The Rotary Club of Portland is dedicated to serving our community both locally and globally. We address critical needs such as food insecurity by partnering with organizations like St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen and the Locker Project to provide meals and essential supplies. We also support substance use recovery through initiatives like the Portland Recovery Community Center backpack program, Maine Works transportation assistance, and funding for Milestone Recovery’s detox program expansion. Our commitment extends to assisting those experiencing homelessness, providing heating assistance, and supporting veterans.
Beyond these vital services, we champion environmental stewardship through tree planting and coastal cleanups, foster childhood literacy with our Rotary Readers program, and invest in youth leadership development. Our international efforts include the 3H project in the Dominican Republic, providing hearing aids, prosthetic hands, and clean water solutions. We also collaborate on projects in Africa, Guatemala, India, Kosovo, and Ukraine, demonstrating our global reach and commitment to making a difference.
Portland Rotary has a rich history of support and collaboration with the City of Portland, aiding a number of city improvements.
The Portland Rotary’s signature international project is 3H – Hearing, Hands, and H2O in the Dominican Republic.
Our signature tree-planting initiative began over twenty years ago with the creation of Rotary Grove and continues with the ‘greening’ of the Bayside Trail.
Our annual raffle ticket sale to benefit our many charitable projects and the Lift All Boats Project. This initiative is in partnership with Luke’s Lobster.
Flags for Heroes is an initiative of the Portland Rotary Club that honors personal heroes by displaying American flags with personalized plaques at the Maine Mall.
As part of Portland Rotary’s long-standing commitment to childhood education, we promote literacy by reading to elementary school students in Portland, both during the school year and summer.
Through our Boots for Kids drive, Rotary provides 150 pairs of new boots new Mainers and homeless children in partnership with Lamy Wellehan.
Through Rotary’s Youth Exchange Program, this year a Deering High School student has the unique opportunity to study in Japan, and the club will host a student from Valencia, Spain, all with the aim of promoting goodwill, international understanding, and friendship.
Every year, we fund up to ten scholarships to Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) – a four-day Experiential Leadership Training for rising sophomores at Camp Hines.
Rotary annually funds eight Youth Service Award scholarships ($1,000/each) for students from each of Portland’s high schools and for a student attending the University of Southern Maine who is a part of USM’s New Mainer Community.
Portland Rotary collaborates with Crutches 4 Africa to collect and distribute mobility devices crutches, wheelchairs, walkers, canes, braces which are delivered to into the hands of mobility challenged people, all without cost to the recipient, in 15 countries in Africa.
Each year, we partner with Portland Recovery Community Center and fill backpacks with personal care items.
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