At last week’s Good Morning Winslow monthly networking meeting, hosted by the Winslow Chamber of Commerce, the Winslow Rotary Club recognized longtime radio broadcaster Lloyd Engelhardt as Citizen of the Year, honoring his more than 50 years on the air in Winslow before his retirement in February. The award, now in its second year, is intended to highlight individuals whose contributions lead with honesty have had a lasting impact on the community. Last year’s inaugural recipient was Winslow City Manager David Coolidge.
Following the recognition, the Rotary Club led the remainder of the program, providing breakfast and outlining the scope of its service efforts both locally and abroad. Rotary President Christy Armijo and Vice President Kevin Coolidge spoke about a range of initiatives aimed at improving quality of life in the community, from beautification projects to programs addressing basic needs.
Among those efforts is the club’s continued focus on downtown beautification. Armijo said the Rotary Club recently secured a grant to install additional trash cans throughout the downtown corridor, an effort intended to improve cleanliness and accessibility for both residents and visitors. The club also highlighted its international service work, noting that one recent project took place in Ghana, where rotary members contributed resources to support communities abroad as part of the organization’s broader global mission.
Much of the discussion, however, centered on the club’s backpack program, which provides food to local children over the weekends. Coolidge described how the program came to be, saying, “We noticed some kids were relying on school lunches and weren’t eating on the weekends so we started this backpack program.” Each backpack is packed with enough food to help sustain a family of four through the weekend, an effort organizers say helps fill a critical gap for families facing food insecurity.
The need for such a program underscores broader challenges in the region. In a rural area that can function as a food desert, where consistent access to affordable and nutritious food is limited, issues like food insecurity can quietly affect student performance and overall well-being. Rotary members said ensuring children have enough to eat outside of school hours is not just about meeting immediate needs, but also about supporting their ability to succeed in the classroom.
