By Amanda Groover, Rotary District 6910 Service Chair
When most people think about Rotary service, they picture backpack drives, food pantries, park cleanups, or home repair projects. Those are meaningful ways we serve our communities, but to start this year I’d like to challenge every Rotary club in District 6910 to ask an important question:
How are we improving the health of women and children in our communities?
Rotary identifies Maternal and Child Health as one of our seven Areas of Focus because healthy mothers and healthy children are the foundation of thriving communities. When we invest in the earliest stages of life, we’re investing in stronger families, better educational outcomes, healthier economies, and brighter futures.
Why Maternal & Child Health Matters
Every day, mothers and children around the world face preventable health challenges. According to Rotary International, nearly 5 million children under the age of five died in 2020, many from preventable or treatable causes, with nearly half of those deaths occurring during the first month of life. Access to healthcare, nutrition, clean water, sanitation, vaccinations, and trained healthcare providers dramatically improves outcomes for both mothers and children.
While these statistics are global, our opportunity begins right here at home.
Maternal and child health isn’t just about hospitals or international projects. It’s about making sure every family in our communities has the support they need to raise healthy, thriving children. Whether it’s providing diapers for new parents, helping families access healthcare, promoting childhood literacy, or ensuring children have nutritious meals, every act of service creates lasting impact.
How Your Club Can Make an Impact
No matter the size of your club or your budget, there are countless ways to make a difference.
Consider projects like:
- Supporting new mothers through diaper drives, baby care kits, formula collections, or safe sleep education.
- Promoting early childhood literacy by donating books, installing Little Free Libraries, or hosting family reading events.
- Improving childhood nutrition through backpack food programs, community gardens, or healthy snack initiatives.
- Supporting children’s mental health with comfort kits, counseling resources, or parent education workshops.
- Partnering with healthcare providers to host health fairs, vision screenings, dental hygiene projects, immunization awareness events, or child safety seat checks.
- Empowering girls through menstrual hygiene drives, mentoring programs, leadership opportunities, and STEM initiatives.
The most successful Rotary projects don’t simply provide a service for a day. They build lasting partnerships with organizations already making a difference and help fill critical gaps in our communities.
Join the District 6910 Service Project Challenge
Looking for a place to start? This Rotary year, District 6910 is making it easy through the District Service Project Challenge. Each quarter highlights one of Rotary’s Areas of Focus, and July through September focuses on Maternal & Child Health, encouraging every club to take action together. Suggested projects include Newborn Essentials Drives, Car Seat Safety & Installation Days, Healthy Start Workshops, Back-to-School Health Kits, Maternal Mental Health Support initiatives, and Early Brain Health Education Series, but clubs are encouraged to create projects that meet the unique needs of their communities. Most importantly, every club is invited to submit their completed projects and become part of a district-wide movement to create lasting impact.
Imagine the difference we could make if every Rotary club in District 6910 completed just one project focused on women and children’s health this quarter. Together, we can improve lives, strengthen families, and demonstrate Rotary’s commitment to creating lasting impact.
Resources for Your Club
To learn more or find inspiration for your next project, explore these Rotary resources:
- Rotary International: Improving Maternal & Child Health
https://www.rotary.org/en/our-causes/improving-maternal-and-child-health - Rotary’s Seven Areas of Focus
https://www.rotary.org/en/our-causes - Rotary Showcase
https://map.rotary.org/en/project/pages/project_showcase.aspx - Rotary Action Group for Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health
https://www.rotaryrmch.org
Share Your Story
Has your club completed a project supporting women or children’s health? We’d love to celebrate it! Submit your project through the District 6910 Service Project Challenge and share your photos and impact with the District Public Image Team. Together, we’ll inspire even more clubs to serve and showcase the incredible difference Rotary is making across District 6910.
