Rotarians hear about member’s trip to Haiti
HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE — The Rotary Club of Hot Springs Village welcomed one of its own to a recent meeting, when Walter “Bubba” Smith, the senior pastor at Christ of the Hills United Methodist Church, presented about his annual trip to Haiti. For his 20th year, Smith made a weeklong visit to the Caribbean country, where his team performs humanitarian work.
With an unemployment rate of 70 percent and an average per capita income of $480, Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere. However, the Rotary presence there is strong, with the Rotary emblem seen on projects completed by the service organization in almost every Haitian community. There is even a local Rotary Club chapter in Pignon, Haiti, the center of Smith’s activities.
This year, HSV Rotarians contributed to purchasing bright yellow shirts with the Rotary emblem for the Pignon club, so the Haitian Rotarians can be identified when performing service projects for their community.
Bringing education, clean water, foot bridges, solar panels, housing, and health care to Haiti is a priority for Rotary clubs across the U.S., but Smith and his team also bring items most Americans take for granted, like toys for children. Noticing a group of Haitian kids playing soccer with a plastic bottle, the team brought real soccer balls.
Smith also told the story of an 86-year-old Haitian woman called “Grandma” who had no family, and slept atop a straw mat on a dirt floor. When presented with a real mattress for the first time, she said she could die happy. Three days later, she passed away. Rotarians who wondered if their efforts made a difference realized they certainly made a difference for “Grandma.”
Membership in HSV Rotary Club is open to all, and guests are always welcome to attend weekly meetings, held at 7 a.m. Thursdays in the Fireside Dining Room of the Good Samaritan Society, 121 Cortez Road.