Happy shrieks of children in the water park at Carnarvon Park and girls studying in Malawi schools mark the geographical spectrum of change Oak Bay Rotarians.
The club aims to feed body and mind globally.
A huge coup for the group is the multi-club (and Victoria Foundation among others) Food Rescue Project, where perishable food from grocery stores is re-distributed to vulnerable populations in the community, said longtime Oak Bay Rotary member Lorna Curtis who serves as district governor, leading one of the largest districts in North America with more than 91 clubs.
With food security a rapidly growing concern, the facility couldn’t open fast enough for the groups involved.
“It took four years to make it happen,” Curtis said.
These days, the Food Security Distribution Centre rescues and receives more than 10,000 pounds of food each week day from over 32 local grocery stores and donors distributes it through 75 regional social service agencies. When it first launched in 2017, some 30,000 people from across Greater Victoria accessed the provisions and now it’s closer to 50,000, she noted.
It’s among the endeavours members will celebrate on the club’s 50th anniversary on July 24 – with a dinner at the Uplands Golf Club, where the first club meeting took place July 24,1974.
The group is “committed to helping the local and international community,” Curtis said.
Another significant, ongoing local project is setting up and maintaining the rotary education fund for Threshold Housing. The non-profit organization offers safe housing, support, recovery, community and prevention for youth aged 15 to 24 at risk of homelessness.
“Threshold Housing does a lot to look after these young people in our community who need help,” Curtis said.
The education has funded $10,000 each year for the past three years for a student to pursue post-secondary education whether that’s tuition, books or living expenses.
“These kids don’t always have the opportunity or support system to get funds for scholarships so this helps give them a leg up,” Curtis said.
The Carnarvon water park, the first in the region according to Curtis, back to 1990, and is likely up next for some funding.
“Thousands and thousands of kids in our Greater Victoria community have used that park, but it’s tired, the whole park is tired,” she said.
While the club has socked away a small sum of cash for that project “we probably need to raise more," Curtis added.
The park upgrades are still in the planning phases by the District of Oak Bay.
Members give time and talent locally as well, from Christmas hamper distribution and bell-ringing at kettles for the Salvation Army to creating and distributing backpacks of essentials for kids heading back to school each fall.
“We’re also a volunteer group where, if there’s help needed, we’re there,” Curtis said.
The club also supports international projects both as a group and through individual members who take on special projects, Curtis said.
“The whole idea of rotary is to do service in your community locally and internationally and there’s lots of mechanisms within rotary to fund some of these projects.”
Oak Bay is among the rotary groups that support education in the African country of Malawi where students, girls in particular, tend to drop out after primary school. Another member is keen on working to help grandmothers raising their grandchildren in Rwanda.
Another is involved in a Guatemala project, helping residents get into trades and another who travels there to provide dental work.
Fundraisers are to support the programs vary, from the traditional bottle drive (the next one is Aug. 3 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Oak Bay High) to the more unusual flag subscription program.
In 2023, that program marked a decade of residents as far off as Sooke subscribing to have a Canadian flag planted in their yards for the Victoria Day, Canada Day, B.C. Day and Labour Day weekends.
“It’s always coming up with something different and unique that will inspire people to donate or help us. There are so many good organizations out there that are looking for funds and they’re all doing good work in the community,” Curtis said.
It started with 100 flags, and they now plant 500 each summer.
As part of the 50-year celebration, and to support its many endeavours, the Oak Bay Rotary hosts an online auction July 21 to 27 at oakbayrotary.ca.
“This is how we raise money to support these projects.”
