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We are the Rotary Club of Tacoma #8

Established in 1910, the Rotary Club of Tacoma is the 8th oldest Rotary Club in the world. We believe in the power of in-person connection, enhancing our beautiful local community, and contributing to the well-being of the world we live in. We would be delighted if you would join us at our next club meeting. Please contact the office at 253.473.7723 for information.

This Week at Rotary

This Week at Rotary

May 19, 2022

Presenter: Erin Guinup

Topic: Tacoma Refugee Choir

Erin Guinup is the Executive and Artistic Director of the Tacoma Refugee Choir.

She is a passionate advocate of community singing and the power of music to heal and unite communities. She has led community singing events and spoken at national conferences for Chorus America, National Association of Teachers of Singing, American Choral Director’s Association, and the International Congress of Voice Teachers in Stockholm, Sweden, and TEDxSeattle; and the world premiere of Orson Scott Card and Mark Mitchell’s He is There; singing with Israeli-Palestinian choir Common Ground Voices in Jerusalem and Europe; and vocal workshops with Fortune 100 companies including Amazon.

She is a composer and author, contributing to the books So You Want to Sing Music by Women and My Body Was Left on the Street: Music Education and Displacement. Most recently, Erin was named one of five Women to Watch by South Sound Magazine.

Erin will be with Tacoma Rotary #8 on Thursday, May 19, 2022, to share stories and songs from the Tacoma Refugee Choir.

Diversity Statement of the Rotary Club of Tacoma #8

The Rotary Club of Tacoma #8 is open to all people who want to make positive changes in our community and world. We welcome all members and guests, regardless of race, nationality, religion, faith, gender, sexual orientation, cultural background, and ability.

We will not tolerate racism. We strive to become an anti-racist organization. We are committed to learning more about how systemic racism has led to inequality in all systems – including education, housing, health, employment, wealth accumulation, policing, prosecution, sentencing, and incarceration – and working to eradicate inequality wherever we encounter it.

We will take these actions:

We will review and update our Club’s procedures, policies, meetings, events, communications, grants, projects, scholarships, and traditions.
We will broaden our recruiting practices to align our membership more closely with the demographics of Tacoma.
We will use our grants, projects, and scholarships to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice in our community.

Rotary In Action

Rotary is an international organization whose purpose is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian services, to encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and to advance goodwill and peace around the world. Rotary is open to all people regardless of race, color, creed, religion, gender, or political preference. There are more than 1.2 million Rotarians in over 35,000 Rotary clubs worldwide. The Rotary motto is "service above self.”

Within Tacoma, the Rotary Club of Tacoma #8 invests in non-profit organizations throughout the community, recommended by the Community Grants Committee, that serve low-income children and seniors. Rotary #8 also has many “hands-on” projects where Rotarians offer their service. Some of these "hands on" projects that have been supported are:

. Food Drives and Repacks - for the Emergency Food Network. Regularly club members volunteer to participate in repacking food for distribution into the community; and

. Little Free Libraries - Rotarians build and install these libraries, filled with good children's books, near low-income elementary schools.

Rotary #8 has international projects such as clean water projects in Ethiopia and India, has brought firefighting equipment to Mexico, and has delivered school materials to Malawi. Tacoma Rotarians have given Polio immunizations to children in India and Africa.

Throughout the world, Rotary Clubs, including Rotary #8, have contributed nearly $900 million to eradicate polio in the world. More than one half billion children in developing countries have been immunized against polio, through Rotary’s PolioPlus campaign.

Rotary’s Youth Exchange sends 7,000 high-school age students abroad each year, to study in another country and to learn about its society and culture. The goal is to promote world peace. Rotary # 8 has always welcomed inbound students and have identified local students to travel to other countries to participate in this life-changing experience.

Silver Award from Shelter Box

Our International Services Committee Serving the World