Working Around the Clock with the Rotary Club of Carpinteria

New President Whitt Hollis Steps Up to Tackle New Service Projects in the Area

Carpinteria Rotary members doing Creek Cleanup for Creek Week | Photo: Courtesy

A short drive down 101 and you’ll be in the city of Carpinteria, where the Rotary Club is preparing for another year of activity geared toward helping the local and global community. For ‘24-’25 President Whitt Hollis, it means continuing the already impactful work of the Rotary and looking for more opportunities to serve in the community.

An internationally recognized organization, Rotary seeks to enact lasting change through various long-term projects including fighting disease, promoting education, and educational opportunities, pushing for global peace, and more. There are more than 1.5 million Rotarians worldwide, but the members of the Rotary Club of Carpinteria have been involved in projects such as community beautification through creek and beach cleanups, distributing food to seniors, and raising money during the annual Avocado Festival in October.

Carpinteria Rotary’s Whitt Hollis and Bonnie Yonker Hammett | Photo: Courtesy

The Rotary Club of Carpinteria has been around for about 52 years and is one of eight clubs on the South Coast, with all of the Rotary Clubs working closely with one another to tackle various projects in the area. Hollis himself has been working with the Rotary Club of Carpinteria for about five years. “As you get into it, there are issues where they need more young people. Members asked if I wanted to do more, and I said ‘Yes.’” For Hollis, getting involved in Rotary Club and eventually stepping up to the presidential role meant continuing to be involved with important and, oftentimes, underrepresented issues.

“Service is about yourself,” Hollis explained. “A lot of us are very lucky and want to give back to the community, but we need to be made aware of the opportunities to serve.” One of Hollis’s goals for his term is to expand the club’s outreach, seeking out different opportunities where the Rotary Club can get involved.

Bonnie Yonker Hammett, head of fundraising at the Rotary Club, works closely with Hollis to find and work with organizations. She’s been involved with the club since moving to Santa Barbara and expressed her enthusiasm to be working with a group that works closely with community members and local organizations.

“Our doors are open to new ideas, and we welcome people to join us with their ideas,” Hammett said before mentioning some of the larger Rotary projects that the Carpinteria Club has been working toward. This included the Carpinteria Children’s Project, which helps underprivileged and low-income students get a head start before entering elementary school. Hammett also expressed her enthusiasm about a fundraiser that raises money to buy goats to give to families in third-world countries, a children’s project to help low-income families during the holiday season, and the annual Talent Showcase.

For more than a decade, the Rotary Club of Carpinteria has put on a Talent Showcase to raise money for the Carpinteria Unified School District. Since its start, they have brought in more than $250,000 that has gone toward funding school music programs. This is paired with their grant/scholarship that goes toward private music lessons. They even work with the Santa Barbara Bowl, which has continued to donate money toward the Talent Showcase over the years.

The Talent Showcase is one of Carpinteria Rotary’s many community projects | Photo: Courtesy

“We want children to be educated in all things, and that includes music,” Hollis said. Both Hollis and Hammett have deep connections with music and recounted their musical upbringings. Ensuring that children in Carpinteria are also having the opportunity to have that same musical education that’s considered at the same importance as any other academic subject is a personal mission for them both. But their work doesn’t stop there.

Hollis explained that, way before he stepped up to be president, he was already working with the former president to determine how to continue current projects and what new service opportunities were available for the club to get involved with. Two new projects that they discussed that are still in the works are taking steps to address human trafficking along the South Coast by training employees in hotels, restaurants, etc., to spot signs of distress and to know how and when to offer that person a safe haven, and working with Women’s Economic Ventures to organize seminars for women who want to start their own businesses.

The doors to the Rotary Club of Carpinteria are always open to new members and people who are interested in learning how to get involved. They are always seeking tips and information about organizations and people they can work with on small and/or large service projects.

“It’s not just about this club; it’s about all of us,” Hollis said. “The more we know about opportunities, the more we can get involved.”

For more information about the different projects the club is involved in, how to donate, or how else to get involved, visit carpinteria rotary.org.