Hayward Rotary Club Foundation

Hayward Rotary is a fantastic nonprofit supporting many community based organizations in Hayward. They work hard to be able to provide annual community grants, building capacity and programs and services in local organizations. 4Cs of Alameda County is looking forward to continue collaborating with the Hayward Rotary Club!

Eden United Church of Christ is very grateful for the $5,000 Challenge Grant that the Hayward Rotary Club Foundation provided to Comida para Cherryland, our semi-monthly drive-thru contactless food pantry. This generous grant inspired nearly $12K in contributions to our food pantry at a time when our community was experiencing 50%+ unemployment. That's right--over 50% unemployment. That's not a typo.

supports world wide health and well being with no strings attached no bias non judgmental just total humanitarian aid with hopes for a continued support from the people within the country but again no requirements at all just a hand to help improve life.

This Club is packed with driven, successful community leaders who dedicate their time to the benefit of people ~ ALL people. Local, national and global projects are affected by the Hayward Rotary efforts. They all do it to spend time with friends, have fun, meet new people and help people in need. Won't you join us?

Every year since 2004 the Hayward Rotary Club has distributed a hard bound dictionary to every third grader to the Hayward area. We do about 2000 books every year.
We are getting to once again distribute dictionaries in October. Rotarians and their friends go to each 3rd grade classroom to present the books.
It is most rewarding to hear older students tell us they are still using their books and younger siblings waiting to get their book. Even in this day of electronics!

The JcPenny Shopping Spree was such a success! It was a wonderful opportunity for the Hayward Police Department Officers and Explorers to give back to the community in a positive way. This provides us an opportunity to show the community the human side of the badge and its a way of building a positive interaction with the community.

This one of the best days that I can remember. I was raised in circumstances similar to many of the young people at this incredible community event. My parents did not have much money. School clothes were a luxury that we could not always afford. This event hit me in my soul. It was a wonderful energy boost. It was empowering to see so many people come together to support such a great cause. I feel happy, fulfilled and can’t wait to do it again next time. Thank you for including me.

It was my first year at the Hayward Child Spree, where this non-profit gives 100 children a back to school shopping spree.

The Hayward Rotary Club did an excellent job at executing a successful event for the local community. Not only did their club do a great job in organizing and spreading the message, they also ensured that every child was happy with their back to school haul.

I would love to help volunteer at this event again!

The joy reflected in the eyes of the youngsters who picked out new back to school clothes in the Child Spree project is almost beyond description. They didn't just choose pants and tops, many needed underwear and socks. As a Rotary member, I felt real joy in my heart to be part of something with such a grand impact in the lives of these children. Child Spree is my favorite Rotary project.

I volunteered at the Hayward Rotary Club’s Child Spree event this past Saturday. This event, which helps provide children in need with school clothes and shoes, was very well attended and organized. The children had their lists of sizes in hand which helped in shopping for their school clothes needs. Each child had a language appropriate adult volunteer help them navigate the store to find and purchase clothes and shoes for school. Each child had $100 to spend and were able to choose the clothing they needed and preferred. Monies for this event were raised by the Hayward Rotary Club from donations provided by businesses and private donors from the community. The children were so happy and appreciative to have this opportunity. Upon finishing with their purchase and exiting the store, each child was able to choose a backpack filled with school supplies and receive 2 new books of their choice. The day ended with snacks, smiles and excitement when meeting their families and sharing their experience. This was a great event for our community. Thank you Hayward Rotary Club for making this happen.

What a great and fulfilling experience. Nothing like seeing a child happy getting their new wardrobe and school supplies in a brand new backpack.

This was my first time participating as a volunteer for the Back to School Child's Spree and I was so fulfilled. I had three teenage boys with their grandmother. The appreciation on their faces was priceless. The grandmother said, "Raising 3 boys, this was such a huge help for us." I look forward to participating next year. Thanks for the opportunity.

The Hayward Rotary Club does so much , giving dictionaries to all 3rd graders in Hayward, to child spree back to school shopping for under privilege families, to gives for seniors at Christmas.

