Rotarians Fight Against Hunger During Covid-19 Pandemnic

VOLUNTEERS SUPPORT FOOD DONATIONS TO EAST PALO ALTO AND BEYOND TO

SENIORS, HOMELESS SHELTERS AND FAMILIES IN NEED

The Rotary Club of East Palo Alto Bayshore (https://portal.clubrunner.ca/6761) is on a mission to support the community and ensure that no one goes hungry. This effort is spearheaded by the East Palo Alto Senior Center Director Millicent Grant and daughter Bridget Grant , who orchestrate the symphony of food donations and volunteers each week. Both women are members of the Rotary Club of East Palo Alto and Bridget Grant is the president of the Club, respectively.

Ten to eighteen volunteers descend upon the “East Palo Alto Senior Center” every other Thursday morning loading boxes of fruits and vegetables onto hand trucks, volunteers steer them back to a recreational room turned make-shift warehouse. There bananas, cereal, granola bars, milk and tomatoes are sorted, repackaged, and readied to be handed out or delivered to the hungry.

“Some families have fourteen family members to feed,” said Director Grant. “People reached out to me when the lockdown began, they had no food in the house. We quickly responded and began delivering more food than ever before. There are mothers lining up at 4:30pm to get food to feed their children on their way home from work. In addition, seniors are always last on the list. Rotary has always been there, every Christmas, always making sure seniors get a ham, turkey or chicken,” she added.

COVID19 forced Millicent to shutter the center but did little to dissuade her passion to serve. Focused on seniors for over twenty years, Director Grant kept the free food program alive. Recalibrating, she expanded the food program beyond seniors and today “children, homeless, families, those in shelters and people outside the community in Menlo Park and beyond” receive donated food. With donations from Second Harvest, Facebook, Four Seasons Hotel, LinkedIn, Food Runners and Van’s restaurant of Belmont they have served over 11,400 men, women, and children in the past three and a half months. Over 200 + deliveries each month to the hungry.

Rotary club of East Palo Alto Bayshore recruits Rotarians in Area 9 to assist in the heavy lifting of sorting and packing food and soliciting for donations. During the week, visits are made to Second Harvest’s hub to collect additional food items to supplement weekly donations.

What is next for Rotarians? Travel size toiletries, adult diapers – Depends, tissue and toilet paper and basic hygiene items are now being collected to distribute. Drop off donations at the East Palo Alto Senior Center at 560 Bell St, East Palo Alto, CA 94303

If you are interested in volunteering and want to learn more about Rotary, please contact Bridget Grant, club president, Rotary Club of East Palo Alto Bayshore at : bgrant0612@gmail.com

ABOUT THE ROTARY CLUB OF EAST PALO ALTO BAYSHORE

Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the club now meets every other Tuesday on Zoom teleconference, 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm. However, in the future, we will resume our prior meeting schedule at the YMCA in East Palo Alto, California

Our meetings provide members and visitors updates on local and international Rotary projects in addition to hosting a guest speaker. if you wish to attend one of our meetings or want to learn how to join our club, please visit our website at www.

ABOUT ROTARY DISTRICT 5170

Rotary District 5170, 61 clubs with 4,000 members is part of the Rotary International global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary International connects 1.2 million members of more than 34,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work impacts lives at both the local and international levels, from helping families in need in their own communities to working toward a polio- free world. For more information, visit www.rotarydistrict5170.org.

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NEWS RELEASE

Maggie Padovani

District Public Image Chair

Rotary District 5170

(408) 799-0455

mpadpr@gmail.com