Rotary’s main objective is service – in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the world. Rotarians develop and support community service projects that address many of today’s most critical issues, such as children at risk, poverty, hunger, the environment, education, promoting peace and conflict resolution. We also support programs for youth, educational opportunities and international exchanges for students, young professionals, and vocational and career development.
How does the Rotary Club of Cataraqui-Kingston give back to our community and around the globe?
Through our Community Small Grants Program and annual commitments
The Rotary Club of Cataraqui-Kingston is very proud to have been able to provide local community grants totaling over $52,000 to various projects serving the Kingston area over the past 24 months through our small grant, spring and fall programs. Recent projects include:
Spring 2024: The Rotary Club of Cataraqui-Kingston was able to provide grants totaling $22,000 to eleven projects serving the Kingston area, including;
$5,000 to Joe’s M.I.L.L. Music Lending Library to provide new musical instruments for Sistema Kingston, which offers free music lessons for children who otherwise could not afford them.
$2,000 To H’Art Centre, to upgrade technology to allow instructors to better teach workshops in visual art, dance, and music to neurodivergent adults 18 years of age and older.
$500 to Martha’s Table for an indoor gardening project to increase food security for their clients.
$3,000 to Loughborough Public School for their “Classrooms Without Walls’ program, designed to help students visit Frontenac Provincial Park and area museums for hands-on educational experiences.
Fall 2023: The Rotary Club of Cataraqui-Kingston was very able to provide grants totaling $4,490 to two projects serving the Kingston area;
$2,490 to The Mess Studio Kingston for the revitalization of the pottery program at the studio.
$2,000 to the Kingston chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology Kingston Chapter for the establishment of a native species edible garden on Queen’s campus. Tended by students, the garden will benefit the Queen’s Food Bank.
Spring 2023: The Rotary Club of Cataraqui-Kingston was able to provide grants totaling $9,070 to three projects serving the Kingston area;
$5,000 to the Kingston Community House for Self Reliance for their Back Yard Project which will convert the property behind 99 York Street into a welcoming, inclusive, accessible, and affordable outdoor meeting space for community groups, organizations, and individuals.
$2,500 to Kingston Interval House for the purchase of a new outdoor play structure for Robin’s Hope 2nd Stage Housing, providing a safe place for children to play and allow Moms to enjoy the outdoors while watching their children have fun.
$1,570 to the Kingston Chapter of the National Youth Orchestra Canada for their Day-in-the-Life Program which will provide approximately 80 Kingston youths enrolled in Sistema Kingston with the unique opportunity of spending an entire day immersed in musical mentorship, backstage access, an orchestra rehearsal, and a Q and A with professional musicians and a conductor.
Fall 2022: The Rotary Club of Cataraqui-Kingston was able to provide grants totaling $17,051 to four projects serving the Kingston area;
$7,910 to the Joe Chithalen Memorial Musical Instrument Lending Library for a Music in Schools Program for the purchase of musical instruments which will be used by at-risk children.
$2,500 to the Kingston Symphony Association for the Share the Music Program which allows children and their parents to attend a Symphony performance. These families would not normally be able to afford to attend a Symphony event.
$2,461 to The Mess Open Art Studio to establish a photography program to add to their existing programs.
$4,000 to Kingston 4 Paws Service Dogs to support the training of Millie to work as a service dog. CK Rotary has now helped train three service dogs with K4P.
Spring 2022: The Rotary Club of Cataraqui-Kingston was able to provide grants totaling $10,225 to three projects serving the Kingston area;
$1,725 Regular Grant to Loughborough Public School’s Classroom without Walls Project for entry fees for 15 days of student visits to Frontenac Provincial Park, including fees for expert guest teachers.
$3,500 Regular Grant to Odessa Public School towards the purchase of an outdoor Kindergarten Play Structure.
$5,000 Regular Grant to Loughborough Public School’s Greenhouse and Teaching Kitchen Project for appliances, shelving, and student work tables for the new Teaching Kitchen.
Also, in Spring 2019 the Rotary Club of Cataraqui-Kingston embarked on a major project with Pathways to Education Kingston to provide mentoring and other support to Pathways graduates as they transition to post-secondary studies. The project, which has now come to fruition, has been named the F.A.R. Project (Facilitator of Alumni Relations). Pathways to Education Kingston has done amazing work helping students from less advantaged backgrounds graduate from high school, F.A.R. will help ensure student success in their post-secondary studies. Members of Cataraqui Rotary continue to act as mentors at Pathways, and our club remains involved with Pathways events.
Through our Regional and National service commitments
$1,500 to help support the National Youth-to-Youth Truth and Reconciliation Experience. One student from Kingston attended this unique new immersive program in Western Canada involving Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth.
$3,000 to assist in skills training in Tyendinaga First Nation in cooperation with Focus Forward for Indigenous Youth.
$600 to the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund to support “Walk for Wenjack”.
$2,500 to Rotary’s “Indigenous Peoples Partnership Cluster”, to support I Love First Peoples, Art for Aid, Tipi Moza, James Smith Cree Nation, The Rotary Club of Iqaluit and more.
$1,000 in support of Easter Seals Ontario. Empowering Kids with physical disabilities to discover their own potential.
Through our International Projects
$3,544 to help fund cardiovascular and respiratory diagnostic equipment and for Cervical cancer treatment in San Salvador, El Salvador.
$1,350 to help finance learning tools to aid in the treatment of Radiology to Residents at Nairobi University in Kenya. This was part of a joint effort by other Kingston Rotary Clubs and Queen’s University.
$2,835 to help finance the purchase of Endoscopic diagnostic equipment to diagnose gastrointestinal illnesses in Kilinochchi, Sri Lanka.
Through contributions to Polio Plus and Rotary Foundation
Thousands of dollars per year for Polio Plus with the goal of ending polio forever. Today, Afghanistan, and Pakistan are the only countries where polio remains endemic. 2023 closed with only twelve wild Polio virus cases worldwide.
Thousands of dollars per year to the Rotary Foundation through our Paul Harris Award recognition of Kingston Community Leaders.
Through contributions and programming for Youth Leadership
As youth programs return to in-person this year, we were able to sponsor 3 students to the Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA), providing a unique opportunity for high school students to gain insight and knowledge in life and leadership skills. In addition, our Club remains very involved in the Kingston Heritage Fair, and sponsors students to participate in the Regional Heritage Fair, and Cataraqui Rotary Club members act as mentors for youth at Pathways to Education Kingston. Cataraqui-Kingston Rotary also sponsored a student to the Rotary Adventure in Citizenship, the Adventure in High Tech (both held in Ottawa), and the Adventure in Understanding (held at Curve Lake First Nation).