The Rotary Club of Escondido After 5, obtained a matching grant to help with the purchase of 450 PPE shields for medical staff at the Neighborhood Healthcare Clinic in Escondido.  Neighborhood Healthcare provides medical services for underserved community members and, with the surge of the pandemic, the clinic was having problems obtaining sufficient PPE for their staff. After 5 is one of the Escondido Rotary Clubs that stepped in to help keep these front-line medical workers safe. Snacks and Thank You cards were also delivered to our frontline heroes working at the health clinic.
 
Working together, Escondido Rotary Clubs have been able to leverage their joint strength to make a larger impact in the community, while modeling the spirit and power of joint cooperation for Service Above Self.
 
After the donations and snack deliveries were made, the Valley High School Interact Club, sponsored by the Rotary After 5 Club, decided to follow After 5’s example and started a project to show their appreciation to the Nutrition Workers that are making their breakfasts and lunches during the pandemic.  The Interactors assembled baskets with snacks and hygiene supplies. Mrs. Lilia Vergara of Dr. Bronn’s Products donated hand sanitizers, soap and lip balm for the hygiene kits. A large collage of Thank You messages were created by the students was included with each basket.
 
After 5 members delivered the gift baskets to twelve elementary, middle and high schools in Escondido. The workers at the schools were thrilled to be remembered and appreciated.  After witnessing what Rotary and Interact were doing, some of the children and grandchildren of After 5 Club members and Interact advisors decided they wanted to help the community too.
 
Ace Lee, aged 8, created a list of goodies to be delivered to health workers and identified the money that would be needed. He then called family members and requested donations to raise the necessary funds to make the gift bags.  He organized his brother and cousins, aged 5, 6 and 11, and they decorated paper bags that were used to hold the healthy snacks because they were for medical workers) and some candy because everyone likes something sweet occasionally.
 
They delivered the goodies to the medical and office staff at the Neighborhood Healthcare clinic reflecting the Service Above Self demonstrated by the teens at Valley High School and the adult Rotarians in their lives. Thanks to dedicated Rotarians opening doors to new opportunities for Service, this is truly a new and better world for many in our communities.