SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS - March 13th 2014
At the March 13th 2014 weekly meeting we welcomed Rotarian Cheryl Ewing (Rotary Club of Kitchener) who heads the District 7080 Mexico Shoebox Project, now in its 16th year.
“When I took my first trip to Nogales I finally truly understood the power of Rotary. The willingness of strangers to put us up and help us get to the project—the diversity among us, but at our core, common values— it was overwhelming.”
The project, now entitled “Shoebox & Beyond”, brings much-needed aid to two impoverished Mexican communities – Nogales and Aqua Prieta. The program provides shoeboxes filled with necessities such as groceries, blankets, warm clothes, backpacks, hygiene supplies, and textbooks. Through the project they have also been able to provide the community medical supplies, firefighting equipment, educational fire safety colouring books, and one year, even an ambulance!
After four years with the project, one of the Nogales Rotarians said, “Cheryl, you keep coming back and we trust you because you do so.” Cheryl realized that her real success had been about building relationships with the Rotarians of Nogales; getting to know the people her work was helping on a deeper, richer level. Today she says the project is as much about going to visit friends as it is about doing the work of Rotary.
“It’s about sustainability; not necessarily in providing things, but in building sustainable relationships. By building these relationships, you truly know the people you are working with and helping, and they feel they can be honest with you about the needs of their community. Even better, understanding how much alike we are in our hearts, that this is where change takes place. That is the power of Rotary.”
Today Cheryl leads a District/US team of over a dozen volunteers to make the annual trip to Mexico. “Seeing the changes in the community as a result of our work, and being a major part of that, is something I am deeply proud of.” In January of 2014 the Shoebox & Beyond project celebrated its 16th anniversary. And it shows no sign of stopping!
Our Rotary Club has supported this project for many years, and Club member Margaret Nixon has gone on 2 of the trips with the District team and serves on the organizing committee. We were pleased to once again present Cheryl with our donation of $1,000 towards the project.
(Rotarian Thomas Newby presents Cheryl Ewing with our $1,000 donation)
And while we were handing out cheques, we presented Rotarian Ann Caine with our cheque for $4,000, our donation made to the Sunrise Therapeutic Riding & Learning Centre from the proceeds of the recent "Taste Of Italy" Pasta Dinner held at the Puslinch Community Centre. (Ann is Executive Director of Sunrise).
(Rotarian/Service Projects Committee Chair Frank Oudesluys presents Ann Caine with our $4,000 donation)