With matching  grants from The Rotary Foundation, Rotary District 5280 (District Designated Funds [DDF]), and in  partnership with other Rotary clubs in Rotary District 5280 and host clubs in Puerto Rico, the Malibu Rotary Club is involved in two humanitarian international projects  in Puerto Rico in 2012. Barbara Riley (front row third from left) represented the Malibu Rotary Club at the Centro Geriátrico San Rafael, Arecibo, PR Rotary Project in February, 2012. Malibu Rotary was one of the lead sponsors of the project, along with 4 other Rotary Clubs from Los Angeles, CA Rotary District 5280 who also sent representatives.

Malibu Rotary Club was also a sponsor of a secont progect, Hogar Santisima Trinidad (HST)in Barrio Macarabones, Toa Alta, Puerto Rico which involves rehabilitating alcohol and drug abusers at the HST Center to train for job skills and also educate in recycling and train in solid waste management. 

More on Rotary District 5280's humanitarian trip to Puerto Rico can be seen at http://www.facebook.com/PuertoRico5280.

 In the   Centro Geriatrico San Rafael, Inc in Areciba, Puerto Rico project the Malibu Rotary Club is the PRIMARY INTERNATIONAL PARTNER.    5 Rotary Clubs from Los Angeles along with Rotary Foundation and the host Arecib Rotary Club has  helped the senior residential center purchase needed maintenance and repair tools, 8 energy efficient air conditioning units and a
commercial sliding gate opener. This is a geriatric home for indigents founded in 1925. The Arecibo Rotary Club has been supporting them since 1935.  This project costs $15,585.00 of which the Malibu Rotary Cub and the Westchester Rotary Club have given $1170.00 each. Other partner clubs are Culver City, Wilmington, along with the host Rotary Club of Arecibo.  

The most ambitious project (Hogar Santisima Trinidad [HST] in Barrio Macarabones, Toa Alta, Puerto Rico) involves rehabilitating alcohol and drug abusers at the HST Center (who are also highly likely to have HIV) to train for job skills and also educate in recycling and train in solid waste management. HST is a private community based non-profit organization, offering a safe residential rehabilitation and treatment program to 35 young males addicted to drugs and /or alcohol, established in 1993. HST depends on income from their semi-industrial aluminum and metal recycling and processing program.  As part of their rehabilitation program, the HST implements occupational, physical and work therapies through their Mobile Recycling Center Program (MRCP). It consists in the training of patients in the use of a fixed industrial recycling unit permanently located at the Center, where they learn how to process and recycle aluminum, car batteries, diverse metals and other materials under the close supervision of trained supervisors.  They also pickup recyclable materials in nearby communities to process at the center.  The project also addresses a problem of waste management in Puerto Rico. Studies done by the US Environmental Protection Agency have revealed that improper or in sufficient capacity to dispose of solid waste in Puerto Rico has created public health problems. The management and disposal of solid waste in the Island has long been a challenge, aggravated by the limited space available due to its geographical size, roughly 100 mi by 35 mi, and its delicately balanced ecosystem and the large amount of solid waste generated, at 4,000,000 tons per year.  Puerto Rico's residents generate more waste than people living on the mainland and recycling rates are lower.  Much of Puerto Rico's waste ends up in landfills, most of which do not comply with local and federal governments' landfill requirements. The cost of HST Rotary  project in Puerto Rico is $22,570. The primary international club   sponsoring  this project is the Westchester Rotary Club.     Malibu Rotary Club  is an equal share holder with the Westchester Rotary Club, with each club contributing $1570.00.  Besides the host Rotary Club of Santurce,  the Rotary Club of Torrance-Lomita is a partner in this project.