Miles Lehrman, 3, picked a perfect pumpkin at the Wilshire Rotary patch to decorate at school. (photo by Brynn Mechem)

For the past 13 years, families have packed up their children and headed to the Wilshire Rotary Pumpkin Patch on Larchmont Boulevard to pick out the perfect gourd to adorn their patio.

And while the patch has always been a family-friendly gathering spot, it’s also a place where charity comes first.

Wilshire Rotary member Scot Clifford, who, along with his wife Wendy, operates the pumpkin patch each year, said the patch offers a way for the Rotary Club to give back to the community, whether it’s through proceeds earned or old-fashioned family fun.

But for some, the patch offers a chance to restart their lives.

When Clifford started the pumpkin patch in 2007, he began recruiting members of the Rotary Club and his own family to help him run it. However, he soon realized there wasn’t enough manpower to keep the patch functioning – moving 36,000 pounds of pumpkins annually is no small feat.

In 2010, he heard about a program operated by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in which formerly incarcerated men are paroled into residences to help them find employment. The program focuses on reintegrating men who spent time in prison back into society.

“I have to admit, I was a little reluctant at first,” Clifford said. “But I thought, ‘I’ll give it a go. If they’re hard workers and respectful to the customers, then I’m all for it.’”

In the first year, Clifford hired about 12 employees and found success. So, he forged partnerships with the archdiocese and other organizations that help formerly incarcerated men, such as the Amity Foundation.

The men help load and unload truckloads of pumpkins, stock the pumpkin patch and carry purchases to patron’s vehicles. They also help with the Rotary Club’s Christmas tree lot.

“Many people come year after year to work for us,” Clifford said. “We have so many success stories because people come to work for us, and for many of them, it’s their first job. They work so hard for us and they get inspired and go on to have very successful careers.”

One such employee is Tim Stotlar, who began working at the patch in 2012 after being released from prison after 26 years.

All of Stotlar’s family lives in Utah so he had no California connections upon his release. He had to find a job with no work history and catch up with the technological advances he missed while in prison.

“It was a lot of hard work,” Stotlar said. “Most places, if you go in to apply and you have no work history, no references, they’re suspicious. But the Rotary Club members are so charitable in their hearts. It’s not just about pulling their wallet out. They really look to help people out.”

After his first season at the patch, Stotlar was able to purchase his first cell phone with the tips he made. Though he said he received help from other men who were in the same situation as him, the opportunity to work was life changing.

“We all still have our pride and we’re not trying to get a free ride,” Stotlar said. “Working at the lot and someone giving you a chance to earn your own money, it’s such a good feeling.”

Though Clifford said the work to help previously incarcerated men is one of his favorite parts of the pumpkin patch, the Rotary Club also uses the opportunity to help others in need.

The pumpkin patch and the Rotary Club’s Christmas tree lot annually earn from $70,000 to $75,000 for the club. The proceeds benefit the Wilshire Rotary Foundation and the foundation of Rotary International.

Funds raised from the patch have been used for the organization’s community service projects, including support for the Assistance League of Southern California’s Operation School Bell and the Salvation Army Red Shield Community Center.

Money has also been given to Van Ness Elementary School, with which the Rotary Club partners each year to bring visually impaired students to the pumpkin patch and Christmas tree lot. This year, the students cannot travel to the lot due to COVID-19 restrictions, so the Rotary Club will set up a miniature pumpkin patch at the school.

“We just want people to have a good time each year,” Clifford said. “We think it’s a fun community event, and that’s what we want it to be. Equally important to raising money is building community.”

And in that way, the Rotary Club has been successful, Clifford said. The pumpkin patch has become an annual tradition for many, including Stotlar, who now maintains a construction job but continues to help at the patch and tree lot each year.

“I make sure that whoever hires me knows that in the fall I have an obligation,” Stotlar said. “The Rotary Club gave me an opportunity when I had nothing, and now I want to give back to them. It’s a great feeling to now be in a position to give back to others.”

The Wilshire Rotary Pumpkin Patch is open from 2-6 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends. For information, call (323)464-1935.