Rotary Districts 6440 and 6450 have announced they are taking part in a pilot program to provide Rotarians with resources to deal with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a Zoom call Wednesday with 120 members, leaders from various Rotary Clubs took turns unveiling a multi-faceted program that aims to ease the financial, emotional and psychological impact the last four months have had. The six new forums available for Rotary members are career services, connect with mentors, Rotary business directory, business networking, financial information, and sharing ideas.
How will these services help Rotarians
The career services will allow Rotarians to browse a job board, access a free values assessment, and read up on job search strategies.
“We know that there are a lot of Rotarians, we know that there are a lot of people looking for their next career due to COVID-19 or layoffs. So, this is really about Rotarians helping Rotarians.” Kim White, Rotary Program Chair.
The mentorship program will allow Rotarians to register as a mentor, mentee or both. Mentors will allocate time to make themselves available, while mentees will be able to browse a directory of mentors and their vocational skills.
The Rotary Business Director has listings of businesses owned by Rotary members, allowing for efficient and easy connections.
The business networking introduces a new forum called “Rotary Means Business – Chicagoland”, which encourages Rotarians to do business with one another.
Financial information is also a new feature that provides a COVID-19 resource center, COVID-19 financial survival toolkit, as well as other resources pertinent to surviving in the harsh economic climate during the pandemic.
Finally, the sharing ideas forum establishes a net Rotary network blog where members can share valuable information and experiences.
What is the Rotary Club
Paul Harris in Evanston, Illinois founded the original Rotary Club in 1904. Established under the idea of creating a network for businesses, the organization ultimately became a platform for community service. While the various local clubs will continue with their work handing out grants and completing community projects, this new initiative brings the organization closer to its roots.
“His idea in founding rotary actually was originally a networking organization and it was only in subsequent years that the community service aspect came into play” Alma Jones, President of the Naperville Rotary Club.
How member can access features
Members can find all of these resources by visiting TheRotaryNetwork.org. The site is up and running and has already resulted in engagement from the membership base.
“I see this as a program that is going to be enthusiastically embraced by Rotarians in both districts.” Kim White
Kevin Jackman reporting for Naperville News 17
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