WE'VE BEEN BUSY!
 

Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay Community Service Projects 2023-24

1. ALAS - Club contributed $1750 for Thanksgiving dinners to farm laborers.

2. Free Breakfast - on the last Wednesday of each month club members prepare breakfast from 6 am to 10 am for the community in coordination with Abundant Grace Coastside Worker

3. Dictionaries - we purchase and distribute dictionaries to third graders every year. 

4. Adopt a Family with Coastside Hope- adopted 2 seniors this year and bought requested items totaling $300.

5. Along with members of the Woodside/Portola Club we participated in the California Coastal beach clean up in September. 

6. Club provided gift certificates to new incoming teachers in the Cabrillo Unified School District.

7. Coastside Hope Special Delivery program shopping for personal items for 8 families registered with Coastside Hope and members pack and deliver.

8. Have constructed and installed 8 " Little Libraries" in different areas of the Coastside with approval of the City of Half Moon Bay. We continue to stock and maintain the Little Libraries. 

9. Senior Coastsiders - Our Rotary Team weeded, string trimmed, cut down a tree and trimmed hedges for two homes on Senior Rehab Day. Some Club members also did individual yard clean ups throughout the year. 

10. Senior Coastsiders - Club members participated in the “Meals on Wheels” program to act as back up relief for volunteers who are unable to be there.

11. Relay for Life with the American Cancer Society - Club team was able to raise over $12,000 for cancer research.

12.  Life Skills at the High School - Club members provide a series of classes at all three Coastside Schools that help fill some education gaps that may be missing for graduating seniors and prepare them to enter the workplace. We wrap up the sessions with mock interviews. 

13. Provided support for the farmworkers affected by the tragic shootings of Jan. 2023. We created a special fund and have been providing support for them by purchasing household items as needed including mattresses as they are "first time"  apartment dwellers,  along with other small appliances as needed. We partner with Coastside Hope on this project. 

14.  Coastside Hope - Donated $1,200 to Coastside Hope to support their Adopt-A-Family program to help provide gifts to 200 families and over 100 seniors on the Coastside. 

15.  School Backpack Drive - donated $500 to the backpack drive. 

 
In The Community and Youth

Coastside Beach Clean Up

We meet at Dunes Beach and work our way south to Venice Beach for beach and trail cleanups.  Trash on our streets, trails and beaches ends up in the ocean.  We encourage everyone to help whether it's at the beach or near their home in their neighborhood.  

Gardening for Seniors
We partner with the Senior Coastsiders to help their homebound members tend their yards/gardens. A group of Rotarians and friends prune trees, shrubs and weed gardens several times a year in the spring and fall.
See #9 above.
Home Rehab Day
Together with the Senior Coastsiders, we help to rehabilitate a home or garden for seniors.  See #11 above.
Interact
We support and sponsor the Interact Club at the Half Moon Bay High School. We provide guidance and a insight for their leadership, community service and enrichment projects.
Rotary Student Exchange Program
Each year our club hosts a student exchange from another country. Belgium,  Denmark, Ecuador, France, Italy, Germany, and Italy are among some of the countries from which we've hosted. We have also sponsored students from Half Moon Bay to study in other countries around the world. 
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards RYLA
We sponsor several high school students to attend this leadership weekend retreat. It's a program to help emerging leaders develop their skills.
Dictionary Distribution
Each year we distribute a dictionary to each third grader in our community schools both public and private as well as home schoolers. These fully illustrated MacMillan dictionaries are books the kids look forward to receiving.  See #10 above.
 
Life Skills Program for Coastside High School Seniors
The classes were created to  help students transition from high school to college or the work place with as much practical experience as possible 14 years ago.
Classes are taught by volunteers, all of whom are local business professionals from the Coastside including Rotary Club members. Annually all three high schools hear back from graduates with praise for the program.  They credit it with helping them land their dream job, or in selecting a career they love.
Course topics included: 
1) Resume Writing – How to write a good resume, what to include or not include, and what are businesses really looking for, along with Linkedin profiles. 
2) Financial Skills – Budgeting and planning ahead, banking and credit card fundamentals, financial tracking tools, 401k options.
3) Computer Skills – Computer maintenance, spyware, privacy, social networking etiquette 
4) Tread Lightly and Avoid the Pitfalls – How to get the job and keep it, dealing with people and difficult situations, sexual harassment, human resources, etc.
5) Mock Interviews – How to interview, what to wear, how to act, etc. Students come dressed for an interview with resume in hand.

The classes are very well received by the students and are part of the English curriculum in all the schools. 
For more information on the program or to see how you can participate, contact Charise McHugh at (650) 888 9396.
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
In The Community

Adopt A Family

At Christmas, we participate in the Coastside Hope's Adopt A Family program. We adopt one or 2 families and purchase much needed gifts.
 
Support for Abundant Grace Coastside Worker
 
 
 
International Service
Helping in Mexico Again This Year
Our club had a team in La Paz, Mexico, Baja California Sur again supporting a medical clinic. They delivered gifts to the Director and helped move a donated mobile unit to the clinic property.
Our team in La Paz worked at the Fundacion Astra. They split the work — two club members put activity packets together for the children and three started to strip the newly acquired mobile medical clinic in preparation of its facelift. They ended the evening with a farewell dinner for the hosts…. Until next time!!
ShelterBox
Shelterbox provides emergency disaster relief goods such as tents, water purifiers, cooking essentials around the world. Such deployment efforts include the earthquake and super-typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, Syrian refugees, tornado relief efforts in Oklahoma and Nigeria to name a few.
Microcredit in Ecuador
Providing small loans to emerging businesses allows individuals to help themselves. In this case, we supported a microcredit project in Ecuador where there is currently a 100% repayment rate and thriving businesses providing support for their families. One example is of a woman who wanted to buy a large sack of rice and sell them in smaller, more cost effective sizes for her neighbors.
Clean Water in Ecuador
We work together with local Rotarians in Guyaquil, Ecuador to provide a clean water well in a remote village.