Local Club Exemplifies Service Above Self

Dec 31, 2025 | Lake Arrowhead

Cecilia Ponce de Leon (standing, center) with some of the children, their quilts and other gifts at the orphanage in Tijuana.

Members of the Rotary Club of Lake Arrowhead have spent hours recently at their meetings modeling the Rotary motto: Service Above Self.

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One of the orphans with her quilt.

Cecilia Ponce de Leon, the club’s International Chair, provides ongoing support to Casa Hogar de los Niños orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico. Twice a month, she crosses the border, taking much-needed items to the children. More importantly, she spends her weekends with them – listening, playing and connecting – so the children know she’s not just helping them – she’s with them. She has become part of their world.

After Cecilia shared her passion for this mission with the club, it moved Teri Ostlie, the club’s Community Service chair, to do something truly special. This talented quilter made 40 quilts for the children. She brought them to a club meeting and then Cecilia delivered them to the children at the orphanage.

This, the club posted on Facebook, is Service Above Self. This is Rotary. This is who we are.

Their service did not stop there. They gathered to assemble holiday gift bags for 20 homeless and at-risk students at Rim of the World High School. The bags included lots of personal care items, snacks and gifts to help them cope with winter weather.

As Desmond Tutu said, “Do your own little bit of good where you are. It’s those little bits of good put together than overwhelm the world.”

The Rotary Club of Lake Arrowhead meets on Tuesdays at noon at the Lake Arrowhead Community Presbyterian Church. Lakearrowheadrotary.net

The Rotary Club of Lake Arrowhead Mountain Sunrise meets Wednesdays at 7:00 a.m. at the Twin Peaks Community Center. www.lakearrowheadsunriserotary.org

The Rotary Club of Crestline-Lake Gregory meets on the first and second Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. at the Crestline Chamber of Commerce office. Crestlinerotary.com

 

Rotary Club,Lake arrowhead Rotary Club,Homeless Holiday Gifts,Casa Hogar de los Niños orphanage in Tijuana,Mexico,Community Service,Alpine Mountaineer Newspaper,Lake Arrowhead News,Mountain News

Members of the Rotary Club of Lake Arrowhead wrapping gifts and filling bags for homeless and at-risk students at Rim High.

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