In May 2025, the Rotary Club of Woodland Hills fulfilled its mission of H.O.P.E. Helping Other People Every Day. Our club’s efforts have provided the world with Rotary Magic. Together we have donated to and participated in projects that have a tremendous impact on global, national and local communities.
As we are coming to the end of the 2024-2025 Rotary year, let us look back with pride on everything we have accomplished.
The Youth Services team led by Past President Shelley Stark and Karen Schnee has given us new and exciting opportunities to be of service. Bringing therapy dogs to events and mini horses to seniors and children and conducting several projects at Gigi’s Playhouse were some of my favorites.
Community Service co-chaired by Paulinda Schimmel and President Elect Nominee Bryna Hornstein kept us busy all year with cooking nights at the Rescue Mission, food prep and painting projects at Hope the Mission community beautification projects, and Bingo for LAJH residents.
Vocational Services is on pace to give more scholarship funds this year than in the past. Thank you Service Chair Nargiz Zadeh with help from Matt Schaaf, Jeff Stern and my V.P. Lois Koch for putting in the great work to evaluate and grade the applications.
Our International Committee, led by Mark Stewart and Lois Koch, funded projects for clean water, education, food and health in countries all over the world. This committee has voted on funding 18 projects so far this year!
Jeff Stern and Mona Spector planned another fun year of activities for our club and Lois K kept our calendar updated. President Elect Christy Pinto, Robin Kellogg and Ferne Saltzman planned and conducted a community-wide event to show how much hurt human trafficking can inflict and what can be done to stop it.
Our club runs smoothly because of Rotarians who gave us the extra time for daily activities. Treasurers Kim Wall and Diane Nelson have mostly kept me in check! Eva Hainer, Michelle Goldwater and Eduardo Estrada have been facilitating our meetings and John Willauer and Betty West have been “recording” it all.
A successful fundraising effort led by Paul Gross has given our club more money to help us finance our great projects. Poker gurus Lonnie Mintz and Anna S. are a pair of Aces. Our club has fabulous members who stepped up with extra donations for many of our projects. Thank you to Tom Kurshner, Shelley Stark, Eva Hainer, Sheri Polak, and Ferne and Jay Saltzman who have always been very generous Rotarians.
Our last meeting in May will always be fondly remembered as we said goodbye to Ferne and Jay Saltzman. Ferne and Jay have been incredible Rotarians in our club for over 32 years and have always given their all. Congratulations to both on retiring and to Jay for receiving our club’s first annual Service Above Self Award.
I am thankful to the entire membership of our club for making this year so special. Your commitment to our motto Service Above Self has inspired me and the entire 5280 Rotary community. Your response to our area’s needs has been positive, impactful and uplifting.
I look forward to next year which will be led by President Christy Pinto when we all Unite For Good.
Fellow Rotarians, 
The Rotary District 5280 Peace Builders committee invites anyone who is interested in furthering peace in our world to a virtual meeting on June 9. The film "There Is Another Way", produced by James Cameron, will be screened. The film’s director Stephen Apkon will be joining us for a Q & A. The world needs to see this movie on June 12th. What a great film to share with Rotarians around the world. RSVP required to get the meeting's link. 
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