INTERNATIONAL SERVICE
As of 2026, Rotary International clubs exist in 200+ countries and include 1.4 million members. It is an outward reaching organization with a vision “to unite people and take action to create lasting change across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.” Through Rotary International efforts, clean water reaches communities in need, education opens new doors, health outcomes improve, and communities around the world grow stronger. We encourage you to visit the Rotary International site to learn about the major accomplishments of the past several decades, including the near eradication of polio.
But an equally exciting part of Rotary’s mission is that individual Rotary clubs are given support and encouragement to find their own meaningful international projects and accomplish them with the physical, financial and intellectual resources from their own club. If what they are trying to accomplish is bigger than they can handle alone, they can reach up to their District level or even Rotary International for guidance, further resources and additional funding.
Niles Rotary has been very active in the international service arena. With a good-sized club and many generous members, it has been possible to bring about meaningful change, not only here at home, but throughout the world. Here are a few of the projects of which we are particularly proud.
Cervical Cancer Testing & Vaccines, Ongoing
Our own Dr. Rich Godfrey, an orthopedic surgeon and former Chief of Surgery for two Bay Area hospitals, won the International Service award for his work in bringing cervical cancer testing and vaccines to women in underserved areas of the world. Learn more at Rotary International.
Honduras School Bathrooms Project, Honduras 2026
Miguel Franco led an effort to build school bathrooms as well as bring supplies to students in Honduras. Children, especially young women, were prevented from attending school regularly due to the need for safe, clean bathrooms. School supplies were brought by our own members, who had a chance to meet and interact with the children and staff.
San Felipe School and Clinic, Mexico 2025
Mike Kearns, Dr. Godfrey, Miguel Franco and several Niles Rotarians travelled to San Felipe Mexico. In a joint effort with Rotarians in San Felipe, Mexico, they repainted the local school playground. While there, our club had a chance to see the joint Rotary sponsored local women’s clinic and its work in providing prenatal care as well as cervical cancer screening among other programs.
Hospital Project, Ukraine 2024
Matibabu Hospital,
Kenya, Africa 2020
Dr. Richard Godfrey has long been trekking to Africa to do good deeds. (You can read about some of his earlier adventures in his book, African Queen – Tales of Motherhood and Wild Bees.)
The Matibabu Hospital was built in 2015 to serve the people of Kenya. In 2020, Dr. Godfrey and Niles Rotary raised funds that have allowed us to purchase surplus or older but still useful medical equipment and supplies at a steep discount through a local nonprofit and ship them to Kenya. Funds of more than $25,000 raised in 2020, went towards this project resulting in a gift with the market value of $300,000 in supplies and equipment.
Dr. Godfrey then teamed up with Washington Hospital and Henry Levin for a similar effort to locate, pack and ship the equivalent of $500,000 of assistance to Ukraine. They personally travelled there to ensure the distribution went smoothly. Items included x-ray machines, hospital beds, incubators and personal protective equipment (PPE).
Hogar Mi Familia (My Family Home) Orphanage
Patronato
Sagrado Corazon (Unwed Teen Mother Home)
Mi Hogar Orphange
Almos Adorjan served as International Service Chair from 2009-2013. He quickly became passionate about his projects outside of Santiago, Chile and organized several groups to travel there. Niles Rotary worked with partner Rotary Club of ConCon in District 4320 and sent approximately five Rotarians each time to help build shelter structures, as well as to add aesthetic improvements to housing for orphans and for single mothers. Our projects supplied washing machines, dryers, a refrigerator, a water heater, changing tables, sterilizers, juicers, comfort heaters and thermal curtains. Members also brought much needed clothing.
Guatemala Elementary School Kitchen
Manuel Franco, a local owner of the Whispering Ranch, became involved in many of Niles Rotary Club’s international service projects. Eventually, he became the International Service Chair himself. When he learned of an elementary school that was cooking lunches for the children out of a fifty gallon steel drum on an open flame, he took action. He organized a Niles Rotary Club project, raising funds at our Annual Elimination Raffle as well as individual contributions when ‘passing the clipboard’ at our meetings. The children gained a fully functioning kitchen where their food could be prepared in a manner that is clean, safe and efficient.
Wheelchair Foundation Distribution in Serbia
Steven Lloyd, a Realtor in Livermore and fellow Rotarian, is from Montenegro, a neighboring Balkan country (former Yugoslavia). The wars that ravaged the Balkans in the early 1990’s left families torn apart and many people injured, both civilian as well as military. Many were left without the ability to move around their home and their city and the country was sorely in need of wheelchairs. Steven Lloyd’s efforts led to a successful fundraising drive that included an evening featuring HRH Prince Alexander and HRH Crown Princess Katherine of Yugoslavia, NBA stars Vlade Divac, Peja Stojakovic, plus Ken Behring (former owner of the Seattle Seahawks and founder of the Wheelchair Foundation) and Chris Lewis (son of Jerry Lewis) of the Wheelchair Foundation, who was the M.C. Rotarians would end up providing 280 wheelchairs and an additional $40,000 for medical supplies. Ultimately, her Royal Highness Princess Katherine worked with the Wheelchair Foundation, the Peja Stojakovic Children’s Foundation, Group 7, and members of the Niles Rotary Club, who travelled to Serbia to help facilitate the delivery and presentation of these chairs to those in need.
We hope you have enjoyed these highlights about what Niles Rotary Club is doing internationally. If you are a member, start saving some money for the annual international service trip and go experience these things first hand! Members that have gone will assure you it has changed their lives. If you are not a Niles Rotarian, what are you waiting for? Speak to a member to learn more about how Niles Rotary can be a part of your life.