused on disease prevention and treatment. In observance of Rotary Disease Prevention and Treatment Month in December, we encourage you to collaborate with an action group on a club or district health care project. Here are a few examples of RAGs whose members are committed to applying their expertise to fighting disease:

Rotarians for Family Health and AIDS Prevention helps clubs and districts plan and implement large-scale projects to provide access to health-related education, preventive health care, and treatment. The group’s signature Rotary Family Health Days program is an annual campaign involving hundreds of sites in four countries in Africa, and in India, that provide free health care services to thousands of people in underprivileged communities.
Food Plant Solutions Rotarian Action Group focuses on addressing malnutrition, hunger, and food security through the use of readily available local food plants. This self-sustaining solution can enable people of limited means to feed themselves and their families. Learn more about this group’s work.
Rotarian Action Group for Diabetes assists clubs and districts with projects focused on diabetes education, identification, and treatment, especially among children in developing countries, while raising awareness of the disease throughout the Rotary world. Read more.

Download a list of all RAGs focused on disease prevention and treatment.

	A look inside ShelterBox operations

	Rotaractor inspired by course in disaster relief Luke Addison, a member of the Rotaract Club of the University of Winchester, in Hampshire, England, and Rotaract multidistrict contact for RIBI, attended a three-day Understanding ShelterBox Operations course — a combination of problem-solving activities, treks, team-building games, and critical-thinking exercises. The course covered human psychology and how people react in a disaster, while also looking at ethical and moral dilemmas and the level of strength and compassion needed to operate effectively. Read more about the course and how it inspired Luke to get more involved with ShelterBox.
	Connect with local experts

	Contact your district international service chair If you have technical expertise in the areas of focus and experience with global grants, project planning and implementation, community assessment, measurement and evaluation, securing finances, finding an international partner, and other important project and grant-planning elements, let your district international service chair know. If a district chair hasn’t been appointed, contact your district governor or district Rotary Foundation chair. District international service chairs are helping clubs and districts develop stronger projects and global grants by connecting them with local Rotarian experts early in the planning process. Rotarians and Rotary alumni with expertise in the areas of focus, global grants, and project planning are among the best resources for projects. Is your district leveraging Rotarian expertise effectively to help clubs design and implement high-quality, impactful projects and global grants? Learn more about the district chairs’ responsibilities to build or expand your district resource network and connect you with project and global grant resources. Send questions to rotary.service@rotary.org.

ATTEND PRESIDENTIAL PEACE CONFERENCE IN ATLANTA

Join us 9-10 June for the Presidential Peace Conference at the Georgia World Congress Center. We’ll celebrate our work on the underlying causes of conflict and our successes in making peace a priority, while also looking ahead to opportunities to continue our commitment.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ROTARY FOUNDATION CENTENNIAL

The Rotary Foundation turns 100 in 2016-17! Our Foundation stands at the forefront of humanitarian service, having supported thousands of projects to provide clean water, fight disease, promote peace, and provide basic education — as well as the historic project dedicated to eradicating polio worldwide.

Stories from the Rotary Service blog

Top five posts from 2016

As we head into the new calendar year, we’re taking a look back. Here are the top five posts (based on views) from the Rotary Service blog in 2016:

Rotary offers many programs that allow you to engage with fellow members and make new connections outside your club and district. Learn how to make the most of your Rotary membership.
The Rotary Club of New York hosts monthly breakfast meetings at the United Nations with UN officials and representatives of its member states. Each meeting is broadcast live for Rotary members around the world.
During September, Rotary Literacy Month, we encouraged members to take action to support basic education and literacy projects.
July’s ethical dilemma encouraged a discussion regarding funding and sponsorships.
When disaster strikes, Rotary’s project partner ShelterBox often works closely with Rotarians to evaluate local needs and devise a plan for immediate response. Members of the Rotary family assist response teams with disaster assessments, serve as housing response team volunteers, help coordinate relief logistics, and sponsor aid.

Resources & reference

Rotary Ideas
Rotary Showcase
Rotary's Area of Focus guide
Rotary's Areas of Focus presentations
Communities in Action
Community Assessment Tools

Rotary Service offers resources and news to help you plan effective service projects.

Send questions and story ideas to rotary.service@rotary.org.

TAKE ACTION


	ROTARY.ORG > MY ROTARY

	FOLLOW US