Service Projects Committee Update October 14, 2014

Posted by Graham Reinke

on Oct 13, 2014

Salvation Army After-School Program – The program is now underway for the current school year. Barbara Hunsicker, Julie Brandle, and Julie’s daughter Kimberly assist the elementary school students with their homework assignments and reading skills, every Monday afternoon.

Dictionary Project – We will distribute a dictionary to every grade three student in the Akron public school system again this year. This is the fourth year for such a project. Samantha Coldwell and Karen Meek will manage the project and will receive assistance from University of Akron organizations. Initial steps are underway to seek funding and reestablish contact with the various organizations and individuals who were involved previously. Sarah Buccigross has been very helpful with these beginning steps. Dictionary distribution is expected to take place during the early part of 2015. As plans progress the project team will be seeking volunteers ,from Rotary and Akron U., to assist with actual distribution of the dictionaries.

Read to Me Day on November 6 – Volunteers from Rotary Club of Akron will read to students at Crouse and Glover Elementary Schools. Our commitment is to handle 18 half-hour reading assignments. Sarah Buccigross is leading the project and has set it up on the Rotary web site so that volunteers can register to read at the time and place they choose. Readers will need to select an age-appropriate book which they will read aloud to the children. The book can be obtained through the public library or it may be purchased and donated, so the class can finish reading it later. Volunteers can look forward to a very rewarding experience!

Sandy Hook Promise – As a follow-up to the recent roundtable discussion, we will endeavor to organize a return visit for this group from Newtown Connecticut (where the shooting tragedy took place). The objective will be to have a similar discussion with local leaders in front of a larger audience such as Akron roundtable, and identify specific steps which could be taken to protect children from gun violence.

Youth Exchange and Interact Clubs – Susan Colville-Hall reported that detailed plans are underway to strengthen the program for incoming exchange students. Emphasis is on finding suitable host families and

providing the incoming student(s) with a schedule that is pleasurable and culturally beneficial. Another objective is to again sponsor outgoing students who go to live abroad for approximately one year. Interact Clubs in local

area high schools are to be an important part of the program, so Akron Rotary will encourage and assist specific schools in organizing the formation of an Interact .

Visit by Nigerian Author – This project is to benefit some of the most impoverished students in the Akron Public Schools. Plans are underway to bring award-winning Nigerian author and storyteller, Atinuke, to Akron next spring to present at some of the schools that are in the greatest need for intervention and enrichment opportunities. Atinuke has written eight books and is passionate about educating children through her whimsical books. The plan is for her to spend a day meeting and speaking to children in each of five Akron schools. Child in grades three through five in each of those schools will be presented with one of her books. Various organizations and companies are helping to fund all or part of the $1000 cost for a school. Rotary will try to fund support for one of the five schools.

Salvation Army Red Kettle Drive – Mark Seward will manage this project for Rotary again this year and he will be looking for volunteers to spread the cheer and ring the bell when we take our turn in December.

We welcome Akron U. Rotaract involvement and will ensure that they have access to our website so that their members can be signed up to participate in specific projects. The same is true for the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity whose members have been a great help with activities in the past. Both organizations have expressed an eagerness to be involved and will be invited to have representation at future committee meetings.