For the 13th consecutive year, The Rotary Foundation has received the highest rating — four stars — from Charity Navigator, an independent evaluator of charities in the U.S.

The Foundation earned the recognition for adhering to sector best practices and executing its mission in a financially efficient way, demonstrating both strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency. Only one percent of the organizations Charity Navigator evaluates have received 13 consecutive 4-star evaluations.

“Your achievement and 4-star rating will enhance your organization’s fundraising and public relations efforts,” says Michael Thatcher, president and chief executive officer of Charity Navigator. “This exceptional designation sets the Foundation apart from its peers and demonstrates to the public its trustworthiness.”

The rating reflects Charity Navigator’s assessment of how the Foundation uses donations, sustains its programs and services, and practices good governance and openness.

The Foundation/International committee recently made a donation to the charity Feeding Dreams, Cambodia and a certificate of appreciation was received.

Feeding Dreams Cambodia was formed in 2012 to assist hundreds of starving children and their families from a commune in Sala Kamreuk. It is a non-profit, non political, non religious, non governmental ‘grass roots’ organisation which focuses on holistic, sustainable development within the local community.

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Shortly before joining RotaryJulie served as a volunteer at a school supported by the charity in Siem Reap.

Julie tells us:

“The school is situated within the most deprived slum areas of Siem Reap. My contribution was my time when I worked with families to encourage them to send their children to the school, identifying family and community issues, and looking at possible solutions to assist, finding sponsors for children and fundraising.

It is a humbling and inspiring experience to work there. It costs approximately £35 per month to keep a child in school and ensure the child and their family are fed, and approximately £1 per day to keep 30 children attending the school. I plan to return next year.”

In these difficult days, we are so heartened to receive such uplifting reports on the unrelenting efforts of our Rotary members who have responded in their communities against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, the single question we hear time and again as we travel the virtual world is, “Are we getting involved with COVID vaccination?” Considering the success and expertise we have gainedin our polio eradication effort, this question is both natural and timely.

Holger Knaack-President Rotary International and K.R. Ravindran Chair,The Rotary Foundation,

The answer is yes. We will have an important role in the months ahead.

But as we know, there is a pandemic sweeping the world. The Board of RI and the Trustees of our Foundation met in joint session and have agreed that we have a role to play.

We will be utilising Rotary’s knowledge of vaccine safety and efficacy based on our polio eradication experience to conduct vaccination education and communication outreach in your communities. This will need to be tailored to local contexts to address unique cultural and regional needs.

We will engage, where appropriate, with our current polio eradication partners WHO and UNICEF at the country level to offer Rotary’s support to COVID-19 response activities, including vaccination efforts.

We will be partnering at the local level with governments, corporations, and foundations to support Rotary activities at the country level.

And through hundreds of global grants and projects, Rotary members have demonstrated what we can accomplish to raise awareness, deliver critical personal protection equipment, and provide support for frontline health workers. Already more than 3,000 projects have registered on the Rotary Showcase demonstrating hoiw effective Rotary can be.

Working together, we have done so much to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic, to care for our communities, and to prepare Rotarians for the work ahead.

We do this for ourselves and for future generations. We do this as part of our obligation to support our world as it faces the most significant challenge of this generation.

Thank you.

Holger Knaack                                               K.R. Ravindran

President, Rotary International                   Chair, The Rotary Foundation

The final delivery of of coats and scarves delivered to The Good Shepherd Centre for the homeless and rough sleepers.

City of Wolverhampton Rotarians have donated over 90 coats and scarves.

PDG Richard Green

Our club supports many organisations in the community- this just received shows the wonderful things we can do when we work together.

Good morning Richard

I just wanted to let you know that the toyboxes The Rotary have funded have arrived from Kidsout – they are amazing.To you and everyone at Wolverhampton Rotary Club I wanted to say thank you so much for making Christmas magical for the children at The Haven.

Last Christmas when I was in one of our refuges a little child said to their mom, is Santa still going to come here, how will he know where we live? I am sure this is something a lot of the children we support think, after leaving their home behind to flee from the fear of abuse at Christmas. Your support will mean that Santa will visit all of the refuges and they will wake up on Christmas day to the most lovely gifts to open.

I will send you an official thank you in the New Year as I would love to share with you what the moms and children thought of these toys and let you know how Christmas was at The Haven.

Best Wishes

Hayley Powell

The Haven Wolverhampton

e: Hayley.Powell@havenrefuge.org.uk

w: http://havenrefuge.org.uk

Our Club Shoebox operation of 2020 finally was completed on Friday 27th November.
As you can see from the photograph, my handy van was loaded with 271
Shoeboxes and the delivery was made to the new distribution point in Oldham
at around lunchtime.

Our collection will be added to those in the Shoebox warehouse and along with many others, will soon be heading out to Eastern Europe- Romania, Moldova, Belarus and Ukraine.
Of those 271 Shoeboxes, 60 were provided by Sylvia Morgan and her team of
family and friends-and 40 boxes provided by Julie Hickman with her family
and friends helping too.
Sylvia and Julie would have put in a lot of effort to make such wonderful
contributions and deserve our special thanks and congratulations.
My friend Peter Kay and the members of the Bethel Christian Fellowship in
West Bromwich produced an also amazing 33 boxes so many thanks to them also.
They are a busy Church but always find time to help those in need.
This left 138 boxes being provided by our Club members who donated between just a touch over £800   to spend during my 5 visits to Poundland. I’m not sure if I was in the
running for ‘Customer or the Month’ but it must have been close! I was
almost on first name terms with some of the staff there….
So thank you most sincerely to everyone who contributed for once again
embracing the scheme and allowing our club to make such a significant
contribution to this wonderful scheme.
Mike Boyce.