Epic Day of Service across the South Pacific

PICTURED:  The Rotary Club of Macquarie Park donated more than 270 compassion packs to help people fleeing domestic violence

This May, volunteers across the globe rolled up their sleeves to give back to their communities.

Words Jasmine Van Den Hoek.
Regionalisation Communications Lead.
Amanda Barnes. Service Projects and Programs Director, Rotary South Pacific.

More than a single day of volunteering, the Epic Day of Service is a collective movement that showcases what’s possible when Rotary, Rotaract and Interact members and community participants work together to create real-world impact.

While this initiative started in the US, Rotary South Pacific has endorsed this as a major initiative for our part of the world. Epic Day of Service is something every club can get involved with in their own way. This perfectly aligns with Rotary South Pacific’s aim to collaborate across the zone and amplify the impact of Rotary clubs in our part of the world.

Hands on projects, real world impact

Through hands-on service projects, Rotary clubs addressed real needs during the Epic Day of Service. Take the Rotary Club of Canberra Sundowners, ACT, for example. The club welcomed community volunteers to pack 1,000 birthing kits to support expectant mothers across rural communities around the world. Each kit contained key items to assist a birth in a remote area where there is no access to hospitals. The kits are then shipped by the Birthing Kit Foundation Australia to regions in need of this type of support. As a long-standing project, the impact is measured through improved mortality rates for mothers and children in these areas.

In a similar vein, the Rotary Club of Glenelg, SA, invited its community to take part in a donation drive for food and essentials. These goods and funds were then provided to shelters supporting women and children with lived experience of domestic and family violence. During an unpredictable and stressful period of their lives, these families receive something to lessen the burden of their journey, so they can focus on making a new start.

In New Zealand (Aotearoa), the Rotary Club of Timaru wasn’t afraid to work up a sweat during their working bee to split wood for kindling. As winter approaches, the kindling packs will be provided to elderly or refugee families who live in homes with open fires or wood burners, but don’t have the capacity or ability to split or obtain kindling. This project keeps communities warm during brisk winters on New Zealand’s South Island.

PICTURED: The Rotary Club of Suva Peninsula hosted a local vegetable drive to improve access to healthy foods for people in need. 

Pacific communities directly supported by Rotary

Rotary clubs across the Pacific Islands have also been getting involved to connect directly with their local communities. The Rotary Club of Suva Peninsula, Fiji, hosted a local vegetable drive, improving access to healthy foods for people in need.

The Rotary Club of Apia, Samoa, hosted a fun day for children who have been affected by family violence. This project created a joyful, safe and engaging environment where children could relax, play and build positive connections with Rotarians. Beyond entertainment, the project focused on meaningful engagement, giving children the opportunity to experience care, encouragement
and companionship from positive role models in the community.

Epic Day of Service in numbers

How can Rotary measure impact? While impact can be measured anecdotally through feedback from volunteers or community members, Rotary is also working with qualitative data based on clubs that registered to be involved.

Globally:

• 100 districts
• 775 clubs
• 1,396 community volunteers
• 293 projects

South Pacific:

• 15 districts
• 100 clubs
• 209 registered volunteers
• 80 projects