It's an incredible act of kindness. It's a well-thought-out distribution of donations. It's providing a needed resource to a deserving nonprofit.

But it's also just one example of what Lancaster Sunrise Rotary Club (LSRC) does. The local service club sometimes makes extraordinary acts of empathy seem routine.

Recently, LSRC donated $70,000 to help Meals on Wheels Lancaster purchase a new delivery van.

"If you want to know anything about Rotary, it's service above self," said Bill Weik, an LSRC board member. "I think our club does a great job of taking that to the next level and doing what we do. As an organization, we do a lot of good for a lot of people who are impacted positively. Sometimes it's not a big project but a small one. We make sure the things slipping through the cracks get some light."

In the middle of November, the 2024 Chevrolet City Express cargo van that LSRC helped fund was officially donated to Meals on Wheels Lancaster. Through an annual fundraiser, LSRC raised $70,000 of the $76,000 required to purchase the cargo van, which is equipped with refrigeration and heating units that allow for safe transportation of food to residents in need across Lancaster County.

Mondays through Fridays, Meals on Wheels Lancaster prepares hot meals and cold meals in its Columbia Avenue kitchen and distributes the much-needed food to up to 450 local residents.

"We're so excited about the van. It's critical to our operations," said Feleen Nancarvis, executive director of Meals on Wheels Lancaster. "The new van replaces one that had a lot of deficiencies as far as keeping hot food hot and cold food cold. It was also limited in the number of meals it could carry. Now we can fit as many meals in the new van as we want and maintain the quality of the food when it arrives at our clients."

"After a couple of years of hard work, when we saw that van, it was an amazing feeling," said Beth Mack, an LSRC board member. "This is about people putting a bit of time together to make great things happen. Every year we champion one big event. It's received well, and every event ends up with passion behind it."

LSRC raised the money for the van donation through its 2022 Fall Fest Fundraiser at Aberdeen Acres in Elizabethtown. After an application and review process, Meals on Wheels Lancaster was chosen as the beneficiary of the funds.

"I think we do a good job of connecting with companies that know we're going to be good stewards of the money we receive," said Mack. "Each year, we come up with a short list of organizations that the public can really get behind. It's something that's going to be sustainable and have a huge impact."

LSRC, whose 44 members meet from 7:15 to 8:30 a.m. on Thursdays at Bent Creek Country Club, 620 Bent Creek Drive, Lititz, has been serving the local community for more than 40 years. LSRC is one of about a dozen Rotary Clubs operating in Lancaster County.

LSRC's charitable work also supports educational programs at local schools, mentorship programs and women's fitness programs.

"It's businesspeople getting together to do big things," said Weik. "You should have a passion outside of your profession. It's people who feel they need to be doing more than their jobs. When you're not here anymore, what are people going to remember about what you did? It's passionate people helping out our community."

For additional information about the Lancaster Sunrise Rotary Club, go to http://www.lancastersunriserotaryofpa.com.