Service Partner

2023-24 Re:Purpose Savannah

• Advocate, educate, and provide a climate-conscious alternative to conventional demolition that mitigates environmental and public health impacts
• Connect best practices for structural removal with historic preservation, emphasizing research and documentation to preserve the diverse histories in our community 
• Train women+, including women-identified, trans, non-binary, and other underrepresented people, for careers in construction

Metro's Past Service Partners

2022-23 Brightside Child & Family Advocacy

2021-22 Girls on the Run Coastal Georgia and Low Country

Metro hosted a "Blood, Sweat and Beers" fundraiser for Girls on the Run at Coastal Empire Beer Company in November 2021. Club members also volunteered at the GOTR Fall 5K Celebration Run and other events. Metro President Cecilia Arango said, “The 2021 international Rotary theme is empowering girls. We are proud to support the Girls on the Run program at their area schools and community centers. This program inspires girls to become future leaders and provides them the skills and voice to build confidence and enact action.”

2020-21 Urban Hope and Bike Walk Savannah

Metro Rotary made a $5,000 donation to Urban Hope to support the nonprofit’s summer camps, which offer programs, “change the lives of children and youth, bringing them a sense of hope and a sense of future through spiritual and educational development and life management skills.” The club also donated $5,250 to Bike Walk Savannah to support neighborhood street safety audits and other programs that make streets safer for people using all modes of travel.

“Urban Hope will utilize the generous contribution from Metro Rotary to help run our free summer camp program for Savannah area children,” said Jennifer Oetgen, president of the Urban Hope board of directors. “The summer camp program provides a safe environment for underserved youth ages 6-18 for eight weeks. Metro Rotary’s funds will play a vital role to facilitate this impactful program for Savannah’s youth this summer.”

2019-20 Coastal Empire Habitat for Humanity

Metro worked with the Coastal Empire Habitat for Humanity organization to help move their administrative offices from a former residence to a newly-created office space in the Habitat Restore. The move gave the organization a more efficient workspace so that it can more effectively work towards its vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live.

Tasks included work parties to fix up the former residence inside and out in anticipation of its future sale. MetRotarians also assisted by physically moving the entire contents of the administrative office from the former residence to the new Restore location.

2018-19 Ogeechee Riverkeeper

The Ogeechee Riverkeeper (ORK) mission is to protect, preserve, and improve the water quality of the Ogeechee River Basin. Metro worked with ORK to support the Stormwater Wise Windsor Forest project to connect and educate local residents in positive ways on land, water, and their neighbors while providing tangible ways for homeowners and renters to build awareness about drainage systems.

• Cleaning tires and debris from marshes in the Coffee Bluff area
• Placing tiles at drain locations throughout Windsor Forest to serve as reminders that the drains lead directly to receiving waters and to discourage dumping of toxic substances there
• Constructing rain gardens in Windsor Forest to increase rain infiltration and reduce surface runoff

Loop It Up's mission is to provide creative art experiences and connect resources to children and families throughout Savannah. Using the arts, they foster stronger relationships, allowing them to work together to build a sustainable and interconnected community where everyday needs are met with creativity and confidence.

Metro members painted Loop It Up's new community center, constructed book boxes, and volunteered at Soup It Up (Loop It Up's major fundraiser). 

2016-17 Fresh Air Home

 

The Fresh Air Home, located on Tybee off Butler Avenue, has been in existence since 1939. The nonprofit offers a beach camp, overnight experience to at-risk children ages 4-11 from Chatham and surrounding counties.

 

The camp provides each child with all that they need. They must only bring a bathing suit and tennis shoes. While the children are with Fresh Air, they experience the beach twice daily, field trips, picnics, arts/crafts, music, outdoor sports, talent shows, square dances and movies.

 

Metro money was primarily used to replace the wooden floors in the main building (pictured above). Metro Rotarians completed hands-on projects throughout the campus, including building shelving units, painting nursery furniture and dining room tables, enhancing playground equipment and the ball field, and lots of painting.

 

2015-16 Forsyth Farmers' Market: Farm Truck 912

Metro's partnership with Savannah Bicycle Campaign (SBC) helped fund and refurbish the New Standard Cycles bicycle lab.  The bike lab enables SBC to refurbish bikes and donate to those in need of reliable transportation to work and school. 

 

Savannah Bicycle Campaign works through advocacy with local government, education of drivers and cyclists, and encouragement of bicycling as a healthy means of transportation or recreation.  Their goal is to provide bikes to people who need safe and affordable transportation.  “We want to make it safer and more convenient for people who are not elective cyclists but who use bikes as their primary transportation,” John Bennett, executive director, said.

 

 

2013-14 Greenbriar Children's Center

​

 

The Metropolitan Savannah Rotary Club chose Greenbriar as its 2013-14 annual service partner. Club members held two major fund-raisers for Greenbriar, built 20 irrigated and raised beds on the Center's Hoskins Street property, and taught Greenbriar students the ins and outs of gardening.  Funds raised will also be used the maintain the garden.

 

The mission of Greenbriar Children's Center is to promote the healthy development of children and the strengthening of families. The nonprofit provides services that include an emergency shelter, runaway/homeless, residential car, independent living, family preservation, early childhood education and car, and Project Safe Place.

 

 

Metro's First Unofficial Service Partner: West Broad Street YMCA

Before we started officially launched the Annual Service Partner program Metropolitan Savannah Rotary Club's first service partner was the West Broad Street YMCA. Members of the Metropolitan Savannah Rotary Club presented the West Broad Street YMCA with a check for more than $4,000 which was used to purchase new soccer equipment and gear for the children.

 

The soccer program benefits children by teaching teamwork, commitment, healthy lifestyle and self-confidence. The director of the West Broad Street YMCA says the children will benefit tremendously.  "You know one of the mottos of rotary is service above self and this club really exemplifies that. They are coming in tonight, putting the goals together and bringing in the equipment. They are going to spend time with the kids. I mean, who could ask for more? It is absolutely perfect," said Peter Doliber, West Broad Street YMCA executive director.