“Service Above Self” is Rotary’s motto. Members of several Maine and Florida Rotary Clubs have been traveling to the Dominican Republic for more than 16 years providing service and support to the island’s most needy. Partnering with Good Samaritan Hospital in La Romana, the Rotary 3-H team provides Hearing, Hands, and H20 (the third H) to impoverished Dominicans and Haitians. Most members of this year’s team have just completed this year’s project. While our team worked hard, we also enjoyed the warm Dominican sun, good food, and collegiality with our Dominican partners.

Our hearing team is composed of two audiologists, a speech and language pathologist, and hearing aid technicians. Working in and with Good Samaritan Hospital, this group saw more than 110 children and adults and fit 150 hearing aids —important care and services that are not locally available.

Sugar cane is the major crop and industry in the Dominican Republic. It is harvested by Haitian migrants who work and live in the cane plantations in shanty towns known as “bateyes.” Most bateyes lack clean water. Families purchase jugs of drinking water, but waterborne illness is prevalent and most problematic for the large number of young children.

Good Samaritan Hospital employs a dedicated fulltime water team that regularly travels to the bateyes, educating local residents and monitoring bateye water. With support and guidance from this Good Samaritan water team, four members of the Rotary H20, a.k.a. “water team,” worked in homes in two bateyes this year, distributing and installing 70 Koehler portable water filters. Many homes lack reliable electricity — in some cases, no electricity — so 70 solar lights were also distributed. Our Good Samaritan partners provided transportation into the bateyes and ensured that recipients understood how to use and clean the filters.

A small primary grade school can be found in most bateyes. Our Rotary team was funded to purchase school supplies for the two bateyes we worked in this year. After asking the school administrator what was needed, we visited a local “big box” store and spent more than $500 for notebooks, paper, pencils, erasers, pencil sharpeners, and rulers. We bought crayons, colored paper, glue sticks, and scissors for the younger students.

The Rotary Hands team, on site this week, works with individuals who have lost a hand or arm and are unable to work or achieve an independent living. This team, which measures the arm and uses a 3D printer to fit a basic, useable arm, will work with 50 patients this week.

The Brunswick Rotary Club would like to congratulate the Times-Record for its newest weekly column — an opportunity to volunteer for local charitable organizations. This project was suggested by a Florida newspaper that has published volunteer opportunities for several years, and the project has been highly successful. There are so many opportunities in this local area for people to help others.

The weekly column fits perfectly into the third of Rotary International’s Four Objects: “The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business, and community life.” So thanks to The Times Record list for listing various volunteer opportunities and local groups, including scouts, churches, food service, literacy, health agencies, libraries, and advocacy groups. Rotary is a catalyst to match needs with local skilled people. All this will continue to make the Brunswick area a better place to live and work.

This marks the 113th year since Rotary was founded. Our local Brunswick Rotary Club is always looking for talented and eager members who feel an inner need to give back to not only our local community, but to the international community. Our meetings are open to the public and we meet at The Daniel at noon for lunch every Monday. Please come and join our meeting and see what “Service Above Self” really looks like.