Hey Interactors! THE SCHOOOL YEAR IS THREE MONTHS FROM BEING OVER (GET EXCITEDDDD!!!!), and we hope that the passion for Interact has carried over from last year. As the year comes to a close, I just wanted to reiterate of how big of a difference that we have made on our environment with all our efforts. I have always been an advocate of being thankful for everything we have. Let’s face it, we are fortunate to live in a place where we have do not have to worry about food or clean water. But, here’s the harsh reality: there are people in the world who are not as fortunate. In their time of need, they have no one to turn too and no way to solve their health problems. They go to sleep without knowing whether they will wake up the next day– they only have one thing on their mind: survival. No education, no technology, no opportunities to succeed, and yet, they continuously strive to make the most of life – and that, to me, is inspirational.

And here we are, worrying about our GPAs, SATs, and trying to get into a top-notch college. We are blessed with the resources and opportunities to really provide for these individuals through our service – so why hold back? We are the ones who are making a difference in this world and providing a sense of resilience to those in need. Through our efforts, we have the potential to revolutionize our world and its people.

That said, there are three months left in our district year. LET’S FINISH STRONG!

As the year goes on, more and more interactors come into this neat thrift shop, Elefante Blanco, located in the Alameda of San Jose to help volunteer! The shop, opened for about two years now is owned by our very own Rotarian, Joy Engstrom! Where the profits made go to help out children in Africa, but over the weekend we had Area 6 and 7 kids come in to volunteer! Where a portion of the profits made would help out FREE THE YOUTH! If you’re interested in volunteering, we’re setting up days for some schools to come in after school on weekdays & for Areas to come in during the weekend! Last Sunday was surely a success!
Located: 1241 The Alameda San Jose, CA 95126
Website: http://elefanteblanco.org

Hey everyone! Happy second semester (especially to my fellow seniors!). One of the biggest goals I have is to maintain a strong emphasis on SERVICE throughout the year. So, even though it is second semester, everyone should still remain active in their community; try refraining from getting “senioritis” and remember, service should always be a top priority! If you have already started a recycling project in your school, try continuing it throughout this semester; if you have not, it is never too late to start! Remember, in California, each water bottle you collect can be returned to specific recycling centers for five cents (though it’s a small amount, it actually starts to add up really quickly). Even if you are not participating in a specific project, please try to spread the word about recycling; it is a huge benefit for our environment at a relatively low cost. You have nothing to lose!

In terms of future pursuits, Angela and I are working on making a huge project in the upcoming few months. Additionally, for the district wide day of service, we will potentially be holding AN ENTIRE DISTRICT-WIDE BEACH CLEAN-UP (stay tuned for more information). And, for the first time this year, we are going to open up the opportunity for YOU to suggest an event. If you or any of your friends think an event would be perfect for our district, please do not hesitate me to email me, and we can work out the logistics.

As some of you may already know, we are still selling pure, stainless steel water bottles for only five dollars! This is a huge price cut for a stainless steel water bottle (usually, most water bottles of this caliber are at least $15); also, each of the water bottles has been customized solely for District 5170 members the “Go Green” project! If you would like to purchase a stainless steel water bottle, please contact your respective area director. All the money made from the sale of these water bottles will be used to invest in something that will beneficially affect our environment (in the name of the “Go Green” project). This project holds limitless potential; we will get out of it what we put into it.

On a side note, the Presidents’ Winter Retreat is only TWO WEEKS AWAY! Get excited. The entire DC team has been working extremely hard to ensure that the retreat is an unforgettable experience! We really hope everyone is as exhilirated as we are. Again, if you have any problems, doubts, concerns, life dilemmas, puzzling thoughts, troubling dreams… ANYTHING, my email inbox is usually empty, and I’m always happy to help. If you actually read this entire message, I applaud your dedication and hope I didn’t bore you too badly.

UPDATE COMPLETE. QUESTION FORUM NOW OPEN. EMAIL ANY QUESTIONS! Look for another update prior to PWR! That’s all for now. P-Dawg out.

Peace. Love. Interact.

Hey everyone! Angela and I have just received a new opportunity for everyone! We were contacted a couple days ago by the founder of a shop called: “El Elefante Blanco.” The best part about this is that ANYONE form ANY AREA can go to this shop and donate their time to help out. The shop basically recycles items in a similar fashion to the actual game of “White Elephant” (and thus the name). The shop makes an impact on a global and local level and is also currently raising funds for Interact. In general, we believe this is a really great way to give back to our community. We encourage everyone to visit their website: http://www.elefanteblanco.org/mission.htm  and also like their page on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ElefanteBlancoThriftBoutique.

The address of the shop is located on: 1343 The Alameda, San Jose, CA 95126.

The shop is open 7 days a week. On Monday-Friday from 10 AM to 6 PM and on Saturday-Sunday from 11 AM to 4 PM. Usually, one shift is around 3-4 hours and volunteers are encouraged to work at least 1 to 2 days a week. Responsibilities include: helping in sales and marketing alongside assorting gently used clothing, antiques (including several rare books), and other miscellaneous items. This shop has lots of potential; as a matter of fact, other shops like this one make over $400,000 annually to donate to their projects (one of which, is Interact). ALL AREA DIRECTORS HAVE BEEN INFORMED ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY. If you need more information, do no hesitate to contact us or any of your other area directors. We really hope everyone takes advantage of this unique chance.

So, now, this winter break, let’s make a difference. Even if you can’t make it to El Elefante Blanco, please make sure you get out there and make a change in our community. I know our theme is Go Green, but, in reality, any type of service can make a difference in our world. Today is the DISTRICT WIDE DAY OF SERVICE, let’s show everyone our potential, 5170!