The Northrup Award Selection Committee is pleased to announce that Linda Eastman has been named the recipient of the Robert S Northrup Humanitarian Award 2025 for her work in Guatemala with Casa Colibri and Reach Out and Read. Christine Hage, Rochester Rotary Club submitted Linda’s nomination to the Selection Committee. Multiple leaders from Rotary and Linda’s community provided glowing letters of support describing her long term commitment to maternal and child health, dental, eye care, literacy and programs for healthy children and young women in Guatemala.
The Rotary Club of Ann Arbor created the award to be given annually in celebration of the exceptional humanitarian service provided by Ann Arbor Rotarian Robert S. Northrup. The award recognizes individuals who have made long term sustainable contributions to humanitarian efforts in local, national or international arenas.
The presentation of the award is Wednesday, April 30, 2025 at a regular noon meeting of the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor at the University of Michigan Union in the Anderson Room. Please do join us. Here is more about Linda M. Eastman.
Some 25 years ago, Linda went on a vacation trip to Mexico and experienced the frustration of being unable to communicate with the locals. That experience motivated her to earn degrees in Latin American Studies and Spanish. She began making volunteer medical mission trips to Guatemala as a translator but quickly became a leader. In 2007, she co-founded the non-profit Casa Colibri and helped open a free Guatemalan Clinic. She travels at her own expense several times a year for hands on work. She is also fully involved in the planning, grant writing and fundraising for Casa Colibri Clinic and its services. Her volunteer work has focused on maternal and child health, dental, eye care and programs for healthy children and young women.
Linda extended her focus to literacy, working with Guatemalan teachers to develop two reading programs. One program was for pre-schoolers and another for rising middle school students. From 2,000 miles away she works remotely with Guatemalan teachers daily. She is a champion for bringing health, education and literacy to an area of Guatemala where there was little or no hope.
When Linda began working in Guatemala over 25 years ago, she was met with skepticism from the local leaders. These same leaders now acknowledge, welcome and celebrate the work of Casa Calibri. They know volunteers like Linda will sustain the services to improve the lives of the Mayan people in their area.
Linda Eastman, along with her husband Jay, is an active member of the Rochester Rotary Club. She lives and breathes Rotary’s motto “Service Above Self”.
