Stories


Kate Bushre, Exec Dir Isaiah 117 House Kate Bushre, Executive Director of Isaiah 117 House The mission of the Isaiah 117 House is to change the way foster care begins by providing temporary physical and emotional support in a safe and loving home environment for children awaiting placement into foster care. It also aims to lighten the load for the child welfare case workers and ease the transition for foster families by providing necessary resources for children. The vision for this mission began in Carter County, Tennessee in 2015 when founders Rhonda and Cory Paulson realized children awaiting foster care placement in the county office, were even sleeping there when necessary. The first Isaiah 117 House opened in their community in 2017, and the model quickly expanded. The process to bring an Isaiah 117 House to Butler County began in February 2022. Through awareness, fundraising, and Butler’s community generosity, the first location in Pennsylvania opened in Butler, Pa in February 2025. Since that time, the location has expanded to serve Lawrence County out of their location in Butler.	Kate Bushre, Exec Dir	Bill Gormont	2026-04-28 04:00:00Z	0
Project Enlightenment Project Enlightenment - North Carolina Rotarian Steve Puls’ family and a friend from the Morrisville, North Carolina Rotary Club participated in a Holiday Food Drive. It had an extra component of specialty items for our Hispanic community, who were unable to go out to the store. Through Project Enlightenment, we organized a small band of volunteers to make home deliveries to those in need - especially those with infants.	Project Enlightenment	Bill Gormont	2026-02-06 05:00:00Z	0
Who We Are The Rotary Club of International Service Impacting Women and Children began forming in July 2021 and became chartered in District 7120 on August 14, 2024. It stands as a beacon of hope and support for women and children worldwide. Our global, cause-based e-club is driven by a single, powerful goal: to empower women and children, ensuring that they have the tools, opportunities, and resources to thrive. We believe that when women and children rise, communities grow stronger, societies flourish, and the world becomes a better place for all. Through collective action, compassion, and unwavering dedication, we are committed to making a lasting impact, one life at a time. Together, we can create a world where every woman and child is uplifted, valued, and given the chance to reach their full potential.	Who We Are	Bill Gormont	2026-02-02 05:00:00Z	0
Rotary’s Response to the 1918 Flu Pandemic An estimated 500 million people worldwide became infected. Many cities closed theaters and cinemas, and placed restrictions on public gatherings. Rotary clubs adjusted their activities while also helping the sick. This is how Rotary responded to the influenza pandemic that began in 1918 and came in three waves, lasting more than a year. The Rotary Club of Berkeley, California, USA, meets in John Hinkel Park during the 1918 flu pandemic. Photo by Edwin J. McCullagh, 1931-32 club president. Courtesy of the Rotary Club of Berkeley. Read more...	Rotary’s Response to the 1918 Flu Pandemic		2020-11-05 06:00:00Z	0
Rotary at the Start of the United Nations Rotary and the United Nations have a shared history of working toward peace and addressing humanitarian issues around the world. During World War II, Rotary informed and educated members about the formation of the United Nations and the importance of planning for peace. Materials such as the booklet “From Here On!” and articles in The Rotarian helped members understand the UN before it was formally established and follow its work after its charter. Many countries were fighting the war when the term “United Nations” was first used officially in the 1942 “Declaration by United Nations.” The 26 nations that signed it pledged to uphold the ideals expressed by the United States and the United Kingdom the previous year of the common principles “on which they based their hopes for a better future for the world.” Read more...	Rotary at the Start of the United Nations		2020-11-05 06:00:00Z	0
History of Women in Rotary Women are active participants in Rotary, serving their communities in increasing numbers and serving in leadership positions in Rotary. The 1989 Council on Legislation vote to admit women into Rotary clubs worldwide remains a watershed moment in the history of Rotary. “My fellow delegates, I would like to remind you that the world of 1989 is very different to the world of 1905. I sincerely believe that Rotary has to adapt itself to a changing world,” said Frank J. Devlyn, who would go on to become RI president in 2000-01. The vote followed the decades-long efforts of men and women from all over the Rotary world to allow the admission of women into Rotary clubs, and several close votes at previous Council meetings. Read more...	History of Women in Rotary		2020-11-05 06:00:00Z	0
Young Inventor Eco-Friendly Bricks Come Full Circle Every hero has an origin story. “I was 10 years old when the entire journey started,” explains Binish Desai. It began with a cartoon called Captain Planet, an animated TV series from the 1990s about an environmentalist with superpowers. Desai can still recite the show’s refrain: Captain Planet, he’s our hero / Gonna take pollution down to zero! “That tagline stuck in my mind,” he says. “I wanted to do something to help Captain Planet.” Read more...	Young Inventor Eco-Friendly Bricks Come Full Circle		2020-11-05 06:00:00Z	0
First Club in Philippines Opens Door to Rotary in Asia In early 1919, Rotarian Roger Pinneo of Seattle, Washington, USA, traveled to the Philippines to try to organize a Rotary club in Manila. Leon J. Lambert, a Manila business leader helped Pinneo establish the club. Several months later, on 1 June 1919, the Rotary Club of Manila was chartered and became the first Rotary club in Asia. The club would be the only one in the country for more than 12 years. Eventually, Manila club members organized Rotary clubs in the Philippine cities of Cebu (1932) and Iloilo (1933). Iloilo club members then started a club in Bacolod (1937), and Rotary continued to expand across the country. Read more...	First Club in Philippines Opens Door to Rotary in Asia		2020-11-05 06:00:00Z	0