The Los Medanos College Rotaract club has been searching for and resolving a variety of needs on campus for many years now.
The LMC Rotaract club is “like a junior club for Rotary; like a college version of it,” explained Antioch Rotary Adviser Milanka Schneiderman.
Rotaract aims to provide service to others and promote integrity, as well as advance world understanding, goodwill and peace through its fellowship of business, professional and community leaders, according to its mission statement.
“I didn’t want to just do things because we know they’re nice. I wanted to really look at the needs of the school and the students and then find a solution to that,” said Rotaract President Gabrielle Grandchamp. “Because we already have such a strong foundation of community at this college, I love that we’re able to focus more on doing stuff outside the box.”
Throughout the fall 2019 semester, Rotaract has already begun to organize and execute three different events to help better the student community at LMC.
These events include a flower hand-out with encouraging keychains attached, a hygiene drive through the on-campus food bank and a community-oriented cleanup at the LMC lake.
The distribution of keychains and flowers had a very positive impact on the student body during the day of the hand-out, Thursday, Nov. 7. The eight members of Rotaract spent hours tying keychains to each flower before distribution in the outdoor quad.
“There’s so many students unsure about their major or worried about money… so I decided this would be a good time to hand out the flowers with encouraging keychains,” said Grandchamp.
Grandchamp started a non-profit flower revitalization and distribution business in August of last year and donated all flowers for the event.
Rotaract is also organizing a hygiene drive to support foster youth at LMC through the on-campus food bank between now and Dec. 8. The main collection date for the drive will take place Monday, Dec. 2 from 2 to 3 p.m. in Room CC3-373.
“I recommended that they work with Student Life around some existing projects such as the food bank and foster youth, and they are interested in campus speakers or forums around professions and careers,” said Rotaract Advisor Natalie Hannum.
If you are interested in donating hygiene products to the drive, but cannot make it to the Dec. 12 collection date, email rotaratclmc@gmail.com to organize a drop off time.
Next semester, spring 2020, Rotaract plans on hosting a forum to inform students about stress management and other topics imperative to their success, in an effort to reach and to relate as many students as possible.
“I wanted to go in the direction of stress management — something that can apply to every single field or something that the school isn’t currently providing that’s interesting to everyone,” said Grandchamp.
Furthermore, after contacting the head of custodial staff at LMC, Rotaract found a deficit in the lake quality and cleanliness. When discussing the littering issue near the lake with custodial staff, Grandchamp determined a lake cleanup would have a positive impact on the environment at the LMC Pittsburg campus.
The lake cleanup is open to the community and will take place Friday, Dec. 6, time to be determined.
For more information about Rotaract or any of the events they’re planning, contact Gabrielle Grandchamp at rotaractlmc@gmail.com.
