Yonkers city and community leaders were at hand as the Yonkers-East Yonkers Club distributed over 10,000 masks to local community service organizations on Saturday 17 April 2021. These masks are part of the 5.5 million maks distributed by the Rossi Family Foundation and Rotary International via local Rotary Clubs in the North-East. Mayor Mike Spano, County Executive George Latimer, Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins, City Council President Mike Khader, NYS Assemblymember Nader Sayegh, were present as were Rotary District Governor Mary Shackleton, President Steve Simpson, and Assistant Governor Bina Ahmad. Also attending were Immediate Past District Governor Mahbub Ahmad, Past District Governor Greg Arcaro, and District Governor Nominee-Designee J. Loren Russell - all are members of our Club.The event, organized by Club COVID Committee Chair Maria Abdullah, was held at the Yonkers Christian Assembly premises on North Broadway. Representatives of Pamela's Big Heart Foundation, St. John's Hospital, the Fuller Center, and St. Joseph's Church collected the masks... Mayor Spano and County Executive Latimer both commended the Rotary Club for standing by the community and demonstrating compassion and solidarity with the community. District Governor Mary Shackleton, welcoming the assembled dignitaries said, "These masks are going to the underserved communities, so that the people who really need them, have protection." She said our Rotary District has raised and allocated nearly half-million dollars for COVID-related projects across our District. President Steve highlighted the fact that despite the pandemic, our Club has distributed thousands of meals, PPE Supplies, and other assistance to people in need. It is a demonstration of our Club's commitment to our community.
This is a story of service and leadership. It’s a story of how our District, Zone and Club responded to a crisis, rallied resources, put boots-on-the-ground to bring disparate and far-flung communities together to spread goodwill. Most importantly, it’s a story about working together and using our collective professional backgrounds through the Rotary network to make a difference. This project reinforces how Rotary uses its professional backgrounds, diverse perspectives, and global connections to change the world for the better.