Category Archives: blog

Regionalisation, Rotary, Youth

National Youth Science Forum 2023 NYSF

Leave a comment

NYSF 2023 applications have opened and are being accepted. Time to get in touch with your schools and start the thinking about those students who will gain great benefit from attending this program.
I have attached a flyer which you could print and display in your schools.
2023-NYSF-Applications-Poster_Students

All information is available on the website: www.nysf.edu.au

Applications open 24 May 2022
Early bird applications ($25 application fee) close 24 July 2022
Full fee applications  ($65 application fee) close 14 August 2022

District interviews completed by mid September 2022
Orientations completed by early November 2022

Cost per student: $1950.00 + application fee

Regionalisation, Rotary

UPDATE ON REGIONALISATION PILOT

Leave a comment

UPDATE ON REGIONALISATION PILOT
Dear Rotary Member,
You are receiving this email as a Rotarian or Rotaractor in Zone 8 – Australia, New Zealand and the many other countries that make up our part of the Rotary world.
For the past three years a group of Rotarians and Rotaractors have been working on a pilot project to consider how we can enhance Rotary and Rotaract and ensure we remain relevant for the future while also addressing some of the challenges we have been facing for a while.
In February 2022, the Rotary International (RI) Board gave its approval in principle to proceed with the pilot, subject to approval by clubs.  A second green light was the Council on Legislation approval for changes of governance in April 2022.  We are now one of just two regional pilots in the Rotary world looking to explore, develop and test new ways of operating.
What are we seeking to achieve through regionalisation?  We want to ensure the best support possible to Rotary clubs and Rotaract clubs. Through a less layered and more devolved contemporary approach members can continue to do what they do best – projects and connections/fellowship.  We aim to reduce duplication and streamline processes, encourage even broader and more collaboration in areas such as public image, marketing Rotary, partnering with business, government and service partners, and make leadership roles more attractive and doable.
To do this, we envisage a Regional Council for Zone 8 and Rotary Australia and Rotary New Zealand (Oceania) bodies to be formed.  An Interim Regional Council with limited roles will likely start on 1 July 2023, with a final model in place by 1 July 2026. Monitoring and evaluating how the changes are delivering benefit are an important part of the project. We don’t know yet exactly what the final model will look like and you will have your chance to have a say.
It is important that you, our fellow Rotarians, are consulted throughout this process. In fact, the project cannot proceed without the support of members and clubs.
The third green light needed to proceed is support of Rotary clubs and Rotaract clubs, a condition of the RI Board’s approval.  Support of clubs will be shown through a vote, which will happen in September 2022, with a vote first of clubs then of districts.
From mid-June right through to August, every club and member will have the chance to hear about what is proposed, to have their say and to ask questions. Each district has a District Regionalisation Representative who is coordinating the briefing of clubs.
Being a pilot gives us the chance to shape our own Rotary and Rotaract futures.
If you would like to  find out more there is information available on the dedicated website, creatingtomorrowrotary.org  along with the opportunity to “Have your Say” and “Subscribe” to updates.  There will also be opportunities to volunteer and get involved in work groups.
If you want to learn more about the background, visit creatingtomorrowrotary.org/initiation-petition  
Other helpful resources include a Fact Sheet and a video.
|You can also reach the Regionalisation Pilot Project Team directly at rotaryregionalpilot@gmail.com
We look forward to hearing from you!
Regionalisation Pilot Project Team
Co-chairs Ingrid Waugh (NZ/Oceania) and Peter Frueh (Australia)
Online Education News, Rotary, Youth

2022 Council on Legislation elevates equity and inclusion, approves dues increase

Leave a comment

2022 Council on Legislation elevates equity and inclusion, approves dues increase

Representatives to the 2022 Council on Legislation voted overwhelmingly on their first day of sessions to add “equity and inclusion” to Rotary International bylaws, affirming the organization’s continued effort to be inclusive of all cultures, experiences, and identities, and to reflect the communities it serves.

The four-day conference, held in Chicago, Illinois, USA on 10-14 April, marked Rotary’s first successful attempt to host a hybrid international event since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. About 520 representatives represented Rotary districts around the world; about 60% attended in-person, and the rest participated via Zoom.

This year’s Council reviewed and voted on more than 90 enactments that would change RI’s constitutional documents. Among the highlights is the legislation that promotes diversity and builds a well-balanced Rotary membership.

