‘Service above self’ still and always
Winnipeg and Manitoba Rotary Clubs to host international leader by showcasing projects
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 25/06/2022 (1228 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Whether it’s promoting peace, fighting disease, providing clean water, supporting education and literacy, growing local economies, or protecting the environment, the Rotary Club’s 1.4 million members and 46,000 clubs are working to bring positive change in communities everywhere.
“Everybody is wanting to do something: service above self,” says Nancy Cosway, president of Rotary Club of Winnipeg, which has seven clubs. “We are people of action, of commitment, people of purpose. It really appeals to people to be involved with Rotary and making a difference.”
Cosway has been involved in the Rotary Club of Winnipeg — whose inception in 1910 created Rotary International, as it was the first club formed outside of the United States — for seven years, and her husband for much longer than that.
“We are all working to improve the world. Every club operates independently, each has a president and executive, areas to raise funds for… it’s very diverse in Winnipeg,” said Cosway.
Jennifer Jones, from the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland, Ont., made history as the first woman to be president of Rotary International, and will be in Winnipeg as part of her cross-Canada tour on July 6, seeing first-hand the work of Rotarians in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
“Her presidential theme is Imagine Rotary,” said Cosway. “She urges Rotarians to dream big and harness their connections and the power of Rotary to turn those dreams into reality. Rotarians are people of action doing good in the world.
“We will be showing her some of the wonderful projects Rotary supports in Winnipeg, including the Rotary Leadership Circle, support to Ma Mawi (Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre), and to IRCOM (Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba).”
IRCOM has a Rotary leadership lunch group, and Ma Mawi will have one this year as well, says Cosway. The Rotary forms of support include meals for school lunch programs, and assistance with computers so children can have access to online learning.
When the Rotary puts out a call for sports equipment, books and other supplies, people are willing to give if they know need exists and a request has come from a community group, Cosway noted, adding that Winnipeggers continue to be generous.
“It’s our relationship with community. We really don’t tell community what they need; we respond to community needs and requests. We’ve had requests from a number of northern remote communities that have reached out to us that have no sports equipment for kids in the winter. They can’t go to the store to buy a winter coat. They can’t get books there. We have some Rotary members who have grandkids in school, so they went to those schools and asked. We sent shipments of equipment, clothing and 9,000 books to 10 northern communities.”
Locally there’s a lot going on, from garden projects, to the protection of the Assiniboine Forest, supporting literacy, fundraising for scholarships, supporting the Knowles Centre, youth, child and family services, and a wide range of other community initiatives. Each club has its own programs, events and focus.
“Members help out with projects and all kinds of fundraising,” said Cosway. “We can apply for grants to the Rotary foundation. We can raise funds and we can apply for funds.”
Honouring Indigenous people, the Rotary is committed to reconciliation, Cosway said, through the development of partnerships with communities.
The Rotary Leadership Circle runs in downtown Winnipeg for six weeks in the summer, with 18 sites, to teach youth leadership skills and development, supporting them in becoming youth leaders.
“Youth participants form positive connections and participate in activities not otherwise possible,” said Amanda Doerksen, Rotary Leadership Circle co-ordinator. “Youth are more likely to achieve positive health, social and educational outcomes. Youth leaders are very passionate about helping those who are low-income and in need.”
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards participants learn leadership and other skills they can apply to their own communities, while learning about the world around them.
Rotary also runs a Youth Leadership Camp, which is active around the world, and gives young people a chance to learn to interact, build camaraderie and make friendships. Participants talk to politicians, learn to model the United Nations assembly, debate issues, and learn about diplomacy, public speaking and collaboration.
The Rotary Club of Brandon runs a biannual book sale which supports community service and literacy in Brandon and western Manitoba. Funds from the book sale support projects for youth, families in crisis, and addictions and health programs in partnership with over 20 organizations. The Rotary Westman Wine Festival has been helping to support family and community-building programs at the Elspeth Reid Family Resource Centre (ERFRC) in Brandon for nearly 20 years, and have raised more than $220,000 for ERFRC and local Rotary projects.
The support is not limited to Winnipeg or Manitoba, as Rotary members are reaching out internationally to problem-solve and build bridges.
There are education projects in Guatemala, South Africa and Bangladesh. There’s work being done to send supplies to Ukraine and Poland, and to India where there are floods. The Rotary’s PolioPlus Program provides polio vaccines, mobilizes community resources, and supports operational costs toward international efforts to immunize children and eradicate polio worldwide.
“As members of a Rotary Club, it is our good fortune to be associated with a group of dedicated individuals who realize the importance of education, while at the same time recognizing the barriers faced by some families,” said Steve Coppinger of Assiniboine Rotary Club, adding that he hopes their community initiatives will help to level the playing field both now, during the pandemic and into the future.
“We believe that through Rotary and other service organizations like ours, we have the chance to make the world a better place — a place that works for everyone.”
Visit: rotary5550.org and rotary.org
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