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During this Christmas season, the Rotary Club of Temecula brought joy to those around the corner and those in other corners of the globe by helping neighbors who have suffered a temporary setback, hope to orphans in Tijuana, and comfort for those without hope in Bangladesh.
In our town - Christmas Baskets
 Words cannot describe the joy and fulfillment that Rotary club members and their dedicated volunteers gained from o providing Christmas Baskets filled with food and gifts for 136 local families.
This project is unique to the Rotary Club of Temecula and allows club members to act as “Santa Claus” to families who in their own words, “would not have had a Christmas” without our help. Project organizer Bob “Santa” Brown and his elf, Rachel Mason, along with Karen Schneider, Kim Kelliher and other Rotary elves, contact families from our local schools and community groups who are in need. Our goal is to help local families who often “fall between the cracks” each year. The Rotarians spend two days organizing and delivering food baskets and gifts, and each Rotarian returns with a truly unique gift: stories of tearful gratitude and heartfelt joy. Our club’s Holiday Basket Program allows Rotarians to experience Holiday joy and Service Above Self.
South of the border - Christmas for the Children of Casa Hogar Impacto de Amor
Orphanage renovations are almost completed.
On December 18th, the Tijuana Independencia Rotary Club hosted a fundraiser for the orphanage featuring opera tenor Cesar Sanchez.
 On Sunday, December 20, Rotary Club of Temecula, Lake Elsinore Rotary and Tijuana Independencia Rotary Club (with assistance from Menifee Rotary, San Bernardino Sunset, our District Governor Rich, his wife Sue, MOMS Club Temecula-Central and several other friends of Rotary) gave the children of Casa Hogar a Christmas party that they will not soon forget.
For the children, the highlight was the visit by Santa Claus and the Christmas piñata. The participating clubs and supporting individuals gave the children gifts of new clothes, toys, blankets. Casa Hogar’s "Mom" received a shopping spree to buy things for the older children and the home itself.
On the other side of the world - Help for Hopeless in Bangladesh
Bangladesh is a country that is about the size of Iowa, yet with a population equal to half of the U.S. population .
Bangladesh has more than its share of slums and street people whose sole source of food comes from begging and sifting through trash. In the capital city of Dhaka alone there are over 3.4 million people living in over 5,000 slums. Bangladesh and many other smaller countries, are “off the radar” when it comes to humanitarian aid. Yet the need in Bangladesh is just as urgent as other more well-known developing countries. In December 2007, Rotarian Kent Demuth visited Bangladesh to participate in a national polio immunization effort. While there, Kent saw miles of slums and an endless parade of street people who were managing to survive without many of the most basic human needs (food, medicine, and shelter) that most of us take for granted.
 This year, the Rotary Club of Temecula decided to provide humanitarian aid to Bangladesh. Working with the 20 member Rotary Club of North Khulna, which is overwhelmed with dire needs, our club is assisting by providing funds for mosquito netting, blankets and other humanitarian items. Mosquitoes are present year round and malaria is huge problem.
Blankets and mosquito netting were distributed at clinic sites and slums through the month of December. Medical aid was provided to a six grade student with eye problems. Blankets and mosquito netting were distributed to families in the village of Deana and Khadimul Islam Orphanage. And a gift that will keep on giving, "A "Rickshaw van" was handed over to a destitute, forsaken woman (Hasina Begum) to be used to generate income for her family on Friday, December 11, 2009 at 10:00 am. She is a vegetables vendor, and was passing human-dweller life with her 3 children. Now she will be able to collect vegetables from growers outside of the city and will sell/distribute those door-to-door in the residential areas with the assistance of her eldest son Rubel, a student whose study costs are provided by one of our members....", says Khulna Rotarian Hadi.
"We raised a toast at our regular weekly meeting on 4 December at 6:30 pm to your club members and pray to the almighty for all of your health, courage to work for humanity and joy. We haven't had any assistance from outside of the club for a long time before this. After receiving your financial support, our members launched projects with great enthusiasm; seems like they just awoke up from deep languor!"
Rotary Partnerships
Rotary Club of Temecula members are proud to serve to their community and to partner with international clubs, such as Rotary Club of North Khulna (20 members) and Tijuana Independencia Rotary Club (25 members). By working with other Rotarians we can touch the lives of so many and transform strangers into very good friends. There are over 33,000 Rotary clubs worldwide with over 1.2 million members. |
Don Phinney(Murrieta), Tom Thomas(Lake Elsinore), Dee Thomas(Lake Elsinore), Sue Dell'Acqua(Hemet Sunrise and wife of 5330 DG) and Kent Demuth (Temecula and taking picture).
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