Through its Annual Service Partner program, Metropolitan Savannah Rotary Club fundraised and donated $10,000 to Re:Purpose Savannah on Saturday. In addition, Metro Rotary volunteers helped clean up one of Re:Purpose’s big storage shed bays that housed materials from their first ever deconstruction project, the Anderson Twins.  

Metro Rotary’s $10,000 grant contributed towards the purchase of a resaw machine to convert raw materials into usable goods. A portion of the grant also contributed to funding a major warehouse electrical system upgrade needed to power the newly purchased resaw machine. Club members spent over 120 volunteer hours at the Re:Purpose lumberyard sorting and organizing deconstructed materials which helped their crew process, preserve and ready the raw materials for reuse.  

Mills stressed how every year, one of the things Metro Rotary wants to ensure is that their service partner supports one of Rotary International’s seven areas of focus, one of which is protecting the environment. “This has been a great partnership for us because of all Re:Purpose Savannah does not only for the community and Savannah’s history, but for the environment as well.”

Tia Ross, Past President of Re:Purpose Savannah’s Board of Directors said, "We are thrilled to be Metropolitan Savannah Rotary Club's 2023-2024 Annual Service Partner. Together, we have been working towards our mutual goals—protecting the environment, collaborating with our community, and contributing to Savannah’s economic development. A huge thank you to Metro Savannah Rotary for this opportunity.”

Each year through a competitive process, Metro Rotary selects an annual service partner. Past partners include Brightside Advocacy/CASA, Girls on the Run, Urban Hope, Bike Walk Savannah, Coastal Empire Habitat for Humanity, Ogeechee Riverkeeper, Loop It Up Savannah, Fresh Air Home, Forsyth Farmers Market’s Farm Truck 912, and Greenbriar Children’s Center.