Wilshire Rotary Club members joined Rise Against Hunger and assembled meals that were distributed to families experiencing hunger. (photo courtesy of Wilshire Rotary)

The Wilshire Rotary Club is marking nine decades of service in the community with a special 90th anniversary celebration on Saturday, Jan. 28, from 2-6 p.m. at the Jonathan Club in downtown Los Angeles.

The club currently has approximately 60 members who meet weekly to network, listen to speakers on a wide range of topics and plan community service projects, Wilshire Rotary president Joyce Kleifield said. The club has a long history of supporting nonprofits and working with people in underserved communities. It also operates a pumpkin patch and Christmas tree lot on Larchmont Boulevard each year, raising funds for Wilshire Rotary Club programs

“We have been part of this community for 90 years and our goal is to bring more recognition about what Rotary does,” Kleifield said. “We’ve always thought we were the best kept secret. We are a good place for people looking to get involved in the community that don’t know how to.”

Kleifield said the club supports literacy programs in local schools, organizes and participates in community beautification efforts, and raises funds for organizations such as Alexandria House and Aviva Family and Children’s Services, which offer programs for women and children. She said members have partnered with Big Sunday, which organizes community projects throughout Los Angeles, and Imagine L.A., which assists families at risk of becoming homeless.

“We donate both time and money for local projects,” Kleifield said. “We try to do one service project each month.”

Wilshire Rotary works closely with students at Larchmont Charter School, who help with service projects and work at the pumpkin patch and Christmas tree lot. Wilshire Rotary members will join Operation School Bell on Jan. 27 from 7:45 a.m.-1 p.m. for a project at Sixth Avenue Elementary, located at 3109 Sixth Ave. in Southeast Los Angeles. Members will distribute school supplies and other necessities.

“Operation School Bell, a program through the Assistance League, goes to elementary schools and brings clothing and supplies to schools in underserved communities. We help kids pick out clothes and make sure they have what they need,” Kleifield said. “My passion is youth and schools, so we do a lot with schools. Supporting education is one of our core goals.”

Kleifield said the pumpkin patch and tree lot are the biggest fundraisers of the year and offer special opportunities to help people in need.

“It’s one of the things we do to bring the community together and raise funds, but we also hire formerly incarcerated people to get them started in the work force,” Kleifield said. “The tree lot allows us to do a lot to give back.”

Wilshire Rotary’s weekly meetings are held on Wednesdays in different formats. A virtual meeting is held on the first Wednesday of the month from noon-1p.m., followed by a luncheon on the second Wednesday of the month from noon-1:30 p.m. at the Ebell of Los Angeles. Breakfast meetings are held on the third Wednesday of the month from 7-8:30 a.m. at Canter’s Deli, and members get together for happy hours on the fourth Wednesday of each month from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at different locations in the Wilshire area.

The 90th anniversary celebration at the Jonathan Club, 545 S. Figueroa St., is open to the public and prospective members. Tickets are $125 and include cocktails, appetizers, a photo booth and raffle. Tickets to an optional after-party and dinner are an additional $50. For information and to RSVP, visit wilshirerotary.org.

Kleifield said Wilshire Rotary is among 63 Rotary clubs in the Los Angeles area, and among 35,000 Rotary International clubs worldwide. She said that many people mistakenly believe Rotary clubs are only for members of the business community and stressed that the Wilshire Rotary Club includes a large variety of members.

“It’s people from all walks of life – businesspeople, retirees and people who just want to do good in their communities. We are also really trying to bring in young people,” Kleifield added. “Our 90th anniversary shows you doing good never gets old, and fortunately, we still have lots of ways to do good in the world.”