Welcome to the Rotary E-Club of Sunshine, New YorkIn a powerful demonstration of community service and compassion, the Rotary E-Club of Sunshine, NY, recently carried out a multi-location food distribution project that brought vital nourishment to nearly 100 families struggling with food insecurity. Funded by a District Grant from Rotary District 7230 and supplemented by member donations, the project provided essential food supplies to communities in need across the Bronx, Westchester, Brooklyn, and New Jersey.
Unlike traditional Rotary Clubs, the Rotary E-Club of Sunshine is made up of members who live and serve in a wide geographic area. That flexibility became a strength as the club mobilized its members to carry out the food distribution in five different locations, reaching families who may otherwise have fallen through the cracks of larger aid programs.
Bags of food, thoughtfully packed by club members, contained staples such as rice, lentils, flour, cooking oil, pasta, oatmeal, protein bars, salt, and sugar. The variety ensured that families received both caloric sustenance and basic nutritional value during difficult times.
“Food insecurity doesn’t always look like an empty refrigerator. Sometimes it’s a parent skipping dinner so their child can eat,” said one club member. “We wanted to quietly but powerfully make a difference where it's needed most.”
Despite being one of the wealthiest nations in the world, the United States continues to grapple with hunger. According to the USDA, more than 34 million people, including 9 million children, are food insecure. In urban and suburban areas alike, the rising cost of living, job instability, and other economic pressures have pushed more families to rely on food banks and charitable organizations.
That's where Rotary steps in.
Rotary Clubs across the United States—and indeed, the world—have made fighting hunger a top priority. Through local projects, international grants, and hands-on service, Rotarians work to fill immediate needs while also addressing the systemic issues that contribute to food insecurity.
The Sunshine E-Club’s recent project is a shining example of this commitment. By leveraging the strength of a District Grant from Rotary District 7230 and matching it with grassroots member involvement, the club transformed a small pot of funds into a broad-reaching impact.
Recipients expressed both gratitude and surprise that a group of volunteers, many of whom had never even met in person, could come together to care for strangers with such dignity and kindness.
“It’s the Rotary way,” said the club’s Charter President. “Service above self doesn’t mean we have to wait for the perfect conditions or a big budget. It means we act—together, wherever we are.”
Indeed, the beauty of the Rotary E-Club model is that it transcends physical boundaries. What unites these Rotarians is not location, but a shared mission to serve—and thanks to their efforts, 100 families are going to bed with food on the table and hope in their hearts.
In a time when headlines often focus on division, this quiet, coordinated act of compassion speaks volumes.
And Rotary continues to speak loudly—one meal, one family, one project at a time.
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The Conference took place on Saturday, 5 April at Terrace-on-the-Park in Flushing, NY from 10 am to 4 pm. Raaid's keynote speech was posted on Facebook and so far has received more than 1,400 views. 
“No child is safe until every child is vaccinated,” McGovern emphasized, as he outlined the urgent steps needed to achieve zero polio cases. District Rotary Foundation Chair PDG Eric Storberg introduced McGovern, who detailed the challenges in Pakistan and Afghanistan, where wild polio cases have risen, and the situation in Gaza, where a recent outbreak of vaccine-derived polio was successfully contained thanks in large part by Rotary’s dedicated volunteers. These brave individuals worked tirelessly, vaccinating children during limited two-hour windows of ceasefire.
Ashfaque Salim, International Director of our Rotary E-Club of Sunshine New York, has been awarded the prestigious Paul Harris Fellow Award by Club Advisor and Deputy Governor PDG Mahbub Ahmad. This accolade recognizes Ashfaque's exceptional dedication and impactful service, particularly for his significant contributions to relief efforts in response to the devastating floods in Chittagong, Feni, and surrounding areas of Bangladesh. His efforts were notably coordinated with the Rotaract Club of Islamabad (Chittagong) and local Rotary Clubs.
actively involved in local community service, including donating blood three times during Smart Rotaract Club's blood drives and organizing clothing drives for those in need. As International Director, Ashfaque spearheaded projects that provided essential books and supplies to street children in Bangladesh and facilitated the installation of a purified drinking water system for Chittagong University’s students and faculty.
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