By Susanne Holmberg, 2025-26 governor of District 5100 (Oregon, Washington, USA)
This year, my Rotary car has taken me across the district as I serve as governor. From club visits to events, my days (and nights) are full, and while I’m busy fueling clubs with encouragement, there’s one thing I wasn’t fueling – myself. Every time I came home from the road, I found the same thing: an empty fridge and no time or energy left to cook.
That’s when my Rotary family stepped in. Members of my home club, the Rotary Club of Three Creeks in Vancouver, Washington, USA, asked how they could support me during this busy year. My answer was simple: meals.
Within days, they created a Meal Train page, organizing home-cooked dinners and thoughtful deliveries through the organization’s web platform. Now, when I walk in the door after long drives, I don’t come home to an empty fridge – I come home to a meal made with love. Some come with a handwritten note, others arrive wrapped like a present with a bow (see photo). Each one fills more than my stomach; it fills my heart.
The meals remind me that Rotary is about more than meetings and projects – it’s about fellowship, care, and showing up for each other. While I spend my year supporting clubs, my club is quietly supporting me.
The road itself has been exhilarating. Every stop – whether in a small-town club of ten or a large city club of hundreds – reminds me of the extraordinary impact Rotarians make. From local service projects to international initiatives, from Rotary Youth Exchange to community partnerships, the spirit of Rotary shines everywhere. Each visit is a story of people uniting for good. Being a witness to that has been one of the greatest rewards of this journey.
My Rotary car has been my colorful traveling companion. Wrapped with a map of our district, spanning Northern Oregon and Southwest Washington all the way from the coast to the Idaho border, the car has become a symbol of connection. At every town I visit, I stop to take a photo with the car, capturing not just the miles traveled, but the memories made. It’s fun, it’s eye-catching, and it reminds everyone who sees it that Rotary is always on the move, making a difference.
I may be the one driving the Rotary car, but I never travel this journey alone. I’m carried forward by the kindness of my fellow Rotarians – one meal at a time.
https://blog.rotary.org/2025/10/21/fueled-by-rotary-coming-home-to-care/