Home Page | Rotary Club of Yelm

We have partnered with Homeless Backpacks and the Yelm Community Schools to keep the weekly delivery of these weekend food bags going.
We are actively planning our summer lunch program
We eagerly look forward to being able to meet in person again.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Please consider making a donation to our club for the 2020 Summer Lunch Program. With the COVID-19 closures we have had to cancel ALL our fundraising events. We have secured some grants and early donations for this summer's needs but we will need more. We anticipate the need to be greater this summer than what we saw last year.

Click here to donate - any amount will help feed the kids this summer!

Online Meetings

10 Year Anniversary

We have had to postpone the date of our 10 Year Anniversary Celebration

Please look for updated information as soon as we can safely reschedule!

February 2020 Student of the Month

We are pleased to announce our February 2020 Student of the Month, Gracie Mathis. As a senior at Yelm High School one of the first impressions includes her hardworking personality. She currently serves as Senior Class Secretary and has pushed her fellow seniors to get to know younger students and reach out to more staff and community for an all-inclusive feel. They even worked this into their Homecoming theme to start the year off right.

Since the beginning of the year, she has planned numerous peer group meetings and furthered her leadership skills by forging relationships with struggling freshmen, empowering them to achieve more and make better choices and voicing herself more and more in the class. With her fellow peer group leaders, she has worked to make Yelm a more inclusive and caring school, with donating her time with YHS National Honor Society canned food drive, the FFA plant sale, the Yelm Rotary summer lunch program and raising money for Dollars for Scholars, an annual auction event which benefits Yelm students as they pursue their dreams. In addition to this, she is an active member of the Yelm FFA, FBLA and in the community with many volunteer and service hours with the Yelm Youth Council that works with the City of Yelm.

These roles are not small, though they might be overlooked at times. Gracie, over this year, has rallied her fellow peer group leaders behind a motto of servant leadership. She has championed the cause of creating a campus that welcomes all students.

The Rotary Club of Yelm along with our business sponsors wish you the very best!

City of Yelm - Government

Olympia Federal Savings

Walmart Yelm

Pizzeria La Gitana Of Yelm

The Shiplap Shop & Coffee House

Yelm Prairie Lanes

Masonry Cafe Catering

Scotty Brown - Windermere Real Estate - Yelm

January 2020 Student of the Month

Congratulations to our January 2020 Student of the Month, Haley Finley. Haley is one of the outstanding student leaders at YHS and is described by her teachers as a "great student" and extremely helpful, always willing to do whatever is needed. She is always positive and sets a great example for younger students. She will do the best she can with anything she is asked to do and we are excited to see what the future brings for Haley!

The Rotary Club of Yelm along with our business sponsors wish you the very best!

2019-2020 Business Sponsors
City of Yelm - Government
Olympia Federal Savings
Walmart Yelm
Pizzeria La Gitana Of Yelm
The Shiplap Shop & Coffee House
Yelm Prairie Lanes
Masonry Cafe Catering
Scotty Brown - Windermere Real Estate - Yelm

December 2019 Student of the Month

Posted by Sandi Hanson

We are pleased to introduce our December 2019 Rotary Student of the Month, Kya Ramirez. Kya is such a role model student. She is a leader in the classroom and throughout the school. Kya does a great job of including all students and making them feel important. She is also an awesome example in the classroom by pushing herself and other students to produce the highest quality results. Whether it's understanding physics concepts in science or producing quality landscapes in landscape design. Kya has also had an impact throughout the school with here participation in FFA, Cross Country and ASB. She is dedicated to making Yelm High School a better place. In addition to FFA, ASB & YHS Leadership she is an active board member with the Thurston County Fair. Congratulations Kya. Well deserved!

Rotary Club of Yelm along with our business partners City of Yelm - Government, Walmart Yelm, Olympia Federal Savings, Pizzeria La Gitana Of Yelm, The Shiplap Shop & Coffee House, Masonry Cafe Catering, Yelm Prairie Lanes and Scotty Brown - Windermere Real Estate - Yelm wish you the best.

