Kingston North Kitsap Rotary in Action
 
October 9 was the second Friday of the month.  That being said, it was free food Friday, otherwise known as the free community meal program sponsored by Kingston Cares. Kingston Cares stages the community meal program the second and third Friday of each month out of the Village Green Community Center in Kingston. The one on the 9th was made possible by the Kingston North Kitsap Rotary Club.  It was staffed by the Satellite Club of KNK Rotary.  One-hundred-sixty lasagna meals were “served” by the Rotarians, led by Satellite Club President David Winn.
 
The Kingston North Kitsap Rotary Satellite Club is leading the way on another, on-going, community program in support of ShareNet, the Food Bank that provides North Kitsap with emergency food provision, screened emergency power and rental assistance, and weekend food backpacks for school children.  All Kingston North Kitsap Club members - and everyone they know, including readers of this article - are encouraged to link to a website where they can purchase “packages” of food and other items for ShareNet.  For $30, seven pounds of fresh produce can be purchased.  $20 delivers cereal and milk. The nice thing about this website is folks can link to other areas of need, too, including rental assistance, utilities, and infant care.  Rotary will get the funds to ShareNet as well as report where donors allocated their giving.  The website is www.auctria.com/auction/sharenet fundraiser. 
 
Why We Volunteer
 
The Kingston North Kitsap Rotary Club is a group of almost fifty volunteers.  Community members who care about the North Kitsap Community.  Who want to make it better.  Many say they volunteer for altruistic reasons - showing an unselfish concern for the welfare of others.  And that certainly is true.  However, as the saying goes “they get back what they put into it.”  Simply put, volunteering serves self interests as well as those of others.  So what do we, as Rotarians, get out of volunteering.  We asked members of the Club.  Starting with President Walt Elliott, who says “serving is giving back that is long due.  It is a reward to see something accomplished that is beyond myself, even if it is small.”  Keith Beebe says “I am volunteering to honor my parents.  They taught me that a good scout leaves a place a little better than when they arrived.  Community service is part of that commitment and is an expectation I now pass on to my daughters.” Jon Sutherland, who moved to Kingston a couple years ago says “Rotary membership allows newcomers to a community to connect with others of like interest, who can guide the socialization process inherent in moving to a new town.” Alice Amas reports “I joined Rotary to meet new people.  It provides a sense of pride and purpose when helping others.  Also, I discovered renewed creativity and learned new skills.”  Fredrick Branchflower, a longtime Rotarian, says “it helps me stay connected to the community and meet other people with different backgrounds.”  Mark Libby, with involvement across the community, takes a slightly different tack.  “When I see situations or issues in our community that, in my opinion, could be fixed, I volunteer to accomplish a project or resolve an issue.”
 
Helen Ralph, one if the Club’s Treasurers - yes, there are two - says “I enjoy the fellowship when we come together as a group working on projects large and small.”  Jackie Wood Baker volunteers through Rotary because “it gives me an opportunity to be involved.  Not talk about getting involved, but actually doing something.”  Like Keith Beebe, Clint Boxman volunteers to honor his elders.  Clint says “I joined Rotary for a number of reasons, first and foremost as a promise to my Grandpa Bing who was a Rotarian for over fifty years.  He told me at a very young age to promise him as soon as I got established in my career and bought a home, I needed to be engrained in my local community and there was not a single better way to do that than to become a Rotarian myself.” Clint’s high school track coach left him a lifelong lesson.  “Always leave it nicer than you found it.” 
 
Why we volunteer.  As members of the North Kitsap community we Rotarians want to make this a better place.  To leave it nicer than we found it.  To deliver on the promise to Grandpa Bing.  It is however true that, selfishly, we get a lot out of volunteering as Kingston North Kitsap Rotarians.  You can, too.  The Club is full of volunteers who like to stay connected, who like to fix things, enjoy the fellowship, get a sense of purpose and pride, who like to be involved, not just talk about it. For information on membership, or to attend a virtual meeting, reach out to Membership Chair, Julie Fox, julesafox@gmail.com
 
Happy Thanksgiving.