DI Rotarians build wooden desks for local students

The Rotary Club of Daniel Island is made up of 80 professionals from the community. The group dives into its service projects with a common goal in mind: “to do more good.” 

 

When member Dr. Bill Greene noticed a contemporary issue impacting local students, he came up with a plan to solve a problem while uniting fellow Rotarians. 

 

“Essentially, Rotary has partnered with the Daniel Island Community Fund and the Berkeley County School District to build wooden desks for students so that children have a desk in their homes to do their school work,” said Beth Lee, Rotary public relations director, about the club’s project.

 

Dr. Greene learned from LaWanda Glears, the principal of Cainhoy Elementary School, that many of her young students were learning from home through virtual instruction this year, due to risks imposed by COVID-19. New challenges arose because students did not have a designated space in their homes to study. The Rotary Club determined that providing desks to the students would provide a more conducive environment for learning. 

 

“Two years ago, we developed ‘Hobby Clubs,’ where members with similar leisure interests could join in fellowship together to fulfill their passions,” Greene said. “One club is the Nailbangers, made up of members and their friends who enjoy woodworking and fix-up projects. In the Cainhoy community, we have built wheelchair ramps for disabled, replaced stairways into modular homes, repaired windows, doors, floors and siding for the less-fortunate. The desk project was right up our alley of service.”  

 

A dozen club members participated in building the wooden desks.

 

Enthusiasm to support the project spread with a domino effect. Jane Baker, vice president of community services for Daniel Island Property Owners’ Association, caught wind of the new challenge for students, heard about the Rotary’s proposal, and liked the idea.

 

So, Baker helped coordinate support from the Daniel Island Community Fund, which offered to provide the funding to have the desks constructed. 

 

The Rotary started with filling a request for 68 desks for Cainhoy Elementary students identified by Principal Glears. Before they knew it, 115 desks have now been completed. 

 

“They are built in a member’s garage and transferred to the schools in multiple trips on a trailer,” explained Greene. “This project has already nearly doubled the initial request. We enjoy the work we are doing. Depending on the interest of other schools, the project may grow larger in time. We recognize that students and school faculty are suffering greatly under the demands and restrictions of the COVID epidemic. We hope our project helps to make learning better for everyone.”

 

More Rotary news

 

At the Oct. 14 breakfast meeting, Baker spoke to club members about all things related to Daniel Island, from governing updates to philanthropy efforts.

 

The club held its annual chili cookoff Oct. 21 and raised $1,190 to be shared between Polio Plus and the CART Fund. “Wild” Bill Cannon sponsored the winning chili.

 

Jim Miller and Nicole Stewart joined the club as its newest members and Jim Morrill was named the club’s member of the month for October. He has been an active member since 2007.

 

Members participated in several valuable service opportunities from a work day at Veteran’s Park, handing out food for the Cainhoy Community’s Festive Food Drive, and a blood drive for the Red Cross.

 

For more information, visit the website at DanielIslandRotary.com.