Projects
Celebrating Christmas as a Family of Rotary
On Friday, December 9, the Rotary Club of Meriwether County celebrated the end of the year with a Christmas Party at Pebble Brook Golf Club.
Christmas is a special time of year to celebrate and fellowship with friends and family. The Christmas party is an essential milestone in Meriwether Co Rotary club's calendar because it allows one to relax, unwind and create a new shared memory.
Celebrating Thanksgiving as a Family of Rotary
On Tuesday, November 15, the Meriwether County Rotary Club held a Thanksgiving fellowship luncheon.
The Meriwether Co Rotary Club Thanksgiving fellowship Luncheon was created with all the traditional fixings. In addition, the meal is a time for our rotary family to enjoy an afternoon of fellowship.
The dinner offers a great opportunity to come together and review how we can be thankful for what is happening with our club and community.
Club dedicates meeting to recognize the Rotary Foundation
On Tuesday, November 29, 2022, Bob Patterson, Meriwether Co Rotary Club Foundation Chair, was the guest speaker at the Meriwether Co Rotary Club. Mr. Patterson spoke on how the Rotary Foundation makes a difference locally and internationally.
The Rotary Foundation helps members advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace by improving health, providing quality education, improving the environment, and alleviating poverty.
Club dedicates meeting to recognize World Polio
On October 11, Bob Patterson was the guest speaker at the Meriwether County Rotary Club meeting. Dr. Patterson shared the history of the Roosevelt Foundation in Warm Springs, GA, President Franklin Roosevelt's impact locally and globally, and the fight against Polio yesterday and today.
College Students Build for Habitat for Humanity
On March 12th, a team of St Mary's College students traveled to Meriwether County for the annual college challenge builds for Habitat for Humanity.
The Rotary Club of Meriwether Co provided dinner with 12 homemade pizzas, fresh garden salads, brownies with vanilla ice cream.
Cotton Fair Fundraising Event
The Cotton Fair is the signature fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Meriwether Co. The Fair is held twice a year on the first weekends in May and October.
The Meriwether County Rotary Club cooks over 1200-foot-long hot dogs with slaw, chili, and cheese. Other items include candy, apples, tea, lemonade, coffee, and muffins for breakfast.
Dedication of Museum at Historic Outdoor Pool in Warm Springs
On Saturday, October 22, the long-awaited celebration of the museum at the historic outdoor pool at Warm Springs, Georgia - dedicated to the memory of Ann Henderson Johnson, our first female District Governor (1998-99) - took place.
The museum not only tells the story of Warm Springs and Polio treatment, but it also tells the story of the quest to eradicate Polio from the face of the earth.
Delivering Gifts to Seniors
On Tuesday, December 13, the Meriwether Co Rotary Club played Santa by giving out over ninety (90) gift bags to Warm Springs Nursing Home and Mountain View Assistive Living Facility residents.
The Manchester High School Jazz band was a part of the magical afternoon by adding holiday cheer through various Christmas songs played for the Rotary Club members, the Warm Springs Nursing Home residents, and the staff.
DORCUS Food Ministry Partnership
The DORCAS Ministry is a food ministry housed in the First Baptist Church of Warm Springs. The ministry serves those who live in Meriwether County or nearby counties and who are in need of a supply of temporary food. The Church is open on Wednesday mornings from 10:30 - 12:30 pm. Other community information such as job opportunities is shared as well.
DROPPING COINS FOR ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
The CART Fund is dedicated to raising funds to provide “seed” money for cutting-edge, high-impact research in hopes of finding prevention and ultimately a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.
CART is a Rotary-initiated project that illustrates the amazing power of the Rotary Brand. By providing grants to researchers in the early and conceptual stages of a line of research, CART enables its grant recipients to explore approaches to arresting or curing Alzheimer’s Disease that may be outside the mainstream ideas being pursued by big pharmaceutical companies.
Empowering Girls with Dignity
The Rotary Club of Meriwether County Empowers Girls through the partnership with Meriwether County School System Wraparound Services Program. Through this partnership, the Meriwether County Rotary Club helps by providing feminine hygiene products within zippered dignity bags for girls within the school system.
GA Laws of Life Workshop Luncheon
On September 16th, Georgia Laws of Life hosted a second Teacher & Rotarian Workshop Luncheon at Green Island Country Club in Columbus. It was another opportunity to celebrate the teachers and students who are the foundation of the contest.
Bainbridge High School students Sanaá Hines and Holten Dollar read their touching essays. BHS School Contest Chair Dr. Heidi Chambers shared why the Laws of Life are integral to their ELA curriculum. "I have read at least 1600 essays
Interact Club Puts together It's a Girls Thing Bags
On November 18, the Interact Club of the Meriwether County Rotary Club put together "It's a Girl Thing Bags" in support of the Meriwether County School System Wraparound Center.
Interact clubs bring together young people ages 12-18 to develop leadership skills while discovering the power of Service Above Self.
Learning Tablets donated to Reading Program
The Meriwether Co Rotary Club donated electronic Learning books/tablets for the Get Meriwether Reading “Reading Cubs” Program with support from the Rotary District Grant.
Angie Shirah, the Early Literacy Coordinator, has reached over 100 at-risk children in Meriwether county to help further their reading capabilities.
Little Free Pop-up Libraries
Members of the Rotary Club of Meriwether Co are encouraging a love of literacy among children and adults by supporting the community Little Free Pop-Up Libraries throughout Meriwether County.
Little Free Libraries are free book exchanges where friends and neighbors can “take a book and leave a book.” This worldwide movement has grown to over 40,000 little libraries in all 50 states and 70+ other countries. Little Free Libraries foster literacy, creativity, and community spirit.
