Hope Children’s Home students, supported by Chestnut Hill Rotary, offers care to abused and neglected children in Guyana from infants to 18 years of age.
The Rotary Club of Chestnut Hill continues its extensive outreach in the community by recently awarding grants to 15 local and international organizations that fall within several of Rotary International’s areas of focus: supporting education, improving local communities, and protecting the environment.
Chestnut Hill Rotary members painting dining room at Face to Face Germantown.
Founded in 1995, Chestnut Hill Rotary is known for its hands-on community service projects in the Mt. Airy, Germantown, and Chestnut Hill areas such as painting the dining room at Face to Face, purchasing and distributing dictionaries to nearby schools in need, or maintaining one of the Chestnut Hill Garden District’s many urban parks.
Perhaps less know are the grants Chestnut Hill Rotary distributes to support more than a dozen local and international organizations each year. The club accomplishes this with fundraising efforts through its charitable foundation, supported and operated by its members. The club creates successful events each year such as the Lobsterfest dinner or wine tasting events.
What separates this foundation from others? Mainly, its members.
The club utilizes its members’ extensive knowledge of the local and international communities to identify areas of need, and together work to improve that community. Using the same knowledge and connections, along with a passion for doing good, the foundation provides financial support to selected nonprofit organizations through its grant program.
“Our members bring their own long-term involvement with individual organizations with them. They invite the leaders from their own outreach efforts to speak at our meetings and share their personal enthusiasm with other members.”
For example, funding from the foundation last year helped reopen the library this year at the Jenks Academy for the Arts and Sciences, one of only a few dozen in the School District of Philadelphia, according to a recent Philadelphia Inquirer article.
Jenks Academy of Arts and Sciences community celebrating new library. Photo by Tom Gralish, Inquirer staff photographer.
“We are fortunate to have so many incredible partnerships in our community willing to support our school. Monetary donations were also generously provided by the Chestnut Hill Rotary Club, which directly supported our new student lending library space.” said Principal and club member, Corinne Scioli.
Supporting education is one of Rotary's seven areas of focus. The organization states that more than 775 million people over the age of 15 are illiterate. That’s 17 percent of the world’s adult population. Rotary’s goal is to strengthens the capacity of communities to support basic education and literacy, reduce gender-disparity in education, and increase adult literacy.
“The Chestnut Hill Rotary has provided our school with a strong literacy partnership through book donations, dictionaries for our third-grade students, serving as reading volunteers and by “rolling up our sleeves” to beautify spaces for our children.”
"We fund a variety of projects that promote literacy, fight food insecurity, and support environmental initiatives, and we really love it when we can dig in and lend a hand," said Foundation of the Rotary Club of Chestnut Hill President, Maggie Stoeffel.
The club regularly and literally "digs in" to help maintain the plantings at the pergola at Cresheim Valley Drive and Germantown Avenue which is part of the Chestnut Hill Garden District's array of small parks, an essential part of the local environment.
“A desire to make a difference in our community is definitely what binds us together as a club.”
Chestnut Hill Rotary members maintaining the pergola at Cresheim Valley Drive and Germantown Avenue.
The club provides financial support for maintenance programs at Chestnut Hill Garden District’s Peace Park, one of many lush pockets of parks that adjoin Germantown Avenue.
Peace Park, located at Germantown and East Mermaid Lane, was renamed in 2019 in collaboration with the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism and Chestnut Hill Rotary to honor the memory of Johanna Sigmund, who was killed in the 9/11 attacks. Her father, John, who passed away in 2021, was a member of the club and prominent member of the community.
In the local community, The Foundation of the Rotary Club of Chestnut Hill’s outreach efforts also helped to support:
Students from Emlen Elementary school receive books donated and distributed by Chestnut Hill Rotary.
Prevention Point Philadelphia’s programs that promote health, empowerment and safety for communities affected by drug use and poverty.
School programs designed to build personal development and leadership skills at Parkway NW High School for Peace and Social Justice.
Recyclable food bags for Chestnut Hill Meals on Wheels program that serve daily nutritional needs of any of our neighbors challenged by illness, disability or age.
PathWays PA programs that provide women, children and families residential and community-based services as they work to break the cycle of poverty, homelessness, and abuse.
Struggling families and individuals who are experiencing homelessness through Face to Face Germantown’s comprehensive programs.
Skills, opportunities, and transitional employment to people returning from prison through People Advancing Reintegration Recycle Works’ innovative programs which helps to build safer communities and contribute to stronger families while saving taxpayer money.
Science teaching module for students at Emlen Elementary School in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia.
The purchase and distribuition of dictionaries for third graders at Emlen Elementary School, Jenks Academy for the Arts and Sciences, and Henry H. Houston School.
The Business Center that provides education and business networking programs necessary to strengthen the business formation necessary to contribute to improving Northwest Philadelphia’s minority business ecosystem.
In the international community, outreach efforts helped support:
Ronald Wnika, block-laying student with a plumbbob at Bududa Learning Center, Uganda.
Hope Children’s Home that offers care to abused and neglected children in Guyana from infants to 18 years of age.
Educational training programs that support orphaned children, job training for young adults, and small business loans for impoverished women at the Bududa Learning Center in Uganda.
Corazon House & Septic Build Project with Yorba Linda Sunrise Rotary Club that provides a house for a family in need in Mexico.
ShelterBox programs that provide immediate shelter and support to communities around the world who are impacted by natural disasters or conflicts.
According to Stoffel, "Working side by side on projects that we’re passionate about - that’s the best!
“I’m so proud that our club is able to support a wide array of community and international organizations with more insight than most individual donors will ever have, Sears added.
Published on LinkedIn November 3, 2022.
Find out how you can become a member of the Rotary Club of Chestnut Hill or make a donation.
