Category: Latest News

  • Indy Do Day: The Largest Day of Service in Indianapolis to be Led by the Rotary Club of Indianapolis

    Indy Do Day: The Largest Day of Service in Indianapolis to be Led by the Rotary Club of Indianapolis

    The Rotary Club of Indianapolis is excited to announce the official adoption of its new Signature project – Indy Do Day. This is a Service Above Self initiative that will be managed by the Rotary Club of Indianapolis. The growth of this initiative will allow Rotary to continue Growing Indianapolis Communities for the next 100 years and beyond.

    WHAT IS IT?

    • It’s one day when the people of this city get to know their neighbors, take ownership of their neighborhoods and take care of one another.
    • It’s decentralized, ground-up, people-powered community improvement.
    • It’s about pride, shared ownership, and stronger relationships.
    • It’s about building the most civic-engaged community in the nation where every day is a Do Day.

    WHY DO IT?

    • It’s good for everybody: Strong communities are built from the inside out…by people who are personally invested and can see their investments matched and multiplied by others.
    • It’s good for neighborhoods: Committed residents and organizations build and renew partnerships to improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods.
    • It’s good for learners: When stewardship is regularly taught and modeled, it can become woven into how people interact, and care for, their communities.
    • It’s good for the mission: Diverse community, cultural, and faith-based organizations can transform their commitments into tangible action, and unite the members along the way.
    • It’s good for business: There is a growing consensus that giving employees a day, or even a few hours, to work in the community is good team building, good brand building, and good business.
  • Indianapolis Rotary Foundation Awards $75,000 in Local Grants

    Indianapolis Rotary Foundation Awards $75,000 in Local Grants

    Peace CrewThe purpose of the Indianapolis Rotary Foundation, Inc. is to promote charitable and educational purposes within the State of Indiana and such other charitable and educational purposes deemed appropriate by its Board of Directors. To satisfy this goal, the Foundation requests Letters of Intent be submitted from community organizations that wish to be considered a community grant. Learn more about the Indianapolis Rotary Foundation and the grants offered.

    In 2013, the Foundation received over 100 “Letters of Intent.” 54 became second phase finalists in July, 2013. They were required to submit additional information by October, 2013 and the five recipients were chosen and notified in November.

    Rotary Club of Indianapolis recognized on Jameson Camp vehicles
    Rotary Club of Indianapolis recognized on Jameson Camp vehicles

    CONGRATULATIONS! On December 3, 2013 the Indianapolis Rotary Foundation publicly awarded grants to the following organizations:

    Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis: $25,000
    CICOA Aging and In-Home Solutions: $25,000
    Jameson Camp: $10,000
    Peace Learning Center: $10,000
    Lutheran Child and Family Services of Indiana: $5,000

  • Local Interact Club Raises Dollars for Relief Effort

    Christel House Academy Interact Helps Raise MoneyChristel House Academy’s high school’s Interact Club, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Indianapolis, mounted a campaign to raise money for the relief effort following the tragedy in The Philippines. The Christel House Interact Club raised $574, that students’ donated to the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army teams in The Philippines are providing assistance to the thousands of people affected by Typhoon Haiyan. More than 6,000 people have lost their lives in the disaster and 4 million have been left with unsafe housing. In the attached photo, Interact Club leaders (Charlie, Kylien and Chantel) present a check to the Salvation Army Indiana Division’s Director of Relief Services, Jerry Larsen.

  • 2013 Indianapolis Rotary Foundation Report

    2013 Indianapolis Rotary Foundation Report

    Girls with mosaicsOne of about 60 Rotary Club Foundations, the Indianapolis Rotary Foundation was established in 1947 with a $25,000 contribution by Mrs. Isaac R. Holycross in honor of her late long time Rotarian husband. Our Foundation assets are now worth over $6.2 million and the income from the endowment is used to assist Rotarians to give witness to the Rotary philosophy of “Service Above Self”. The Foundation’s Board of Directors made grants totaling $142,867 during the FY 2013 assisting community organizations, club committees and our members to respond to charitable needs in our community.

    Download the Annual Report.

    After many years of giving numerous small grants each year, the Foundation Board has changed our process to give larger amounts to four community organizations three club committees and our unique $1000 member-focused civic entrepreneurship grants. These recipients are listed elsewhere in this report. Our Foundation Funds supported such needs as providing a safer environment for children and homeless adults, clothing for children, assistance for mentally challenged adults and other charitable and educational programs in which club committees and Rotarians were involved.

  • Rotarian, Evan Bedel Named President-Elect, FPA of Greater Indiana

    Rotarian, Evan Bedel Named President-Elect, FPA of Greater Indiana

    Evan Bedel, formerly the Communications Director with the FPA, was recently elected to serve as President-Elect.

    The Financial Planning Association® (FPA®) is the leadership and advocacy organization representing the financial planning community. FPA is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors who are charged with helping the organization reach its Primary Aim while upholding the organization’s bylaws.

    Evan Bedel has been a Rotarian since April 2011 and has been very involved, recently becoming a Paul Harris Fellow.

    Evan is also a Financial Planner with Bedel Financial Consulting, Inc. Says Bedel, “One of my roles at Bedel Financial is to help young professionals establish a solid financial foundation for the future. This service is designed to progressively guide the next generation of wealth accumulators towards an affluent path. I assist in developing long- and short-term goals, debt reduction strategies, saving strategies, investment advice, life and disability insurance analysis, retirement planning, and more. Another role is to educate the adult children of our clients about the importance of fiscal responsibility. Through this education, I teach them about topics like budgeting, inflation, the power of compounding interest, goal establishment, goal funding, the difference between a Traditional vs. Roth IRA, and more.”

