Woodbridge Rotary Receives Literacy Award

The Woodbridge Rotary Club has been presented with a Literacy Award from the Rotary International District. The Woodbridge Rotary Club was bestowed this honor for the many literacy projects the group sponsored this past year under the leadership of Past President Carol Yingling. The Club believes in the importance of reading and providing literacy projects in the community.

Dictionaries were distributed to all third graders at Beecher Road School, Woodbridge, Bethany Community School and this year, after seeing a tremendous need in neighboring New Haven, the program was expanded to include Brennan/Rogers School, Davis Street School and Crossroads in New Haven as part of the Rotary’s Make A Difference Day in October.

Principal Karen Lott spoke to the Rotary Club members concerning the literacy needs at the school and in response, the Club purchased books at local book fairs. In addition, Friends of the Woodbridge Library donated several boxes of children’s books.

Each week at their weekly Rotary meetings, visiting speakers are asked to sign a child’s book which then is donated to the Woodbridge Library, helping to develop their circulation for children. For example, Locke Reidy of Woodbridge spoke on the book “Overboard” outlining his harrowing experience on a sailboat which capsized into the ocean, describing his rescue and the loss of the boat's captain.

The club also supports a corner at the Woodbridge Library.

The club works closely with local school administrators to get a feel for where need exists. Dr. Guy Stella, Superintendent of Schools for Beecher Road School has joined the club's membership and has acted as liaison for such projects as the dictionary project.

The Woodridge Rotary Club now under the leadership of President Andy Skolnick continues to value literacy and will support several literacy projects for this upcoming year.

The Rotary is an organization of businesses and professional persons united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.  The Woodbridge Rotary Club’s membership consists of professionals who live or work in Bethany, Woodbridge or the Westville section of New Haven.

The Club is interested in recruiting new members. The club meets the first and third Fridays, at 12:15 p.m. at Coachman Square in Woodbridge. Breakfast meetings will be held 7:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Friday’s at the Country Diner in Bethany. Potential members should contact Cal Walker, 203-393-3629.