November 2019 Student of the Month

Posted by Sandi Hanson

It gives us great pleasure to announce Rotary's November YHS Student of the Month is Alicia Nelson. As an outstanding senior with endless positive attitude and contagious passion for helping others. This FFA Vice President is always willing to go the extra mile, working countless hours after school with the FFA program, volunteers with many community service activities such as the FFA plant sale, Adopt-A-Family, the community garden and so much more. She greatly enjoys helping with inclusion in the classroom, partnering with the YHS Life Skills students in the greenhouse class to help them complete assignments. This future Special Education Teacher makes the YHS community very proud! Congratulations on behalf of Rotary Club of Yelm and our Business Sponsors, Walmart Yelm, City of Yelm - Government, Olympia Federal Savings, The Shiplap Shop & Coffee House, Masonry Cafe Catering, Pizzeria La Gitana Of Yelm

#yelmrotary

#communityconnected

#serviceaboveself

October 2019 Student of the Month

Congratulations to our October 2019 Student of the Month, Sophie Hall.

Sophie is an outstanding Yelm High School senior. This YHS Honor Society President contributes to our wonderful community in many ways - from volunteering at various activities through honor society to serving as a camp counselor at Camp Coleman (3 years running) and working with little kids at the Nisqually Watershed Festival every year. She is admired by staff and classmates alike as she always has a smile on her face and a kind word for all.

Join our business partners City of Yelm - Government, Walmart Yelm, Olympia Federal Savings, The Shiplap Shop & Coffee House, Masonry Cafe Catering & Pizzeria La Gitana Of Yelm in wishing her all the best.

#yelmrotary #serviceaboveself #rotaryconnectstheworld

September 2019 Student of the Month

Start of a new school year and our first Student of the Month award. This morning we were excited to award Colter Wevodau as our September 2019 Student of the Month.

Colter, an exemplary YHS Senior, is a Yelm Youth City Council member, the Yelm High School ASB public relations officer and logged an impressive 3,600+ volunteer hours before he even hit his senior year. Not only does he volunteer his time at school, he also coordinates volunteers for Yelm Community Services and volunteers at the food bank himself, which he has done for many years. Colter is a shining example of what service means to so many YHS students. Congratulations Colter from Rotary Club of Yelm and our business sponsors:
City of Yelm - Government
Olympia Federal Savings
Walmart Yelm
The Shiplap Shop & Coffee House
Masonry Cafe Catering
Pizzeria La Gitana Of Yelm

10 Weeks of Summer Lunch Program - 2019

Posted by Sandi Hanson

As we finish 10 weeks of Summer Lunch Program we are reminded just how generous this community is. Our faithful volunteers that come out each week and help us bag is amazing. I can't say enough about them. They all show up ready to help in any way they can. It is truly community connected!

THANK YOU!

Bagging the food.

The Rotary Club of Yelm is bringing their community together to serve a need in feeding children this summer. This will is our 3^rd summer of the summer lunch program, nicknamed the “10 Weeks of Summer”.

The target is to reach children who are receiving free and reduced lunches during the school year. When school is out, their need for nourishment continues. So, each week through the summer you will find Rotary members, and other community volunteers, busy packing about 200 bags of food for the kids. Last summer they distributed over 1800 bags and they expect to do even more this year! We have added a distribution point in Rainier this year and it is proving to be popular.

Each Sunday afternoon begins by picking up their load of food from Walmart. Walmart is a great partner in this program and has also awarded a $5000 grant to the club.

The truck then makes the 1 mile trip to the Yelm Senior Center, where the food is unloaded by community volunteers and Rotarians. We couldn't do it without all the community support. This is truly a community project!

An assembly line is formed to bag the food in re-useable grocery bags donated by local business partners. The club has it down to an art and can have all the food unloaded and bagged in less than 2 hours!

Each Tuesday morning the teams pick up the bagged food and head out to meet the kids and parents at their distribution points. We are serving many new families this year as well as those we served last year. The need is there and they are grateful for the extra help

The total estimated cost of the summer program is $20,000. The club was approved for a $3,500 district grant from Rotary International, and The Nisqually Tribe awarded another grant of $5,000. Walmart of Yelm awarded a $5000 grant and provides a discount of the weekly food purchase and helps with the shopping and loading. The remainder of the cost is covered with Club funds and other donations from supportive community members.

People of Action

Are You Ready To Start Making A Difference?

If you’d like to serve your community and work with fellow members to make the world a better place, Rotary is for you!

