Causes We Support

“When you’re living on a fixed income, as many seniors in our community do, something as simple as a minor home repair can be the difference between making ends meet or not. Support from the Rancho Bernardo Rotary Club Foundation for Interfaith’s Minor Home Repair program allows us to bridge this gap, ensuring seniors are able to age safely in their homes and remain independent."

Greg Anglea, CEO Interfaith Community Services

"The grant from the RB Rotary Club helps Tender Loving Canines Assistance Dogs place high quality service dogs with those in need while rehabilitating the incarcerated individuals that train the service dog candidates. The funds provided by RB Rotary are used for the Prisoners Overcoming Obstacles and Creating Hope (POOCH) Program which is designed to meet the increasing demands for service dogs while providing inmates an opportunity for education, rehabilitation, and community improvement."

Fara Khaleeli, Development Director of TLC

"Poway OnStage can't thank the Rotary Club of Rancho Bernardo enough for its years of support. You're ongoing support has allowed us to provide Arts in Education programs for more than 5,000 students each year ranging from our annual Youth Theater Camp, to musical assemblies for all 4th graders in the Poway Unified School District, to master classes with visiting artists. We truly couldn't do it without the support of groups like the RB Rotary. On behalf of the Poway OnStage Board of Directors, staff and K-12th graders throughout the District -- thank you!"

Michael Rennie, President and CEO of Poway OnStage

Poway OnStage is the non-profit organization responsible for presenting the:

· Professional Performance Series presented at the city-owned Poway Center for the Performing Arts. Each year, Poway OnStage assembles a line-up of marquee talent from the worlds of drama, dance, music, comedy and more.

· Summer Concert Series held at the Bernardo Winery

· Arts in Education programs and performances benefiting the students of Poway and San Diego within the Poway Unified School District.

The Rancho Bernardo Rotary Club has enthusiastically supported the arts in our area for several decades because we feel that it fills an important need in our community.

Every day, our members practice their skills in developing healthy lifestyles by enjoying free healthy lunches & snacks and participating in sports programs as well as specialized fitness programs such as dance, swimming, and yoga. We are so grateful that the members of the Rancho Bernardo Rotary Club have made it their commitment to provide our members with the necessary tools and resources for them to live longer, healthier, and happier lives. Their donation to our Little Jumps Big Changes campaign ensures the ongoing support for these programs, which will allow our members to grow to their full potential.

The Poway Symphony Orchestra Foundation has been formed as a California Non-profit Public Benefit Corporation. The primary purposes of the Foundation are to focus attention on the Poway Symphony Orchestra, its programs and facilities and to provide financial support to them; to encourage donations, endowments and, bequests; to provide special educational programs to further classical music in the community; and to conduct fund-raising activities in order to support the objectives of the Poway Symphony Orchestra.

Abraxas is the ‘continuation’ high school for Poway Unified School District (PUSD). It educates 150 kids (70 percent non-white ethnicity) who have dropped out of or had problems in main-line high schools. Students range from ages 13-22. Some are homeless, and many come from troubled homes. Despite this, nearly 2/3 have college level academic capability, which is often unnourished at home, Our Rotary club provides funding (otherwise unavailable) for teacher/librarian supervision of after school study halls, to encourage and nurture students who have academic ambitions past high school.

A Letter from our President & Board Chair

What it means to be #ALZstrong.

We are living in a time of unprecedented openness and acceptance. And yet – there is still a powerful negative stigma when it comes to Alzheimer’s and other dementias. So we decided to change the conversation.

That’s where #ALZstrong comes in. If you follow us on social media, you’ve probably seen this hashtag before. It’s our way of replacing all the ugly words and stereotypes that come to mind when most people think of Alzheimer’s disease.

It’s how we honor the courage of those living with a diagnosis, as their brains undergo changes they cannot predict or control. It’s how we acknowledge the resilience of care partners under incomparable heartache and strain, and why we empower them to keep going and giving. It’s the reason we push ourselves to keep growing and innovating as an organization, to ensure we provide the highest quality of support. And it’s the core value of the community we’re proud to have built with each and every one of you reading this.

