By Arden White | Staff Intern
Since the Plant City Rotary Club was charted in 1955, the group has concentrated on its service in the community. One of Daybreak Rotary’s most recent service projects is donating books to Jackson Elementary School.
Daybreak meets every Monday at the South Florida Baptist Hospital’s community conference room. Each week the club hosts a speaker, such as a local government leader, business owner or volunteer extraordinaire. After speaking to the club, the speaker will traditionally be given a small gift of thanks from the club.
But this year, the speakers have been asked to sign a children’s book, to be donated to Jackson Elementary in their name. An official Rotary sticker is placed on the books.
“My Rotary club in Escondido, California did this from year to year, and I always liked the idea,” President Sharon Philbin said. “So when I became president, I started it in our club.”
The idea to donate the books to Jackson Elementary came from Sharon Hammersla, a volunteer at both the Plant City Public Library and at Jackson Elementary for about 10 years. She is also a new member of the Daybreak Rotary Club.
Hammersla spoke to Philbin about the need for more books at the school.
“A lot of the books that we own have been worn and used,” Hammersla said. “So the need for new books was definitely there. I know the faculty, especially the media specialist, really appreciates the donations.”
Jackson Elementary Principal Dora Madison has known Hammersla since she started volunteering with the PTA around 2008. The relationship Hammersla has with the school has grown, Madison said.
“The media center is really close to her heart because she works there,” Madison said. “Our shelves are always in need. This allows us to provide new titles and genres for the students to check out. And the books are signed. That makes it really special.”
Jackson Elementary will receive about 45 children’s books each year.
“It’s helped our school,” Madison said. “It’s wonderful to have an organization like that put in hours and have ways to contribute that has benefitted students, teachers and communities.”
Hammersla said the students notice when new titles come to the library.
“The donations are really helping to encourage the students to read,” Hammersla said. “The students just get so excited when they see those new books come into the school.”
JOIN ROTARY
Daybreak Rotary Club meets at 7 a.m. Monday mornings, at South Florida Baptist Hospital’s community conference room, 301 Alexander St. Facebook.com/PCDaybreakRotary.