Blog
Meet the people that make up the Rotaract Club of Ottawa + see how we are involved in our community and international causes.
It’s Tax Season: Tips for Students
Tax Season is probably the most polarizing season out there. You are probably either dreading doing your taxes or have been looking forward to this moment for the past year. Okay, let’s be real. Not that many people out there get excited for taxes so I’ve put together a short list with the very basics to help you
Staying healthy during COVID: Exercising
I’m going to let you in on a secret: for the past few months, my only form of exercise has been shoveling the snow in the driveway to move the car into the parking lot, or taking out the garbage, which doesn’t really count. So yes, I’m guilty of inhabiting this extremely sedentary lifestyle during lockdown and neither my body nor my mind took it very well.
Eating Well = Being Well
Eating well is a key component of your overall well-being. Food is fuel for your brain and your body, and healthy foods are the best fuel out there. Healthy eating not only makes you physically feel better, but it improves your health and keeps you in tip-top shape (which we all need during the pandemic)!
Wellness in a box
We are searching for students and young professionals who are passionate about mental wellbeing and working with youth to join our team! Please contact us at rotaractwellnessinabox@gmail.com or fill out the form at tinyurl.com/wellnessinabox by February 3rd and we will reach out to you!
Yoga + French Club
This Thursday at 6PM is the return of Rotaract’s French Club! It’s a great chance to practice our French skills in a relaxed environment. We play games and chat all in French. We encourage all levels of French speakers to join.
Mental Health Resources & #RCOServiceChallenge: Mental Health Matters!
It is no surprise that this year has caused a lot of stress for all. Especially now, between the pandemic, the winter months, and the stress of finals season for students, struggles with mental health are expected and completely understandable.
#RCOSelfCareSunday
As we move into the holiday season and coincidentally exam season, it’s important to remember to take time for ourselves. Today I am sharing 5 tips to help you during these crazy times.
#RCOServiceChallenge: Blood Donation
If you’ve never considered donating blood before now is the perfect time to start! While not everyone is eligible, those who are can change lives by donating. This post will walk you through how to find out if you’re eligible, how to book an appointment, and what to expect on the day.
#RCOServiceChallenge: Tissue Donation
In Ontario, the registration form used for Organ & Tissue donation is one and the same. The registration provides the option to opt out of either form of donation. We explained the registration process in-depth in last week’s blog post.
#RCOServiceChallenge: Organ Donation
A new week means a new #RCOServiceChallenge! This week’s challenge is organ donation registration!
Why is it important to register as an organ donor?
Though most people believe organ donation is important, just over a quarter of Ontarian's are registered as donors. Currently, around 1,600 Ontarian's are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant.
#RCOServiceChallenge: Flu Shots
This week’s service challenge theme is flu shots, which have recently been made available for the public in Ontario. Flu shots are especially important in preventing a “twindemic” of influenza and COVID-19.
#RCOServiceChallenge: Food Donation
In the almost nineteen years of the Rotaract Club of Ottawa’s existence, we have never faced a challenge like COVID-19. It has changed how we meet, how we fundraise, and how we volunteer.
Service Above Self BUT Self-Care
Last week there was no blog post because I was taking time for myself and spend time with my friends for thanksgiving which leads me to our upcoming project, Self-Care Sunday! We all know how important it is to help members of our community, but we often forget to help ourselves. Self-care is not selfish, it’s necessary
Scavenger Hunt: and the winner is…
This past week we held our Photo Scavenger hunt in partnership with the Rotary Club of Ottawa. We raised over $445 collectively and have decided to donate our portion to the Minwaashin Lodge, an indigenous women’s support center. We would like to thank all the Rotaractors and Rotarians as well as any members of our community who participated and donated to our event.
Jules Morin Park Clean-Up
Hello everyone! Yesterday, we had our first official event of the new semester, our semi-annual Park Clean-Up and it was a huge success! We had a great turnout from both Rotaractors and Rotarians. We spent about an hour and a half working to pick up trash around the whole park. There were some very interesting pieces of garbage found… We even got to spend some time after catching up with each other (socially distant and with masks of course).
New Year, New Rotaract
And we’re off! The new Rotaract season is underway. Our first meeting was a great success. We were joined by new and returning Rotaractors; everyone was excited to get into planning events for the upcoming year.
Rotaract X UOSU 101week Event Reflection
Good morning, I hope everyone’s first week back to school (or work) went well. This is a weird time for everyone right now, including us. With meetings and events being online it provides us a unique and unusual opportunity to do things we wouldn’t have come up with otherwise. This year we partnered with UOSU (University of Ottawa’s Student Union) to facilitate an online 101week event.
Dear Rotary, Thank You
Dear Rotary, I grew up in Stratford Ontario. Home of the Stratford Festival, Justin Bieber, and two Rotary clubs. Up until high school the two main facts I knew about Rotary were: 1. They exist 2. The Rotary Complex is where the farmers market is
A Letter To New + Future Members
To our new members, Welcome! I remember when I first joined Rotaract (at a friend’s recommendation) in 2018, I was mainly just confused. What in the world was a Rotaract? For that matter, what was a Rotary? It was all a little overwhelming, a little confusing, and a little worrisome.