Rancho Santa Fe Rotary Club celebrates Youth Services Month and the Rancho Santa Fe Community Interact Club established at the R. Roger Rowe Middle School. The Rotary Club invited all the Interactors, their Advisor, and parents to a May club meeting focusing on Youth Services and the student's accomplishments.
The club meeting focusing on Youth Services and the student's accomplishments. Some of their stand-out projects are:
- Collecting and delivering items for the Humane Society on Camp Pendleton, caring for animals surrendered by military men and women on deployment.
- Decorating holiday ornaments for local seniors.
- Helping host a school jog-a-thon raising money for military veteran Honor Flights.
- Collecting school items such as lunch boxes, water bottles, and jackets for an orphanage in Mexico.
Rancho Santa Fe doesn't have a public high school. To bring the focus back to our community, they moved Interact to the middle school. Two of the Interactors participated in LEAD 2022. Dean Kaffka, who presented at our club meeting, shared the difference it made in his life, the confidence he has speaking and trying new things," said RSF Rotary President Paulette Britton. "Jake Hauenstein, the current Interact President, also shared that he likes to help others and give back to his community and Interact gave him that opportunity."
Each student was awarded a membership certificate and recognized as founding club members at their middle school. Stacey Halboth, an amazingly dedicated advisor, was presented with a plaque and shared that the students would not have had as meaningful of a year had it not been for the Interact Club. The Rancho Santa Fe School District has contacted Stacey to recognize the club's good work.
During the meeting, the Interactors and Rotarians engaged in a joint project by assembling toiletry bags delivered to Your Safe Place on behalf of District 5340. "The club's hope is that these 8th graders will all find their way to an Interact Club as they transition into high school," states Rancho Santa Fe Rotary Youth Chair, Mary Murray.
Pictured: Rotarians and Interactors in their custom club shirts