Saturday Orange Plaza Rotary, family, and friends participated in the City of Orange Arbor Day tree planting event! 15 Laurus nobilis ‘Saratoga’ trees donated by West Coast Arborists were planted on E Palmdale Ave. Our club volunteered alongside Cub Scout Pack 850, Southern California Edison, Utility Tree Service, and local residents of the Criterion HOA. Thank you to the City of Orange for hosting this event!
Orange Plaza Rotary was honored tonight alongside the fellow Orange, Orange North and Villa Park Rotary clubs as the Community Foundation of Orange Community Champions! Thank you so much for this recognition! (That’s our club President Kristen Davis in the middle!)
Since 2002, the Community Foundation of Orange has invested more than $1.5 million in programs and over $80K in grants to create a lasting resource, building civic investment and community involvement. Learn more about CFO and the strategic partnerships they form with Rotary clubs and others on the CFO website.
Once again, Orange Plaza Rotary partnered with Rise Against Hunger and Anaheim Hills Rotary to package over 14,000 meals to be sent around the world to those in need! This is our club’s largest service project every year and it’s an experience volunteers never forget. Thank you to all of our awesome volunteers!
Last night Orange Plaza Rotary helped the Threads of Love organization with making their lovey dolls for babies in the NICUs of our local hospitals!
When 2017-2018 Rotary International President Ian Riseley announced the Presidential Theme for this year of service, he placed special emphasis on the care of our environment, noting the effect that environmental degradation and global climate change have on the world’s most vulnerable populations.
President Risely issued a challenge that each Rotary club could embrace as their own: to plant as many trees as they have as members of their Rotary club.
Recently, Orange Plaza Rotary completed that challenge, planting several trees on the campus of El Modena High School in Orange. Previously, the club had planted trees at Fletcher Elementary School, providing welcome shade to students there.
With 14 trees now growing in the California sun, we are proud that our efforts will benefit students for years1
To learn more about the work of the Rotary Club of Orange Plaza, please join us at one of our Wednesday “happy hour” meetings. Just click here for our calendar of meetings and events.
On Saturday, February 10th, Orange Plaza Rotary members pulled together students and parents at Fletcher Elementary in Orange to plant 8 new trees on school property. The young saplings will provide shade in the area between the school’s hardtop area and the grassy playing fields.
Project leader Joe Colombo negotiated the purchase and delivery of the trees to the work site. Along with member Jason Curtis, Joe directed the volunteers, some as young as 5 years old, as holes were dug for each tree. This project illustrates the club’s focus on community service projects that appeal to families wanting to volunteer their time.
The $1,500 project was funded by the proceeds of the annual Orange Plaza Car Show, which takes place each April.
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The Womens Club of Orange was formed in 1915 and by 1922 a lot was purchased for a clubhouse. The building was completed in 1924 and today the clubhouse and gardens retain the charm and character of the early 20th-century era.
The clubhouse quickly became the center of the Orange community with dances, theater, opera, and fashion shows appearing on its small stage. But over the years, the weight and frequency of these events took their toll. Orange Plaza Rotary member Mary Noguera (also a member of the Womens Club) brought the issue to the attention of other Rotarians.
Building and repairing is kind of our thing, so we dispatched a crew to repair and shore up the stage. Working together in close quarters under the footboards, members Joe Colombo, Jason Curtis and John Bouyer, along with volunteer Clint Breads, replaced supporting beams and other damaged wood.
The stage is now ready for many more presentations over the next 95 years!
Even with a new focus on homelessness in Orange County, so many of our fellow citizens struggle to obtain basic necessities. Orange Plaza Rotary has responded by periodically packing “Blessing Bags” filled with hygiene supplies, snacks and water. The one-gallon zip lock bag also includes a pamphlet listing local resources for the homeless.
Members carry a few of these bags in their cars to hand out when they encounter someone in need.
This project is another example of Orange Plaza Rotary’s emphasis on community service projects that volunteers can do with their young children, teaching them empathy and the value of service.
To learn more about us and get involved, visit a meeting!
Our city has a secret. Hiding behind the small town appeal is the fact that Orange is the second largest city in the county! WIth a diverse population and city boundaries that include homeless camps along the Santa Ana River and vast wilderness areas, law enforcement and fire personnel are challenged to provide top-notch services every day.
We are so fortunate to have professional, dedicated fire and police departments in our city. To recognize that Orange Plaza Rotary was pleased to join, once again, with the Rotary Clubs of Orange and Orange North to present the 43rd Annual Police and Fire Awards on April 13th. We are so proud of our “papa club”, Orange, for establishing and maintaining this tradition!
In addition to honoring the uniformed professionals, the annual awards recognize non-uniformed staff and civilian volunteers. But what is truly close to our heart here at Orange Plaza Rotary is the investment in our youth–Orange Police Explorer Post 266 and Orange Fire Explorer Post 547. These programs, co-sponsored by the Boy Scouts of America, provide real-world experience and training to high school youth interest in a life of service.
With the leadership of Orange Plaza Rotarian Teri Snyder, the 3 Rotary Clubs of Orange have expanded the scholarship programs and increased amounts granted to Explorers to continue their public service studies. Orange Plaza Rotary is especially grateful to Post 266 for their hard work every year at the Orange Plaza Car Show. Our donation of $500 is earmarked to offset the expenses of students who might not otherwise be able to afford to participate in the program. We presented this check on July 12th, after a special presentation by two members of Post 266.
For more information about the terrific Explorer programs in Orange, visit the City of Orange website and Police Explorer Post 266.