The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs shows that it raised $23,920 to aid Ukrainian refugees. Pictured, left to right are Rob Blaise, Allen Roth, James Garrett, Stacy Clark and David Smith.
By David Smith | Pagosa Springs Rotary Club
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs undertook a campaign to raise $10,000 in two weeks to aid Ukrainian refugees. Well, two weeks have passed and our community has raised $23,920.
All of this aid will go to the Rotary Foundation, which will provide it to some of the 62 Rotary Clubs in the Ukraine and to many of the Rotary Clubs in neighboring countries. Volunteers in participating clubs will use the money to provide food, housing, medicine and other essentials to Ukrainian refugees.
Pagosa Springs joins with 1.4 million Rotarians and their communities in over 200 countries to reduce suffering accompanying this humanitarian crisis. The Rotary Foundation has now raised more than $7 million to aid Ukrainian refugees.
Although we cannot track the exact use of our funds, a report from the Rotary Foundation provides some examples. The Lviv Rotary Club is working with local authorities and major hospitals in Lviv to provide medical supplies and equipment.
Rotary Clubs in Slovakia and the Czech Republic have partnered with a railway company to offer transport to refugees and to deliver essential materials. French and German Rotarians set up a central fund and working group to coordinate aid to the Ukraine and neighboring countries.
Many of the Rotary Clubs in Poland, Romania and Moldavia are actively helping Ukrainian refugees. Aid includes providing supplies to refugee camps and even taking refugees into their homes.
The Pagosa Springs Rotary Club is known locally for its many local service projects such as scholarships for Pagosa graduates, providing nutritious food for children through its Backpack Program, Teacher Mini Grants, support for Pagosa Outreach and much more.
Less known are its international efforts to reduce deep poverty around the world. These projects include providing wheel chairs for children in Argentina, water and sanitation projects in Central America, and science education and economic development in West Africa.
By your generous support, our community has joined free people of the world to provide critical and compassionate support to those who are in dire need. Thank you, Pagosa.
