Local and International Service Projects
Being a volunteer service organisation, our projects are the main focus of our club. We participate in a wide variety of projects in our local communities and overseas, both large and small, hands-on and fundraising.
Most of our projects are one-off projects, where there is a need in the community that we can fill. However, we do have some community service and international service projects that are ongoing or that we organise every year.
Whether it be helping youth, the environment, the aged, people with disabilities or the less fortunate, providing humanitarian aid, providing equipment or funding for medical research, or helping other organisations and charities, we try to keep everyone's individual interests covered, and are always looking for new project ideas!
At a club level, we hold at least one major community service project and one major international service project every year, but not necessarily the same project each year (though the fundraising event we hold to raise any necessary funds to implement the project may be the same). There are also some projects at a District level that we participate in every year.
Current International Service Projects
To promote international friendship and understanding, we regularly exchange postcards with scenes of Perth, signed by all of our club members, with any Rotaract clubs worldwide which would like to be in contact with us and learn more about our club and our city. Some of the countries we have received postcards from in return include Egypt, South Africa, India, Nepal, and Russia.
The Rotary International Stamp project is a WA project started in 1980 which provides financial aid to third world countries through the sale of used postage stamps. We collect used envelopes with stamps on them, which are trimmed by retirees and nursing home occupants, providing them with valuable occupational therapy. The stamps are then shipped to Oxfam in England, where the stamp sales provide food for third world countries.
Annual Local Community Service Projects
Since 2007 we have been a part of the national organising committee for Storm the Stage, a youth drama and musical theatre competition held annually in Perth. We coordinate the South Perth heat as well as help with areas such as sponsorship, production, backstage support, programme sales...
The Rotaract Santa Project, or "Dial-A-Santa", is a state-wide project running annually since 1982 that we participate in every year. Members of the public book 'Santa' to visit their house on Christmas Eve or a Christmas Party in December for a small fee, which is used to purchase equipment for or fund research into childhood diseases and illnesses. See "Dial Santa for Good Cause" and Rotaractors and Rotarians spread holiday cheer in Western Australia.
In October 2005 and 2006 we volunteered to participate in the "Make a Meal" program and cooked dinner one night for the families staying in the Perth Ronald McDonald House next to Princess Margaret Hospital for Children. Catering for around 30 people, we enjoy it so much we try to get in every year to do it again!
Telethon is an annual fundraising extravaganza to benefit the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, with 24 hours of live entertainment beamed into every corner of Western Australia. We volunteer to man the phone rooms every year, but it is a very popular volunteering event, so we have only been accepted in 2002, 2003, 2006 and 2007. In 2002, as well as 9 members taking a 3 hour shift, we donated $100, and got our club name mentioned live on air twice!
Last updated on Monday 30th of June 2008 by Ian Ball © copyright 2000 - 2009 Rotaract Club of South Perth
Rotaract is a non-profit, non-political, non-religious international professional development and volunteer service organisation of students and young professionals aged between 18 and 30. The Rotaract Club of South Perth, District 9470, Western Australia, is sponsored by the Rotary Club of South Perth-Burswood. ~~ May Peace Prevail on Earth! ~~
