Stories

Ann Jurczyk, Virginia Outreach and Advocacy Manager for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Richmond office, spoke to RRC members on the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint and treated club members to wonderful photos and good news about the work being done to reduce pollution and restore local rivers and the Bay.  The number of female crabs is up, oysters are rebounding, and underwater grass beds have hit record levels in each of the last four years.

The Rappahannock Rotary Club's International Service Committee remains actively involved in several impactful projects, all aimed at improving the quality of lives around the globe.  Click the link to learn about how we are building homes for families in Honduras, providing computers for students in Belize, delivering neo-natal hospital equipment in Jamaica, and more.

The Rotary Foundation, the charitable arm of Rotary – a global network of volunteers committed to improving lives and communities around the world, has been named the 2016 Outstanding Foundation by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). 

In 2006, ten members of the Rappahannock (RRC) and Stafford (SRC) Rotary Clubs departed for El Progreso, Honduras.  With about $5000 in hand donated by our two clubs and the Fredericksburg (FRC) club, we rehabilitated 22 lean-to homes in Siete de Abril, and we financed the building of a two stall bathroom next to the school there.

The purpose of the Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) is to strengthen the Rappahannock Rotary club and strengthen each member's life. Rotary provides an opportunity for all of us to provide service to our community and throughout the world. (Service Above Self) With that service comes a learning experience in the areas of leadership, team building, planning, marketing, communication and organization.

Thanks to the crew in the photo, the dictionaries are all labeled and ready for distribution. We will also be supporting the Book Buddy program at Lafayette Upper Middle School again this year, starting November 10. Mentors will meet on the stage in the cafeterium at 8 am (actual time this year) and have students who need a little extra work read to them. The program runs from Tuesday through Thursday and ends at 8:25. Would you be willing to donate one hour (2 visits) per month to help a third grader become a better reader? As many as 20 Rotarians and spouses supported the program last spring and we hope to have similar support this year. If interested, please contact Mark Steele at mark@thetitleprofessionals.com or 540.310.4804.

What is it like taking a large team to Africa?  It has probably been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. In mid February, I began leading Rotary members from all over the East Coast of the United States through Ghana. I’ve tried to give the team a warm Ghanaian welcome like I’ve received on my earlier trips. A large trip is a real blessing because each person sees Ghana and our work in a different way.

For years, Angalia Bianca had slept in abandoned buildings throughout Chicago. She stole. She did drugs. She spent time in and out of jail for forgery, theft, trespassing, and possession of narcotics. But after she landed in prison for the seventh time, something changed -- Bianca knew she wanted a better life. She just didn’t know how to make it happen.