Rotary Club of San Jose Donates Disaster Relief Vehicle

The Rotary Club of San José (www.sjrotary.org) presented ceremoniously at a press briefing Wednesday, August 12th, a fully equipped multi-purpose “Disaster Relief Vehicle” to Gregory Kepferle, CEO of Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County. The vehicle will assist in emergency needs, especially now during the COVID-19 pandemic. Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County is a non-profit organization that serves and advocates for individuals and families in need, especially those living in poverty or who are uninsured.

Rotarians involved in this donation included: immediate Past Rotary Club President Karyn Sinunu-Towery who oversaw the study and the vehicle purchase; and Leslee Hamilton, the Rotary Club’s executive director, who took the project to completion. Rotary President Fernando R. Zazueta officiated and presented the vehicle to Catholic Charities in response to its increasing need for the means to deliver more services such as food, medical, and job assistance during this pandemic.

“This was truly a team effort and it took a club of committed and dedicated Rotarians to make this exciting project a reality,” explained Rotary’s Sinunu-Towery.

"We are so grateful for the generosity of the Rotary Club of San Jose for this disaster response vehicle which will enable Catholic Charities to respond nimbly to the current disaster as well as future disasters and the ongoing needs of our vulnerable neighbors," said Gregory Kepferle, CEO of Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County.

Committed to service in our community since 1914, the Rotary Club of San José members have volunteered more than 3,000,000 hours of community service and have given more than $5 million in direct grants to over 100 community organizations. This van will help meet increased demand for a multiplicity of services and will create ways to provide many types of services which might not be available because of COVID-19 restrictions

“We were able to accomplish this through the generosity of Rotary members, especially Jeff Speno, a member of the Rotary Club of San José and President of Mission Valley Ford Trucks, who received special recognition and was given the award of “ROTARIAN OF THE MONTH,” said Zazueta. “We thanked him for his exemplary service in the true spirit of Rotary and thanked him and his company for providing and outfitting a multi-purpose disaster vehicle within our budget. They made it possible for our club to donate the van,” he added.

About Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County

Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County (CCSCC), a disaster first-responder, is covering the gaps that many other non-profits are experiencing because many volunteers 60+ years old are sheltering in place and unable to work. The demand is increasing week-over-week with not only more people needing food, but also many are living in locations which previously had a low demand for basic services. CCSCC has pivoted its staff and resources to meet these community demands and the need of our fellow non-profits to provide emergency support services. CCSCC hopes this van will be the flagship of a fleet of vehicles and trailers which will enable Catholic Charities to deploy our services to any part of the community for mental health, senior services, community fairs and special community needs, including during non-emergency times.

For more information, please visit www.CatholicCharitiesSCC.org and/or www.facebook.com/WorkingToEndP...

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About the Rotary Club of San José

Organized in 1914, the Rotary Club of San José is the community's largest, most active and most well-known service organization. Over the past 106 years, members of the Rotary Club of San José have volunteered more than 3,000,000 hours for community and international service. From installing the first city streetlights in 1915 to donating $1,000,000 towards a meeting facility for community groups in 2003, to building the $6,000,000 Rotary Play Garden in 2015 as its centennial project for all children, including those with special needs, the Rotary Club of San José has been at the forefront of efforts to build and strengthen the infrastructure and social fabric of our community. Besides being a major contributor to many important community projects, between 1986-2014 the Rotary Club of San José gave more than $5,000,000 in direct grants to more than 200 local non-profits which helped leverage our community’s resources.

To learn more about the Rotary Club of San José, and inquire about its meetings and membership opportunities, please visit its website at www.sjrotary.org

NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Contact:

Marguerite Padovani Robin Doran

Rotary District 5170 Rotary Club of San Jose

mpadpr@gmail.com doran@jointventure.org

(408) 799-0455 (408) 348-7348