It’s easy to get started. Start by telling us about yourself and come to our next weekly Rotary meeting, we meet every Thursday at 7:30am.

info@yelmrotary.org

April 2019 Student of the Month

The Rotary Club of Yelm is proud to announce our April Student of the Month, Hannah Jenny. Hannah, another outstanding YHS class of 2019 soon-to-be graduate, embodies all of the best of YHS. Her always upbeat outlook and beaming smile are not only reflective of her attitude towards life, but are contagious and truly make her a stand-out among her peers. Her dedication to school, FFA and her community comes easy to her as she truly enjoys helping others. Portland State University is lucky to have her next year. Thank you to our business partners Walmart Yelm and Olympia Federal Savings and City of Yelm - Government. Hannah will be honored at an upcoming City of Yelm City Council meeting. #serviceaboveself #yelmrotary

March 2019 Student of the Month

We are pleased to announce our March 2019 Student of the Month, Megan Powell. Megan is a senior who is involved in Yearbook and has also been involved in Leadership on campus. Outside of school, Megan spends time at camps for children battling cancer. Megan has attended several camps, most recently as a camp counselor. Megan has a positive attitude and wants to make Yelm High School a safe and welcoming place for all students. Megan's plans after high school include a career in the medical field as a paramedic or trauma trained medic. Megan is currently undecided on attending Central Washington University or enlisting in the Army. Megan will also be honored at the City of Yelm - Government City Council meeting on April 23rd. Our behalf of Rotary Club of Yelm and our business partners Olympia Federal Savings, Walmart Yelm and City of Yelm - Government we congratulate you, Megan! #yelmrotary #serviceaboveself

Rotary Club of Yelm received Grant

We are excited to announce that we have received a grant for our Summer Food Program from the Nisqually Indian Tribe. It is an honor to be a recipient again this year. We appreciate all the support that they give back to our community. Thank you so much!

January 2019 Student of the Month

Congratulations to our January 2019 Student of the Month, Cody Johnston. Cody is the Yelm High School ASB secretary, National Honor Society member, an Eagle Scout and a Varsity Cross-Country member.

Cody is good student (3.8 GPA) who has continues to take challenging classes. Cody has been very involved in school from Athletics (3 sports) to ASB officer as well as the NHS. Outside of school Cody has kept himself busy as well! He recently earned his Eagle Scout designation, completing many hours of service in order to do so. He also volunteers with the local Lions club. In addition he has volunteered at the food bank in Thurston County a few times and was a Page the Washington State House. He also participated in the Evergreen Boys State program. Cody recently received an appointment to the Naval Academy! Huge honor.

On behalf of our business partners City of Yelm - Government, Walmart Yelm and Olympia Federal Savings we wish to say - Congratulations Cody!

December Student of the Month

It is with great pleasure that we introduce our December 2018 Student of the Month, Erin Connally.

Erin embodies the best of YHS students. She can always be counted on to help with community events such as the blood drive, color run, CPR classes and more all while maintaining a good GPA and taking challenging classes. A varsity athlete herself, Eric has dedicated over 650 hours to athletic training in the prevention and care of injuries for fellow athletes at YHS. She will be attending Centralia Community College next fall where she will continue to study athletic training and play soccer.

On behalf of our business partners City of Yelm - Government, Walmart Yelm and Olympia Federal Savings we wish to say - Congratulations Erin!

Yelm Real Estate Network Donation

A big Thank you to Yelm Real Estate and Business Network for your generous donation. We appreciate your support !

November 2018 Student of the Month

The Rotary Club of Yelm is honored to announce our November 2018 Student of the Month, Bekah Hume.

Bekah has her eye clearly on her future and is blazing a path towards it. She is respected by peers and staff alike at YHS where she played varsity soccer for 4 years of and has contributed well over 400 hours in community service just through her sports medicine program alone all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. She has already been accepted into Whitworth's 5 year master's track program for sports medicine and is excited to attend next fall.

