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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 in which we live. 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

Thursday, February 9, 2023

VOL. NINETY-NINE, Issue 32

The Gearshift is a weekly publication to inform members of current events in the Rotary Club of Tacoma #8.

This Week at Rotary

February 9, 2023

THURSDAY AT 5

Register here

In Pierce County, 1 in 10 individuals is food insecure - that’s more than 92,000 people. Simply put, food insecurity means that you don’t have enough money to consistently afford and find the healthy food we all need to thrive. A family may experience food insecurity regularly throughout the year, or temporarily when a sudden expense or short-term disruption in employment impacts their budget. Visiting a food pantry provides households with an additional food source so that they can use more of their budget on other needs like housing, transportation, and medicine.

Emergency Food Network (EFN) is the backbone of Pierce County’s emergency food system. With a network of more than 75 partner food pantries, meal sites, and shelters as well as direct service programs of its own, EFN’s network served 166,000 visits on average each month in 2022. Join us for Thursday at 5 on 2-9 to learn more about the work EFN is doing to ensure that no person goes hungry in Pierce County.

Host: Claire Aijian
When: February 9, 5 pm
Where: EFN’s North 40 building (Portable building behind the community garden), 3318 92^nd St. South Lakewood 98499
Food: Drinks and appetizers will be provided
EFN has two parking lots, one in front of the main warehouse and directly across the street behind their community garden. If you want to tour the warehouse please wear closed-toe shoes, you may also want additional layers as the warehouse is cold.

Register here

Auction 2023

The planning is underway for our largest fundraiser of the year. Save the date and stay tuned for more details. In the meantime help us out by being a sponsor or procuring an item!

Sponsorship form Procurement form

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.

Our Projects Committee: Rotarians at Work

Supporting Our Community

December 2, 2022

Partnering with Catholic Community Services, Tacoma Rescue Mission and YWCA to deliver hundreds of gifts to children in Pierce County.