The Foundation donates all of the money it raises to local charities.

I am proud to be a Hayward Rotarian. For many years I've wanted to be a part of a making the Hayward community a better place but struggled with where to begin and how. Well, Hayward Rotary is where you go to put service into action (locally and globally) and serve with professional and generous people who are united in love for our city and our community. Hayward Rotary is behind so many of the great contributions to our city and sustains its commitment to making Hayward a better place.

Hayward's Rotary Club is foremost among this community's service organizations. It's members and non-profit Foundation donate on average more than $50,000 annually to benefit local charities, youth literacy programs, and efforts providing for the health and welfare of seniors and adults with disabilities. For fifteen years and counting, the Hayward Rotary Club and Foundation have distributed dictionaries to third graders in all of the city's public and private schools. Smoke detectors are installed or checked on every in-home call by Fire Department personnel. A Back-to-School event for children in need of clothes and supplies is a late-summer favorite among donors, volunteers and a signature shopping anchor each year. Other civic endeavors have funded the purchase of books and fixtures for the children's room in the new Hayward Public Library, upgraded neighborhood park and leisure facilities, and underwritten dental and medical initiatives to those who can least afford or have limited access to the most basic of care both locally and internationally. Our "Service Above Self" motto is truly what we believe and deliver.

A.T. Stephens
Past President 2017-18

I've been involved with Hayward Rotary for the past 20 years . Its members are very involved in the community and out reach support. Its great being with a group of hard working business and professionals leaders that give back to their community in Hayward.
These great hard working individuals are the leaders and do ours of the community. We give back approx. $75K plus to our reach small non profit group in need of Grant funding to make their group function a little easier. Hayward Rotary Club .

Hayward Rotary Club through the support of the Hayward Rotary Foundation has been able to aid the Hayward Community through its Literacy Project that gives a dictionary to every 3rd grader in the Hayward schools. We have been doing this for 14 years. We have built a pediatric and dental clinic formerly known as the Silva Clinic and is now Tibursio Vasques.
We have funded parks in the Hayward area as well as supporting the new Hayward Library with books for their children's section. This is truly a group of dedicated volunteers. There are no paid staff.

The Hayward Rotary Club is a wonderful organization that allows me to be an active and involved member of my community.

Rotary’s Child Spree Assures Students Are Ready for School

More than one hundred twenty students received new clothes and a backpack full of school supplies thanks to the Hayward Rotary Club’s annual Child Spree program.

On Saturday, Aug. 13, at 6:45 AM, eager K-12 students met at JC Penney at Southland Mall and were paired with a Rotary Club member or other community volunteer. Together, using a list of needed items identified by the parent and a $100 gift card, they purchased essential clothing needed to start school. JC Penney offered 25% percent off the entire purchase and waived sales tax, so the children were able to purchase more essential back-to-school clothing.

JC Penney staff volunteered to work the early shift in order to share the joy with the children and their parents, and the Nestle Kiosk in Southland opened early to offer discounted coffee and snacks for the volunteers and families.

“This is the sixteenth year that Hayward Rotary has had the opportunity to sponsor an event that meets the needs of so many deserving children,” said Pam Russo, one of the event coordinators for Rotary. “It is gratifying that so many businesses, organizations, and individuals in Hayward continue to step up and support this program.”

Student participants were identified in partnership with the Hayward Police Department’s Youth and Family Services Bureau under the guidance of Dr. Emily Young. At the conclusion of their shopping spree, the students picked out both a backpack stuffed with school necessities and a book donated by Friends of the Hayward Library. During the event, parents and guardians were able relax with coffee and refreshments provided by the Hayward Rotary Club.

More than 150 community members joined Hayward Rotary in volunteering for this project, including staff and students from Moreau High School, volunteers from Hayward Firefighters, Hayward Police Department, Chabot College students, and Redwood Chapel Community Church. This event is all about community collaboration at its best!

