Congratulations to Rotary District 5150 Rotarian of the Month for July 2021, Gayle Chan, from the Rotary Club of San Francisco Chinatown.
 
Gayle’s passion for service knows no bounds, and the impact of her efforts can be felt around the world. From giving polio drops and installing water filtration systems in other countries, to tutoring children and supporting a variety of organizations here in the Bay Area, Gayle is "all in" for serving humanity.
 
Her legacy of international service stretches back to 2010, when Gayle traveled with her club to China with Half the Sky (aka One Sky) to visit, support, and build furniture at an orphanage in Harbin, China.  More recent international service trips include an H2Open Doors water purification project and providing Polio vaccinations to children in India; a water purification project at a Regional Hospital in Guatemala; installing WIFI education systems in schools, volunteering in eyeglass clinics and more.
 
Here at home, Gayle and husband, Bill Chan, continue to serve on many fronts donating their time, resources, and generous philanthropy to the San Francisco Chinatown Community and beyond. At The Edwin and Anita Lee Newcomer School (EALNS) where young Chinese immigrants (K-5th grade) learn language and cultural skills preparing them for transitioning into the school system, Gayle both tutors students and volunteers with special cultural events, Chinese New Year, Thanksgiving, and Halloween, as well as assisting with the school’s “roof-top” garden where students learn to both plant and grow both floral and edible plants.
 
Gayle and Bill have also generously donated over the last 10 years to the evolution and publication of a bilingual EALNS yearbook that allows the students to have a cherished memory of their first year in a new land.
 
Education is also her passion with generous financial support over the last 3 years to The Assoc of Chinese Teachers (TACT) annual scholarship program, assisting young deserving Asian students transitioning to college and pursuing their careers. She and Bill will make it a point to personally meet with the scholarship recipients to help assure and assist in their chosen career path.
 
Gayle is a Charter Member of the Rotary Club of SF Chinatown. She is currently a Paul Harris +6 and recently was the recipient of Chinatown’s “Community Heroes Award” by Gum Moon and the Asian Women’s Resource Center.
 
Gayle is no stranger to volunteering with the various organizations that the Rotary Club of San Francisco Chinatown supports: at multiple events at the Betty Ann Ong Chinese Cultural Center; the Food Pantry at Cameron House; the “Reach and Rise” program at the Chinatown YMCA, and various CCDC and Gum Moon programs just to name a few.  Her Rotary spirit of “Service Above Self” goes above and beyond by supporting such worthy causes as On Loc, Habitat for Humanity, St Anthony’s Dining, Self Help for the Elderly, Angel Island Foundation, One Sky, UCSF Dental School, UC Berkeley Engineering School, California Care Project and so much more.
 
Her engaging smile, warm spirit and generous heart leaves a lasting impact on all those around her.   
 
Once again, congratulations to Gayle Chan from the Rotary Club of San Francisco Chinatown as our “Rotarian of the Month” in July 2021!
 
Photo collage of Gayle Chan of San Francisco Chinatown