The Andover Rotary Club have created a COVID-19 fund to help those affected from the COVID-19 crisis.
Rotary is one of the world’s largest and most successful global membership and humanitarian service organisations, with 1.2 million members in over 200 countries. In simple terms, their motto is ‘Service above Self’, with Rotarians serving communities both locally and worldwide.
Andover Rotary Club was established in 1949 and has served the community ‘from cradle to grave‘ since then. Over the years they have served the community in many ways, with a lot of their projects being planned at their weekly club meetings.
In the current climate, however, they cannot meet as they usually do so, Andover Rotarians have established a COVID-19 fund to support local charities in helping those families in the community in dire need. Many members are donating into the Fund monies saved by not meeting.
They are getting guidance from Test Valley Social Services and Unity, their Community Services Partner, as to which local charities need their help and they will be ensuring that their donations go towards providing items needed by desperate families. No money will go towards the running costs of any charity and 100% of donations will benefit those in need.
COVID-19 has brought sickness, death and financial ruin to many families and introduced us to isolating, self-distancing and lock-down. Many of us are however insulated from the worst effects; able to work from home, job safe or decent pension, house safe, food on the table and, in some cases, bank balance actually growing because of doing a lot less and not going on holiday. If this strikes a chord then perhaps you could consider yourself one of the lucky ones. For many families in the Andover area the effects of lock-down have been devastating. Someone has to go out to work, perhaps to help make sure life is fairly normal for us or just to put food on the table. Others no longer have a job. They cannot pay the rent and even have to use the food bank for the first time in their lives. Their lives have been devastated.
In the present situation many of us cannot help physically but could afford to give financial aid. Perhaps you would like to help, but are not sure how to or how to ensure that your money goes to local families and that it is used efficiently. If you are one of those then please join us in our efforts. Our initial grants are going to assist Andover Food Bank and Andover Hygiene Bank in providing essentials for families in need, but with your support we could do so much more.
You can donate by phoning David Moulton, Treasurer Andover Rotary Club – 01425 291889 or email him at dwmoulton@yahoo.com
Rest assured everything you donate will go to help those in need. Rotary has served the people of Andover for many years.
