Former Rotarian honored by Cape club

Cheryl Robb-Welch was recently honored with a Paul Harris Fellowship Award presented by the Rotary Club of Cape Girardeau. This award recognizes individuals who have made a substantial contribution to humanitarian and educational programs. The award came as a complete surprise to Robb-Welch.

"I was just there on vacation and wanted to visit Rotary friends," she said.

The Paul Harris Fellowship Award is given to a person who has donated over $1000 to the Rotary Foundation or has had donations made in his or her name.

"People quite often make gifts to the foundation in recognition of a family member," said Trudy Lee, chair of the Rotary Foundation committee. It's rather unusual for donations to be made for a friend, but in Robb-Welch's case that's what happened.

"She brought several people into the Rotary," said Lee, "and this was their way of thanking her."

Robb-Welch is the operations director for the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Her career started in law enforcement where she spent eight and a half years with the Cape County Sheriff's Department.

"I decided I made a better advocate than enforcer," she said, "and was drawn to victims services."

Robb-Welch was director of the Safe House for Women in Cape Girardeau for two years before accepting her current position.