  • Day 6, Rotarian Debra Des Vignes – The Final Day – 24/7

    Day 6, Rotarian Debra Des Vignes – The Final Day – 24/7

    “It doesn’t take long in Guatemala to know the papaya stand owner by name, to taste the chocolate water in your sleep, to have tired hands and an achy back. You move along to the beat of the city and you adjust in the poverty stricken villages. In a single day you meet a coffee farmer and a Jade miner and they both welcome you into their home as a best friend would. Together we communicate in broken words. “Okay, okay,” he says. “Si, si,” I say. You worry about asking if they have a baño (bathroom). Am I prepared to walk for miles? The return home isn’t easy. It never is. On the flight back excitement to see family is overpowered by tears of what I have just left behind. I have left behind work that still needs to be done. There is a green plastic bucket that needs to be filled with coffee beans. There are nails on walls of the home that still need to be hammered, and I forgot to hug the Jade Miner. I forgot to tell him that his hard work and his profits will help send his kids to school. I can’t make that promise because I know that he is unselfish. He shares his profits with others because he wants to benefit his entire community. He sees the bigger picture. They all do here. The return home to 24/7; those days are never easy. The mind races, faces slide in and out, conversations surface. It was in Central America where the coffee farmer in the fields taught me to be less rigid with my time. And savor coffee. I mean really let the scent of the beans linger. The Jade miner taught me to stay in the present and keep a razor-sharp focus. The construction crew taught me to hammer away. Don’t be afraid to make a mistake. Our sponsor daughter. Her dreams. My dreams. They intersect. They did along that dusty gravel road in San Rafael. Remember that road with no pavement or water for miles. Do you remember? When I give here I see the change almost immediately. Find your reason. Stop and talk about it. I worry we are all just shuffling through this life.”
    Read more and Follow Debra through her journey, this week.

  • Rotary-Riley Annual Holiday Party A Huge Success

    Rotary-Riley Annual Holiday Party A Huge Success

    Riley ChildYes, the snow outside was frightful, but the smiles and children indoors where delightful. And of course several hardy Rotarians can accomplish much with the reminder of “service above self.”

    Melissa Sexton, (Riley) and her elves had all the ornament kits ready to go, the live band was tuning up and about a dozen Rotarians and family members gathered to host our annual ornament making party for the kids and their families at the Riley Children’s Hospital, Thursday December 5. Our own Jessica Bex was our organizer and beautiful cheerleader.

    As snow and sleet blew around outside we had the privilege of helping precious children, their families and many of their caregivers create ornaments for a beautifully lighted tree waiting to be decorated.

    Back for his second year as “official” photographer Bob McColgin took video and photographs of the event. See the video here or on the home page (scroll down) of the Indy Rotary website.

    Thank you Rotarians – you are amazing members and we are an amazing Club doing good for the community.

  • Rotarians Are Ringing the Bells for Salvation Army

    Rotarians Are Ringing the Bells for Salvation Army

    For years, Rotary Club of Indianapolis members have rung the bell for the Salvation Army.  As you travel throughout the city, please look for your fellow members – you might see them asking for donations to help those in need!

    And, in related news – as the holidays quickly approach, take some time to give back! Select a toy for the children at Riley Hospital, take a tag from the Plea Tree on Tuesday (set up in the lobby before and after our luncheons) and / or send your Salvation Army donations to the Rotary Office.

    Happy holidays!

  • Day 5 – Rotarian Debra Des Vignes and The Jade Miner

    Day 5 – Rotarian Debra Des Vignes and The Jade Miner

    The Jade Miner(EXCERPT) “When you walk into Francisco’s tiny front yard you are in a mini-jungle where gorgeous tropical flowers cascade from garden beds crafted from small boulders of unprocessed jade. You are not stuck by the overwhelming amount of trees, plants, and priceless Jade he owns, but his warm brown eyes and calm demeanor. He’s soft spoken, but you cling to each word like a ballad in a beautiful Christmas quartet. His words linger and bounce off plants and in the end you are left with a feeling of calm. I feel both lucky and under dressed in his presence. Francisco is first man to discover Jade in Guatemala. He stands about 6 feet tall with a slight slouch. A slouch, perhaps given, during his search for Jade in the mountains during the past 44 years. He was featured in a 1987 edition of The National Geographic.”
    Read more and Follow Debra through her journey, this week.

  • Day 4 – Rotarian Debra Des Vignes and The Coffee Farmer

    Day 4 – Rotarian Debra Des Vignes and The Coffee Farmer

    The Group on the Coffee Farm(EXCERPT) “Timoteo’s hands are worn thin. His calluses show years of hard work. He reeks of coffee. The coffee farmer led us up to his piece of land on a plantation. To get there we walked one hour up a steep and treacherous mountain at a 75 degree incline. His land sits atop San Miguel Escobar and up the mountain we passed families of farmers. Kids tend the farms as young as three. Guatemalans value family and community and it shows during harvest season. Red beans are for picking and under the hot sun we walked from plant to plant plucking beans. Timoteo is a farmer with As Green As It Gets.“
    Read more and Follow Debra through her journey, this week.