Rotary Club Builds Raised Garden Beds for Senior Citizens

May 29, 2026 - The Rotary Club of Center has been working hard this spring to complete their 2025-2026 Rotary District 5910 Grant Project which focused on senior citizens in the community.

The project included designing and assembling raised garden beds that are wheelchair accessible for each of the three nursing homes in Shelby County with the facilities receiving two 10 ft x 2 ft raised beds. The purpose and hope of the project is to bring health benefits to those who use them.

Health studies in the National Library of Medicine how positive aging benefits of home and community gardening activities. For older adults it can enhance self-esteem, productive endeavors, social engagement, and exercise. One study concluded that regardless of 'doing' gardening or simply 'being' in the garden, having contact with nature was key to attaining positive therapeutic benefits.

An additional aspect of the Rotary Club of Center's grant plan included purchasing personal care items which were then donated to the Senior Nutrition Site located off Loop 500 in Center.

This is the fourth year the Center Rotary Club has participated in Rotary District 5910's grant program. The first year the club purchased and installed ADA and wheelchair accessible playground equipment at Portacool Park. The following year the club installed new carpet in the Redditt Room of the Fannie Brown Booth Memorial Library and last year the club purchased books for all the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students in all of Shelby County.

Center's club has been a strong supporter of children in our community; however, this year the club was excited to focus its grant project on helping seniors in the county.

Texas Game Warden visits with Rotary

Texas Game Warden Sam Anderson recently spoke at our Rotary meeting on September 2nd. He shared insights into his work protecting Texas wildlife and enforcing conservation laws, captivating the members with engaging stories from the field.  Sam also took time to answer questions, offering a deeper look into the challenges and rewards of being a game warden.   His visit was both informative and entertaining, leaving us with a greater appreciation for the vital role wardens play in our community. 

Rotary Donates 1,100 Books to Elementary Kids

Rotary Club members gather after organizing books to be distributed to local Shelby County schools.

Books for all the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders in Shelby County were provided by the Rotary Club of Center thanks to matching funds provided by a Rotary District 5910 Grant.

Club members gathered together on Tuesday, February 4, 2025 to divide and pack the 1,100 books to prepare them to be distributed to each of the schools in Shelby County. The process included attaching a label to let the child know the books were donated by the Rotary Club of Center and Rotary District 5910 as well as providing a 'This book belongs to' line for the child to write their name. The schools received enough books to give to every child in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades as well as their school library.

Rotarians then delivered the books to each campus administrator allowing the school to distribute the books to the children.

Rotary has seven areas of focus for their service projects which includes basic education and literacy. It is important for children to have books in the home as it is proven to positively benefit children by increasing their academic success, vocabulary development, and attention by improving concentration.

The Rotary Club of Center was honored to utilize the District Grant funds along with money the club has raised during the year to make the book distribution project a success!