On Saturday, September 26, members of Riverside East Rotary joined the American Red Cross for Sound the Alarm at Santiago Estates in Riverside. Volunteers installed free smoke alarms and shared fire safety education and escape planning with residents, helping make homes safer.

Thank you to our Rotarians Matt Morgan, Christopher Cox, Matt Goatcher, Chris Gray, and Jonathan Steele for showing up to serve.

We were also thrilled to be joined by Amelia, Andre, and Penelope from the brand new Riverside STEM Academy Interact Club. It was great to see the next generation of service leaders get started, and we can’t wait to see what they do next.

Riverside East Rotary is cheering on Tim Kelley, who is riding in the 2026 California Coast Classic Bike Tour to raise money for the Arthritis Foundation. Tim is putting in the miles for a great cause, and you can help him reach his fundraising goal by donating on his page: https://events.arthritis.org/participants/437793. Thank you, Tim, for pedaling for the millions of people living with arthritis!

We’re also proud to recognize Tom Evans, who has earned Paul Harris Fellow +5 recognition for his generous, ongoing support of The Rotary Foundation. Gifts like Tom’s help fund projects that fight disease, provide clean water, support education, and promote peace around the world. Thank you, Tom, for living out Service Above Self!

Our club was moved by Robert Loeun’s talk on Building Pathways to Employment & Empowering Youth. Robert shared his personal story of growing up in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge era and escaping to America to build a new life. We are grateful for his courage and honesty in sharing it with us.

Robert now channels that journey into helping young people. His program connects youth with the skills, support, and opportunities they need to find meaningful employment and step into their futures with confidence.

Thank you, Robert, for your story and for the work you do to open doors for the next generation.

On Saturday, September 19, the new Interact Club at Riverside STEM Academy took on its first project! The Interactors teamed up with students from the Poly and Arlington Interact clubs to join Keep Riverside Clean & Beautiful for the Arlanza Cleanup at Bryant Park. Volunteers picked up litter and helped beautify the stretch of Van Buren near the park, making it a cleaner, more welcoming space for families in Arlanza.

Thank you to everyone who came out to serve, and to Keep Riverside Clean & Beautiful for organizing the effort and supplying the tools. Small acts add up to a big difference in our community.

Congratulations to Jonathan Steele, Rotary Leadership Institute Graduate!

Jonathan has completed the Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) program, a hands-on learning experience for Rotarians who want to grow as leaders, strengthen their clubs, and get more out of their Rotary service. RLI courses cover the fundamentals of Rotary, effective club leadership, communication, membership, and the work of The Rotary Foundation.

On September 16, we welcomed actor, producer, and entrepreneur Terayle Hill, who shared the mission of PILOT (Preparing Industry Leaders Of Tomorrow). A Moreno Valley native, Terayle is known for his work on STARZ’s Step Up and the film Judas and the Black Messiah. He now works to help young people build the skills and confidence to lead in their chosen industries.

Rotarians Gary Christmas, Tim Kelley, Christopher Cox, Matt Barth, and Tom Evans gathered at Carbon Nation Brewing for the first “Riverside Jams” featuring Riverside’s best live Ukulele music!

This week, we were joined by Dr. Tim Gutierrez, Associate Professor of Sociology, who shared his experience teaching incarcerated youth in Riverside County. Most of his students have already earned their High School Diploma or GED and are now working toward their Associate’s Degree.

Despite the challenges of their circumstances, Tim described his students as engaged, curious, and genuinely excited to learn. Many are seizing this opportunity to reshape their futures, and it shows in how actively they participate and how eager they are to dig into the material.

Programs like this remind us of the power of education to open doors, even in the most difficult circumstances.  Tim’s dedication to this work is a big part of what makes it succeed.

We also heard from Nathan Hinckley who is embarking on a project to restore the Tortoise Enclosures at the Living Desert Zoo in Palm Desert.