On May 14, 2010, Paul Williams of the Foster City, California Rotary Club spoke to Arcadia’s Rotary Club about “My Road to Rotary”.  Paul works in property management with Lincoln Properties and grew up in Willits, California.  He calls Willits the “gateway to the redwoods” and “the home of the Skunk Train”.

Paul’s Rotary Scholarship and Its Impact

While still attending Willits High School Paul applied and interviewed for a Rotary scholarship to use for college.  He won the scholarship and graduated from Cal Poly San Louis Obispo in 1977.  Paul never forgot the importance of that Rotary scholarship and wanted to “pay it forward”, once established in his career. 

Paul’s Own Rotary Involvement

Living and working in the bay area, Paul became involved with the Foster City Arts & Wine Festival held each year around the first of June.  He was so impressed with Rotary International and the fine work done that he joined The Foster City Rotary and became involved.  He has become a major Paul Harris donor and served as President of the club in 2006-07. 

As club president, Paul learned about the Rotary International Wheelchair Foundation, which distributes wheelchairs internationally to those in need.  He quickly realized the joy brought to all the recipients in remote parts of the world who would otherwise never have the opportunity to be mobile in their own villages. 

With at least nine trips to Mexico distributing wheelchairs, the community in Mazatlan has recognized Paul with a soccer tournament named in his honor.  The tournament, known as the Paul Williams Interact International Games honors the work done there. 

Even though some villages in Honduras and El Salvador are so remote Paul still manages to locate them and find the needy.

Paul’s Mother’s Intersecting Work in Honduras

Whoever coined the phrase “cut from the same cloth”, must have been a genius because Paul is a mirror image of his eighty-four year old mother who joined the Peace Corp many years ago and worked extensively in Honduras. 

After her term of service there, she opened Casa Rosada in Santa Barbara, Honduras, a very poor area with simple people who grow coffee and make woven bags as a means of income. 

Casa Rosada is many things to many people.  It is a central location where locals can get medical care, clothes, food or even transportation.  Some have been known to drop off a newborn immediately following childbirth while others ask for assistance to construct water wells. 

Funds come in from any type of donation, including Rotary clubs, Interact clubs, and even Paul Williams himself.  With no ability to pay for services, locals sometimes leave bags of soybeans or corn in appreciation. 

Casa Rosada has built eight schools, water projects and even provided uniforms for soccer teams.  In addition, they conduct clinics where some two hundred people come for care.

Paul Williams Comes “Full Circle”

Paul has a true love of Rotary  International and is indebted forever from that $1000 scholarship.  This is a perfect example of the spirit of Rotary performed every day by caring people like Paul Williams and his mother.  Thanks Paul!  

[By Pat Dolphin]