Rotary District 5280:  John Colville, Governor

URBAN POVERTY TASK FORCE 2003-2004

Chairs: John Greenwood, Meg Roi

Director of Community Service:
Helene Pizzini

The Urban Poverty Task Force has compiled this list of more than 50 hands-on projects which are conducted by Rotary Clubs in District 5280.  We hope this will inspire you and the members of your club to take on a new project.  After each project is listed the name of the club and the contact person.  Please email any corrections to
TaskForce@Rotary5280.org.

YOUTH PROJECTS:

Children’s Shopping Sprees

Partnering with the Salvation Army, the Rotary Club provides funding for clothing and shoes at Mervyn’s for needy children returning to school.  Each student receives $100.  Rotarians participate in the shopping spree as well.

Bellflower                     
Doug Easer (949) 809-1242

The Rotary Club provides funds in partnership with Mervyns and IHOP.  Rotarians shop with needy children before store opens.  Rotary provides breakfast afterward.  Each child receives $200 worth of school clothing.  Mervyn’s discounts merchandise and cashiers volunteer their time.

Westchester                    
CozetteVergari (310) 410-4014

In conjunction with Payless Shoe Store, the Rotary Club arranged for needy children to receive one pair of shoes free.

Bellflower                      
Joe Vasquez (310) 717-2189

Helping the Switzer Center

Rotary raises funds to benefit a group of high school students with emotional/learning disabilities at the Switzer Center in Torrance.  The club runs a golf tournament annually which supports the program.

Del Amo                        
Marc Benard   (310) 918-2121

Read to Me

Rotarians go every Friday to the YWCA and read to elementary school children who attend their after-school program.  . 

San Pedro                      
Rica Viola (310) 732-3329

Book of the Month Club

Eshelman Ave. School receives  books each month from the Rotary Club. 

Palos Verdes Sunset                
Audrey Dahlgren  (714) 899-8100

Sponsor a Scouting Troop  

The Rotary Club works with the Cub Scout troop at Harbor Hills housing project.   

PV Sunset                             
John Jaacks    (310) 377-4857

Little League Project

The Rotary Club raised money and worked on putting in an irrigating system for the Little League Field in West LA.   A Rotary banner proudly hangs in the outfield

Westwood Village               
Peter More (310) 470-8998

Presidential Classroom

The Rotary Club raises money so that children can go to Washington DC to visit the White House (Presidential Classroom.) $1,500 was donated last year to support six students.

Beverly Hills                       
Linda Briskman (310) 285-1013

Youth Softball Clinic

The Rotary Club holds a softball clinic for disadvantaged kids.  Children (in 4^th through 8^th grades) are taught the fundamentals of baseball and softball.

Hawthorne                           
Jan Vogel   (310) 970-7700

Kitchen Renovation at the Wilmington Boys & Girls Club

The Rotary Club worked and paid to renovate and furnish kitchen to meet health code.  Repair structures, repaint and purchase appliances for kitchen to enable Boys & Girls Club to furnish nutritional meals and snacks for kids after-school and in daycare.

Palos Verdes Peninsula                      
Liz Fitzgerald   (310) 373-8060

Youth Forums

The Rotary Club established a forum to enable young people to express their concerns to representatives of the community.  The club established a second forum to provide resources to meet these concerns.

Wilmington                                          Dave Williams (310)834-6926

Spirit of Venice

Youth in the Venice area of the Los Angeles School District and those reached through Venice outreach programs are referred to the “Spirit of Venice” which provides employment opportunities.  Program participants decide on tasks to provide services.  The first service offered to the community is painting contractors.

Venice-Marina        
Jeffrey Solomon (310) 396-1585 or
David Maxwell (310) 305-1080                                             

YMCA Pancake Breakfast

The Rotary Club puts on a community pancake breakfast that serves 1200 meals.  The breakfast raises $6,000 for the local YMCA.  This program is in its 54^th year.

Downey                                                Kevin MacDonald 562-803-4606

 Essay Contest

The Rotary Club sponsors an essay contest where children write a 250 word essay on how they can help the community.   The essays are judged by a group of 12 volunteers.

