Courtesy photo.
MONTECITO — The Rotary Club of Montecito Foundation has awarded a total of $14,000 to support the work of 14 Santa Barbara-area nonprofit organizations.
The grants awarded under the foundation’s annual Community Grants Program were $1,000 each and go to organizations benefitting a wide range of constituents, including children, seniors, low-income families, and the performing arts. All grants are funded by bequests and ongoing contributions from the club’s members.
“The Rotary Club of Montecito is committed to raising funds for good causes, and supporting activities and projects that make our communities stronger,” said Rotary Club President Tony Morris. “These grants allow us to support a wide variety of services to our community and are a great example of the cooperative spirit that’s an essential part of Rotary’s work.
Morris presented the awards to representatives from each organization during a ceremony held at the Music Academy of the West this month.
Grant recipients, from left to right, Brittany Avila Wazny, Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation; Kathryn Westland, Friendship Center; Ron Zecher, Montecito Union School Chorus; Kathleen Baushke, Transition House; Renee Grubb, Teacher’s Fund; Chris Russo, Montecito Trails Foundation; Deborah Bertling, Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation; Drew Davis & Jill Seltzer, Santa Barbara Center for Performing Arts; John Kelly & Dennis Thompson, Citizens Climate Education; Lindsay Soleimani, Planned Parenthood Central California; Chris Tucker, Garden Court Senior Community; Cynthia Hooper, Unity Shoppe; and Susan Renehan, Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County.
The Community Grants Program is an annual initiative by the Rotary Club of Montecito Foundation to support worthy, community-oriented causes. Local non-profit organizations are encouraged to apply. Since the program’s inception, the Foundation has awarded more than $75,000 in assistance to the Santa Barbara community.
Rotary Club is the nation’s oldest global service organization. Founded in 1905 in Chicago, the organization today has 1.2 million members connected to each other by a network of 33,000 clubs in more than 200 countries.
The Rotary Club of Montecito launched in 1953. Members are business and professional leaders who come together to develop friendships, raise funds, and support local and international volunteer projects. International projects have included bringing solar lights to Morelia, Mexico, supporting teacher training in Sri Lanka, building a water system and providing school and hospital.
At the local level, in addition to funding the Community Grants Program, Rotary Club of Montecito members regularly volunteer at area organizations, participate in the annual Montecito Firefighters Fourth of July Pancake Breakfast and Montecito Beautification Day, and provide annual scholarships to Santa Barbara Community College students.
For more information about the Rotary Club of Montecito visit MontecitoRotary.org