Rotarians at Work for Christmas Cheer

 
Rotary Club of Santa Rosa (California): The Rotary Club of Santa Rosa's 2015/16 theme is “Real People, Real Impact”!
  (1)  Children's Christmas Program:  Each year the club sponsors  a group of local children to attend the Nutcracker at the Spreckle’s Theatre.  Prior to the performance, club members shop for Christmas gifts for the children and then wrap them at one of our club meetings. After the performance, Santa Clause will be in attendance handing out gifts. A good time is had by everyone.
 (2) Poinsettias for Vigil Lights Senior Housing - Members donate poinsettia plants for the seniors at this facility
 (3) Christmas Feast - Each year, Santa Rosa Rotarians and family members descended on the Sonoma County Fairgrounds to participate in another Hands On Project. This project involved helping the combined Redwood Gospel Mission and Salvation Army to provide hot meals, haircuts, food boxes, and Christmas gifts to those in need in our community.

A blue sea of Rotarian At Work shirts could be seen at the food boxing area where members placed a frozen chicken and other food staples into a cardboard box for families to take home to make a Christmas dinner. After the food was boxed, some more members rolled the boxes down a conveyor line where yet some more members had the filled boxes placed in a shopping cart. Each Rotarian is then assigned a family to either deliver the box of food to the family’s car, or to take the shopping cart to receive bags of gifts for children of all ages.

The event is a huge success each year.  Attendance at the event has been estimated to be approximately 5,000 people, not including all of the hundreds of volunteers. The sparkle of eyes and huge grins of children learning that the bags are full of Christmas presents is a sight that none of the members there will ever forget. The shopping carts full of boxes of food and Christmas gifts are then wheeled by Rotarians all of the way out into the recipients’ cars.

Rotary Club of Toronto (Canada) - We held our 86th annual Christmas Party for Children with special needs.  For all the children and their families, there was face painting, crafts, scrapbooking, and a raucous snowball fight with the police.  Fortunately the police men and women wore their vests as they took quite a beating from the kids.  Several Rotary exchange students became clowns and elves for the day and added a truly international flavour to the party. Santa arrived to make sure all had presents and a chance to have a photograph with Santa.   
This year’s party drew 235+ children and their families from the following groups:
  • Easter Seals Society
  • Canadian National Institute for the Blind
  • Bob Rumball Centre for the Deaf
  • Holland Bloorview
  • Gilda’s Club of Greater Toronto
  • Starlight Foundation of Canada
If we ever get to wondering whether it is all worthwhile to take the time we do, away from work and family to do the great work of Rotary, I leave you with a note of appreciation that we received from the parent of one of our disabled child guests: “I just wanted to say a big thank you for the opportunity to attend Saturday's party. My son and I had a great time and made some great memories with friends. It was our first time attending, but won't be our last.
I don't know who to ‎share our gratitude with so am hoping you can get this note of thanks to the right folks.
All of the volunteers were so kind and warm at each turn. Hotel staff made us feel welcome and special the moment we entered to time we left. Our police escort to the party was lovely. He especially loved the "snowball" fight, dancing and story time. Sometimes the thought of attending stuff like this can be stressful, but nothing about this was stressful. Well, except sitting on Santa's knee, but my son did it after not doing it for three years so big deal for us and we now have a great photo memory of his uncertain, but very brave moment. He has proudly looked at that picture a few times since the party. Big thank you to everyone involved. Everyone helped make a very special day for at least one four-year-old and his Mom. Thanks again!”
 
Rotary Club of Battersea Park (United Kingdom)- In London area alone there are over 60 clubs, of which the Rotary Club of Battersea Park and other Rotary clubs in the Wandsworth area – Balham, Putney, Tooting and Battersea – are some of the most active, particularly at Christmas.
What volunteers do:
  • On Christmas Eve we set up in the morning and make sure all is ready for the great day ahead.
  • On Christmas Day we will be sending out about 60 buses to pick up our guests, many of whom will be in wheelchairs.
  • Making fresh sandwiches as a take away supper for our guests.
  • Help is needed in the kitchen working with the chefs to prepare lunch.
  • Bring good cheer with a happy Christmassy welcome when the guests arrive.
  • Serve tea and coffee and, later on, sherry before lunch.
  • Help serve lunch – no joke when 450+ full 3-course Christmas dinners need to arrive on the table at the same time hot and delicious.
  • Serve a glass or two of wine with lunch.
  • Help clear tables and help with the washing-up
  • Have lunch yourself – the full works and its absolutely free (well, it is your Christmas Day too!).
  • Help the elderly guests enjoy the afternoon’s entertainment which is great fun – dancing, sing-alongs and bingo. They love to have a chat with a friendly person, so sit down and listen.
  • Clear tables at the end of the day and ensure the marquee and kitchens are left spotless.
  • On Boxing Day you can help finish off tidying up followed by a pub lunch to celebrate a successful Christmas Day for the Elderly.