Thank you for your continued generosity and support. Together we are #ALZstrong.

San Diego Youth Services has improved the lives of 770,000 homeless, and other vulnerable youth. We provide intensive services to more than 28,000 youth every year. San Diego Youth Services offers a continuum of care for children and youth from infancy to age 25. We aim to:

Meet the basic needs of youth

Hunger, poverty, and youth homelessness are on the rise for many youths and their families today. We help meet these basic needs for youth. What could be more vital than food and shelter? We provide safe places to live and long-term solutions through shelter, foster homes, community centers, and housing.

Create positive connections

We help youth focus on positive life changes and healthy relationships as part of providing needed resources and services. San Diego Youth Services has long provided foster homes and adoption support services for families considering adopting a youth in the foster care system.

Help youth develop life skills

In addition to a range of safe and stable housing options, we offer support to help youth develop the independent living skills necessary to become self-sufficient and keep off the streets.

Promote overall health and well-being

Early intervention and care for the whole child are critical. We provide a broad continuum of services to help youth overcome trauma and challenges that put them at risk, including case management, counseling, mental health treatment and educational support and resources.

RB Rotary is proud to support this very special choir at RBHS that performs magnificently year after year. The Madrigals are a nationally recognized youth choir. The Director, Lisa Fredericks is totally devoted to “her kids” and spends countless hours in practice, rehearsal and performing concerts. The choir has 20-30 students in the choir at any one time. They have performed for our club annually for years and have even done a recent Zoom presentation.

The Madrigals uses funds from the RB Rotary Club Foundation for special equipment, travel expenses for choir production and other supplies. A great way to support our youth!

The PKD Foundation is the only organization in the U.S. solely dedicated to finding treatments and a cure for polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and to improving the lives of those it affects. Since 1982, they have proudly funded more than $50 million in PKD research and leveraged $1.5 billion in government funding, while serving local communities across the country. The disease afflicts over 600,000 Americans and over 13 million people worldwide. An RB Rotary Club member’s son has PKD and recently had a successful kidney transplant (his wife was the donor!), which saved his life.

Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego provides a “home-away-from-home” for families with children being treated for serious, often life-threatening conditions at local hospitals. They rely on community support. It is the only service of its kind that is open to families caring for children at any San Diego area hospital. Their mission is to provide a welcoming and convenient home base where families may take care of their basic needs so they can better focus on what really matters: caring for their critically ill or injured child. RB Rotary Club members volunteer several times a year to prepare, serve, and clean up after meals at the Ronald MacDonald House next to Rady Children’s Hospital.

Vista Hill has been deeply invested in the community for over 60 years, providing guidance and resources for those faced with the challenges of mental illness, substance use disorder, and intellectual or development disabilities. With the generous support and partnership of the Rancho Bernardo Rotary Foundation, our On Track and Fresh Start programs educate and empower Rancho Bernardo youth and their families facing substance use or other behavioral challenges to make healthy lifestyle choices and contribute to their communities. In addition, the Rotary Club of Rancho Bernardo members volunteer throughout Vista Hill’s many programs and allows us extend our reach even further into the community. We are so grateful to the foundation for their commitment to healthier lives and brighter futures for local families.

Gently Hugged's mission is to collect and distribute a large bag of clothing and blankets to babies in need for their first year of life. It makes a significant impact in the lives of local newborns at risk. Donations of gently used or new clothing in Preemie to 12 month sizes are supplemented by purchased items in short supply. The completed bags are distributed by nurses and social workers to low income, military, immigrant, and foster families in need within underserved areas.

The Assistance League strives to improve the lives of children and adults in need. Philanthropic programs are funded through Thrift Shop sales, fundraising events, grants, and contributions from the community. Operation School Bell coordinates with local schools in Poway, Escondido and Vista to determine which children need clothing and shoes. It also provides new school clothes, shoes, socks and hygiene kits to children of Marine families. Operation Duffel Bag which provides essentials for first apartments to graduates of San Pasqual Academy. Several other programs are offered to the community of those in need.