In May 2026, Rotary clubs throughout District 5520 answered a global call with local hands. The EPIC Day of Service — a worldwide Rotary movement where clubs pick a community need and tackle it together on a single day — brought 18 projects to communities across New Mexico and El Paso. The work ranged from building ramps and clearing parks to stocking food pantries and recycling a few hundred pounds of bottle caps.
Building independence, one ramp at a time
Three clubs in two states took on the same barrier: a single step that can trap someone in their own home. In Albuquerque, the Rotary Club of Del Sol built a ramp that gave two women who use walkers safe access to their home, working alongside New Mexico Ramps, run by club member Greg Hallstrom. The White Sands club in Alamogordo ran its own Ramps Project in Tularosa, and across the state line, the Rotary Club of El Paso carried out the Texas Ramps Project. Same need, same day, three communities served.
Caring for shared spaces
Several clubs turned out to clean up the places their neighbors love. The Rotary Club of Albuquerque Metro, joined by Albuquerque Rio Grande, friends of Rotary, and Willdan volunteers, pulled 35 bags of trash from the Bosque trail and arroyo near Bike In Coffee in under two hours. Santa Fe Centro cleaned up Thomas Macaione Park, Los Alamos worked the Thomas Macione Rotary Peace Park, and Silver City took on local litter removal. In Roswell, 13 volunteers logged 30 hours sorting and weighing nearly 300 pounds of bottle caps — the raw material for the colorful recycled benches the club is building for local parks and schools. The Carlsbad club collected over 39 bags of trash at the local park.
Filling shelves and meeting needs
Other clubs focused on collection drives. Albuquerque Del Norte ran a clothing drive and an "Adopt a Ham" effort for Saranam, Rio Rancho gathered food for the Rio Rancho Public Schools elementary backpack program, and Albuquerque Sandia held a pet food fundraiser for Silver Horizons.
Showing up for neighbors
The day also made room for connection. Hobbs joined a Habitat for Humanity build, Los Lunas brought an ice cream social to the Beehive assisted living facility in Bosque Farms, and the Santa Fe club both prepped for a community pancake event and volunteered at Reunity Resources. Albuquerque Del Norte also set up a recharge station for a New Mexico law enforcement bike run.