Byesville Rotary Xmas food basket program a community effort

Pictured: Mid East Buffalo Campus Honor Society students and Byesville Club members working on filling Christmas food baskets.

Byesville Rotary ended 2018 on a high note with the completion of their Christmas Food Basket service project. For more than 20 years the club has organized the collection, assembly and distribution of food baskets for families in the Rolling Hills Local School District.

Dennis Harding, chair of the Christmas Food Basket service project stated that, “This year the club was able to meet all requests for aid.” He reported that one hundred and eighty-three households were provided with food baskets. Harding estimated that the club provided food for over 450 people over the holidays. In addition, the club was able to make contributions of food to the Stop Nine Church of Christ and Main Avenue United Methodist Church food pantries.

This Rotary project has become a community effort. Family, friends, students from the Mid-East Buffalo Campus Honor Society and several members of the Meadowbrook Interact joined Byesville club members to fill and distribute food baskets. In addition, the District Governor and Assistant Governor from Rotary District 6690 volunteered to participate in this service project.

Students and staff of the Rolling Hills Schools and staff of the Guernsey County Board of Developmental Disabilities donated canned goods and other non-perishable food items to the Christmas Basket effort. Colgate donated dish soap and Murphy’s Oil Soap to the effort. Main Avenue United Methodist Food Pantry donated candy. The club also received donations of food from the AVC Food Drive. Byesville Rotarians are proud to be working with each of these organizations.

Club members began planning their spring activities. Plans include hosting a Pints for Polio event to raise money to fight polio in February. This event will also serve as a club social. Dan Navicky will organize a health screening for April. This will be the 18^th year the club will work with Southeastern Med to provide this low-cost health-care opportunity to community members.

And finally, the club will cap off their spring activities with their annual Breakfast with the Easter Bunny. The breakfast is scheduled for Saturday, April 13.

Connect with #ByesvilleRotary at: www.Byesvillerotary.blogspot.com , Twitter Byesville_Club, or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Byesville-Rotary/256548047818283. The club meets 7:30 am, Tuesday at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Walk-ins are welcome at the club’s meeting. #6690