A community and international service club, Rotary is a non-religious, non-political and non-profit organization that is a part of a worldwide effort to promote peace and international understanding.
Membership is open to individuals who are between 18 and 30 years old.
The primary contact of the Kean University Rotaract Club is Adriana Camunas. Camunas provided further information about the role of Rotaract in the community.
"Rotaract brings together people to take action in their communities, develop their leadership and professional skills, and have fun," Camunas said. "We try to give back to the community as much as possible."
The Rotaract Club is sponsored by local Rotary clubs. Therefore, when Rotary performs bigger projects in the community, Rotaract helps them. Rotaract members manage and fund their clubs independently.
"In addition, through Rotary, [students] can make connections with business professionals already established in their careers and they could potentially steer you in the right direction to find a job after graduation," Camunas said.
Currently, the Rotary Club is in the process of raising $3,000 in order to host its Stop Hunger Now event on campus. With this event, an outside company will provide supplies for packaging meals. Members of the Kean community will prepare the packaged meals and send them to impoverished countries around the world.
Through various fundraisers, $1,000 has already been raised.
After being inspired by Rotary's motto, "Service Above Self," Camunas became driven to change the lives of those around her.
"I came up with a service project called Purses for Progress where we are collecting gently used purses, that we will be filling with feminine hygiene products and personal products, that we will be distributing to homeless women all over New Jersey," Camunas said.
Homeless not Hopeless is another initiative the Rotaract Club started. A monthly initiative, they will package lunches/dinners with an inspiring message that will be distributed to homeless people.
"Our biggest event up to date will be a collaboration with an organization called UCYPHE," Camunas said. "We hope to feed 500 people (both homeless and not) on November 26 in Mother Cabrini Park."
If interested in serving the community, the Kean University Rotary Club is the group to join. Follow @keanrotaract on social media and come to its monthly meetings, held every other Thursday in room 234 of the Center for Academic Success (CAS) from 3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Anyone interested can also email Adriana Camunas at camunasa@kean.edu or Rotaract Club President Kwame Eni at enik@kean.edu.
