Ten years ago, 25 men and women came together with passion to form the Rotary Club of Rancho Cotati (RCRC). Rancho Cotati Rotary Club has stayed steady at around 30 continuous members and has served our local community, Northern California and the world with our projects and funding. Rotary is a global service organization, uniting neighbors, citizens, and leaders––all committed to creating positive change. In 10 years, we’ve raised thousands of dollars and donated numerous hours to causes that matter to us. These projects—many in conjunction with other Rotary Clubs include:
• Donation of hard cover dictionaries, The Backpack Program and scholarships to students, as well as charitable donations to NOAH Food Bank, Warm Bodies Warm Hearts and Polio Plus.
• Sponsorship of youth leadership (Interact and Rotaract) clubs at the middle school, high school and college levels.
• Cards for a Cause—working with third graders at Thomas Page Elementary to create hand-made cards and sell for a profit, to benefit charities/causes of their choosing.
• The Four Way Test Award – honoring local businesses that demonstrate ethics, accountability, and dedication to their community and the environment.
• Clean water well construction, literacy (book donations) and telemedicine projects in Kenya, Mexico and Eleuthera.
• Participation in Light the Night and The Human Race.
• Awarding of college scholarships to seniors at Rancho Cotati High School, Technology High, and Credo.
• Senior care assistance through Helping Hands and Music of the Mind.
The Rotary also gives you the opportunity to form friendships and build strong fellowship bonds with men and women of various ages, backgrounds, races, religions and global locations––all with the goal and desire to put Service Above Self (Rotary’s universal motto). Generally, Rotary Clubs meet once a week––our club, Rotary Club of Rancho Cotati, meets on Thursday afternoon at China Village in Cotati, CA. There is a financial commitment, which varies by Club, but it’s minimal in comparison to the joy and satisfaction you will likely feel when wearing your Rotary pin and serving others.
Rotary also means business, in that many of us are full-time, working professionals who look to Rotary to grow our network and meet potential customers or business partners. At Rotary Club of Rancho Cotati, we allow each member once a year to give a “craft talk,” highlighting their professional background, education, skills and current job. Local businesses represented in our Club include Exchange Bank, Carl’s Auto Body, Century 21, Mojica Insurance, Pro Transport, Sonoma State University and The Community Voice—to name just a few. We work with local Chambers of Commerce to co-host events and support community initiatives that benefit our members and their families.
It takes a village to solve problems and come up with new ideas for change, and that’s where we can all add value in a Rotary Club. As a retiree, you may have more time to give. As a young professional, your gift may be financial donations. And everyone has a talent to share if they feel comfortable: whether it’s helping to design a website, balance the club’s books, sing a song at a Rotary meeting to boost morale, or translate a letter of thanks from Spanish to English from a high-school student in our Project Amigo program in Mexico. By playing to our members’ strengths and interests, we are truly inclusive and a place for everyone to meet, share a meal once a week and explore leadership and problem-solving skills. We are also family oriented, and we encourage members to bring their spouse and children to meetings and projects.
Look for the familiar Rotary wheel when you are traveling for business or on vacation, and you will recognize just how vast and impactful the Rotary network can be. If you think it is for you, please visit one of our breakfast or lunch meetings (on us) to learn more. For more information please visit our webpage: www.ranchocotatirotary.org
Rosemary Mojica is an insurance broker and mobile notary who’s lived in Rohnert Park for 30 years. She’s on the financial board of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Cotati, past president of the Rotary Club of Rancho Cotati and a member of both the Rohnert Park and Cotati’s Chamber of Commerce. Anyone who is interested in learning more about Rotary may contact me at rogeos@sbcglobal.net. Kristine Redko is a past president for the Rotary Club of Rancho Cotati and a current board member of the Cotati Chamber of Commerce.
