World Community Service Report

World Community Service offers a chance to build relationships with other clubs. But actually it's not with other clubs, rather with the people who are the Rotary clubs across the United States and around the world.

Over the past four years, our Rotary club has provided WCS with funds totaling $19,500. Over that period of time, our committee has invested $16,000 in people and projects across the world. After the tremendous success that we had last year with our Moonlight Cowboy Ride fundraiser, we have just under $14,000 left in our account to make more investments in more people around the world. I'd like to tell you a little bit about some of the projects that we have successfully funded over the last four years.

Completed projects include:

·         We helped to fund a woman's group Inc. assumable Kenya, where mothers are taking care of the orphaned children of their dead brothers and sisters. This area has one of the highest concentrations of AIDS in the world, and without this particular group of women, the orphans of these victims would be left to fend for themselves.

·         Sherry Sopha-Potter, co-chair of our committee, organized a trip to Chiquimula, Guatemala for the purpose of providing eye exams for the people of Chiquimula. The trip involved four doctors of optometry and a like number of eye technicians. Over 3 1/2 day, these volunteers saw more than 1150 people. There was no Rotary money spent on this project. All the travel, lodging and food were paid for out of the pockets of the volunteers themselves.

·         We helped to support Dr. John Millin and his wife Lori on a trip to Paraguay where they performed cataract surgery for free.

·         We use our entire budget for 2010 to support the Moonlight Cowboy Ride.

·         We helped to fund the purchase of pediatric medical equipment for poor hospitals in Bage and Jaguaro, Brazil. These projects were organized by Ian Shaw, one of our committee members.

·         We helped to fund water projects in Agua Zarca and El Carrizal, Guatemala, bringing fresh water to thousands of villagers who previously got their water from a river.

·         We helped to fund computer equipment for school for deaf children in Zacapa, Guatemala.

·         We helped to fund a dengue fever education project in Gualon, Guatemala.

·         We provided emergency food relief in La Union, Guatemala.

·         We helped bring fresh water to the Sabana Grande school near Chiquimula, Guatemala.

We have committed our participation in the following projects:

·         A water project, in conjunction with the Laramie club, in Sacoj Chiquito, Guatemala.

·         A dengue fever education and eradication project in Gualan,  Guatemala.

We have not done this alone.  We have worked hand-in-hand with mny Rotary clubs and Non-Governmnal Organizations.

All told, we have invested $16,000 in projects around the world. Through the magic of matching grants from Rotary international and our local district, that amount is translated into projects with a total value of $235,220. That's a multiplier effect of 14.7 times. If we do our work right, and there's no reason to believe we can't, this means we can turn the $14,000 that we have available for projects this year into another $204,000 worth of projects to help thousands of more people around the world.

This is truly rewarding work that we are doing.  For someone who wants to be part of this, we have several ways to get involved:

1.       Become a volunteer for the Moonlight Cowboy Ride. We need people who are willing to take on one task and lead it to completion.

2.       Become a sponsor of the Moonlight Cowboy Ride. We are not asking for donation. Rather, this is a way to get your business or you in front of thousands of people and in association with the Rotary club of Cheyenne.

3.       Join the world community service committee of the Rotary Club of Cheyenne. You should know that there are two requirements to being a member of the world community service committee:

a.       You must have patience. These projects take time and they don't get finished over the course of the fiscal year. Sometimes building relationships takes a long time and it can take years before a project reaches completion.

b.      You must have the knowledge, vision and acceptance that there are things bigger than ourselves. If you can have that kind of global vision, it really is unlimited as to the good can be done.

We have been told that the best way to get people involved is to extend a personal invitation. You should consider this your personal invitation to become involved.

There are two sets of guiding principles that drive us and keep us motivated to continue the work with the world community service committee. The first of these is the Rotary Four Way Test:

1.       Is it the truth? Absolutely and unconditionally. Ours is a transparent organization and we're willing to share any information that we have at any time.

2.       Is it fair to all concerned? Yes. Not only is it fair to those who receive the benefits of the projects, but it is fair to the donors as well.

3.       Will it build goodwill and better friendships? I can honestly say that we have built friendships with people across Central America due to the work that we've done in conjunction with and on behalf of Rotary clubs.

4.        Will it be beneficial to all concerned? Yes.  This is a transformational opportunity for both donors and beneficiaries.

The other guiding principle comes to me from a book that I've been reading for an awfully long time. "Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me". While Rotary is a secular institution, the truth of this statement with respect to the people that we serve cannot be denied. When we look into the face of a woman who was carrying 5 gallon buckets of water to her home several times a day from a river where the water was not fit to drink, who now has fresh water coming to her home, we see in her face both love and gratitude. We can rest assured that we have, indeed, treated our brothers and sisters the way we are called to treat them.