Proposed by the Rotary Club of Annanagar Aadithya, India, (District 3232) the enactment passed by a vote of 420 to 56. Amended Rotary bylaws now state that “each club or Rotaract club shall endeavor to build a well-balanced membership that celebrates diversity, equity, and inclusion.” Rotary prohibits clubs from denying an individual membership due to gender, race, color, creed, national origin, or sexual orientation.

“We have now made growing and diversifying our membership a top internal organizational priority,” said Valarie Wafer, who chairs RI’s Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion task force.

“Feeling welcome and comfortable with fellow club members is the single greatest driver of member satisfaction, and retention,” Wafer maintained. “By adding equity, we are thoughtfully considering how to provide differing levels of support, opportunities, and resources so everyone can have a welcoming and valuable experience. Adding inclusion ensures that we focus on creating experiences in which all people are welcomed, respected, and valued.”

Club Administration Pilot

Duane Benton, a member of the Rotary Club of Kansas City and a federal judge, who co-chaired this year’s Council, characterized multiple items at this Council as part of Rotary’s continued commitment to improving club and organizational flexibility.

An enactment that generated vigorous discussion before passing by a vote of 324 to 150 would allow the RI Board to pilot a new regional governance structure for clubs and Rotarians.

The pilot will be limited to Rotary Great Britain and Ireland (RIBI) as well as clubs and districts in Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific for a duration of six years.

Cosponsors of the legislation – the RI Board and the Rotary Club of Merimbula (District 9705) in Australia, stated that the current regional governance structure, put in place over 70 years ago, has grown into a “significant hierarchy” with too many layers and roles.

“It is appropriate to modernize and consider new models that can enhance our efficiency, increase the ability of members to access support, and look at new ways to make volunteer positions more manageable and doable,” said Wafer, who spoke on behalf of the RI board.

Representatives who opposed the enactment argued that the plan for the pilot lacks specifics and could reduce the number of districts and put a district governor’s role at risk. One representative from District 3490 (Taiwan) expressed concern that the plan could alter the autonomous structure of Rotary clubs, leading to centralized governance and decreasing localized management.

Wafer, reassured Rotarians that the districts and the role of district governors will not be eliminated while the pilot is being implemented. Following a six-year experiment, she said if the findings indicate that the existing model needs to be reverted, the role of district governors will still exist.

“This is not to force fit a new governance structure,” Wafer added. “Rather,we try to work in partnership with districts to see what works and what doesn’tfor a more sustainable future.”

Dues Increase

Representatives approved a dues increase for each of the next three years. Dues that clubs pay to RI per member are set at $35.50 per half year in 2022-23. Dues will increase to $37.50 per half year in 2023-24, $39.25 per half year in 2024-25, and US$41.00 per half year in 2025-26.

“The proposed dues adjustment is based on the most current forecasting information,” said RI Director Elizabeth Usovicz. She attributed the dues increase to lower membership, lower earnings, and fluctuating inflation. “The approval will now enable Rotary to respond quickly and compassionately to humanitarian needs.”

The Rotary Magazine Network

Rotary currently has 33 magazines across worldwide. Representatives rejected a proposal that would have required members to receive a digital copy of any of the magazines unless they request a printed copy.

Currently, every Rotary magazine is required to offer a digital alternative for the readers, said RI Director Ananthanarayanan S. “Venky” Venkatesh. But subscriber data show that only 8% have opted for a digital copy. The majority prefer the print version. Moreover, nearly 70% of members have reported in recent surveys that they still read books and magazines on paper.

At the same time, Rotary magazines are exploring ways to make their output more environmentally friendly while balancing the cost of publication.

On a related vote, delegates have also affirmed Rotary’s bylaws that mandates magazine subscription for each member.

A 2020 Rotary survey shows that 84 percent said the magazine strengthens their connection with Rotary, allowing them to better understand the organization. Making the subscription optional will decrease the level of consistent Rotary knowledge and engagement among its members, said Sylvia Whitlock, a trailblazer who was the first female club president in the history of Rotary.

“The magazine is a primer for Rotary members keeping us informed on the who, what, when, where, why and how of the world,” said Whitlock. “Without the magazine everything is just happenstance. Any good primer is beside you all the time.”

