On September 9th, 2026, Utah Valley University Rotaract President Megan Ashcraft attended a service project hosted by the Orem-Lindon Rotary Club to deliver coats and other needed items to local elementary schools.
Megan Ashcraft, along with former Orem-Lindon Rotary Club President Cathy Ambrose and fellow Rotarian Cherise Armstrong visited two elementary schools in the area, Centennial Elementary and Cascade Elementary schools. These schools have a high percentage of low-income students, whose families benefit from the elementary school’s pantries, which provide food, clothing, and other essentials to students in need.
At Centennial Elementary, the trio donated 13 bags of children’s clothing, including shirts, pants, coats, and dresses. Maria Chaparro, Community Outreach Coordinator, who runs Centennial’s pantry, expressed how grateful the school is for these kinds of donations, and in particular, the Orem-Lindon Rotary Club’s continued support, helping Centennial provide for students in need.
(Maria Chaparro, Community Outreach Coordinator, Cherise Armstrong, Orem-Lindon rotarian and Megan Ashcraft with the donations for Centennial Elementary)
At Cascade Elementary, they were able to provide 65 coats along with 15 birthday kits for the students. They were warmly greeted by Debbie Velasquez, parent liaison and Amy Seastrand, head secretariat, who explained that these birthday kits can have a big impact on students who receive them. Many of whose families would otherwise not be able to afford birthday desserts and presents for their children.
Megan Ashcraft, Cherise Armstrong, Amy Seastrand and Debbie Velasquez with clothing and birthday kit donations at Cascade Elementary
While donations like these may seem insignificant to some, to the community, and most importantly to the children who benefit from them, they make life easier, helping families who are struggling to make ends meet. The City of Orem, particularly its northern area, has the second-highest childhood poverty rate in Utah County behind Provo, with the rates ranging from 2.6% in the eastern area, all the way up to 12.6 in the north. (“Indicator Profile Report”, Utah Department of Health and Human Services). Projects like this not only help UVU’s Rotaractors become more aware of the needs in the Orem area but also help them learn the importance of addressing local issues. These opportunities allow students to strengthen their relationship with their community, building skills and values that will serve them in their future careers.
Works Cited
"Indicator Profile Report - Child Poverty." Utah Public Health Indicator Based Information System (IBIS-PH), Utah Department of Health and Human Services, ibis.utah.gov/ibisph-view/indicator/view/ChldPov.SA.html.
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UTAH DISTRICT NEWSLETTER ABOUT OUR ACTION
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