AHOSKIE – Claudia Morris has been recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow by the Ahoskie Rotary Club.

Morris, a career educator, was recognized for her work with Rotary by Sue Lassiter.

“Claudia, your contribution to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is allaying suffering, improving living conditions and providing educational opportunities for young people somewhere in the world,” Lassiter said. “This is truly selfless action.”

Morris has been a member of the local Rotary club for five years and said she had enjoyed the commitment to her fellow man the club offered.

“For the most part, we are a service-oriented organization,” Morris said. “We do a lot to support literacy.”

One program she has been involved in is the reading program at the Ahoskie Public Library. She has worked with the Rotary Ball to raise funds for the program.

Morris is also involved in the October 20 Rotary Golf Tournament which will raise funds for the food pantry.

“One of the things I enjoy most is going to call Bingo at the Ahoskie House,” Morris said. “Little things you do as a volunteer through Rotary help make the community better.”

The Paul Harris Award is named for Paul Harris, who founded Rotary with three business associates in Chicago in 1905. The Fellowship was established in his honor in 1957 to express appreciation for a contribution to the humanitarian and education programs of The Rotary Foundation.

“The Paul Harris Award is related to the foundation and donations we make on behalf of Rotary,” Morris said. “The contributions support a variety of services across the world including educational opportunities.”

According to Rotary, the program include projects that save and invigorate the lives of people around the world and enhance international friendship and understanding.

These activities are funded, implemented and managed by Rotarians and Rotary clubs across the globe.

Receiving the award was a way of being recognized for service, according to Morris.

“I think it’s a recognition of commitment to people and serving people from all walks of life and I think that in itself is a very rewarding recognition,” she said.

Since joining Rotary, Morris said she felt her experience had been good and that there were a lot of good people working to achieve the goals of Rotary.