The Generosity of Rotarians Continues
By Jay Pennie
After the Rotary Club of Philadelphia’s foundation awarded nearly $30,000 to 15 local and international charities this year, there is one more reason to be proud to be a member of the Rotary Club of Philadelphia. Adding to the list, our club issued a $1,000 grant this week to support student scholarships at our partner school Liguori Academy.
Liguori Academy is a private, non-profit high school for grades 9-12 whose goal is to provide high-quality education that is affordable for every family. The school, located in the Kensington section of Philadelphia, lies within the congressional district which has one of the highest poverty rates in the country. According to the Census Reporter, the primary zip code that the school serves, 41% of the residents live below the poverty level and more than 40% of its students have annual household income of less than $20,000. Kensington is also the epicenter of the current opioid crisis.
However, the story is more remarkable because of how Rotarians worked together to help the community beyond one scholarship.
In addition to our members’ contribution, the District contributed to the scholarship through a fund developed at last year’s Rotary District 7450 Conference, when then Governor, Paul Quintavalla, and three extraordinary and dedicated Rotarians joined together to raise $10,000 from area club members. Those funds were then distributed this spring to the 50 clubs in our district for charitable causes in their communities.
On top of contributing to the Liguori scholarship, the Rotary District 7450 Gundaker Foundation provided $28,291 of additional funding to 35 area Rotary Clubs for COVID-19 relief primarily to help food banks and support various educational causes in underserved communities. With the additional support of the Rotary Clubs, the grants fueled more than $75,000 worth of charitable projects in the area! The foundation, supported by local Rotarians, is named in tribute to the life-long accomplishments of Guy Gundaker, one of the founders and charter member of the Rotary Club of Philadelphia. He was President of our club in 1914-1915 and became President of Rotary International worldwide in 1923-1924.
Once more, the kindness and generosity of Rotarians and their families around the world never ceases to amaze me. If you are a Rotarian, I hope you are proud too! If you are not yet a member, contact us to join.
Find out how you can become a member of the Rotary Club of Philadelphia or make a donation to the Philadelphia Rotary Foundation.