Service Projects3

NMRC conducts many service projects throughout the year. Here is a sampling of some of the projects we do annually and their descriptions.

Rotary Has Heart

Annual Collection for Food Bank of Delaware. Club Members have a bit of competitive fun in Late January leading up to Valentine’s Day as they gather donations for the Food Bank of Delaware. We collect items at 2-3 regular meetings. Donators are given tickets for items donated. On the last day we pull tickets for fun prizes.

award for food bank from laurie to stewart

Camp Fairlee Welcome Bags

Welcome Bags, are packed for the summer camp counselors at EasterSeals Camp Fairlee. The counselors come from all parts of the world and have limited items available in their luggage. Shopping is also limited when they arrive at the camp. A list of specific items is provided by Camp Fairlee. Members shop for the items, fill the bags, and deliver to camp before summer counselors arrive.

Food Bank

Food Bank of Delaware (FBD) distributes donated food to families and individuals who lack adequate access to sufficient daily food. Nonperishable food is sorted and packaged in boxes that are then distributed to the needy. Newark Morning Rotary’s service is the packaging and assembly of these boxes, generally done in the spring and the autumn.

Highway Cleanup

The cleanup is conducted along both sides of Old Baltimore Pike from the Maryland State line into Delaware to roughly Whitaker Road, depending on how much help we have. The Club attempts to do this twice a year – once in the spring and once again in the fall. Based on last year’s volume we may need to schedule this more often to provide better coverage. It is the Club’s small piece of roadway territory that we hope provides a positive image to travelers coming into Delaware and the greater Newark area.

Preston’s Playground and Newark Reservoir Cleanup

Preston’s Playground is one of the newer parks within the Newark Parks and Recreation large portfolio of parks. It provides 3000 square feet of safety surface that is fully handicapped accessible. It sits at the base of the popular Newark Reservoir walking trail at 250 Old Papermill Road. The Club tries to pick up trash around the playground, roadway and reservoir about every month during warmer weather. Generally walkers and park goers are pretty respectful, but trash does get away and we like to keep the area beautiful for all those who come to enjoy it.

Birthday Boxes

Many times a year, the club puts together birthday boxes. The boxes consist of some snacks and drinks, puzzles, stress relievers, and other personal items. The boxes are given to the Meals on Wheels program where the volunteers give them to the seniors and other homebound people when it is their birthday. The recipients are thrilled when they receive their birthday box. See the cover of our 2023 Report To The Community!

Dictionary Project

Every October, NMR delivers Dictionaries to 3rd grade students throughout Newark. Our members purchase student dictionaries, and personally deliver them to over 40 classrooms. During our visit, we discuss how useful dictionaries can be, and walk students through finding words and reading their definitions (like “Truth”), looking up facts about states, planets and other things of interest, and let them try to pronounce the longest word in the English language. The dictionaries are gifts, and are the students to keep. In many cases, the students tell us the dictionary is the first book that they ever personally owned!

2024 DictionariesLynn Mey, Jerry Holt, Dan Seador, Robin Broomall presented nearly 200 student dictionaries to 8 third grade classes today at Newark Charter Elementary School

Salvation Army Bell Ringing

Every holiday season, NMR rings the bell for the Salvation Army. Typically, we ring the bell for three evenings in front of the local Boscov’s store. Up to 18 Rotarians participate and enjoy spreading the holiday cheer while helping a great cause.

World’s Greatest Meal

Worldwide Polio eradication is a Rotary International objective. Our Club hosts a FUN, Happy Hour and not-so-silent auction one evening in late October of each year. Our goals are to generate funds and engage members, friends and prospective members.

All Clubs are encouraged to have an annual ‘World’s Greatest Meal’ in October to generate funds to support this important objective.