I had the pleasure of volunteering for the Fair Oaks Rotary Club's Holiday Food Basket program on Thursday, December 22 at Northridge Elementary School in Fair Oaks. Using some grant money, they were able to provide holiday meals for more than 100 local families in need.

 

But these aren't your normal "baskets". Each family received a frozen turkey, pumpkin/apple pie, grocery bag full of produce, and two boxes full of food. Each basket was then loaded into the family's car or truck by Rotarians.

 

My 10-year-old son and I volunteered for a couple of hours. The two of us helped load a flatbed cart and take the food out to each family's vehicle. When one family arrived without a vehicle, they were simply going to carry everything back to their house. They were so appreciative of the basket that they didn't want any additional help. Instead, we insisted on walking the cart a couple of blocks down the street to complete the door-to-door experience.

 

Overall, we had a fun time meeting and working with other Rotarians. It was also an easy way to chip away at my service hours. But most importantly, it was a wonderful reminder of what the holiday season is all about: GIVING!

 

Rotarians loaded each "basket" into the family's vehicle.	That's a whole lot of frozen turkeys!

THE ROTARY FOUNDATION RANKED IN LIST OF TOP CHARITIES

CNBC has ranked The Rotary Foundation #3 in its annual list of Top 10 Charities Changing the World in 2016.

The list includes some of the largest and highest-rated charities that help women, children, the poor, and the environment throughout the world, according to Charity Navigator, and that maintain high standards of financial health, accountability, and transparency of reporting.

The Rotary Foundation was noted for connecting 1.2 million members from more than 200 geographic areas to tackle the world's most pressing humanitarian challenges, including projects that focus on disease prevention, water and sanitation, and maternal and child health. The ranking also recognized Rotary's role in the effort to eradicate polio.

The Rotary Foundation ranked #5 on CNBC's list in 2015.

 

 

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