Making a Difference Begins at the Moment of Need

As I reflect on last week’s meeting, a question has continued to sit with me: Why should we invest in our youth? Why dedicate our time, resources, and mentorship to students who—let’s be honest—may not yet fully understand the value of such support? Why champion Interact Clubs, leadership programs, youth service projects, and character-building experiences when it might seem easier to focus our efforts elsewhere?

These are direct, even uncomfortable questions. But they are worth asking—because the answers reveal something essential about who we are as Rotarians. Where does true “service above self” originate? How is it nurtured? And how is it modeled? Because I believe service does not simply appear—it is cultivated, witnessed, and passed down.

And when we step back and look to history, we discover something remarkable and consistent: It has so often been the young who have sparked movements of courage, compassion, and change.

Consider this…

Woolworth’s lunch counter

In 1960, four courageous college students in Greensboro, North Carolina, walked into a Woolworth’s lunch counter and quietly sat down, defying segregation laws. They were young, inexperienced, and without political influence, yet they believed in something greater than themselves. Their peaceful sit-in sparked a national movement for justice. Denied service, they didn’t argue or leave—they simply stayed. The next day, twenty students joined. By week’s end, hundreds. Within months, sit-ins inspired by these young leaders were happening in over 50 cities.

They were young—yet they led. They saw injustice—and they acted!

Ryan's Well Foundation

Young Ryan Hreljac was a Canadian first grader who heard a story about children in Africa having to walk miles each day for clean water. Troubled by this, he began doing chores to raise money. His first water well was funded entirely by his own small earnings. That single act of compassion ignited a global movement. Today, “Ryan’s Well Foundation” has provided clean water to over one million people across 17 countries. A child—without power, wealth, or authority—simply believed he could make a difference.

He was young—yet he led. He saw a need—and he acted!

Malala Fund

At just 11 years old, Malala Yousafzai began advocating for a simple but revolutionary idea: every child deserves an education. When extremists in her region of Pakistan tried to close girls’ schools, Malala refused to be silent. She wrote, spoke, and stood firm. At 15, she survived an assassination attempt. But instead of silencing her, the world witnessed her rising. Today, the “Malala Fund” supports girls’ education in over eight countries and amplifies youth leadership worldwide. In 2014, Malala became the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate at 17.

She was young—yet she led. She saw inequality—and she acted!

Change has consistently begun with young people courageous enough to care. When we invest in the next generation, we are not merely teaching leadership—we are planting seeds of service-driven courage. We are nurturing individuals who see a need and step forward rather than step aside. As I said last week at our Interact meeting, we are passing on the Rotary motto: Service Above Self, not as a slogan, but as an identity lived. One day, one of these students will face injustice, inequality, or suffering—and instead of waiting for someone else to act, they will act and be the change.

Speaking of seeing a need and taking action, I would like to introduce this week’s speaker, Roswell’s own, Pam Baker.

Pam’s journey didn’t begin with the intention of building organizations or movements. It began with love—and with noticing the needs right in front of her.

She watched her two sons battle cystic fibrosis, and out of that struggle helped create ShamRockin’ for a Cure, an effort that has now raised millions to support families and advance treatment. Lives were changed because she acted. She then faced a different kind of hardship as her husband, Jon, battled brain cancer. She saw the emotional weight it placed on her family and community, and responded by launching “Coffee, Cancer & Cocktails"—a Facebook space for presence, comfort, and shared strength. Again, lives were changed because she acted. After Jon’s passing, Pam recognized the quiet loneliness carried by widows. So, she created “Widows Who Wine,” a gathering grounded in warmth, honesty, laughter, and life. And once more—lives were changed because she acted.

If we want the next generation to change the world, we must show them what courage in service looks like today. Pam embodies that example and is a powerful speaker for us all to hear and emulate—because we cannot ask our youth to do what we ourselves are unwilling to model.

I quoted Margaret Mead last week, and Ill say it here again: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Pam is proof. Our youth are proof. And we as Rotarians are the link between our youth and those who live a life of “Service above Self.” Let us continue to invest in our young leaders—not because they are the leaders of tomorrow, but because they are already shaping today. And let us honor individuals like Pam Baker, who remind us that the greatest difference makers are our neighbors who choose to do something extraordinary.

Because, at the end of the day, making a difference isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about showing up where help is needed and taking action.

Let’s continue to make a difference—together.

See you Thursday.

Sic Vos Non Vobis

Trummie Lee Patrick III
President 2025-26