Project spearheaded by new Rotary extension club – Rotary isn’t just for noontime anymore
Latino students at Greene County Schools now have more choices for their free reading with the recent donation of 157 books in Spanish by the Rotary Club of Jefferson. New books have been placed in all three school libraries.
The project was spearheaded by the club’s new extension club. Rotarian and middle school media associate Jennifer Powers explained, “We first considered the project as a way to help Latino students improve their English skills, but when we learned that reading for fun isn’t part of their culture, we decided to purchase books in Spanish to encourage them to read without struggling with the language. We were able to get many of the same books their classmates are reading, but in Spanish,” Powers said.
Powers added that Spanish books are more expensive in the American market, making them harder to fit in the schools’ book budgets.
The $2,500 project was funded from proceeds of the 2024 Rotary Dinner and Charity Auction. This year’s dinner and auction is slated for Friday, Nov. 21, with the silent auction opening Nov. 15. Tickets and the silent auction are available at https:/www.32auctions.com/JeffersonRotary2025.
Proceeds from the event over the past 26 years have funded more than $700,000 in grants to area non-profits to benefit literacy, health, community development, youth services, environmental projects and more. The Rotary extension club meets twice monthly during the evening in a family-friendly setting. “We know there are many people who simply can’t attend a noon meeting on a workday. The extension club makes it possible for more people to be members and share in the lifechanging work of Rotary International and the local Rotary Club,” said Tori Riley, liaison to the extension club. Persons who want more information can contact Riley at 515-370-3087.
