A Kutztown Rotarian and the club she serves were recognized for making a difference in the world.
Rotary International District Governor Tony Jannetta presented The Change Maker Award to Kutztown Rotary Club President Dr. Martin Handler and to Kutztown Rotarian Kim Miller during the Fleetwood and Kutztown Rotary Clubs’ annual dinner to thank local farmers, held at Kutztown Grange Hall on Feb. 6. The Change Maker Award is presented to the club who conducts international and local community service.
Miller and her husband, Peter, left on Feb. 14 for their third trip to India, volunteering with a polio immunization international group. Receiving the award was an emotional experience for Kim.
‘It’s about the kids,’ said Kim. ‘It’s emotional because I didn’t expect the award.’
Volunteering to help administer polio immunizations in India is how Kim spends her vacation time.
‘We immunized more than 2,500 children in a three year period and to me that’s 2,500 children who won’t die,’ she said. ‘There, there’s no help for children with polio and many of the kids die.’
For this reason, she says polio immunizations are so very important.
‘Our community is so global. Someone can get on a plane and transmit the disease.’
Her group can typically immunize about 250 children in four hours, and that’s just at one site. There are numerous groups volunteering to administer the immunizations.
Her trips to India are completely 100 percent self-funded.
‘This is how I spend my vacation,’ said Kim, a manager for Penske.
