The mission of The Rotary Foundation is to enable Rotary members to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty. The Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotary members and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of creating a better world. This support is essential to make possible projects, funded with Foundation grants, that bring sustainable improvement to communities in need. Since the work of Rotary begins in the community, The Rotary Foundation has chosen six key initiates to focus their efforts on in order to maximize results.
These efforts include:
PEACE AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION Through partnerships with several leading universities, Rotary Peace Fellows develop the skills to strengthen peace efforts, train local leaders to prevent and mediate conflict, and support long-term peace building in areas affected by conflict.
Did you know? – 90% of casualties in armed conflicts are civilians, and at least half are children.
DISEASE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT Rotary aims to improve and expand access to low-cost and free health care in underdeveloped areas. Members educate and mobilize communities to help prevent the spread of major diseases such as polio, HIV/AIDS, and malaria. Many projects ensure that medical training facilities are located where the workforce lives.
Did you know? – 1 in 6 people worldwide cannot afford to pay for healthcare. That’s over 1 billion people.
WATER AND SANITATION Rotary projects give communities the ability to develop and maintain sustainable water and sanitation systems and support studies related to water and sanitation.
Did you know? – 2.5 billion people worldwide lack access to adequate sanitation facilities, with 783 million people living without access to clean water.
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH Rotary provides immunizations and antibiotics to babies, improves access to essential medical services, and supports trained health care providers for mothers and their children. Projects ensure sustainability by empowering the local community to take ownership of health care training programs.
Did you know? – 80% of maternal deaths could be prevented with access to reproductive health services and trained health care workers.
BASIC EDUCATION AND LITERACY Rotary’s goal is to strengthen the capacity of communities to support basic education and literacy, reduce gender disparity in education, and increase adult literacy.
Did you know? – 775 million people worldwide over the age of 15 are illiterate, with 64% of them being women.
ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Service projects enhance economic and community development and develop opportunities for decent and productive work for young and old. Rotary also helps strengthen local entrepreneurs and community leaders, particularly women, in impoverished communities.
Did you know? – 1.4 billion people – nearly half of which are employed – live on less than $1.20 per day.
Local clubs are able to choose service projects that serve their communities. The Rotary Club of Lawrenceville can be seen ringing the bell for the Salvation Army in December, reading to students at Lawrenceville Elementary School, gathering food for the local Cooperative Ministry and supporting a family for Christmas. If you wish to help, you can support our efforts by visiting our website at lawrencevillerotary.org or attending a meeting on Mondays at noon at Garden Plaza in Lawrenceville. In a world with so much need the only way to make a difference is for each of us to take responsibility for what we say and for how we treat others. December is a time of year when we count our many blessings and think about how we can bless others. In Rotary, this is a year-round endeavor and for many people in the world, this support may mean the difference between life and death.
Wishing you the best of the holiday season now and throughout the year and hoping to see you on the front lines in the fight for humanity.
