In Rotary Club, when you mention, Chehab (Shab) Elawar, any Rotarian will say, I know all about his work as a Rotarian, he’s a great humanitarian. In 2015 he went to Napol after the devastating 2015, 7.8 magnitude Earthquake to provide food, clothing, and shelter. He raised enough money to purchase 60 Shelter Boxes (shelterbox.org) , which were life-saving for families in shattered homes with broken bones and broken spirits. To know someone cared enough to travel to help, that’s Shab! Now he’s off again to Ukraine and Poland with his wife Dr. Bricia, a dentist, to help where they can. As you listen to this Podcast you will hear why he is so proud to be a Rotarian and how his service around the world changes lives.
Shab was born and raised in Lebanon, one of 6 children in a poor family, caught in the middle of a civil war. But his mother had a dream to send him to the US for an education. Her dream became reality and he arrived in the US in 1978. He earned a BS degree in civil engineering and a master’s degree in structural engineering. He is married to Dr. Bricia, and they have four grown children, all college graduates, and four grandchildren.
He has worked as a private real estate investor. And when he joined Rotary in 1997, his world service began. He has participated in over 120 grants and over 30 missions. Additionally, he has served as International and Matching Grant Director, Youth Exchange Officer, Polio Chair for five years, Grant Oversight Committee, RI President Representative 2015-2016, as District Governor 2015-2016, District International Director 2006-2008 and 2016-2018, District Global Grant Chair, Endowment Fund, PETS Committee, GETS and KNATS Committee, and served on the PETS Board of Directors. His participation includes Foundation giving, ARCH Klumph Society, and Platinum Trustees Circle Level. On the club level, Shab is a recipient of the Service Above Self Award from Rotary International and is a recipient of the Humanitarian of the Year Award from MANNA Foundation 2017 and the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Black Culture Foundation in 2018. All this in one lifetime. This is one podcast that will inspire you and you may even wish to join Rotary today (RI.org).
