Greeting all! 

I hope you had a restful, enjoyable Labor Day weekend.

 

This month we are highlighting our own Salem Rotary Foundation, how as members we can invest, as well as its important work in our community. We’ll have a SRF Moment at each meeting, with a special program on September 23rd, with Past President Ellen Wyant presiding.

 

The Rotary Club of Salem established Salem Rotary Foundation (SRF) as a 501©(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization in 1969. The purpose of SRF is to benefit the health, education and general welfare, principally of young people in the Salem area by awarding grants to local nonprofit organizations that focus on such programs.

 

Annually, the permanent investment fund disburses a percentage of funds (based on a standing formula) to the Rotary Club of Salem which, in turn, identifies projects and non-profit organizations to support. From 2000-2019, SRF has awarded 116 grants to 50 Salem area non-profits. To learn more about the organizations with which we’ve been honored to partner through 2019, click here. At our September 23rd meeting foundation members will share about our most recent grant recipients.

 

The funds raised for SRF through bellringers, speaker recognition, our events and more continue to positively impact our community through SRF annual grants. For me, as a youth serving provider in our community, I am grateful for the support our Rotary Club and SRF have provided my organization over the years-this year providing funds through the small grants program to help us purchase backpacks and supplies for many of our community’s most needy youth-the day we handed them out in a drive-through event, they went like wildfire-and there was such joy and gratitude shown (one little girl who received a Disney Frozen princess backpack nearly jumped through the car window with glee as I handed it to her!). On the 23rd you’ll have the opportunity to see some highlights from our most recent grant recipients.

 

See you Wednesday!