Standing ovation for Ukraine

During a legislative session on April 12, RI President Shekhar Mehta recognized Hennaddii Kroychyk, a delegate from the Ukrainian city of Lviv, who left his war-torn country and took a circuitous journey to Chicago for the Council. “Hennadii made the trip here even with the tragedy that is unfolding in Ukraine,” said Mehta. “We want you to know that we stand with you and your country.”

Kroychyk received a standing ovation from attendees in the room for what Mehta called “fulfilling his duties under extreme circumstances and demonstrating such commitment to Rotary.”

Electronic Policymaking

“What we have done for the 2022 Council on Legislation is unprecedented,” says Benton. “About 200 delegates from every continent participated in the deliberations via Zoom. Despite the time differences, participants debated and voted on proposals as if they had been there in person. This is the full flowering of electronic policymaking.”

Benton added, “What we accomplished in this session shows that we can do both in-person and hybrid Councils.”

enews, Rotary, Youth

Rotary District 9660 Youth Exchange Program for year 2023

Leave a comment
 

 

 

ROTARY DISTRICT 9660 YOUTH EXCHANGE PROGRAM COMMITTEE
11 Trevor Judd Avenue, South West Rocks 2431 NSW AUSTRALIA Chair:    Bev Bartlett  –  Rotary Club of Wauchope Inc
Mobile:         0439 853 867  Email:            bbartlett7@msn.com

Re: Rotary District 9660 Youth Exchange Program for year 2023

 The Rotary Youth Exchange Program Committee is seeking your assistance in providing information to potential outbound exchange students for 2023. We anticipate that the successful students will leave Sydney in January 2023 provided that the pandemic and government regulations allow this to occur.
Due to new regulations from the NSW Department of Education, outbound student applicants must be in Year 9, 10 or 11 in the year they make application to be eligible for the program. All outbound students will be required to return to secondary education in Australia for at least one scholastic year. The preferred age of applicants is between 15 to 17 years.

Could your Club please seek out interested applicants from your local schools?  If further information is required please direct students to the Rotary Youth Exchange website, or contact a member of the District YEP Committee. Expression of Interest can be lodged on the website www.ryea.org.au and contact will be made with the student upon receipt of this Expression of Interest application.
Applications close on 20th May, 2022.

Could you also please place this information in your Rotary Club Bulletin?
Most secondary schools in the new District 9660 area have been sent information on the Rotary Youth Exchange Program and you may also see advertising on the YEP program.
Your Club’s support with the Rotary Youth Exchange Program is appreciated by the YEP Committee and all prospective students involved in this great program.

 

 

enews, Online Education News, Rotary

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Leave a comment

We are dedicated to enhancing your Rotary experience by supporting what is important to you, our members. You have consistently told us that you want Rotary to be a place that celebrates diversity, that fully represents our communities, and that offers all members equitable opportunities to thrive.

You also recognize that embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) will allow us to do more meaningful work while engaging with people who know they’ll be valued for the qualities that make them unique. These sentiments were reinforced last year by the more than 31,000 members around the world who responded to our first DEI survey.

To ensure that the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion are ingrained in everything we do, the RI Board of Directors, guided by the DEI Task Force, has strengthened our commitment to DEI and is taking action in response to the survey findings.

Our DEI Code of Conduct

What we say and how we behave matter. Although free expression is important, we must take responsibility for how our words and actions may affect others. The Board has approved a new DEI Code of Conduct to help Rotary members create and maintain an environment that is collaborative, positive, and healthy for everyone.

Simply put, the DEI Code of Conduct asks you to:

  • Use respectful language
  • Be supportive
  • Foster a welcoming and inclusive environment
  • Celebrate diversity

All Rotary leaders, from club presidents and district governors to directors and trustees, are expected to apply the DEI Code of Conduct uniformly to help members recognize the impact that their words and actions can have on other people.

If you experience behavior that does not align with the DEI Code of Conduct, you have ways to respond:

  • If the situation can be resolved through discussion, please talk to the person directly. Often, the person who said something or acted in a way that made others feel excluded, marginalized, or targeted did not do so intentionally. Although there might be mistakes, missteps, and uncomfortable conversations along the way, having this dialogue will lead to a better and stronger Rotary.
  • If a discussion is not possible or the situation involves someone in a leadership role or another club, contact Rotary’s Club and District Support staff, who will review the information and follow up appropriately.
  • If you are in danger or your safety is in doubt, contact local law enforcement officers and notify Club and District Support staff.

