The North Atlanta Rotary Club, formerly the North DeKalb Rotary Club, welcomed media personality and consumer advocate Clark Howard for a recent meeting.

Howard addressed the club on topics ranging from the current economic conditions to what to expect going forward, as well as the general perspective of a famously well-traveled American.

The North Atlanta Rotary Club’s board of directors decided that Howard’s “philanthropic work in our community and his personal consumer literacy mission make him a great candidate for honorary membership in our club.” In January, the Club officially made him a member and presented him the Paul Harris Fellow Award in honor of his community service.

One of the North Atlanta Rotary Club’s favorite activities is supporting Atlanta Habitat for Humanity financially and as volunteers. Last year the club built a home with the help of other Rotary clubs and friends.

Mike Henson, the club’s president, described Habitat as “the catalyst to provide a permanent solution to very hardworking people that has a nearly perfect record of success. How could you not want to support that?”

Other hands-on projects this year include the USO and the Salvation Army.

Working with the USO, the club greets troops and stewards them around Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport as they travel to and from the Middle East and feeds them hearty meals.

The club also provided books and movie DVDs for the USO library and money for phone cards for the troops.

North Atlanta Rotary is involved in a campaign to buy a passenger van and 150 mosquito nets for an orphan rescue project in Kenya, equipping three schools for children with disabilities near Iquitos, Peru, and providing dental equipment, restrooms and shower facilities for a clinic for poor children in Araquipos, Peru.

The club changed its name from North DeKalb to reflect the fact that its membership lives and works all over the north side of Atlanta.

The club meets most Fridays at 12:15 p.m. at The Ravinia Club and always welcomes new members who share Rotary International’s mission to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, help build peace and good will, and generally make a positive difference in the world. Contact Tad Provence for more details on membership at (770) 936-8774, or visit www.northatlantarotary.org.