Why Being Kind Is As Important As Ever | Rotary International

Many Rotary, Rotaract, and Interact clubs are setting that tone and finding creative ways to be kind to their neighbors. Here are just a few of them:

The Rotary Club of Saint-Denis, Réunion, and the Inner Wheel Club Saint-Denis Vanille, Réunion, France, bought computers and tablets with wireless routers to give to a local nursing home to enable family members to connect with residents while the home was closed to visitors due to the pandemic.

The Rotary clubs of Almere and Almere Weerwater, Netherlands, purchased 2,600 bouquets totaling 52,000 tulips to give to health care workers at 77 locations in Almere.

The Rotary Club of Bensheim-Heppenheim, Germany, provided a two-hour virtual musical concert for residents and caregivers in senior living homes. Bruno Weis, a member of the club, and two colleagues performed from areas outside the facilities while residents watched from the safety of their balconies or nearby park benches.

The Interact Club of Kayhi, Alaska, USA, held a virtual high school prom for more than 500 students with help from a radio station that’s managed by a Rotary member. The club paid for a band and conducted dance and trivia contests, with prizes from local businesses.

The Rotary Club of Downtown Los Angeles, California, USA, built and stocked a dozen public bookcases around the city so children and adults would have better access to books. People use them to both take and give books. The libraries reach areas without many sources of books, especially when public libraries are closed.

The Rotary Club of Molina de Segura, Spain, which holds an annual art contest for children, extended the age range to allow entries from children 3-18 years old and invited students throughout the country to submit art work that expressed why it is important to stay at home during the pandemic. The club’s objective was to give students something to do while social distancing and allow them to express how they were feeling about the pandemic.

Kenya, Africa, has a thriving flower industry, but during the lockdown, many large-scale flower exporters and small-scale growers have been unable to sell their blooms. Rotary members in District 9212 partnered with other organizations to purchase and distribute flowers at five different hospitals. The goal was to show appreciation for the health care workers but also support the growers and let them know they are a valued part of the community.