Sanger Rotary Club

President's Message

 

My fellow Sanger Rotarians,

We have a long history of putting service above self.

I doubt there is another club anywhere that does as much, per member, for the Rotary Foundation or for our International Service humanitarian projects in the Kingdom of Tonga and in Mexico.

Locally, we:

• sponsor and support one of the largest Interact Clubs in the district;
• have invested thousands of dollars and volunteer hours in Rotary Field;
• prepare and serve a free holiday meal to more than 150 senior citizens;
• distribute food and toys to the ‘Families of Rotary’ during the Christmas season;
• do high school senior exit interviews, in cooperation with the high school staff;
• give every third grader in the school district a free dictionary;
• clean up Jensen Avenue, one of the main entrances to the city;
• provide scholarships to numerous graduating high school seniors;
• donate hundreds of dollars annually to support worthwhile community projects.

It is my goal this year, without losing focus on existing projects, to find new ways to serve our community. Sanger is working its way through an economic downturn that has created an almost 30% unemployment rate, resulted in more home foreclosures than any other city of our size in Fresno County, decimated small businesses, left many homeless living in parks, nearby orchards and vineyards and overwhelmed the resources of volunteer groups that have sprung up to provide assistance.

I believe our club should seek a closer relationship with the City and with all the helping groups and agencies and should take the lead in developing projects and services to help our community in its time of need.

The new focus on community involvement will, I believe, attract new members who value service above self, to a club that lost more members than it gained last year.

I value your feedback on all we do as a club to serve our community and the world and to have some good Rotary fun and fellowship this year.

Maybe, most important, let’s make sure we leave the Sanger Rotary Club even bigger and better for Rotary year 2012-13 and beyond.

Respectfully,

Dick Sheppard
President 2011-2012
Sanger Rotary Club