Service Projects

Rotary Rays

In 2013 the Rotary Club of Middleboro partnered with Middleboro Public Schools to create an innovative tutoring program called Rotary Rays which serves students in grades 4 and 5 at both the Mary K Goode and Henry B Burkland Elementary Schools. Participating students and their parents enter into a contract where the students agree to attend all sessions and work at home an additional hour per week with their parents, and the parents agree to make sure their child attends the sessions and does the homework. Over the years students who have participated in the program have made dramatic gains in their performance on MCAS.

We have fully funded the Rotary Rays program each year since its inception to sponsor elementary school tutoring that helps dozens of youngsters each year to meet or exceed educational goals. This tutoring helps bring them ‘above the line’ in Math and/or English and has been tremendously successful. It not only assists them in those subjects, it also engenders a ‘Can Do’ attitude in them that they apply in other subjects, and life.

Book Boxes

We have undertaken the Little Book Box project. Our goal is to ‘plant’ Book Boxes around our community for use by both children & adults. These are ‘Take a Book – Keep a Book’ locations.

So far we have installed them at the Old Colony YMCA in Middleboro, the North Congregational Church, LifeHouse Church, Pierce Playground & Field of Dreams. We have another ready to be planted at Pratt Farm, and are working with the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Middleboro for another. As of late 2021 we collaborated with MHS who has, with 5th grade assistance, completed four additional Book Boxes for future planting!

We continue to seek Business Sponsors for additional Book Boxes, as materials alone are at least $250. Thank you to Brophy’s Fine Firearms, the ‘American Dream’ team – Realtors, and Rotary member John Lynce for sponsoring previous Book Boxes. Please contact us if you or your business are interested in sponsoring one of our Book Boxes.

School on Wheels

In support of School on Wheels [SoWMA] each year we run a backpack and school supplies drive. We’ve been able to provide them with large quantities of donated new stuffed backpacks for their Backpack program. In 2020-2021 we collaborated with Plymouth Rotary and a grant from Walmart in Plymouth to fund a $2800 shopping event for SoWMA for additional backpacks full of school supplies.

SoWMA also welcomes volunteers to tutor and mentor transitional homeless kids. The average age of a homeless child in Massachusetts is 8 years. Our very own Kevin ‘Quack’ Quackenbush is a tutor & mentor, please contact him if you have any questions (QuackSellsHomes@gmail.com).

Soule Farm

We provided funds and hands-on help for the construction and completion of an outside Learning Center at Soule Homestead Education Center. Many of our Rotarians rolled up their sleeves and donned their masks to help make the Learning center a reality. We have also contributed to Soule Farms Commercial Kitchen.