Wood County Rotary Club

09/10/2026

09/10/2026

This morning, Chris Penn, CEO and President of Essentially Yours, Voices of the Streets Inc., spoke to the Wood County Rotary Club at the Vienna Community Building in Jackson Park. Essentially Yours was created to fill a basic human need identified in her community to provide essential home good items to veterans, individual said families transitioning out of homelessness. They are a 501(c) three nonprofit entity that is operated by dedicated volunteers. Requirements for assistance from the program include having been homeless, having a referral, current lease, valid photo ID and Social Security card for each family member and completing an application with Essentially Yours. Their purpose involves providing essential needs and supplies to help people who were once homeless transition into a home. Donations of items can be accepted at their office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays or monetary donations can be sent to PO Box 1175 Parkersburg WV 26102-11175. They are located at First Presbyterian Church at 1341 Juliana Street in Parkersburg and can be reached by calling 304-428-4304. You can visit their website at www.Essentially-Yours.org or email them at [email protected].

09/04/2026

We are grateful to announce the release of a Rotary International Disaster Response Grant that will help support ongoing recovery efforts across West Virginia communities impacted by recent disasters.

This funding will provide critical resources to assist individuals and families as they rebuild and recover. Thank you to Rotary International and our local Rotary partners for their commitment to helping communities when they need it most.

Rotary Club of Weston, WV
Rotary Club of Buckhannon Upshur
Canyon Rim Rotary Club
Rotary Zones 33/34

09/03/2026

PARKERSBURG — After 36 and a half years of responding to disasters, organizing blood drives, raising money and supporting volunteers, Sharon Kesselring is retiring from the American Red Cross. Friends, family members, colleagues and volunteers gathered Wednesday to recognize Kesselring, who has se...

09/03/2026

This morning, Tammy Ketchem, , Region II Advovate from Legal Aid of West Virginia and John A. Williams, Supervising Attorney from Legal Aid of West Virginia, spoke to The Wood County Rotary Club at the Vienna Community Building in Jackson Park. Legal Aid helps people with civil, non-criminal issues, like personal safety(domestic violence), rental housing,, child custody, and access to services like education and benefits like Medicaid and Food Stamps. If you qualify, their help may range from legal advice to representation in court. Legal information, free online legal forms, educational videos, and other resources are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on their online Legal Information page at www.LegalAidWV.org. There are two ways to find out if you are eligible for free legal help from Legal Aid of WV. Interested individuals can cal 1-866-255-4370 or apply online on their website. Legal Aid of West Virginia acts as an umbrella covering a variety of programs and many are not income based. They are located 327 Ninth Street in downtown Parkersburg. They will partner with Big Sandy Furniture for a “Fall Family Resource Event” on Thursday, September 10 from 3 PM to 6 PM in the Big Sandy parking lot . It will feature local community agencies that will offer resources to assist local families and have activities to encourage positive family development. They are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that covers 7 counties in WV through various grants they receive. For more information on the services they provide, check out their website for complete details.

09/02/2026

We would like to extend our congratulations and best wishes to fellow Rotarian Sharon Kesselring on her retirement as Executive Director of the American Red Cross Ohio River Valley Chapter. Thank you for your dedication and service for 36 1/2 years and being an advocate and help for so many people in their most difficult times of life. Truly, you embody the Rotary motto of “service above self”.

Wishing you and Dave a very happy and healthy future in retirement! Spend time with your family and enjoy life. You deserve it! We love you, Sharon!

Your Wood County Rotary Club Family.

08/27/2026

This morning, Chad Emrick, Mayor Of Vienna, spoke to the Wood County Rotary Club at the Vienna Community Building in Jackson Park. Mayor Emrick spoke about his tenure as Mayor and his goals of information management, customer service and taking care of the citizens of Vienna and the city’s employees while keeping citizens informed of the various changes through updates with social media. The city is currently growing and with the addition of the WVU Parkersburg Technology and Innovation Center, many students are finding new opportunities for learning. The new elementary school is also a great new addition and the property around the area will also open up new housing growth opportunities. The new riverfront area includes a kayak launching area and will also add a boat launch in the future. Spencer’s Landing has a potential for additional growth and hosts the Freedom Festival each year. Mayor Emrick would like to see a stage area built and continued improvements to this area continue to make this area a destination point for many people and additional events. Infrastructure improvements within the city are continuing to be upgraded to guarantee services for future generations to come. Vienna continues to be a beautiful city that still has potential for growth in many areas. We wish Mayor Emrick and his team much success in all they are doing to improve the quality of life for their residents. We extend our best wishes to Mayor Emrick and his wife on the new addition to their family, Aria Lyn!

08/26/2026

Planning is officially underway for the 2027 Rotary District 7545 Conference! 💙💛

Our District Conference Planning Committee met today at Stonewall Resort to kick off preparations for what is sure to be an incredible weekend of Rotary fellowship, learning, service, and fun.

There’s a lot more to come, but for now, get those calendars out and SAVE THE DATES:
Annual District 7545 Conference
📍 Stonewall Resort
📅 June 18–20, 2027

We can’t wait to bring Rotarians from across District 7545 together for another memorable District Conference!

08/25/2026

08/21/2026

🌍 World Polio Day is October 24

Rotary has been leading the fight to eradicate polio for nearly four decades, and together we are closer than ever to a polio free world. While tremendous progress has been made, the work is not finished.

This World Polio Day, take your commitment to the next level by joining the PolioPlus Society. Through annual support of the PolioPlus Fund, members help ensure Rotary can continue protecting children around the world from this preventable disease.

💜 End Polio Now
💧 Join the PolioPlus Society
🌎 Help Rotary finish the job

Learn more about the PolioPlus Society:
https://www.rotaryzones3334.org/polioplus-society/

Sign up today:
https://rotarydistrict7545.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/polioplus-society-form.pdf

Questions? Reach out to Jane Stout at:
📧 [email protected]

Together, we can create a world where no child ever has to suffer from polio again.