The Kent Sunrise Rotary has received notification that it is one of 12 area clubs approved by Rotary District 5030 for matching grants. The club plans to fund a portable shower trailer for local churches collectively running a shelter for 30 homeless men.
The 6-foot-by-12’ trailer will be fitted with two fiberglass showers and a 50-gallon propane hot water heater. The unit will be built from scratch using donated plans and labor at a total cost of $8,000, a savings of roughly $15,000 over purchasing a ready-made shower trailer.
At their Nov. 10 breakfast meeting, the club heard from Dave Anderson, a retired Boeing engineer and consultant. His congregation, Kent Lutheran Church, is one of 10 that host the shelter for one-two months during the year. The program is managed by Catholic Community Services. Valley Cities Counseling and the City of Kent’s Human Services Division are important partners for the operations of the shower project.
Kent Sunrise Rotary president Fergus Prestbye commented, “With the success of our recent Harvest for the Community dinner auction, we were prepared to cover the total cost, so it’s great news that the district will match our contribution 50/50.” Proceeds from the auction, which raised about $28,000, support vocational scholarships, the long-running third grade dictionary program and special projects suggested by members or the community. The auction’s Fund-a-Cause beneficiary this year was Communities In Schools, which will receive $10,000.
The club also is helping coordinate requests to match volunteers with those who need help preparing for potential flooding. The service club hotline is 206-755-4814. For more information about the Rotary Club of Kent-Sunrise, contact Victoria Andrews, 206-824-3966 (message) or 253-856-5113 (office).
Kent Sunrise Rotary is part of Rotary International, an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide. Clubs provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and work to build good will and peace in the world. In more than 160 countries worldwide, approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to 33,000 Rotary clubs. Rotary clubs meet weekly and are nonpolitical, nonreligious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds. The Rotary motto is Service Above Self.
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