Don’t you love it when things come together?
Shirley Grace, an inspirational Rotary speaker and Past Rotary District Governor from California, spoke of “Rotary Destiny” at PETS. Basically she illustrated how, as an example, her Gramma made all her clothes until she was 9. About then Shirley approached her Grandmother and said there was “a really pretty dress in a window downtown, and, would Gramma make one like it for her?”
Gramma said, “No . . . . But I will teach you how to make it yourself.” Fade out for several years while Shirley made all her own clothes, thanks to Gramma, until she was a Rotarian working on a grant for women in Indonesia to get sewing machines and teach the women to sew so they could make clothes to sell and make money for their families. Shirley found her sewing skills very helpful as she took the lead in building this grant.
Don’t you love it when stuff just works out right?
As it turns out, Shirley is a PDG from California. She knows the PDG from District 5160, also in California, the district where the horrific Camp Fire took place last summer. Our Grants folk planned last November to make a $5,000 grant to aid the victims of the Camp Fire in Paradise, CA. My search for a contact in district 5160 turned up this PDG friend of Shirley’s named Pam Gray, who actually lives in Paradise, the epicenter of the fire. Pam and her husband, both Rotarians in the Paradise Rotary Club, lost their house, car and business to the fire. Have a look at these before and after pictures of their house.
Like most of the residents of Paradise, the Grays had to go find housing elsewhere while they put their own lives back together and helped the community to find footing and start all over again after the fire.
PDG Pam Gray and I began communicating about how they would use our $5,000 grant back in January. As it turned out they had a project for the local Ponderosa Elementary School principal who wanted to replace 38 Chromebooks, important tools for their early literacy teaching, which burned in the fire. The Chromebooks cost $15,000. A local donor was already in for $10,000. Our $5,000 completed the purchase. We immediately agreed.
Upon receiving our check on February 25, Pam wrote me, “Next week is four months since the fire – it is still devastating, but we continue to keep getting up each morning, putting one foot in front of the other. . . . . .Thank you, thank you, thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”
Our check was attached to the purchase order for the Chromebooks a week ago and the kids are looking forward to getting back to their early literacy lessons as I write this.
Last weekend I met Shirley Grace at PETS and we discovered we had a mutual friend in Pam Gray. Flying home on Saturday evening Shirley texted her friend Pam to report on meeting me saying, “Met the Foundation folks from 6290 this weekend and they were sharing how they were able to help provide funding [for the Camp Fire victims]. It is a small Rotary world.”
Pam replies, “Love this! Rotary is keeping us strong! Personally more than difficult. As Rotarians we must step outside ourselves. We moved back into Paradise yesterday. It looks like war zone but I needed to be back on the ridge.”
Shirley responded, “ . . . . .I will share this with Al and team and look forward to learning more.”
Pam comes back, “People want to help with projects, but once you see the devastation it is clear it will take time to identify projects. The water is still not safe – we are a third world town in a first world country.”
Shirley: “There are no words. I will share [your story].”
Pam: “For a decade we [she and her husband] hosted dinner on Friday night for the District Assembly folks who had to travel to attend the event here [in Paradise]. We will do it again this year, but we will have to get some folding tables and chairs. Might be just pizza on paper plates.”
Shirley: “And that will work. Bless you all.”
Shirley sent this interchange to me on Monday morning knowing it would make me very happy to hear two Rotarian friends speaking about the tragedy and the Paradise Rotarians indomitable spirit.
Pam sent me a note on Monday telling me about the Chromebook purchase and saying, “You are correct about Rotary helping Paradise, and they will continue to help. Our new club motto is, ‘Even if your town burns down, you can’t kill a Rotary Club. We are inducting two new members this week!”
She sent chills of pride down my back: pride for being a Rotarian myself, and Pride that 6290 has been a small part of helping people like the Paradise Rotarians.
The story is not complete yet. I will tell you how it ends when the kids get their ChromeBooks and the community of Paradise begins to get their feet back underneath them. Stay tuned, but until then, if any clubs want to help the Rotary club of Paradise do good in their community, let me know and I will put you in touch with PDG Pam Gray. OK?
Al Bonney
District 6290 Rotary Foundation Committee Chair