More than 22,000 active-duty military families, 213,000 National Guardsmen/Reservists, and over 1.2 million Veterans face the challenge of food insecurity. In response to this pressing need, the Pelican Pantry was established by the Armed Services YMCA at 29 Palms Marine Corps Base. It serves as a supplementary food source for Marine and Navy families.
In February 2022, the San Dimas Rotary and various community groups, including those from as far as Georgia, came together for a Food Drive to support the pantry. The initiative successfully collected and delivered over four tons of food and raised over $4000.
While this achievement was commendable, it also shed light on the ongoing issue of food security among military families and veterans. Concerns arose among the participating groups about the future—what would happen when the supplies from the previous drive eventually ran out? Where would the families of the 10,000 Marines and 1,000 sailors at 29 Palms seek support? To address this challenge, Rotary sponsored the establishment of the Rotary Club of Military Family Support (Satellite Club).
On May 21, 2022, eight community members joined forces and formed the Satellite Club. The following week, the Satellite Club received its official charter from Rotary International. On June 18th, the Satellite Club members were inducted into Rotary. In March 2023, the Satellite Club successfully organized its first drive, resulting in the collection of more than five tons of food and nearly $15,000 in donations. The Satellite Club plans to hold two drives annually, with the next one scheduled for September 30, 2023.
The initial meeting to kickstart the upcoming food drive will take place on Wednesday, September 24, 2023, at 6 PM via Zoom. To obtain the Zoom link, please send an email to sandimasrotary@gmail.com.
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