Inglewood                                 
Janet Ganaway  (323) 644-2216                     

HOLIDAY PROJECTS

Special Holiday Show

Annual distribution of Christmas presents and presentation of a puppet show for young children and those with physical/mental disabilities. 

Del Amo                                   
Stu Lang (310) 540-1736

Santa at School for Disabled Children

The President of the Rotary Club plays Santa each year for a group of disabled and terminally ill students at a local elementary school.  Members of the club meet beforehand to wrap donated gifts which are handed out at the party.

Redondo Beach                        
Terry Bichlmeier  (310)  376-8852

Brighten Spirits at Holiday Time

Club members meet with seniors at the Salvation Army daycare center for adults.  Rotarians and patients eat together, sing with Karioke machine and play games at this holiday luncheon.

San Pedro                        
Rick Hildebrandt  (310) 548-7882

Christmas Shopping Spree

Club takes kids from Boys & Girls Club and the YMCA to dinner and to shop for gifts for the family.

Westwood Village           
Mike Yousem  (310) 474-1525

Thanksgiving Meals

Two Rotary Clubs cooperate to give gifts, door prizes, entertainment at a Thanksgiving Dinner  for 500 needy people.   Churches, City Hall and the Salvation Army refer families to the program.

South Gate, Dominguez Carson                 Ted Chandler (714) 974-2263 

Essay Contest

Children from three elementary schools write essays about what holiday mean to them.  The best essay wins a visit from Santa Claus to the school.  Santa arrives by helicopter on the school grounds.  700 students receive gifts.  

Inglewood                       
Diana Sanchez  (310) 646-5742,
Pat  Bennett (310) 645-9610

Gifts for Battered Women

Work with a battered women’s shelter to provide gifts for women at Christmas-time.  Too often the women are forgotten during the holidays while the children are provided with gifts.

Bellflower
Ken Hall  (562) 427-0911

Rio Hondo Homebound Senior Christmas Party

Rotarians celebrate Christmas with homebound senior citizens.  The Rotarians help to transport seniors to a park location, serve meals, sing Christmas songs and distribute gifts to the seniors.

Rio Hondo                                                 Suzanne Sundberg  (562) 806-5400 ext. 139

Adopt – A – Family

Club gets a wish list from families in Domestic Violence Programs.  The club buys gifts for the entire family.  The family only knows the gifts come from Santa (or the Downey Rotary)

Downey                                                    Kevin McDonald  562-803-4606

Thanksgiving Dinner

Club serves Thanksgiving Dinner for 900 at a senior center.  This project provides great fun, song and fellowship.

Paramount                                                Karen Kelley  562-531-1403

Christmas at a Convalescent Hospital

Club members visit a Convalescent Hospital at Christmas.  They bring presents and sing Christmas carols.  They bring Santa, food, fellowship and the club piano player.

Paramount                                              Karen Kelley  562-531-1403

Sellery School Santa and Easter Bunny

Rotarians and Interact students visit a special needs school and bring fits and food during the holidays.  In the spring they return to the school and do an easter egg hunt.

Gardena                                                 Lee Ayers 310-329-7581

Thanksgiving Activities

Rotarians serve Thanksgiving meals at a local youth center and at a senior center.

Watts Willowbrook.                             LeRoy Jones 323-939-2027

Give a Gift to Santa

Rotarians and their children share fellowship and give a gift to Santa.  The gifts are then donated to Red Shield.

Wilshire                                                 Rob Barnes  (213) 892-9308

Food for the Holidays

During the holiday season, when the Rotary club is dark and does not hold meetings, members are charged for the food (as if there were a meeting).  The proceeds are donated to charities such as the Salvation Army Food Pantry, Toberman Settlement House, Food Bank so they can help to feed those in need during the holiday.

San Pedro                                          Scott Donnelly (310) 832-7255

Holidays in Vernon

Food baskets/boxes are given to 40 families at Christmas.  Some have told Rotarians they wouldn’t have eaten without that contribution.  Rotarians also give sweatshirts or other shirts to each student at the Vernon Elementary School.  Santa arrives on a fire engine and talks to each student, gives them a shirt and candy.