As an organization, we are stronger when we embrace the diversity found in our clubs and communities. We are more effective when we offer a valuable, inclusive experience that provides equitable opportunities for people to serve, to lead, and to participate with us. To grow Rotary and become a more dynamic organization, we must take DEI seriously. And with your support, we are doing that.

Sincerely,

Shekhar Mehta, RI President
and the 2021-22 RI Board of Directors

You can support DEI in Rotary by:

Online Education News, Rotary

Rotary Training Talk

Leave a comment
If you are having trouble viewing this email, view it online
Training Talk
April 2022 Training Rotary leaders around the world
5 reasons to use Learning Center content
When you create training plans for officers or other members, you can include a variety of tools. The Learning Center, which is flexible and accessible, can be a useful part of any plan. Here are five reasons to use Learning Center content in your training plans:

  1. It’s customized for you. In the Learning Center, you’ll see the courses and learning topics that are the most relevant to you, based on the browser language you chose and your zone, district, and role.
  2. You can customize it even more. You can create favorites lists of the courses and materials that you use most and hide materials that you don’t need. Districts and zones can also decide which courses to use and group them into learning plans. Contact us to customize a learning plan for your district.
  3. It has the most up-to-date information. Our courses are revised regularly to reflect our current practices and recommendations, and it’s easy to find out if they’ve been updated: If they have, a note in the description will usually say when that happened. Also, the Rotary Learning Center Courses list includes direct course links that will work with any My Rotary sign-in. It’s updated four times a year and notes when courses have been revised.
  4. You can track people’s progress. Visit the My Activities page from the user menu to monitor your own progress. You can also check global, zone, and district leaderboards on the My Dashboard page. Governors, district trainers, district membership chairs, and district Rotary Foundation chairs can track the courses and learning plans that members have completed by asking for permission to review them and completing the Access to Learning Center Reports course.
  5. It improves the Rotary experience. Members who have used the Learning Center report greater satisfaction with their ability to develop leadership skills.

Review our recent webinar for more ideas about how to use the Learning Center and customize it for your district’s needs.

* The links in this document may take you to the Learning Center course catalog instead of directly to a course. Use the Search bar to help find your course. This is a known problem that we are working on.
Featured courses in the Learning Center

Discover these courses in the Learning Center this month:

  • Microaggressions: Understand what microaggressions are, the impact they have, and how to respond to them in ways that uphold Rotary’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This course is part of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Basics learning plan.
  • How to Propose Enactments and Resolutions: Now that the 2022 Council on Legislation has ended, learn how to propose resolutions before the next Council on Resolutions later this year and how to write and submit enactments for the next Council on Legislation in 2025.
  • The Power of Giving: Learn more about the impact you can have on the work of The Rotary Foundation by understanding how donations benefit various funds and programs, including the PolioPlus Fund and the Disaster Response Fund.

Find information about all of our Learning Center courses in the updated course catalog.
 
OUR ROTARY UKRAINE RESPONSE
May is Youth Service Month

Celebrate Youth Service Month in May by encouraging young people to experience the ways in which community service builds real-world leadership skills. You can find interactive courses and downloadable workbooks about service-learning for both adult advisers and youth program participants who are 16 or older.

Share the Youth Guide to Service-Learning course with youth participants age 16 or over. Learn more about how to give them direction by taking the courses in the Service-Learning for Advisers learning plan.
Training tip

Using the Learning Center before training meetings

Assign online courses to participants to take before a training event, to give them a foundation of knowledge about the meeting’s topics. This lets you focus your session on the ideas, activities, and discussions that are the most important for your participants.
Review the Rotary Learning Center Courses list and consider which ones will complement your live or virtual training event. Use the direct links that are in the list and post them on your club and district websites.

Follow the Learning Center on Facebook to get all of our latest news and tips. Do you have a training tip to share? Send it to learn@rotary.org.
enews, Rotary

Tenterfield and Torrington

Leave a comment

The club has had 2 projects on hold for a while because of COVID restrictions and recent flooding, however, on Friday 22nd April we were able to progress these.

