Avenues of Service - Community Service

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		Rohnert Park-Cotati 2009-2010 Community Service Director	Robert Stewart
		Co-Director	Mike Mondeau

Community Service pertains to those activities that Rotarians undertake to improve the quality of life in their community.  It frequently involves assistance to youth, the aged, the disabled, and others who look to Rotary as a source of hope for a better life.

Link to Community Funding Information - CLICK HERE

Most recent events include (as reported by Robert Stewart, Community Services Chairman):

Cotati Community Computer Lab - March 2008

Rotary volunteers spent a Saturday, March 8th, unboxing, assembling, installing, wiring, and painting a new computer lab for the citizens of Cotati.  The City of Cotati, through its Recreation Department, has agreed to house and operate this Rotary funded computer lab for a minimum of six years for the benefit of the citizens of Cotati. Microsoft Office and the most recent version of Adobe Photoshop were provided. The City Recreation Department will be offering classes to the public beginning this spring. During the preceding months, six Dell computers, a printer and a projector were purchased for Rotary Learning Computer Lab in anticipation for this endeavor. The funds for this endeavor were raised over several years by the members of the Rohnert Park-Cotati Rotary Club. The Rotary Learning Computer lab has been the vision of our Community Services Chairman Robert Stewart.

Lab Volunteers Photo Gallery, Click Here

Christmas 2007

Link to 2007 Toy Program Photo Gallery - Click Here

This was a very trying year for receiving donations, no doubt because of the economy. I would estimate that we only received a 10^th of the normal gifts. The good news is that we had gifts left over from last year, which in essence bailed us out. Our normal partnership with the Realtors group, the Cotati Police Department and the employees from the City of Cotati were maintained this year. We also enjoyed the participation of the Rotary Club of Rancho Cotati and members of the Interact Clubs with gift wrapping and the toy delivery.    Rotarian Ron Henderson and his coworkers at Santa Rosa Mortuary Eggen & Lance Chapel provided gifts to one COTS home as they did last year. Harold’s Landscaping of Cotati again made a generous donation for $600, an unidentified person dropped of $200 in gift certificates and a $20 donation was received from a member of the Cotati Police Department. It was only because of these cash and gift certificate donations that we were able to provide gifts to children over the age of 11.

This year, Santa Tim Mattis and Santa Tom Patterson brought a lot of smiles to many children as they made their stops in a police car and fire engine. I am also happy to report that next year the Rancho Adobe Fire District’s toy program will be merged with ours. This will provide a wider range of community support while serving the same community, ultimately reducing our work load.    

The 2007 program provided the following:

• Holiday gifts were distributed to 13 adults and 16 children residing in the COTS  

   transitional living facilities.

• Gifts were distributed to 83 children in 29 families.

• Gifts were donated to Catholic Charities

• A local church received gifts

• Gifts were provided to children who saw Santa making deliveries.

Thanksgiving 2007

The Club each year sponsors 5 COTS (Committee on the Shelterless) homes located in the City of Rohnert Park. These transitional living quarters house multiple families in each home. Thanks to the generosity of Rotarian Gerard Giudice, owner/operator of Sally Tomatoes, each family was provided with a catered Thanksgiving holiday meal. This is the second year in a row that Gerard has given to the COTS homes.

Many thanks goes out to all who generously supported these programs in order to make the holiday season a joyful one for all.