For more than three decades, Valley View Rotary has quietly helped make Christmas brighter for children who need it most.
Rotarian Bill Shepard has led this program since the very beginning, and today more than 50 Valley View Rotarians take part each year. While it may be a small project, it means a great deal to the children it serves and strongly supports Rotary’s commitment to nurturing youth.
This past year, more than 60 foster children in the La Crosse County Human Services Foster Care program received gifts from this program.
Each November, Valley View Rotary members meet with staff from La Crosse County Human Services, who provide a list of foster children under their care. The list includes each child’s age, gender, and preferred gift choices. Club members select a child, purchase an appropriate gift, and wrap it with care. Gifts are collected at weekly meetings and during the club’s Holiday Party.
Approximately ten days before Christmas, the wrapped gifts are delivered to Human Services. Their staff ensures the gifts reach foster families in time to be opened on Christmas, helping make the holiday brighter for children who need it most.