In addition to JC Penney and Southland Mall whose generosity made this event possible, the other institutions that sponsored Child Spree include Fremont Bank, Kaiser Permanente, PG&E, Plumbers & Steamfitters Local Union 342, Calpine, and Life Chiropractic College West. Many businesses and individuals also donated generously to this event. Our big-hearted in-kind sponsors were Give Something Back Office Supply, Bank of the West, Sakura of America, and Friends of the Hayward Public Library.

The Hayward Rotary Club Foundation has existed for many years and is dedicated to helping those in the Hayward area. Every years the Foundation undertakes many projects that provides direct support to the community. Because the Foundation is run by volunteers, the cost of running the Foundation amounts to less that $1,000 per year, yet many thousands of dollars are returned to the Hayward area through the efforts of the Foundation. A great return on your investment!!

As a new member of the community, I joined the Rotary Club of Hayward as a way to meet leaders of the community. Not only were the leaders present in the club but they had taken time, several years ago, to create a local foundation to fund projects in the community. Now with 25+ years of experience and a 7-figure fund balance, the Rotary club is in a position to provide major funding for key projects that build the community. What an accomplishment for a group that truly cares about the citizens of Hayward!

As a Rotarian I have been involved in numerous community events that have made a tremendous impact on the Hayward community. The Hayward Rotary Club Foundation funds various community organizations, with an emphasis on children and families who are underserved. It is been so fulfilling to see the service Rotarians provide to our community...and the many benefits and strong relationships that evolve out of their commitment. It's an amazing organization and I'm honored to be a part of it.

It is rare that a Foundation is as well managed by a group of volunteers as the Hayward Rotary Foundation is. There is an investment committee of extremely well qualified individuals that carefully scrutinizes the investments, returns and appropriateness to the Foundation's Goals.
That same Foundation Management extends to have a systematic approach to disbursements of the funds for the Community Good. In all cases, it is run extremely transparently and for less than $600 per year exclusive of investment commissions and fees.

Hayward Rotary foundation serves to improve the well being of the community. It does various projects that impacts children, youth and the whole community. All the volunteers take part actively in this mission and do their best to serve the community.

The Hayward Rotary Club Foundation has been supporting the needs of the community for 25 years...whether for children, the vulnerable, the sick, for athletics and recreation, for innovative projects, this foundation represents the best of community philanthropy and I am happy to support it! Join me!

I grew up in Hayward and continue to live and work here, so I appreciate that the Hayward Rotary Club Foundation and Hayward Rotary Club have worked hard on many projects that have made Hayward a better place to live.

I've been a member of Hayward Rotary ever since it established its Foundation and am delighted with its effects. One of my fondest memories was when we bought playground equipment for the children living at the Emergency Shelter Program (a facility for homeless/abused women and their children). We spent a day there installing the equipment. Seeing the joy and laughter among the kids and their mothers as we were doing this made it all worthwhile.

This foundation is completely run by volunteer Rotarians who give selflessly of their time and money to support the community of Hayward, CA to prosper and grow. Many of the projects are related to children and literacy and include a children's park in downtown and several annual projects including giving a dictionary to every third grader in public and parochial schools each year. My favorite project is Child Spree which provides $100 of school clothes, a back pack and school supplies to 100 underserved children each year. The fun part is a volunteer shopping one and one and helping the child pick their own new clothes , shoes and jacket.

The impact of the Hayward Rotary Club Foundation on this community of 152,000 residents has been incalculable. Whether it's roviding thousands of dictionaries to school students as part of literacy efforts, providing kids with a free back-to-school shopping experience, helping fund the Silva Pediatric Clinc, or developing parks, the Rotary Club Foundation has been the leading philanthropic organization in our city and a model for others to follow. Few nonprofit organizations here approach the Rotary Foundation in its commitment to the betterment of community life and we are so fortunate to have it active in this city. Kim Huggett, president & CEO, Hayward Chamber of Commerce

I have been impressed with the way that the Hayward Rotary club supports the education of Hayward's youth. For example, the Hayward Rotary club sponsors the Hayward Rotary Scholar program. This program recognizes the top 3 or 4 students in the Hayward Unified School district based on their test scores, attendance and citizenship. Way to go Hayward Rotary.

