Our meetings are hybrid! Contact us for the Zoom link. Please check our website to verify the meeting location and time (we occasionally have evening meetings or meetings in other locations).
The Trustees will meet on the first Wednesday of the month, typically, assuming there are grant requests to review. Regular Zoom link. If the meeting has to be moved, it will be noted in the club Calendar. If we do not have any grants to consider in any given month, we will not meet.
So many good things are going on within and because of our mighty club. We have had several very well attended Community Dinners as word of them is getting out, and more and more people are coming to experience them. Many returning folks look for community and a good meal.
Our annual meal packing event had 120+ youth-focused volunteers and 20+ Rotarians and family/partners. We packed over 27,000 meals this time. Many in town look forward to this fun-filled, locally focused event. We even had kindergarten Girl Scouts packing this year.
The Club's annual game night is coming up on Saturday, April 25th, at the home of Diana and Chris Jarvis. This night is always a great opportunity to hang out, play games, connect with members, and appreciate each other for what we all bring to the Club. A huge THANK YOU to Diana and Chris for hosting.
The Global Grant for Tricycle Ambulances is off and running. Victor is serving on the finance committee and reports that TRF has wired the $132,000 to Ghana to enable Moving Health (MIT spinoff) to begin ambulance construction. What a tremendous impact this will have for so many.
Thank you for all that you do and for making this club what it is.
Another incredible day of service and community spirit marked the latest Hope for the Hungry meal packing event on Saturday, March 21. With more than 120 dedicated volunteers, joined by over 20 enthusiastic Rotarians, the event was a resounding success, resulting in over 27,000 meals packed for distribution through the Merrimack Valley Food Bank.
The energy in the room was contagious from start to finish. Upbeat music set the tone as teams worked side by side, fueled by a little friendly competition and a shared commitment to making a difference. Laughter, teamwork, and a strong sense of purpose filled the space, proving once again that doing good can also be a lot of fun.
We are excited to share that eight students have been selected to attend this year’s RYLA program, generously sponsored by the Bedford Rotary Foundation. In addition, four alternate students have also been identified. The Foundation has committed $2,800 total ($350 × 8 students) to ensure these students can participate in this impactful leadership experience. A sincere thank you to the Rotarians who volunteered their time to interview candidates, including Christine, Tom, and Kate Pinney, Diane Ryan, and Al Roscoe.
Sunday, March 29, marks RYLA Group Facilitator (GF) Training #3 at Fitchburg State University.
This year’s training cohort includes:
30 Group Facilitators (GFs)
6 GF Alternates
6 Program Facilitators (PFs)
Trainings are held monthly and include interactive demonstrations and collaborative learning experiences. Special thanks to Tom, Kate, Christine, Bob Doud, and other core committee members for leading and supporting these sessions.
A meaningful milestone has been reached in the effort to expand opportunity through data-driven policy and education. The first recipient of the Tom & Kuo MIT Scholarship—an endowed fellowship created to support students in MIT’s Master’s program in Data, Economics, and Design of Policy (DEDP)—has officially been nominated by MIT.
Established last year by Victor and Sze-Wen, the scholarship reflects a shared commitment to addressing global poverty and strengthening local economies through rigorous, evidence-based approaches. By funding a Rotary scholar enrolled in the DEDP program, the initiative aims to empower future leaders with the analytical tools needed to design and implement policies that create measurable, lasting impact.
Sze-Wen and Victor are heading to Kenya to visit the sites of the Global Grant water project that has already touched many lives. This trip isn’t just about visiting—it’s about continuing a meaningful partnership. Over time, 16 sites in Kenya have been supported through the construction of rainwater catchment tanks, providing cleaner, more reliable water access for local communities. On this visit, Sze-Wen and Victor will be traveling to many of these sites, seeing firsthand how these systems are working and connecting with the people whose lives have been improved.
Our latest community dinner was another wonderful success, bringing together nearly 50 attendees and helping us reach our attendance goals once again. It was especially heartening to see so many familiar faces—guests who have joined us before and returned because they value the warm atmosphere, good food, and meaningful connections.
As summer winds down, so does our summer meeting schedule of two meetings per month. Club leaders and the Board of Directors decided that going forward this year, we will meet three times per month, with two lunch meetings at 12:30 p.m. and one evening meeting at 6:00 p.m. The plan is to alternate the schedule in a day–evening–day pattern, though exact dates and locations are still being finalized.
The change reflects the numerous projects and activities that will commence in September, including the launch of the monthly Community Dinners. With more opportunities for service and fellowship ahead, the new schedule ensures members can stay connected while also making time for hands-on volunteering and social gatherings.
We look forward to seeing everyone at an upcoming meeting!
Zoom
Another incredible day of service and community spirit marked the latest Hope for the Hungry meal packing event on Saturday, March 21. With more than 120 dedicated volunteers, joined by over 20 enthusiastic Rotarians, the event was a resounding success, resulting in over 27,000 meals packed for distribution through the Merrimack Valley Food Bank.
We are excited to share that eight students have been selected to attend this year’s RYLA program, generously sponsored by the Bedford Rotary Foundation. In addition, four alternate students have also been identified. The Foundation has committed $2,800 total ($350 × 8 students) to ensure these students can participate in this impactful leadership experience. A sincere thank you to the Rotarians who volunteered their time to interview candidates, including Christine, Tom, and Kate Pinney, Diane Ryan, and Al Roscoe.
A meaningful milestone has been reached in the effort to expand opportunity through data-driven policy and education. The first recipient of the Tom & Kuo MIT Scholarship—an endowed fellowship created to support students in MIT’s Master’s program in Data, Economics, and Design of Policy (DEDP)—has officially been nominated by MIT.
Sze-Wen and Victor are heading to Kenya to visit the sites of the Global Grant water project that has already touched many lives. This trip isn’t just about visiting—it’s about continuing a meaningful partnership. Over time, 16 sites in Kenya have been supported through the construction of rainwater catchment tanks, providing cleaner, more reliable water access for local communities. On this visit, Sze-Wen and Victor will be traveling to many of these sites, seeing firsthand how these systems are working and connecting with the people whose lives have been improved.
As summer winds down, so does our summer meeting schedule of two meetings per month. Club leaders and the Board of Directors decided that going forward this year, we will meet three times per month, with two lunch meetings at 12:30 p.m. and one evening meeting at 6:00 p.m. The plan is to alternate the schedule in a day–evening–day pattern, though exact dates and locations are still being finalized.