Ukraine Mental Health Grant Project

Rotary Club of Dunedin – Meeting Highlights

Program: Ukraine Mental Health Grant Project

On April 29, 2026, the Rotary Club of Dunedin held its regular meetings, welcoming new members and guests, including Sharon Herman, Omi Westlake, Didi Fuller, and William Anderson.

Straw to Bread Project Updates

Bev Fisher shared updates from her recent international travel and reported encouraging progress from the club's sponsorship of a Straw to Bread school project in Kenya. The organization has raised nearly $350,000, enabling the construction of a school that will allow sponsored orphans to complete their education through 12th grade.

Bev also highlighted significant improvements in the school's water quality. Through the use of Sawyer water filters, reported cases of diarrhea among children have dropped from 100% to 3%. She noted that Lisa Bayton from Straw to Bread will visit in the near future to provide more detailed information on the water quality data and project outcomes. In addition, the Rotary Club's support has contributed to improved water quality and the distribution of 1,000 free water filters.

Ukraine Mental Health Global Grant Project

Club President David Bramley introduced the program speaker, Adam Blackwell, President of the Clearwater Rotary Club. Adam presented a detailed overview of a $30,000 Global Grant project in Ukraine focused on providing mental health support for children affected by the ongoing conflict in the Dnipro region.

The project aims to deliver trauma-informed care training and support for approximately 250 students and staff in Dnipro and Novi. The initiative is being carried out in collaboration with a local Rotary Club in Ukraine and Dr. Joan Rake from the University of Southern Florida.

Both the district and participating clubs have secured initial funding for the project. Adam emphasized that 100% of contributions go directly to the project, with no overhead, ensuring maximum impact for the children and educators served.