Oakland Sunrise Rotary

The Rotary Club of Oakland Sunrise is dedicated to community service generating some of the most amazing results and impacts for its size. A few examples of our follow-through commitment are:

Polio Eradication Project - Two of our members are leaders in Rotary’s global Polio Plus program which has reduced the prevalence of world-wide Polio by 85%, during the past 8 years. The project has been successful, raising $850 million with partners such as the Bill and Linda Gates Foundation, the World Health Organization and government leaders.

Other International Projects – Each year Oakland Sunrise raises funds to support several projects. Over the years, this has included:

Faces of Hope - nearly 500 Guatemalan children stricken by cleft palate disease, have been treated by volunteer surgeons who perform both structural and cosmetic surgery during a two week period.
Guatemala Burn Center – providing funding the first burn center in the highlands and mountainous area of Guatemala, OSR has also leveraged partnerships with organizations with access to free medical supplies to support the burn center.
Ghana Clinic – Initially supporting the construction of Ghana’s first medical clinic, the project was expanded to include building of a residence for clinicians, allowing them to stay on site, rather than travel 3-4 hours in response to providing medical services.
MicroBusiness – Supporting establishment and growth of home-based cooking, crafts and other merchandisable goods, assisting families and small groups becoming self-sufficient.
Other Projects –Funding small to medium sized projects in 3rd world countries ranging from Tanzania, Haiti, Nigeria, Columbia, Boznia.

Other Local Projects – Oakland Sunrise also supports local community projects, primarily focused in Oakland, including:

Youth @ Risk – In partnership with the City of Oakland, Catholic Diocese and other leading organizations and individuals, Oakland Sunrise is facilitating a 6 session journey into better understanding of the root causes of youth violence. The program will result in defining “how Rotary can help best”, inform funding opportunities and in project to raise community awareness through media coverage and theater performances.
ILSP- A program supporting youth transitioning from the foster care or juvenile justice system to independent living.
Interact - Interact is Rotary International’s service club for young people ages 14 to 18. Interact clubs are sponsored by individual Rotary clubs, at a local level. Interact provides support and guidance towards young people becoming self-governing and self-supporting.
RYLA – Each year, thousands of young people ages 14-30 take part in the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) program worldwide. Participants, who are chosen for their potential as leaders, attend an all-expenses-paid seminar, camp, or workshop to discuss leadership skills and learn them through practice. Rotary clubs and districts select attendees and facilitate the events
Rebuilding Together Oakland – Twice each year, Oakland Sunrise members join several other local organizations and businesses in the process of significantly improving the living environment of underprivileged families in East and West Oakland.
Several other projects, including:

Dictionaries and backpacks for kids
Meals for the homeless
Visits to Senior Citizen Centers, Hospitals and Shelters
Collaborating with community organizations on their local projects
For further information, please contact:

Vicki Rombs, Secretary, 510-786-2697, vrombs@gmail.com
Ernie Lowe, President, 2010-11, 510-639-9138, elowernie@aol.com