Salem Rotarians Andre Peery and Tom Bowers sanding bed boards outside of the barn.
Shawn Nowlin
shawn.nowlin@ourvalley.org
Approximately 35,000 rotary clubs, defined as “international organizations of businesspeople who raise money to help the sick or poor in their local area,” exist throughout the United States.
As the Rotary Club of Salem eyes its 72nd anniversary, its motto of “Service Above Self” remains as adamant as ever. The Rotary Club of Salem is currently led by President Jeff Howard who is serving a one-year term. In addition to overall leadership, Howard is also responsible for the management and organization of the club.
“Our club performs our mission through a variety of community service programs that include Olde Salem Days, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Tournament, and the Star BBQ, in conjunction with Salem Parks and Recreation,” he said. “These three main activities provide financial support for the club to give annually in excess of $50,000 to service organizations.”
Howard added, “We also run programs such as Little Free Library, Christmas for Kids, as well as provide dinners for families at Thanksgiving and Christmas, provide dictionaries for every third-grader in Salem and various other programs and services.”
Two Saturdays last year, November 7 and 14, were spent by the Rotary Club of Salem, their families and Salem High students building beds for children at Pete and Margaret’s Barn on Catawba Road in Troutville. Teamwork was critical in making the selfless gesture a reality for those in need.
Through club services and the Glenvar Rotary Club, President-elect Tom Bowers was able to secure $5,750 in 2020. Rotary District 7570 matched that amount for a total of $11,500 which was enough to build 33 beds for the Roanoke Chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace.
Explained Bowers in more detail, “The Rotary Club of Salem in a joint venture with City of Salem Directors, Constitutional Officers and employees raised funds jointly for an initial build of 15 beds that occurred on February 22, 2020. Based on the success of the initial build and on the identified need, we then raised $5,750 from within the club, and that $5,750 was matched in August by the District Matching Grant Program. The $11, 500 paid for 33 bunk beds that were built. All raised funds were solely used for purchasing the necessary building materials.”
David Jones, President of the Roanoke Chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, recently came to a Rotary meeting and spoke about his non-profit organization. He said, in part, “Child bedlessness is a national problem, and as a national non-profit throughout the country, SHP (Sleep in Heavenly Peace) has provided the solution.”
In all of Bower’s years that he has been affiliated with the Rotary Club of Salem, he says that kindness and selfless gestures are needed more than ever. The Sleep in Heavenly Peace motto, he noted, of “No Kid Sleeps on the Floor in Our Town” is a great challenge for our nation.