Memorial Day Tribute Celebration to our Veterans
Many of us celebrate Memorial Day with a start-of-summer barbecue, beach trip, or town parade every May. But, no matter the plans, it's important to remember the true meaning of the celebration. It's a day dedicated to honoring the fallen soldiers that have fought to protect our freedom.
Meriwether Supports Laws of Life
he Rotary Club of Meriwether Co sponsored and judged essays for the GA Laws of Life Essay Contest. We traveled to Columbus, GA and particiaped in the judging of some great essays.
The Georgia Laws of Life Essay Contest asks students to select their own Law of Life, and to write about how it applies to their lives. In doing so, students reflect deeply and write from the heart about what they think matters most. The contest celebrates the students’ stories and their often profound reflections, and proudly presents significant cash awards to students and teachers.
Participating with Muscogee Rotary at MercyMed 5K Run
On February 25, the Meriwether Co Rotary Club participated with Muscogee Rotary Club in hosting the 4th Annual Run for MercyMed 5K.
The Club helped by working the snack and water table at the finishing line.
Playing Santa with Seniors
December is officially the Christmas season in Warm Springs. Unfortunately, not everyone can attend in-person holiday festivities or spend time with their extended family because they reside in a nursing home or an assisted living facility. However, this situation does not mean that they are forgotten.
Real People Read
Real People Read is an annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for community volunteers to read to every child in every community in March, the birthday of beloved children's author Dr. Seuss. The mission of Real People Read is for students to see adults in their community taking time out of their schedule to stop and read a good book. This event aligns with the school's goal of increasing literacy for the students.
Response to the Meriwether Co Tornado Disaster
On January 12, based on the combination of a radar-confirmed debris signature and ground-truth damage, a brief tornado touched down near Coleman Creek Circle just east of Highway 27/41 (Roosevelt Hwy) in northwest Meriwether County.
The Rotary Club of Meriwether Co volunteered time and resources to support disaster response efforts. Actions include: providing meals to First Responders, serving meals to the community, assisting with the Emergency Operations Center as a Volunteer, coordinating community donations, and collaborating with various State and community agencies to organize relief efforts.
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA)
Each Rotary Club in Georgia (District 6900) is invited to select rising juniors to receive a RotaryYouth Leadership Award and attend the RYLAConference. Awardees are sought from the community and are carefully selected on the basis of character, leadership qualities, general education, personality, and leadership potential. Our Rotary Club receives recommendations from the three local high schools and submits their names as worthy young people who reflect credit on Rotary and its community.
Saving Lives Prevention and Responsibility (PARC)
SAVING LIVES THROUGH PREVENTION AND RESPONSIBILITY-PARC PROGRAM
Prevention and Responsible Choices (PARC) is a prevention program designed to provide education and experiences which reduce risky behaviors in adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19. The program consists of one session with a limited number of participants per session.
Soccer Camp For Kids
The Meriwether County Rotary Club sponsors a youth Summer Camp with Warm Springs Baptist Church.
The 4-way test Coin is presented to the kids and they have discussions about the meaning of the Rotary 4 Way Test.
The four
Student Report Card One-on-One
On October 17, 2022 and March 13, 2023 the Meriwether County Rotary Club members participated in the Student One-On-One Report Card Conference at Manchester High School.
One-On-One Report card conferences grant a student the opportunity to have an adult and a leader in the community sit down and have a genuine conversation with them about their grades.
Support Turkey/Syria Disaster Response Fund
A powerful earthquake and several aftershocks struck the region on 6 February, killing tens of thousands and destroying countless homes and other buildings. People were still trying to cope with the immediate effects of the disaster when another substantial earthquake occurred in the same area on 20 February, causing even more destruction and devastation.
Supporting Prevention and Responsible Choices (PARC)
Prevention and Responsible Choices (PARC) is a prevention program designed to provide education and experiences which reduce risky behaviors in adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19. The program consists of one session with a limited number of participants per session.
Thankful Hearts for our Health Care Workers
On Tuesday, February 14, the Rotary Club of Meriwether County gave gifts of gratitude to healthcare workers in the various departments at Warm Springs Medical Center and Nursing Home.
In this season of giving, the Club provided the healthcare workers with bags of Valentine's candies. Valentine's Day is a perfect time to show caregivers they are appreciated for their hard work and dedication to the residents and the surrounding community.
The Rotary Club of Meriwether County Announces State, School, and Grade Winners for The Georgia Laws of Life Essay Contest
The Rotary Club of Meriwether County announced the Georgia Laws of Life Essay Contest winners for 2022-2023. In the 12th grade at Manchester High School, Nathanael Hunt was awarded 2nd place in the State of Georgia essay writing competition.
In addition to top placement in Georgia at Manchester High School, Nathaneal Hunt is named School winner and 12th-grade winner. Other Manchester High School grade winners are Megan Wood, 11th grade; Adaysha Gardner, 10th grade; and Jayla Carter, 9th grade. Honorable mention student writers include Christi McNeil, Lamarrion Woodall, Morghan Railey, and Brandon Cummings.
Trunk or Treat Book Give-Away
The Rotary Club of Meriwether County partnered with the Meriwether County School System by supporting the school-sponsored Trunk or Treat event on October 22, 2022. The event was held in the front parking area of Unity Elementary School and Manchester High School.
Wraparound Center focuses on Student Needs
The Problem
Fifty years have passed since Congress adopted legislation to fight the War on Poverty, yet the growth of poverty in our student population in Meriwether County has increased exponentially. Meriwether County's profile includes an area of 505 square miles and a poverty rate of 22.9% (U.S. Census American Community Survey, 2020).