Community
“Community service covers the projects and activities the club undertakes to improve life in its community.”
Local Food Banks
For over 10 years, the Monteagle-Sewanee Rotary Club has hosted the Hunger Walk to support the local food organizations addressing food insecurity on the South Cumberland Plateau. In America, more than 47 million people are food insecure, and hunger is more common in rural areas. The food insecurity rates for the tri-county area are as follows: Grundy County (19.8%), Marion County (17.3%), and Franklin County (15.8%) (Source: Feeding America). The Hunger Walk supports the Grundy County Food Bank, the Morton Memorial Food Mission, and the Community Action Committee.
Read more about the organizations below!
Blue Monarch
Blue Monarch is a long-term residential recovery community for women and their children. The Monteagle-Sewanee Rotary Club supports the Blue Monarch mission in a variety of ways. The Club participates in an annual Work Day on site, and in partnership with the University of the South students, the Club coordinates an annual Christmas gift giving and in the Spring, a Field Day full of games and activities for the children and moms.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace
Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) is a national charitable organization with the mission of providing beds for any children that do not have an adequate place to sleep. Every bed built by an SHP volunteer represents comfort, security, and hope for a child who may have been sleeping on the floor. The impact of a good night's sleep cannot be overstated - it affects a child's health, education, and overall well-being.
The Monteagle-Sewanee Rotary Club has been instrumental in coordinating and supervising bed builds, creating a cut shop where the bed component parts are prepared, and coordinating the delivery of beds to our communities on the South Cumberland Plateau. The service area includes: Monteagle, Tracy City, Coalmont, Gruetli-Lager, Palmer, Altamont, Beersheba Springs, Manchester, Pelham, and Sewanee. Since 2022 the Club has delivered about 100 beds a year to the community.
Monteagle Elementary School
Top of the Rock Choir
The Monteagle-Sewanee Rotary Club members have played a key role in creating, implementing, and sustaining the Monteagle Elementary School: Top of the Rock Choir. This program guides fifth to eighth grade students in developing foundational choral skills and culminates in an annual Holiday and Spring Choral Program. The choir experience addresses social determinants of health for Monteagle Elementary students by providing essential music and choral opportunities that enrich the fine arts and enhance academic performance, attendance, and discipline. The program features two choral concerts each year, inviting community members and residents from neighboring counties to experience and appreciate musical programs, ultimately improving educational experiences in the plateau area.