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Rotary Club: Del Mar-Solana Beach Project Title: Support the Enlisted Project 1. Describe the project. What was done, when and where did project activities take place? DMSB Rotary supported several projects for STEP in 2024-2025. Halloween 2024: Most enlisted personnel cannot afford Halloween costumes for their families. Throughout September and early October, our members collected "gently used costumes" from family, neighbors, friends, schools and churches. We worked the entire STEP Distribution Day in October. We provided over 300 fabulous costumes--all in beautiful condition. Miraculously, we answered the wish of every child that had a specific request. Next year, however, we need to "double down" on infant and young toddler costumes. Christmas 2024: Step families had requested filled Christmas stockings for their children. DMSB Members stuffed over 150 HUGE stockings, with crayons, coloring books, early reader books, puzzles and a variety of fun toys. March 1--April 27: DMSB is heavily involved in STEP's Baby on Board collection. Our Community Service Chair met with STEP in Jan. 2025 and took advantage of the January discount offerings for diapers, formula, baby shampoo, diaper rash cream, etc. from one of their main suppliers. These were huge orders that normally would have cost double what we paid for the items that are consistently requested from our military families. In addition we have collection bins placed in Del Mar and will have one supported by members in front of Ralph's grocery store on Rotarians at Work Day. Our final involvement is supporting STEP's May 17 distribution day where families are able to pickup healthy meals and organize produce as well as the much needed baby items, clothes and other essentials. 2. How many people benefited from this project? Approximately 200 families benefited directly from our efforts. 3. Who were the beneficiaries, how were they impacted by this project, and what humanitarian need was met? Babies and Children were the major beneficiaries, receiving essentials--food, clothing, all manor of baby items needed to survive. For infants and newborns, it was essential we helped in any way we good to provide the necessities--formula, diapers are the major expenses and take up a huge percentage of the income enlisted military receive. Without the help of STEP and organizations like Rotary, many of these children would become malnourished. An addition humanitarian need by which moms and dads and families benefited was just to experience the loving care and concern they received from total strangers. 4. How many Rotarians participated in the project? 30 Rotarians 5. What did they do? Please give at least two examples, not including financial support provided to the project. Rotarians knocked on neighbors' doors, spoke at their churches, other civici organizations and met with school administrators to ask for used Halloween costumes. What we received in return was huge--such joy from parents and their children. Our club members worked at the monthly STEP DIstribution Drive--setting up tables, displaying hundreds of costumes, connected one on one with little ones and their families to find the perfect costumes. The second big push was in acquiring the much needed baby supplies from friends and neighbors, etc. and cash donations. 6. If a cooperating organization was involved, what was its role? NA 7. Income
8. Expenditures
District must retain receipts of all expenditures for at least five years. Please scan and upload to the project's "Documents" tab all invoices (be sure they are marked "paid"), receipts and/or copies of checks for the full amount of the project budget. By signing this report, I confirm that to the best of my knowledge these District Grant funds were spent only for eligible items in accordance with Trustee-approved guidelines, and that all of the information contained herein is true and accurate. I also understand that all photographs submitted in connection with this report will become the property of RI and will not be returned. I warrant that I own all rights in the photographs, including copyright, and herby grant RI and TRF a royalty free irrevocable license to use the photographs now or at any time in the future, throughout the world in any manner it so chooses and in any medium now known or later developed. This includes the right to modify the photograph(s) as necessary in RI's sole discretion. This also includes, without limitation, use on or in the web site, magazines, brochures, pamphlets, exhibitions and any other promotional materials of RI and TRF.
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