RCB Members Bring Holiday Cheer to Boarding Home Residents
On Friday, December 12, 2025, members of the Rotary Club of Birmingham (RCB) delivered a truckload of gifts and essential items to residents of Birmingham area boarding homes. This year marks the 28th year of the service project.
Each December since 1997, Rotarians have volunteered to shop for residents of boarding homes in the Birmingham community. These communal living facilities provide meals and a safe living environment for individuals unable to live independently. RCB members provided essentials and presents to 106 residents of seven local boarding homes this year.
For several weeks leading up to the donation day, Rotarians collect new clothing, hygiene, food and gift items to fulfill the needs identified by the boarding home directors. Rotary staff and volunteers pack the gifts into boxes for each resident to make sure they receive items they need and want for the holidays.
Rotary volunteers gathered at the RCB office in the morning to load boxes provided by Armstrong Relocation onto a moving truck provided by Office Resources, Inc. Rotarian Tom Gester and his wife Diana donated dental hygiene supplies, and Rotarians Bill Josey, Brenda & Morris Hackney donated Water Way bottled water. Member contributions allowed RCB to provide cleaning supplies, paper products, hams, turkeys and additional food to each boarding home. PNC Bank also provided new towels and sheets to residents.
We appreciate all the Rotarians, Rotaract members, family & friends who helped deliver gifts, including Bob Agnew, Lydia Barnett, Rebecca Beers, Ross Blankenship, Jon Blankenship, Graham Boettcher, Alex Bowker, Jay Brandrup, Elizabeth Broughton, Dan Bundy, Barbara Burton, Charles Caldwell, Richard Campbell, Tom Carruthers, Elena Cassinelli, Hafiz Chandiwala, James Childs, Molly Clinton, Morgan Cole, Helen Combs, Darrell Cook, Katie Crenshaw, Sean Culhane, Russell Cunningham III, Steve Davis, Charles DeBardeleben, Whitney DeBardeleben, Jr., Jennifer DeLawrence, Jen Dent, Cal Dodson, Allen Dunn, Drew Edge, Lynn Elgin, Rebekah Elgin-Council, Al Folcher, Brittany Foley, Walton Foster, Alana Frederick, Bernard Frei, Rachel Fry, Kevin Garrison, Roman Gary, Jeris Gaston, Tom Gester, Nancy Goedecke, Maura and Will Goodwyn, VJ Graffeo, Mike Graham, Jim Griffo, Alison Grizzle, Brenda Hackney, Morris Hackney, Elisabeth Hall, Chris Harmon, Dennis Hinton, Marquis Hollingsworth, Jimmy Holloway, Mike House, Jim Hughey, Ed Hurley, Margi Ingram, Turner Inscoe, Eric Jack, Cissy Jackson, Michael Johns, Thomas Johnson, Mike Johnson, Alesia Jones, Bill Jones, Joe Joseph, Bill Josey, Jim King, Charles Knight, Spencer Lacey, Libby Lassiter, Philippe Lathrop, Deborah Lechner, Gardner Lee, Laura Lee, Toni Leeth, Greer Mallette, John Maloney, Danny Markstein, Cindy Martin, Gordon Martin, April Mason, Autumn Massey-Sims, Fred McCallum, Gwaltney McCollum, Maggie McDonald, Thomas McGahey, Joe Medori, Eddie Miller, Mason Morris, Callie Morrison, Edwin Moss, Kate Nielsen, Fred Nunnelley, Jenny Nunnelley, Olivia Pierce, David Pittman, Randy Pittman, Bill Pryor, Chuck Redden, Bruce Rogers, Tim Ryan, Andy Saag, Mike Saag, Pia Sen, Dawn Sharff, Steve Shaw, David Sher, Teresa Shufflebarger, Tanya Shunnara, Sanjay Singh, Vivek Singh, Tommy Sisson, Camille Spratling, John Steiner, Erin Stephenson, Jeff Stone, Yolanda Sullivan, Tony Summerville, Myles Taylor, Bob Terry, Sam Tortorici, Tatianna Turrentine-Long, Libba Vaughan, Susan Waldrop, Kennon Walthall, Lee Walthall, Clark Watson, Katrina Watson, Lee Weathers, Joel Welker, Greg Wheeler, George Wheelock, III, Marjorie Lee White, Samantha Williams, Nick Willis, Greg Womack, Dave Wood, Frank Young, Anne Yuengert and DeLynn Zell.
Members of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra Chorus, including Jackie Cantelmo, Jim Emison, Kai Jameson, Rachael Jameson and Susan Lagrone, joined the group to enhance traditional caroling with residents under the direction of RCB’s Director of Membership and Communications June Clark, who also managed logistics for the project with help from RCB Office Manager Tyler Buck and RCB Executive Director Lora Blalock.
Special thanks to Rotarians Alison Grizzle and Libba Vaughan for leading this project and to RCB VP of Community Service Katrina Watson for overseeing the club’s community service intiatives.