The Rotary Club of Des Moines and Normandy Park has mobilized more than $41,000 of its “rainy day reserves” to address the immediate needs of south Sound charities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The financial support will focus on critical elements of the pandemic fight, including hunger insecurity, family services, and support for first responders and healthcare workers.

The Rotary Club has been involved in providing COVID-19 relief to families through food distribution, grocery store and restaurant gift cards, and childcare center supplies for children of first responders and healthcare professionals. These distributions have happened through key community partners including: 

    • Highline Schools Foundation
    • The Des Moines Area Food Bank
    • Highline Exchange Club
    • Lighthouse Family Ministries
    • Highline Hospital Foundation
    • Highline College COVID-19 Student Emergency Fund
    • Southwest Youth and Family Services
    • Rotary Harvest Against Hunger
    • Highline Schools Abundance Project

The funding comes from an ancillary reserve account the DMNP Rotary club has accrued through major events including the Blues & Brews and Poverty Bay Wine festivals. 

“Our members were unanimous that the needs were substantial and urgent,” said club president Connor Talbott. “Our reserve fund was created for this very purpose.”

For more than 60 years the DMNP Rotary has supported public and private organizations and non-profits throughout Western Washington.

Through Rotary International they have also participated in programs addressing literacy, water projects, and polio and malaria prevention.

For more info, visit https://www.dmnprotary.org.