Along with the certificate she was presented a gift card from Walmart Yelmand a savings bond from Olympia Federal Savings. She will also be honored on Tuesday, December 11th at the City of Yelm - Government City Council Meeting. #yelmrotary #serviceaboveself #betheinspiration

Pictured above are Shey Pope, manager of Yelm Wamart, Rotarian Sandi Hanson, Bekah Hume, Rotary president Tess Faughn and YHS principal Ryan Akiyama

October 2018 Student of the Month

Addyson Wilson-Heid is an outstanding YHS senior who has made an incredibly positive impact on not only her high school, but her Yelm community as well. She is an excellent student who participates in numerous school activities and community service programs. She has big dreams for after graduation and there's no doubt she will accomplish whatever she sets her mind to and make a big impact on the world around her. Along with the certificate she was presented a gift card from Walmart Yelm and a savings bond from Olympia Federal Savings. She will also be honored on Tuesday, November 13th at the City of Yelm - Government City Council Meeting.

September 2018 Student of the Month

The Rotary Club of Yelm is honored to announce our September 2018 Student of the Month, Britney Alvarez -

Britney is an outstanding Yelm High School senior who embodies many wonderful qualities. While maintaining her own good grades, she is an advocate for others and is a volunteer in a program for helping freshman who are facing challenges. Her kindness and maturity make her an effective advocate for these students. She has applied to be a volunteer at the Yelm Library and hopes to volunteer at a Senior living facility as well. She is an exemplary Yelm citizen. Along with the certificate she was presented a gift card from Wal-mart and a savings bond from Olympia Federal Savings.

Pictured from left to right are YHS principal Ryan Akiyama, Rotarian Larry Hanson, Britney Alvarez, Co-Manager at Yelm Walmart LiAn, Rotary Club of Yelm president Tess Faughn, and Jane Walker with Olympia Federal Savings.

Britney was also be honored on Tuesday, October 9th at the City of Yelm - Government's City Council Meeting.

Pictured from left to right front: Rotary Club of Yelm president Tess Faughn, Britney Alvarez, Mayor JW Foster, Rotarian Kim Lyle

Back row: Council members Cody Colt, Tad Stillwell, Tracey Wood and Joe DePinto

12 Weeks of Summer

Posted by Sandi Hanson on Jul 10, 2018

Our annual Summer Food program, 12 weeks of Summer, has begun. Today marks our 3rd weekly distribution. We really appreciate all the volunteers that give of their time to help us with this project. We have received tremendous support from the community including monetary donations, re-useable grocery bags, food, and more. We have several businesses that are hosting PB&J Food Drives (Peanut Butter & Jelly) and we appreciate you all!

Food delivery with help from our friends at Walmart, Shey & Luke

2017-2018 Student of the Year

We are proud to announce Kaylee Logan as our Student of the Year, 2017-2018. With this honor goes a scholarship to aid in her future education.

Kaylee is an outstanding student in addition to a community service super star. She is a passionate, committed member of FFA. She is talented in writing and winning grants, coordinates a program with our local food bank and the garden, as well as raises animals of her own. Her philanthropic endeavors don’t end there as she has countless community service hours of which she is incredibly proud. Besides her outstanding dedication to community service, the other thing that truly makes Kaylee stand apart is that she is a member of the US Women’s Roller Hockey Team and has traveled internationally to compete in three World Championships. She is extremely proud to represent our country and is working to help make roller hockey an Olympic event. In addition to these amazing activities, she is a member of the Equestrian Team and the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary. Kaylee is a senior at Yelm High School and looks forward to continuing her education towards a degree in Chemical Engineering.

Congratulations on representing what Rotary is all about, Service Above Self.

May 2018 Student of the Month

The Rotary Club of Yelm is honored to announce our Yelm High School May 2018 Student of the Month, Matthew Tolar. Drama club President, talented thespian, stage manager and athlete, Matthew Tolar is another shining example of our outstanding YHS seniors. This Rotary student of month will be attending PLU in hopes of studying law and has a very bright future ahead of him. Along with the certificate he was presented a gift card from Walmart Yelm and a savings bond from Olympia Federal Savings.

Matthew will also be honored on Tuesday, June 12th at the City of Yelm - Government City Council Meeting.

Pictured are left to right, YHS principal Ryan Akiyama, Rotarian Kim Lyle, Matthew Tolar, Rotarian Ken McCulloch and Jane Walker with Olympia Federal Savings.

Kindness Matters

Rotary Club of Yelm was excited to participate and help sponsor the Lackamas Elementary Kindness Week. Several of our members served root beer floats during lunch to around 300 students. Then we went to the Kindness station and saw how the students were completing their tasks. With a goal of 3000 kind acts this week they will be busy!