Project 1: During the bush fire episodes in the New England area, Mr Mitch Ford of Tenterfield lost his life tragically whilst fighting the fires, leaving behind his widow Kerry.  My wife Vicki and I, together with Club members John & Dorothy Barwick travelled from Tamworth to Tenterfield to meet with Kerry to make a financial presentation to support her during her challenging times.  This project was instigated by Club member Warren (Cowboy) McLaughlin, and we thank him for his coordination through local friend Gina Carpenter. We met with both Gina and Kerry at a local Tenterfield Café, had morning tea and presented her with her cheque.

Project 2: Also, during the bushfires in the New England area the small village of Torrington lost 14 homes and devastated the area. Again, club member Warren McLaughlin came to the fore and convinced our Club to support the small village in some way. The Club agreed to financially support some renovation work required at the Community Hall in replacing the front and rear fire doors. On our return trip from Tenterfield (above), we called in at Torrington where 10 of the locals met with us and provided us a lovely homecooked lunch. At the conclusion of lunch John, Dorothy and myself were able to make our financial presentation to the group which was very much appreciated.
Unfortunately, our Club President, Ken Hall was unable to attend as was project coordinator Warren McLaughlin, however that gave John & Dorothy Barwick and Vicki & myself the opportunity to carry out these important presentations.
A long day trip, but very rewarding being able to not only help an individual during a difficult time, but then also assist a small village who sometimes feel they have been forgotten.


Thankyou again to Warren, John & Dorothy and my wife Vicki.

Steve Beaton, President Elect

Rotary

World Immunization Week 2022

Leave a comment

World Immunization Week 2022                                    Visit endpolio.org

Join with Rotary to promote the power of vaccines to protect children and save lives.
During World Immunization Week, 24-30 April, let’s advocate for polio eradication and the importance of vaccines to the health and well-being of our communities.
Vaccines are one of the greatest advances of modern medicine. They’re safe, effective, and save millions of lives each year. Our progress in the fight to end polio is proof that vaccines work.
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative estimates that the polio vaccine has saved more than 20 million children around the world from paralysis. We need to continue vaccinating children against polio, because as long as the poliovirus circulates anywhere, it is a threat everywhere.
Here’s how you can support Rotary’s efforts during World Immunization Week:

  • Use the World Immunization Week Toolkit for graphics and sample posts to share on social media with the hashtags #EndPolio and #VaccinesWork.
  • Donate to PolioPlus to help Rotary and our partners deliver polio vaccines to vulnerable children. Or start an online fundraiser using Raise for Rotary and share it with your friends, colleagues, and family members. All contributions will be matched 2-to-1 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Rotary districts can give District Designated Funds (DDF) to PolioPlus to help meet our goal of raising $50 million each year to eradicate polio.

Download the World Immunization Week Toolkit

World Immunization Week messages are sent to a broad range of polio eradication advocates, including:
• The RI Board of Directors and directors-elect
• The Rotary Foundation Board of Trustees and incoming trustees
• Past RI presidents
• District governors, assistant governors, and governors-elect
• Rotary and Rotaract club presidents
• Regional leaders (RRFCs, RCs, RPICs, E/MGAs, and End Polio Now coordinators)
• District Rotary Foundation chairs
• The Communications Committee
• End Polio Now newsletter subscribers
• PolioPlus committees (the International PolioPlus Committee, End Polio Now: Countdown to History Campaign Committee, Polio Eradication Advocacy Task Forces, PolioPlus national advocacy advisers, national PolioPlus chairs, district PolioPlus subcommittee chairs)
• COVID Task Force