Vernon                                                Marie Fremd   (323) 262-1101

SENIOR PROJECTS

Senior Safe

Rotarians are paired with Interact students and other teens and together visit the homes of seniors to assess their needs for safety items.   Teams return and install items such as smoke detectors, fire alarms, non-slip mats, safety locks.

San Pedro
Helene Pizzini (310) 547-0831

Senior Program

Westwood Rotary club works with YMCA to present an exercise program for those with Parkinson’s Disease.

Westwood Village
George Dea   (818) 995-1682

“Keepsafe” Palos Verdes

H.E.L.P. (an organization assisting seniors in the Palos Verdes area (and led by a Rotarian), presents programs on senior abuse to keep senior’s safer and help the community recognize this problem.

Palos Verdes Peninsula                           Ethel Gross  (310) 544-1329

Food Delivery

Bread and other bakery items are delivered to the local Senior Center every 3-4 weeks.

Watts/Willowbrook                                 Greg Robinson   (310) 603-7401

Helpguide.org

This is a monthly newsletter & website providing expert information on health and aging put out by a local Rotary club

Santa Monica                                          Jack Siegal (310) 395-1427

HOUSING/HOMELESSNES

Habitat for Humanity

Several clubs helped raise funds for Habitat for Humanity and also sponsored days when club members actually went to a site and assisted with the building.   Clubs often included spouses and Interact/Rotaract students in the project.

Harbor City-Gateway Sunset, Wilmington, San Pedro       
Liisa Penrose 562-427-4663

Rotary Cares

Club identifies local senior citizen who has lived in the community for over 25 years and is unable to maintain their home.  Club arranges a work day to replace windows, fix plumbing, paint home and landscape.  Over fifty members and family work together to help a member of our community.

Manhattan Beach                          
Steve DeBaets     (310) 545-0914

New Directions

The District Task Force on Urban Poverty visited New Directions for Veterans, which trains homeless veterans.  As a result of that visit, the Century City Club now buys their lunches from this organization’s catering department.  New Directions provides job/life training for homeless veterans.

Century City                                  
John Mertens  (310) 226-2700

Spring Cleaning

The club donates towels and comforters to “Pathway” for their homeless program.

Inglewood                                     
Diana Sanchez  (320) 646-5742

HEALTH AND SAFETY

District Cell Phone Project

Cell phones were collected by Rotarians throughout the district and donated to the ???

So they can be re-programmed to dial 911.  Women receive these phones and the district received funds which were then donated to a special fund for needy women overseas.

District Project                               
Angi Ma Wong 310-541-8818

Cell Phone Project

Rotarians take cell phones to women’s shelters and other locations so that they can be put to good use

Hawthorne                                    
Dan Hansen 310-680-3755

Fire Poster Safety Contest

Fire Department and Rotary club work together with 3^rd,4^th and fifth grade students to create posters on a specific Fire Safety theme.  Awards are given at a joint meeting held at the fire station with parents and teachers attending.  Fire Department cooks lunch.

El Segundo                                       
Joe Harding (310)615-0015

Cheery Visits

Rotarians visit those in a convalescent home to bring some companionship to those that are lonely.  They have conversations, presentations, and story telling. 

Watts-Willowbrook                          
Sam Neely  (323) 589-5571

Risk Watch Injury Prevention Program

Provide teacher manuals and individual student workbooks to a local school for the Risk Watch injury prevention program.  This program is presented by teachers in each grade at the elementary school, in coordination with local police and fire stations.  Students learn the dangers present in their lives such as fire safety, water safety, choking/suffocation.

Wilshire                                            
John Miron (213) 639-3550

Poster Contest

Rotarians hold a poster contest around the theme of the harm of tobacco use. 

Hawthorne                                         
Dr. Julian Lopez  310-263-3201

Every 15 Minutes

Mock drunk driving accident is staged for high school seniors.  Program involves police and fire, teachers students and Rotarians.  This project has great impact on students as they see the results of the accident on the victims and those who knew and loved them and on the driver.

Westchester                                        Heather Martillo  310-216-1160

Health Fair

LA 5 Rotarians plan and coordinate a health fair for the community.   Different organizations each have a booth and give out information or provide a health related service (blood pressure measurement, body fat testing, etc.) 

