Vocational & Community Service Activities, Events and Projects

Community Service Committees
  1. STRIVE
  2. Pack-to-School
  3. Salvation Army Bell Ringers
  4. Meals on Wheels
  5. Egg Scramble
  6. Loaves & Fishes
  7. Basketball Tournament

Vocational Service Committees
  1. Vocational Talks
  2. Vocational Visits
  3. Camp Enterprise
Committee Goals

The Vocational & Community Service Committee’s goals are to better
understand various vocations, become more aware of community needs and
be more visible in the community.  Specifically, these goals address the
following:

  1. Understanding Vocations: One of the objects of Rotary is the
    recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations and the
    dignifying of each Rotarian's occupation as an opportunity to serve
    society.  Vocational service will help members learn about mutual
    interests of members and will build goodwill and better friendships.  
  2. Community Awareness: There are many needs in our community that
    provide opportunities for service by our members and create
    awareness of human need.  Some of our members are very dedicated
    to special areas of service and should be supported by our Club.
  3. Club Visibility: It is important to be visible in the community so that
    residents, organizations and businesses know that Rotarians are
    serving and supporting the community.  This may also inspire new
    people to want to join Rotary.
Strategies to Achieve the Goals

  1. Vocational Visits: Give members a firsthand look at new businesses or
    services by devoting several meetings to vocational visits (i.e., MN
    Valley Wildlife Refuge, light rail transit opening, IKEA store.)
  2. Classification Talks: Inform members about vocations of new and old
    members, their family and interests.  Classification talks help Club
    members recall their names, lead to better friendships and point out
    areas for service.  
  3. STRIVE: Strive is a motivational program targeted to high school
    seniors who want to improve their present grades.  The Strive program
    has a proven record of accomplishment of helping students, the school,
    and the community.  Together, Rotary, community businesses and
    organizations, and your local school can make a difference in the lives
    of one of the most valuable resources in the community. Students in the
    lower one-third of the class often have the same natural abilities and
    gifts as those who are in the upper two-thirds of the class.  The
    difference is often motivation, attendance, work habits, self-esteem and
    success in the classroom.  Strive is one way to address all of these
    factors.  Strive is a program that began small and expanded as the
    success and promotion of the program grew.  The program is
    administered, supervised, and mentored through the efforts of the few
    enthused individuals from Rotary, the community, and the Kennedy
    High School that form the Strive Committee.  Don Stiles has done a
    superlative job of leading this program and we as a Club need to give
    more support (time and money) to it.  
  4. Pack to School: Do Pack-to-School as part of a Club meeting so that
    more members participate and become aware of the needs of
    disadvantaged kids.
  5. Egg Scramble: Egg Scramble is a community service event developed
    by Tom Truszinski.  Each year it has attracted more kids, parent,
    grandparents and members.  It now has a visible Bloomington Noon
    Rotary connection.
  6. Salvation Army Bell Ringers: The Salvation Army Bell Ringing is an on-
    going community service activity that both raises money for the needy
    and gives visibility to Rotary.  Lee Helms and Dick Herberg have been
    involved.   
  7. Service Awards for Juniors: Larry Lee has had discussions with high
    school principals about developing this award for Juniors.  It would help
    some of them to build a better resume for their college applications and
    give community recognition to their service.
  8. Meals-on-Wheels: Each of the past 2-3 years, our membership has
    had a meeting at the meals-on-wheels center and helped distribute
    meals to the community.  This is a worthy cause to support people in
    need.    
  9. Loaves and Fishes: Last year some of our members served the meals
    and provided cleanup at Creekside Center for one of the nightly
    dinners.  This is also a worthy cause to support people in need and
    should be expanded.  
  10. VEAP: VEAP, the neighbors helping neighbors organization, serves low-
    income, elderly, and disabled residents in the Bloomington, Edina, and
    Richfield area.  Their four main programs, Social Services, Food
    Services, Transportation Services and Seasonal Services, respond to
    the needs of hunger, poverty, disability, isolation, and the ongoing
    effects of these conditions.  Susan Freeman directs this program and
    Rotary should support worthy cause for people in need.  
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Community Service
Mission
An organization of
leaders working
together to make a
difference in our
community and the
world.
Copyright 2005 The Rotary Club of Bloomington, MN
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