The Sunnyvale Rotary Club handed Sunnyvale Community Services Director Nancy Tivol the keys to a 1998 Dodge van on Nov. 1. The van has been completely redone and restored by local companies. Community Services will use it as a transport van for food, toys and other items.

"Until [the van], we had to wait until our truck-driving volunteers were in town, or we had to rent trucks," Tivol said.

For several years, the Sunnyvale Rotary Club has been setting aside money from fundraisers and donations--including money from their sister Rotary Club in Kinan, Japan--to purchase a vehicle for Community Services

"Anytime we can provide a service to them, so they can then expand their service to others, we're glad to do it," Sunnyvale Rotary President Linda Price said. "That's the [Rotary] focus, service above self."

In 1998, the Cupertino Rotary Club had purchased a van for the local YMCA. However, the Y couldn't use the van because the insurance on a 15-person van that would be used to transport children was too high.

The Cupertino Rotary held on to the van until they heard their Sunnyvale counterparts were looking to donate to community services.

"They had a van, and we had a need," Price said.

With the money they had saved to purchase a vehicle, Rotary had the van completely redone, with new detailing from Sunnyvale's Kuykendall's Auto Body & Frame and a full check-up from Toyota Sunnyvale.

"It looks and smells brand-new now," Tivol said.

With their busiest months ahead--Community Services typically sees more clients during the holiday season--the extra mobility will help them better serve over 1,200 families.

"It's absolutely fantastic, because we always get calls from food banks saying 'Come pick these up now,' Tivol said. "Or firehouses would say 'We have all these toys, come pick them up,' and if our drivers were away, we lost out and the toys went to another agency."

The van has already helped Sunnyvale Community Services pick up 2,500 pounds of food from Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church.

Community Services only has to pay for upkeep, insurance and gas for the vehicle. Tivol said that even with high gas prices, fuel won't cost much because they don't use the van everyday and never go very far in it. Insurance is low because they took out all but the front two seats and only use it for moving goods.