Loa Angeles 5         
Dr. Sumi Kawaratanit 213-628-1020 or Ed Matveld at 818-761-1457

HUNGER/MALNUTRITION

Hope-net Food Partnership

Rotarians collect food monthly to be donated to Hope-net, a non-denominational affiliation of seven churches.

Wilshire                                             
John Miron  (213) 639-3550

Food for the Mission

Rotarians from clubs in the district collected non-perishable food and brought the cans to a district breakfast.   The food collected was distributed to the Mission in Los Angeles.

District 5280                                    Helene Pizzini (310) 547-0831 

EDUCATION/LITERACY

College Scholarship Program

Rotary Club grants two $1,000 scholarship for four year college students and 2 $500

scholarships for high school seniors who will attend a two year college.  Applicants are picked for financial need, grades and recommendations from high school counselors.

Palos Verdes Peninsula                
Jackie Ignon  (310)316-6129

Help a Child Succeed

Rotarians help middle school children attending the Boys & Girls Club by assisting with homework and by tutoring in math and reading.. 

San Pedro                         
John Greenwood  310-548-2881

Project EGO (Educational Growth Opportunity)

The Rotary project takes students who are at risk of not getting a high school diploma who need only a few extra credits, more motivation etc. and providing them with help so that they have a chance to graduate on time.  Work closely with local high school counselors.     

Palos Verdes Sunset                   
Charles V. Ferraro (310) 377-1592

Teacher Mini-Grants

The Rotary Club reviews applications from all elementary class teachers in Redondo Beach for special needs for their class.  From $50 up to $250 can be reimbursement for special projects or to assist teachers with other needs.

Redondo Beach                            
Chuck Anderson  310-374-8832

The Rotary Club cooperates with the local Chamber of Commerce Education Committee.  Rotary donates funds and also raises matching funds to be given to teachers who submit proposals for the grant dollars.  The average grant is $250 and over $12,000 is donated annually

Westchester                                   
Gwen Vuchsas        (310) 306-8525

Literacy Presentations

Rotarians support the Friends of the Library.  Members are part of a panel which makes annual presentation on literacy topics. 

Watts-Willowbrook
Alma Woods      323-581-6763

Share the Joy of Reading

For fifty-one years, the Rotary club has been holding an annual used book sale for the community.  Community members purchase books and donate books.   This activity provides community service funds for the club and also spreads the joy or reading in the community.

Westchester                                               Rod Tyler   310-670-4522

Dictionaries to Third Graders

The Rotary Club purchases American Heritage Dictionaries at a discount and distributed to third graders.  At the presentation ceremony, the Four Way Test is presented to each child.  Thank you letters from the kids are read at meetings.

Wilshire                                                     John Miron (213) 639-3550

Reading by Nine Projects

The Rotary Club donates reading materials to local schools and reads stories to elementary school children.

Lawndale                                                   Hedy Downing  310-641-2358

The Rotary Club donates books to local elementary schools in Wilmington.

Wilmington                                                Margie Hernandez 310-732-3672

The Rotary Club sponsors this event where third to fifth graders receive and exchange books and listen to presentations on Rotary, about service and the importance of reading and sharing.

Watts-Willowbrook                                   Oscar Williams 323-777-5369

Literacy Program

The Rotary Club sponsors literacy programs presented for the staff of various corporations so that they may learn English.

Beverly Hills                                              Linda Briskman (310) 285-1013

EMPLOYMENT

Career Day at the High School

The Rotary Club sponsors a career day at the Beverly Hills High School.  Members of the club speak to seniors and talk about their careers.

Beverly Hills                                              Linda Briskman (310) 285-1013

Dress for Success

Rotarians teach young people at the Boys & Girls Club how to dress for a job interview and also go over interviewing skills.  Project will expand to giving clothing as well.

San Pedro                                                  Deanna Deering 310-833-0514

MISCELLANEOUS

ARC Fishing Derby

Rotary Club members spend four hours with handicapped members of the Southeast Area ARC – They are teamed one on one to fish at a local pond

Downey                                                     Kevin McDonald 562-803-4606