Rotary Club: ‘Service above self’
Whether producing a parade, painting the Boys and Girl’s Club or assisting a pediatric patient, the Rotary Club of Poway-Scripps is a pillar of the local community and a portal to worldwide projects.
Most residents will recognize the service organization’s many contributions in their neighborhood, but as Club spokesman Dan Brenner pointed out, the Rotary Club is international in scope, with networks all across the globe.
“As a member, you can make an impact around the block or in a rural village in Africa,” he said.
Of course, there is a lot of business-to-business networking among Rotarians, with opportunities to meet civic and community leaders or mingle with executives, business owners and well-connected people who know a lot of others in one’s own backyard.
“We provide a strong web of opportunity with a chance to plug in and get connected at the grassroots level,” said Brenner, president of BrenTech, Inc., an award-winning IT solutions company that is celebrating 34 years of business.
Brenner has served twice as president and currently serves as treasurer of Rotary Club of Poway-Scripps.
Over the years, Brenner said that the service club has had a very important presence in Poway and Scripps Ranch, even at the most basic level. He cited many instances in which club members help neighbors with yardwork or maintenance.
“There’s a comradery among Rotarians, and it makes us appreciate what we have and what we can do to help others,” Brenner said. “Even though we live in an affluent area, there are many people here who need and benefit from our assistance.”
Members helped with a community clean-up in Scripps Ranch last month. They volunteer for Red Shoe Day as well, standing on the corner at busy intersections and collecting money for Ronald McDonald House. There is a Rotarian work detail that is committed to painting the Boys and Girls Club in Poway, and Brenner also mentioned the sponsorship of a child who is currently undergoing cancer treatment at Children’s Hospital.
The big project for Rotary Club of Poway-Scripps is the upcoming Poway Rotary Parade on Sept. 7.
“We took that over from the city and we see it as a community service, but also an opportunity for fundraising to support our different projects,” Brenner said. “We’re already having meetings and there’s a whole bunch of stuff to do. We could use some helping hands.”
Rotary Club speakers for May meetings included Karen Cebreros, CEO of Earth’s Choice and a pioneer of organic, fairly traded coffee; and Pete Griffith of the La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club, who presented an update on providing emergency shelters and tools for displaced families all over the world.
For more information on upcoming events and speakers, or joining the Rotary Club of Poway-Scripps, visit bit.ly/2W2LCMo or Bit.ly/2LFgzm7.