Whenever I mention I am going to help cleanup at the Oak Park Rotary House (OPRH), I am invariably asked what is OPRH and why do I help maintain it. Here is my answer...Rotary House is a two bedroom one bath house located at 4070 2nd Avenue in Oak Park within walking distance from the UCD Children’s Hospital. It is owned and managed by the nonprofit, Oak Park Rotary House Foundation composed of members of seven Rotary clubs: Arden Arcade, Foothill-Highlands, Midtown, North Sacramento, Orangevale, Sacramento Breakfast, and South Sacramento.
As part of the Centennial Year celebration in 2004-2005, these seven Rotary clubs joined forces with UCD Children's Hospital on a joint local service project – to build a house for families whose children needed inpatient medical treatment and would serve families that live over 1 hour away from Sacramento.
As Centennial President, and because this was my club's project, I was very involved. I served as the Foundation president during the extensive planning and implementation phase and was part of a team instrumental in working to bring UCD on as a partner. I involved family and friends; such as Debbie Gualco, architect, to design the house pro bono; and my son-in-law’s brother’s firm framed the house. Lynette Anderson of the Rotary Club located a contractor who oversaw the project. Rotarians and volunteers all pitched in to help build the house, literally from the ground up. (At least one volunteer became a Rotarian because of her involvement and now sits on the board as the board president, Leslie Arnal of the North Sacramento Rotary Club.
Several families have resided at Rotary House, their home away from home. One child, Tyson, and his grandmother and brother lived there for 1.5 years while he was being treated for cancer. Our most recent guest is Lyndsey Asbury, the mother of a five month old baby girl, Shakti Rose. Shakti is suffering from a brain tumor and has been diagnosed with Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) a rare syndrome in which patients are predisposed to cancer This is not Shakti’s first medical emergency. When she was just a month old, she was diagnosed with cancer in her abdomen. Her mother Lyndsey is a single mother and lives in Grass Valley with Shakti. Per Lynette Andersen, Lyndsey is overwhelmed with the generosity of Rotarians and she can’t believe she has been chosen to stay at Rotary House. “Courtney Corbitt, the UCD Children’s Hospital social worker and Rotary House liaison, commented that she has always felt the very positive energy in Rotary House,” per Lynette.
When I think of Service Above Self, I think about Rotary House, the OPRH Foundation, and all the members and volunteers who do their best, out of the goodness of their hearts, to provide a safe and welcoming home to families in need of support. So why do I continue to volunteer? Because I must!
.jpg)
.jpg)