This organization brings together some of the most resourceful and passionate people I have ever worked with and I am proud to be a part of something that has a sustained and lasting impact. Since its inception in 1922, the Hayward Rotary Club has led community building projects to improve the lives of all Hayward citizens.

My first hands-on project was the annual "Child Spree." Partnering with the Hayward Police Department's Youth and Family Services, JC Penney, and other local organizations and businesses, the Club provided a $100 shopping spree, as well as backpacks filled with materials for back-to-school, to 100 youth in need. My fellow volunteers and I showed up at 6:30am on a Saturday in preparation for the youth and their families. While the children shopped with a volunteer, the families participated in a community resource fair, making the event a truly collaborative project, spearheaded by the Club. It is difficult to overstate the impact that morning had on the children and families, whose smiles and laughter spoke volumes.

Time and again I am in awe of the level of dedication and selflessness exhibited by my fellow Rotarians. Everyone steps forward when it is time to roll up our sleeves and get work done, from providing all third grade students in Hayward with dictionaries to ensuring that homes are equipped with smoke detectors.

Finally, I have never met so many people willing to open up their pocketbooks when the need arises. At one of our meetings we were joined by the President of Mt. Eden High School's Interact Club, who shared the work his club has been doing in our community. He also shared that he was one of the youth chosen to participate in Rotary District 5170's "Vietnam Soccer Ball Project," bringing soccer balls to youth in Vietnam. While he had raised some funds to support his trip, he still had more money to raise. Spontaneously, the Club passed around a basket and, from the people in the room opening up their hearts and wallets, this young man added $805 to go towards his travel expenses. He was overcome by emotion and there was not a dry eye in the room.

I am currently one of the youngest members and am looking forward to many years of making positive change in this community with the Hayward Rotary Club.

More than one hundred students received new clothes and a backpack full of school supplies thanks to the Hayward Rotary Club’s annual Child Spree program.

On Saturday, Aug. 22 at 7AM, eager K-8 students met at JC Penney at Southland Mall and were paired with a Rotary Club member or other community volunteer. Together, using a list of needed items identified by the parent and a $100 gift card, they purchased essential clothing needed to start school. JC Penney offered 25% percent off the entire purchase and waived sales tax, so the children were able to purchase more essential back-to-school clothing.

JC Penney staff volunteered to work the early shift in order to share the joy with the children and their parents and the Nestle kiosk opened early to offer discounted coffee and snacks for the families.

“This is the fourteenth year that Hayward Rotary has had the opportunity to sponsor an event that meets the needs of so many deserving children,” said Janiene Langford, one of the event coordinators for Rotary. “It is gratifying that so many businesses, organizations, and individuals in Hayward continue to step up and support this program.”

Student participants were identified in partnership with the Hayward Police Department’s Youth and Family Services Bureau. At the conclusion of their shopping spree, the students picked out a backpack and book donated by Friends of the Hayward Library. During the event, parents and guardians were able to participate in a Resource Fair with tables from Hayward Adult School’s Youth Enrichment Services, Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center, Hayward Area Recreation and Park District, Life Chiropractic College West, Hayward Library’s Literacy Plus, Hayward Promise Neighborhood, Hayward Police Department’s Youth & Family Services, and Kinship Support Services.

More than 200 community members joined Hayward Rotary in this project, including staff from Moreau High School, volunteers from the Boy Scouts of America, Chabot College students, the CSU East Bay Volleyball Team, and Redwood Chapel Community Church.

In addition to JC Penney, businesses who helped to sponsor the project included Fremont Bank, Calpine, Costco Wholesale, Give Something Back Office Supply, Kaiser Permanente, United Association Local Union 342, Sakura of America, and Friends of the Hayward Public Library.