The Pasadena Rotary Club has announced the community grant recipients, this year totaling $62,000 on Wednesday during Rotary’s weekly meeting held through a video conference call.
The Rotary Club of Pasadena Foundation primarily receives donations from the members of the Pasadena Rotary Club. Each year the Rotary Club of Pasadena Foundation distributes funds to 501c3 nonprofit organizations serving the Pasadena community through the club’s grants committee. The committees’ 15 members seek applicants, review grant applications, conduct site visits, select grant recipients, gain approval from the Rotary Club of Pasadena Foundation, and awards grants honoring the recipients.
Since 2004 and to include this year, the Foundation has issued more than 370 grants totaling over $702,659 to over 131 organizations.
In 2020, the Pasadena Rotary Club’s Community Grants were awarded to 14 organizations with grants range from $2,000 to $6,000. Pasadena Rotary’s Centennial President Scott Vandrick said, “As we celebrate our 100th birthday, the Pasadena Rotary Club sought to increase our investment in the Pasadena community. This year’s grant cycle, which is focused on health services, is $20,000 over the amount usually granted with additional funds raised at the club’s centennial ball last year. These are our club’s donor dollars at work, and we couldn’t be prouder!”
The grant awards went to nonprofit organizations for health programs in preventative, education or direct services.
- Preventative programs encourage greater health such as exercise, food planning and preparation and sleep patterns.
- Health education programs will provide information about good health practices that will prevent diseases such as diabetes and heart attacks.
- Direct services programs will provide services that will prevent disease such as flu shots, oral exams, check ups, blood pressure and hearing tests.
“We recognize that during this difficult time, many organizations have needs that go beyond the programs they applied to support with the grant from Pasadena Rotary,” says Deborah Lewis, co-chair of community grants. “We are giving them the opportunity to use these funds to serve the clients or programs that have the greatest need. We hope this will help them get through the health and economic concerns they are experiencing.”
