ROTARY CLUB OF SALINA

President's Letter

Dear Rotarians,

I can’t believe we are already entering March 2023, and like most of you, I’m ready for the greening of our landscape and spring-time weather. March on the Rotary calendar is Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Month. Through water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programs, Rotarians help to mobilize resources, form partnerships, and invest in infrastructure and training that yield long-term change. Since 2013, Rotary Foundation WASH Global Grants have invested in more than $130 million in over 2000 projects worldwide, which have improved access to safely managed and basic WASH services to communities, schools and healthcare facilities, while protecting and conserving water resources. While Rotary continues to improve lives through long-term change, we are also people of action when natural disasters strike. To remind us all in Salina, Kan., what kind of impact we have on the larger world, I’ve included an excerpt from rotary.org describing Rotary’s involvement in the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.

Rotarily yours, 

Sean

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“Turkey and Syria were struck by a devastating earthquake on 6 February that has killed tens of thousands of people, destroyed thousands of homes and other structures, and left people across the region without shelter in bitterly cold winter weather. While still providing aid to those impacted by the first earthquake, another 6.4 magnitude earthquake occurred in the same area on 20 February, bringing even more devastation. 

The Rotary world responded to this catastrophe immediately. RI President Jennifer Jones activated our disaster response efforts, communicated with the affected districts, and encouraged governors in those regions to apply for disaster response grants and share information about their relief efforts so that Rotary can amplify the calls for support.

The Rotary Foundation Trustees decided that all donations made, from now until 31 March, to the Turkey/Syria Disaster Response Fund will be used to aid earthquake relief projects. In addition, the Trustees made available more than $125,000 to Rotary districts affected by the earthquake through Disaster Response Grants.

Rotary's project partner ShelterBox also has an emergency response team assessing the needs in the region and how it can respond. That team is communicating with Rotary district leaders. Rotary's service partner Habitat for Humanity International is also working on its response.”