enews, Rotary, The Rotary Foundation

Life after floods in Northern NSW

Leave a comment

Our thoughts and prayers go out to communities that have been impacted by the recent floods in New South Wales and Queensland in Australia and the West Coast town of Westport in the South Island of New Zealand. It was not that long ago that the Southern provinces of the Philippines endured a super-typhoon right before Christmas.
As if the pandemic was not enough, we have weathered through bushfires, earthquakes, typhoons and floods in the past two years. We have had wake-up calls from all directions to take concrete action on the environment and climate change.
During the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), Tuvalu’s Minister of Justice, Communications and Foreign Affairs–Hon Simon Kofe gave a speech recorded from an area that used to be dry land.
“We are sinking, but so is everyone else. We cannot wait for speeches when the sea is rising around us all the time.”
The video went viral soon after because it started with just a close-up of the minister while he was delivering the speech and everything looked normal until the camera slowly panned out to reveal his location. The minister, with the lectern,the backdrop and flags were all partially submerged in ocean water.From when the Environment became Rotary’s seventh area of focus in 1 July 2021 to 9 March, The Rotary Foundation has since approved 11 Environment global grants amounting toUSD830,000. Even before it became a separate and distinct area of focus, USD18.4 Million in Foundation global grant funding had been allocated to environment-related causes in the past five years through our support of community and economic development and water, sanitation, and hygiene projects.
It is hard to make the call to respond to the environmental crisis when there are many urgent appeals needing our support and attention. This is possibly why many governments have dragged their feet in addressing this concern. It is not imminent and long-standing enough.Nature, however, has been persistent in its call for help. These disasters are becoming more frequent and severe. We seem to be addressing just the symptoms but barely getting down to the root of the problem.Do you have projects planned toward this area of focus? If so, please share this with us as we are eager to provide you any support we can extend.
Best Regards,
Grace
Grace Ramirez
Manager, International Office and Financial Service

Rotary, The Rotary Foundation

Rotary network enables rapid relief for Ukrainian refugees

Leave a comment

The crisis in Ukraine is having devastating consequences on civilians as families flee their homes. According to the United Nations, more than 2 million people, most of them women and children, have sought refuge in neighboring countries and across Europe, while about 1 million more people have been displaced within Ukraine.

Rotary and Rotaract clubs in Europe and around the world have taken swift action and are working with members nearby to provide food, water, medical equipment, and shelter for refugees.

The Rotary Foundation created a funding channel for relief efforts in Ukraine.

Donate now

Rotaract Europe

The European Rotaract Information Centre, a multidistrict information organization that serves Rotaractors all over Europe, created a United for Peace site that compiles information for refugees and volunteers.

  • The site offers information about free rail, bus, and air transportation available to refugees and lists details about what’s needed and how to help at specific national borders.
  • It also has fundraising details for hospitals in the western Ukraine city of Lviv, as well as for clubs that are helping in various places and for other organizations in the region.
  • The site lets Rotaractors coordinate shelter for refugees stranded at the border. Volunteer hosts can sign up through an online form and specify how many people they can house and for how long. Begun as an initiative to help fellow Rotary members leaving Ukraine, it’s now being used by Rotaract and Rotary members all over Europe to offer help.
  • A tool on the site links a demand for goods with available supplies. It was created within 48 hours after a team of 60 members from 10 countries met by videoconference about how to meet the most urgent needs.

Ukraine

Ukraine has 62 Rotary clubs and six satellite clubs with about 1,100 members, and 24 Rotaract clubs with more than 300 members.

  • District 2232 (Ukraine and Belarus) formed a committee to help people affected by the crisis. It has launched an appeal to Rotary members worldwide for funds to provide basic necessities.
  • The city of Lviv has had an influx of people displaced from other cities around Ukraine. The Rotary Club of Lviv International, working with local authorities and major hospitals, created an online spreadsheet of relief items that can be accessed by people who want to help. Members arrange for the donated items to be delivered to hospitals and coordinate storage with local warehouses.

Poland

Poland has taken in more than a million refugees, and Rotary clubs all over the country created a central account for contributions.

  • The Rotary Club of Olsztyn is collecting and managing donations for more than 150 Ukrainians who are staying at Ostróda Camp, a conference and recreation center. Most of the occupants are unaccompanied children whose parents stayed in Ukraine. Four cars full of supplies including food, clothes, toiletries, and toys were donated hours after the center began accepting refugees.
  • Members of the Rotary Club of Zamosc worked with a member of the Rotary Club of Wolsztyn, who owns a medical supply distribution company, to coordinate a partnership with other organizations to collect supplies and equipment.
  • The Rotary Club of Gdansk Centrum is providing accommodations for four refugee families, and members who own businesses are offering them work.

Other countries that border Ukraine

  • The Rotary Club of Kisvárda, Hungary, is coordinating contributions and mobilizing members to donate necessities and deliver the items to where they’re needed.
  • Rotary members in Romania and Moldova have created a central fund for contributions and set up WhatsApp groups that organize food donations and coordinate shelter for refugees.
  • In Slovakia and the Czech Republic, clubs have partnered with a railway and cargo company to offer transportation to nearly 2,300 refugees.

Kim Widlicki and Claudia Brunner contributed to this article.