This July — Maternal and Child Health Month — is a time to remember, to act, and to honor my incredible mom, who passed away this June at 96 years old. Her enduring love reminds me why Rotary’s work to ensure healthy beginnings matters now more than ever. Every mother and child deserve the chance to thrive: safe pregnancies, skilled birth attendants, essential vaccines, nutrition, and early care that set the foundation for a lifetime. When we invest in maternal and child health, we change generations.
Rotary’s Maternal and Child Health Area of Focus brings together proven programs, local partnerships, and Rotary’s global reach to deliver care where it’s needed most. From community health education to strengthening clinics and training midwives, Rotarians turn compassion into measurable impact. These efforts prevent needless loss and build resilient families — the kind my mother would have celebrated.
One of the simplest, most powerful ways to support this work is Rotary Direct, Rotary Foundation’s recurring giving program. A small automatic monthly gift multiplies into sustained support: predictable funding allows long-term projects to flourish, resources to be allocated faster, and communities to plan with confidence. Recurring donors often see their gifts leverage matches, grants, and collaboration opportunities that one-time donations can’t unlock.
If you’d like to honor a loved one or make a lasting difference this July, please consider Rotary Direct. Setting up recurring contributions is easy: visit rotary.org/donate, choose “Recurring Gift,” select an amount and frequency, and indicate an Area of Focus — like Maternal and Child Health — or leave the Foundation to allocate where it’s most needed. You can also dedicate your gift in memory of someone special.
This month, let our remembrance become action. Together we can give mothers safer pregnancies and children healthier starts — and in doing so, we carry forward the care and legacy of those we love.
In loving memory of my mother, I take comfort in knowing this donation made in her honor continues her legacy of love and caring.
Yours in Rotary,
Pamela Walters
District 5830 Foundation Chair
