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Bellaire Southwest Rotarians and high school Interact club members from Westbury Christian School boarded a bus Dec. 19, along with a translator from the YMCA, to deliver gifts and food to an impoverished family from the Congo and two South American refugees as part of the YMCA’s adopt-a-family program. In addition, Rotarians called on their adopted nursing home, Com-for-Care on Spruce Street for a holiday visit with elderly residents and delivery of holiday cards and candy. Holiday visits and gifts to elderly shut-ins are part of Bellaire Rotary’s Generations project, co-chaired this year by Jesse Moreno and Ray Burgert.

Ray Burgert, Ole Donaho, Interact President Glory Nwaugbala, Alex Brown, De "Andre Beadle, Rebekah Anderson, Surpris Cherazard and Rotary Project Chair Amy Hill. Front Row: Uyen Vuu, Allison Crouch, Julie Lee, Interact Secretary Hyunji Cho, Interact Vice President Ingrid Guan, Daelyn Richardson.

“We think it’s important to connect with both the old and the young in our community, especially during the holidays,“ Rotary club spokesperson Nan Wagoner said. “Our adopted nursing home looks so forward to these visits, and partnering with Interact increases project-impact at the same time it supports chartable leadership training for our area youth.”

The YMCA’s Adopt-a-Family program provides holiday gifts to the neediest families in the area who are struggling to provide for their children.  The families write a wish list, and contributors give what they can to help.  Westbury Christian Interact President Glory Nwaugbala, Vice President Ingrid Guan, Secretary Hyunji Cho and Treasurer Amber Lake spearheaded gift collections during the past month, culminating in a busload of gifts. Amy Hill chaired the Rotary Club’s coordination of adding grocery cards and gift certificates to the bounty.

“The best part was sitting with the family from the Congo and their children in the apartment and talking with them through the interpreter,” Amy Hill said.  Rotarian Surpris Cherazard of Mass Mutual Financial is fluent in several languages, including French, and assisted with communications.

The Rotary Club of Bellaire / Southwest Houston meets at noon on Thursdays at Braeburn Country Club, 8100 Bissonnet, and is one of 31,000 Rotary clubs in more than 165 countries that provide humanitarian services and promote goodwill around the globe. Information about Rotary grants, membership, and charitable projects may be found online at www.bellairesw.org. Information regarding the Rotary International organization is available online at www.rotary.org.