If you’re anything like me, you’ve never truly thought about what your local Rotary Club does. I was most thankful for my time spent chatting with the former president and current board member of the White House Rotary Club, Kellye White, who provided me with so much information on how the Rotary Club impacts the community.

At its core, Rotary International prides itself on The Four-Way Test:

Kellye told me that our local group of about 40 members, ranging in ages from early 20s to late 70s and of all different backgrounds, uses this ethical code to seek new members and find community recipients in need.“We look for people who have a serving heart, are born volunteers, who give freely and are generous,” Kellye says.

Each week, the White House Rotary Club members gather for lunch at the Colorado Grill. They talk about new businesses, future events, ways they can be of help to the community, and upcoming fundraisers. In the past, they have held cornhole tournaments, 5k runs, golf tournaments, and even a Boston Butt BBQ competition to help generate funds to be used toward blessing a deserving child or charity.

Internationally, The Rotary Club has helped eradicate polio. The neighboring Hendersonville Club has raised funds to help with water filtration in other countries. And locally, you will find the White House club raising funds to donate an encyclopedia to every incoming third-grade student in the district, including Millersville and Oakmont elementary schools. There are also scholarships given to three deserving high school students, two for $2,000 and one for $4,000 through the Scholastic Banquet held every year.

Annually, The Rotary Club partners with the White House Police and Fire departments to give several dozen underprivileged children in the community a chance to “Shop With A Cop or Firefighter.” Each child gets $300 to spend in the store alongside a modern-day hero. They also choose a child every month to donate a brand-new bicycle to. Children are chosen based on the Four-Way Test and are recognized by teachers and other community members.

“It is a positive experience for the officers, firefighters, and the kids,” says White House Police Sergeant Dan Hunter. “It is my favorite program we do every year, and it gives the officers a chance to give back to the community they serve.”

Kellye tells me that not only is the Rotary Club always looking for children in need, but also those who are, and will continue to be, upstanding members in our community. But it’s not just children who benefit from their generosity. The club gives back to our men and women in uniform, too, by hosting the annual Police and Fire Banquet, catered by The Colorado Grill. Every police officer and firefighter in attendance receives a gift card.

If this sounds like something that has been placed upon your heart and you would like to get involved, possible members are always welcome to come to join an afternoon meeting on Thursdays at noon at Colorado Grill. You can also visit www.rotary.org to get more information or find how to join your local Rotary Club! But you don’t have to be a member to donate, and funds are an integral part of how the Rotary Club keeps its mission statement going.