When Rais Javed Mirza arrived in America from his native Pakistan in 1987, he was subjected to a severe case of culture shock. But his condition wasn’t the result of comparing his newly adopted home to his homeland. Rather, his affliction was based in the high expectations he held for his American life and the reality he saw.

“When I found out that kids in America had no shoes to wear, no jackets to wear, I had tears in my eyes. I could not understand how this could be,” he recalled.

Since that time, Mirza has worked hard to assist those who struggle to live in the richest nation in the world by volunteering with Rotary International, an organization of business, professional and community leaders who unite to provide humanitarian service.

With this mission in mind, Mirza, the immediate past president of the Rotary Club of Orlando East, is helping to establish a new Rotary Club chapter in Lake Nona, an emerging community in southeast Orlando. But while the community itself is new, the purpose of the Rotary Club remains the same - Service Above Self.

“My goal is to make this club the best one in the entire district,” he said.

At the inaugural meeting of the Rotary Club of Lake Nona (provisional), a good turnout of around 25 prospective members came together to find out more about how to join the Rotary Club and help the surrounding community.

The blending of a friendly atmosphere with seriousness of purpose, along with a mix of food and fellowship, is fundamental to Rotary International District 6980, serving 2,100 Rotarians and 46 clubs throughout Central Florida.

John Kelly Harris, president of the Rotary Club of Lake Nona (provisional), sees great potential in the new club, as well as the community it will serve. Lake Nona is primed to become a health care hub of “cradle-to-grave care,” Harris said, with plans to create a “medical city” that will include a veterans’ hospital, UCF medical school, Burnham Institute for Medical Research, Nemours Children’s Hospital and other health-related centers.

Harris knows that the Rotary Club could be a valuable partner in delivering medical care to those in need. Several years ago, he was part of a district-wide effort to bring a young girl from an underdeveloped country to Orlando Regional Medical Center for surgery to repair a potentially fatal heart condition. Rotary paid for the family’s transportation and shelter during the girl’s recuperation.

“We could help bring children here from around the world to receive treatment for life-threatening illnesses,” he said.

Other community-service projects would be aimed at helping local students. And as the Rotary Club gains membership, its ability to help will also expand. Mirza remembers how six years ago the Rotary Club of Orlando East gave away 25 backpacks and clothing to needy children at Union Park Elementary School. Last year, the Orland East Rotary Club collected donations that led to more than 300 backpacks filled with school supplies delivered to students.

“We collected so much that Union Park Elementary didn’t have enough space to hold it all, so some of the supplies went to another school,” Mirza said.

Giving back to the community is what the Rotary Club is all about. And with the economic turmoil that exists today, more and more families are facing challenges than ever before.

“The need just keeps growing,” Harris said. “The percentage of poor people is just going through the roof.

“But in a new area such as Lake Nona, there are a number of ways we can help. The Rotary can fill the void of a sense of community.”

The Rotary Club of Lake Nona (provisional) meets every Thursday at the Eagle Creek Golf Club, 10350 Emerson Lake Blvd. Socializing begins at 5:30 p.m. and the meeting starts at 6 p.m. The meal cost, which is optional, is $15.

For information on the Rotary Club of Lake Nona (provisional), contact Harris at 407-384-7229, jharris40@cfl.rr.com; or Mirza at 407-277-3150, Javed@pegfl.com.