Southgate Rotary Clubs Project Aims to Curb Infant Mortality Locally and in England
Southgate, Michigan --
Members of the Rotary Club of Southgate have reason to celebrate. They have raised $1,500 to purchase disposable diapers and formula for distribution to Downriver families as a part of their Hands Across the Pond, Diapers and Formula Project. In addition, Rotarians collected donated diapers and formula from local citizens from collection centers at The Guidance Center, the Downriver Community Conference, the Downriver YMCA, and the Southgate Holiday Inn. The Lincoln Park Rotary Club, and Krogers in Southgate, also contributed funds to this project.
One year ago, Rotary International President Dong Kurn Lee challenged all worldwide Rotary clubs to curb child mortality through the provision of basic needs projects for children. The Southgate Rotary Club of Michigan decided to use its locally raised funds to collect and distribute diapers and formula to impoverished families. Infant mortality in Wayne County has not improved from 2000 to 2005. Consulting with staff from The Guidance Center in Southgate, Michigan, Rotarians learned that the simplest way for a Rotary Club to impact this problem was to provide free access to diapers and formula for families at risk. Parents without resources sometimes will use diapers longer than they should, or water down formula in an effort to make it last longer for their infant. Both actions significantly increase health problems for the infant.
The Guidance Center will distribute the donated diapers and formula through their eight Family Resource Centers that serve the Downriver area. These centers provide families throughout the area with a resource library, parent/child play groups, parent interest groups, infant massage classes, and workshops. In addition, The Guidance Center has provides programs that promote healthy, nurturing families through services for first-time parents that include home visits and developmental services as well as parent support, and education. Southgate Rotary presented their donation of diapers and formula to The Guidance Center staff at their club meeting on April 2, 2009. The Guidance Center staff presented information about curbing infant mortality and about their Family Resource Centers at this meeting.
The Hands Across the Pond project also included a simultaneous basic needs effort by their sister club in England: the Rotary Club of Southgate England. Southgate Rotary of Michigan donated $500 (US) to their club for the purpose of providing similar resources to impoverished families in England. The Rotary Club of Southgate England identified two community agencies for collaboration on this project: the Children and Young People Health Visiting Service, and the Young Parents Project, both of whom work with a diverse population of children aged 0 - 5 and their families during the ante and post natal stages. The invitation from the Southgate, Michigan Rotary Club to collaborate on a simultaneous basic needs project prompted the London based Southgate Rotary Club to look again at their local community needs. At first, they could not imagine that there would be a need to curb child mortality in their area. They were surprised to find that this need was indeed present, and that organizations seeking to work with impoverished families and young mothers did need financial support for educating young mothers on infant care, and providing basic safety items. Southgate Rotary of England received their donation for their project from the Southgate Rotary Club of Michigan on March 9, 2009. Present at the meeting was their District Governor of the Greater London area, Wally Daly, along with the Deputy Mayor Counselor Anne-Marie Pearce and the local Member of Parliament David Burrowes.
Rotary International is a worldwide humanitarian service organization with 29,000 clubs in more than 160 countries. Founded in 1905 in Chicago, members of Rotary are business and professional leaders united worldwide to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and help build good will and peace in the world. For more information about Rotary in Southgate call Don or Judi Treadwell at 734 282 2123, or go to their website at: www.southgaterotary.org. Southgate Rotary meets Thursdays at 12:15pm at the Southgate Holiday Inn.
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