The call for help started more than 700 miles away. A Rotarian in Ann Arbor, Michigan, reached out to Roswell Rotary Club President Leslie Bassett about Sonja, a single mother here in Roswell who had been experiencing homelessness and was about to move into her own apartment. Sonja needed hands and a little muscle, and Roswell Rotary answered.

Club members carried box after box up and down the stairs until every one of Sonja's belongings was in her new home, and our own Jack Wyche fixed a few minor problems with her car so she had reliable transportation for the road ahead. While the club was helping, member Angela Freeman noticed that Sonja had only a makeshift foam mattress to sleep on. Angela had an extra bed, bookshelves (a real need, since Sonja is a pre-K teacher with countless books), a TV, a comfy chair, and other household items, and she gave them to Sonja to fill the gaps in her new home.

And then Roswell Rotary came through again. James Stone brought his truck, and he and President Leslie Bassett's son worked through the Georgia heat to deliver the furniture and put together the bed for Sonja and her daughter. That first night in a real bed, in a home of their own, is what Rotary is about. This story shows the Service Above Self heart of our club: a servant's heart that connected Rotarians in Michigan and Georgia to help one family, and that joins Rotarians all over the world who see a neighbor in need and step up. When one Rotarian calls, another answers, and together we change lives one box, one repair, and one bed at a time.