Club President Message

Jim Kitz

member photo

 

Welcome to the Rotary Club of Norfolk – a vibrant group of community leaders who enjoy being part of southeastern Virginia’s oldest and largest service club.

Our nearly 130 members come from throughout Hampton Roads and share a passion for community service and fellowship. We value always learning something new, having fun and working together to make our community and world better. If I can help connect you to Rotary International and our club please let me know.

Club Meeting Information

Leaders Making a Difference at Home & Abroad

Norfolk

We meet In Person
Tuesdays at 12:30 PM
Scope Arena Meeting Room
201 East Brambleton Avenue
Norfolk, VA 23510
United States of America
Phone:
(757) 622-7971
Email:
rotaryclubofnorfolk@gmail.com
Due to COVID 19, we are currently meeting by Zoom @ 12:30 P.M. the first three Tuesdays a month. See Calendar for details.
District Site
Venue Map
 
In the News

Laughing at COVID-19
 
Former Norfolk resident and comedian with "a Southern swag and a Brooklyn attitude" Susan Sussman delighted our club with some laughter during the pandemic. Susan loves to talk about family, marriage, cultural changes and aging...not so gracefully.  At the end, she reminded us that "life is short, do what you feel and have a passion to do."

Past President Lorna Wins President's Award
 
Past President Lorna was one of two presidents in District 7600 to receive the President's Award for Tier III. Under her leadership, Norfolk Rotary has thrived despite the challenges of COVID 19. She proactively led the 120 members in the transition to virtual club meetings. We had successful fundraisers before the pandemic hit (GrowlFest and Pints for Polio). The club awarded $40,000 to local charities and club members donated over $12,000 to the Foodbank.
 
Lorna is most pleased with the Rotary Connects the World Award which recognizes the “The Miracle on Charlotte Street.” Within eyesight of the Club’s meeting facility, the William A Hunton YMCA has struggling amidst city transformation. It has served the African-American community since 1875 but Norfolk Rotary, established in 1914, knew little of the Hunton YMCA. What began as a small grant for the purchase of blankets and cots for pre-schoolers turned into a transformational relationship.  While delivering the cots, Norfolk Rotarians witnessed the feeding 160 children (300+ in the summer) daily with a four-burner stove, one oven, no refrigeration, no ice making capacity and no freezer storage. The chef bought groceries once or twice daily, made numerous trips to the 7-11 for ice and had no way to keep food warm. Norfolk Rotarians recruited four other Rotary Clubs as partners and with a District Grant provided the Hunton Y a new kitchen. Upon discovering that there was no reading material for ages 2—8 years, the club renovated, furnished, and stocked a new Rotary Little Readers Library. Each step, the grant award celebration with City Officials, the labor on the library construction, the engagement with City officials, Norfolk Public Library, local school library personnel, the Library of Congress, and the attentive engagement with the Hunton’s board, COO, staff and children, proved to be inspirational, motivational, heart-warming, and truly demonstrated “Service Above Self." Recenly, the club members provided a "farm" bounce house.
 
Other awards won by Norfolk Rotary include:
  •     Community Service
  •     Bulletin
  •     Club Administration (formerly Club Service)
  •     Foundation--we contributed 1/3 more than the goal...and was the highest contributor during the Rotary Day of Giving worldwide.
  •     Vocational Service
  •     Rotary Citation
 
Thanks to Lorna for leading us for the past year. 
  
Rotary Clubs are divided into tiers based upon their membership size. 

A Change in Leadership
Past President Lorna Cochrane could have made her exit on this tiny scooter presented to her by incoming President Jim Kitz at the July 7 Rotary Club of Norfolk officer installation at Norfolk Botanical Garden and on Zoom. But, the scooter is just one of five that will be donated in Lorna's honor to the William A. Hunton YMCA for its preschool program.
 
During Lorna's tenure, the club raised money, received a district grant and supplied volunteers to refurbish the kitchen at the Y, which serves one of Norfolk's most economically challenged neighborhoods. The club also added to the Hunton Y a children's library and a bounce house for preschoolers.

Norfolk Manages Through COVID 19
 
Greg Patrick, City of Norfolk Budget Director, updated the Club on the impact to the city's budget in light of reduced revenues from COVID 19. The City is required to have a balanced budget. For FY 2020-2021, a worse case reduction of $43M will result primarily in the cuts to the city's museums and the postponement of the renovations to Chrysler Hall. The public schools will also be impacted by a $11M reduction ($8M from local funding and $3M from Commonwealth funding). Patrick hopes that revenues will exceed the projections and allow some increases to the city budget.

#1 Health Issue for Children & Teens
 
Only a few years ago, pediatricians reported that ear infections were the most common need in patients. Today the top issue relates to depression, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other mental issues in patients as young as age 5. Suicide is the second largest cause of death for youth ages 3 to 17. Lauren Kiger (pictured above) talked about CHKD's mental health initiative and the new hospital under construction.  
Speakers
District Governor Judy
Aug 18, 2020 12:30 PM
The 2020-2021 Rotary Year
Lyne Abanilla
Sep 01, 2020
Physicians for Peace Philippines
Kenny Takalo
Sep 08, 2020
Apartheid and the ongoing struggles of post-Apartheid South Africa
Adam Turner, Artistic Director
Sep 15, 2020
VA Opera
View entire list...
Upcoming Events

Norfolk Rotary on the Go

 

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