07/06/2026
At our club meeting on June 18, Camille Currier, shown here with our Julia Ryan and Sesy Enriquez amid a slew of onesies and pajamas donated by our members, taught us about Gently Hugged, a nonprofit that provides clothing and blankets to babies in need.
Founded 14 years ago by two nurses, the nonprofit now has more than 100 volunteers and 40 collection points. Donated clothing and other items are picked up from bins, checked for quality, laundered, sorted into age/size categories, and inspected again. These bags, carefully packed with up to 80 items, go home with mom from a hospital, neighborhood clinic, public-health agency, or community service organization.
Because this was our last meeting of the Rotary year, our outgoing president, Julia Ryan, reminded us of what we accomplished. It’s a lot! Highlights:
- 8 added members
- Highly successful RYLA, Model UN, and LEAD activities
- Rose Parade float building
- Thousand Smiles clinic help
- Meal packing funded by our trivia fundraiser
- 2x annual fund giving goal with 100% participation
…And lots of fun. Our thanks to Julia and all board members for their leadership. Go MVE!
