Youth
We’ve been involved in a numerous and varied projects benefiting children of all ages over the years. Take a look at these fun yet impactful, local projects to make the day a brighter one:
- Star Camp—Cutter Scout Reservation
- The Children’s Place Legacy Foundation—YMCA Camp Loma Mar
- Kindergarten Take Home Book Program—Hoover School
- Childhood Literacy Program—Fair Oaks, Garfield, Hoover, and Taft Schools
- Holy Family School At The St. Francis Center—Redwood City
- Redwood City Rotary Club Pal Centennial Scholarship—Redwood City
- Pal Comedy Night—Redwood City
- Rotary Top Gear—Redwood City
- Dictionaries To Project Read—Redwood City
There’s always room in Rotary and in our Youth Committee for more committed folks! Contact Fred Strathdee at fstrathdee@hotmail.com for more information.
STAR Camp— Cutter Scout Reservation
The Sheriff's Office sponsors a S.T.A.R Camp—Sheriff's Training and Recreation—at Cutter Scout Reservation, near Big Basin State Park. At risk youth that attend enjoy traditional camping activities such as canoeing and hiking. Educational components surrounding drug awareness and gang prevention is also presented. Campers are supervised by deputy sheriffs, explorers, and the Boy Scout Summer Camp staff. Many of these children are introduced to the camping lifestyle for the first time, complete with marshmallow roasts and mosquito bites.
"These camps break down barriers and enable friendships among the campers, and with law enforcement representatives," sa
id Bronwyn Hogan, public information officer for the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office. "The Sheriff's Office wants to provide role models for the youth of the community, while offering kids an opportunity for fun and friends." The camps are funded through community donations. Without donations for the camp, the Sheriff’s Office would not be able to implement the program.
The Redwood City Rotary Club recognizes the importance of this program and frequently financially supports the program. About 100 youth benefit from this camp each summer.
The Children’s Place Legacy Foundation
The Children’s Place is a non-profit agency focusing on changing the perception and approach to chemical dependency. The Redwood City Rotary Club sponsored five children of drug addicts to participate in a camp designed around their needs. Camp is six days with five overnights at the YMCA Camp Loma Mar in the Santa Cruz mountains. Each year about 30 children from 8 to 11 who have participated in The Children’s Place program, can put aside the stress and concerns of growing up in a chemically dependent family and attend Kid’s Camp. Camp is a time of genuine caring. It is a time of finding a safe place to share with old friends and to make new ones. It is a time to play games such as Dodge Ball or Red Rover. It is a time to laugh when your friend tells a dumb joke or a time to cry when someone in group shares something painful. It is also a time to learn, to grow, to trust and to heal. During this process the children build upon their strengths, deepen their resilience, and further their intrinsic beauty and worth.
Approximately 30 youth of drug addicted parents attended a camp designed for their needs.
Kindergarten Take Home Book Program
In our endeavor to foster literacy at an even younger age, we funded the Kindergarten Take Home Book Program at Hoover in September of 2006. These funds were used by the Redwood City School District to purchase new books and program materials. This initiative gets more young children to read—and it does so by encouraging them to ask their parents to read to them! The program distributes canvas bags full of books to the kindergarten students. The bags, labeled Read To Me, are exchanged with other classmates so "new" books go home with a child each week. Throughout the school year, the students are exposed to as many as 100 different books. This program increases literacy and encourages families to read to their young children.
Forty-five youth benefit from this program.
Childhood Literacy Program
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We partnered once again with the Peninsula Sunrise Rotary in addressing the challenges of childhood literacy. Each Club donated toward the purchase of dictionaries for 3rd graders at Fair Oaks, Garfield, and Taft.
The Rotary Club of Redwood City went several steps further and purchased English/Spanish dictionaries for 6th and 7th graders at Hoover, and 6th graders at Garfield. We also purchased dictionaries for 3rd grade students at Hoover. In total, we distributed 297 dictionaries to the 3rd grade, 164 dictionaries to the 6th grade, and 75 to the 7th grade.
Holy Family School At The St. Francis Center
Holy Family School was started in 2001 for 12 children when they were in Kindergarten and didn’t speak English. Sister Cristina took these promising young students and formed a school where they can achieve and learn English. Now they are poised and fluent fourth-graders. After six grade, they will go to Sacred Heart in San Jose. "If they do well, they will go to Catholic high school," says Sister Christina.
The key to the program is the mothers. They must come one full day a week to learn English, and study computers. "It's non-negotiable," she says. Sister Christina says it's really important that mothers not be dependent on their children to translate for them, and to fill out forms. "That role reversal is not healthy," she insists.
On a visit, the Redwood City Rotary visited the Holy Family School in Redwood City and gave out English/Spanish dictionaries, Harry Potter books, and a DVD encyclopedia. The sixth grade students were deeply appreciative of our gifts.
About 12 youth have benefited from this donation.
Redwood City Rotary Club Pal Centennial Scholarship
The Rotary Club of Redwood City, as part of its commemoration of the 2005 Centennial Year of Rotary International, partnered with the Redwood City Police Activities League (PAL). Our club committed to funding two annual Scholarship Awards of $500 each for five years, commencing in the spring of 2005. PAL
selects two students to receive Rotary of Redwood City scholarships: the “Stairway to Success” Award for PAL Youth of the Year and Pal Volunteer of the Year, recognizing outstanding achievement with the Redwood City Police Activities League (PAL) program and commemorating The Centennial of Rotary International.
Over time, ten youth benefit from this scholarship.
Pal Comedy Night
In October 2006 The Rotary Club participated by having Rotarians on the Comedy Night Committee. Additional Rotarians volunteer to assist with the set-up, bartending, wine service, roving to pick up dishes and glasses, monitoring the silent and live auctions; and cleaning-up after the event.
The Comedy Night event was an event for the local Police Activities League program. The event began outside the Fox Theater in Redwood City. The street was closed down and four local restaurants set up five food stations and three bars. A local rental company donated all of the tables, linens and glassware. Two silent auctions were set up on the sidewalks. The event later moved inside the Fox Theater, where comedian Bob Sarlatte entertained and local businessman Frank Bizzaro held a live auction. The night ended with a comedy act.
This event raised over $150,000 for the PAL programs.
Approximately 3,500 youth in Redwood City will be touched by the funds provided by this fundraiser through the local police activities league program.
Rotary Top Gear
We also sponsor students for the Rotary Top Gear program. With the help of Youth and Family Enrichment Services, two students were identified as worthy candidates. Both are non-traditional leaders and were thrilled to be asked. They join a cadre of students for a leadership skills weekend in mid-March.
Top Gear is an inspirational program that develops leadership skills, team building, and a service attitude towards school and community. Many students credit Top Gear as a turning point in their lives.
Approximately two youth in Redwood City will be touched by the funds provided by Rotary.
Dictionaries To Project Read
In July of 2006 we decided to honor our guest speakers by donating a dictionary to Redwood City Project READ in their name, as opposed to simply giving them a gift.
Now, each guest speaker signs a book plate that is inserted into the book prior to the donation to Project READ.
Redwood City Project READ is a four-time, award-winning organization committed to providing literacy training throughout our diverse community. It is integrated with Redwood City's Public Library and closely aligned with all schools within Redwood City. People helping people to build self-esteem is the common thread linking Project READ to our community.
Each year, approximately 50 youth in Redwood City will be touched by the books.