Presiding was President Linda Gerber, who warmly welcomed Patrick Mbullo after a prolonged absence due to illness, and began the fourth meeting of the Rotary year with Why We Are Rotarians. 

 

The Thought for the Day was presented by Alex Janus, who quoted from Robert Putnam’s book “Bowling Alone:  The Collapse and Revival of American Community.”  The quotes are as follows: “People divorced from community, occupation, and association are first and foremost supporters of extremism.”  “TV-based politics is to political action as watching ER is to saving someone in distress.”  “Busy people tend to forego one activity – TV watching – that is most lethal to community involvement.”

 

 

Linda Gerber announced that announcements are shortened today due to the time needed to hear the International Service Committee Year End Impact Report for 2021-22.

 

Kathy Tate-Bradish made a special announcement that Pram Chakraborty gave birth to her baby boy on the day a blessings shower was planned for Pram by Rotary friends!   The shower took place with her mother, mother-in-law, and friends “Zoomed” in participation, spending much of the morning and early afternoon with Pram in attendance.  She later gave birth that day to a beautiful and healthy 6.8-pound boy!  Hearty Congratulations!

 

Bill Glader and other Taste of Evanston Committee members had many announcement updates: Tickets will go on sale soon, $90 for vaccinated and over 12 only. We will include language on the ticket purchase page indicating these terms and that we will follow current CDC guidelines at the time of the event. Please get lists of your friends, neighbors, family and colleagues ready to invite. 

 

Outreach for ticket sales will include emails to past attendees. We'll distribute posters to participating restaurants and public facing sponsors that include "Proud Sponsor of ToE," We'll also try for media coverage as in years past, in addition to the social media campaign. Layout, decorations, and entrance process will be the same as 2019.Speeches will be replaced by banners featuring Connections and Reba participants, with a short description of their story. Composting by Collective Resource again, with more attention paid to compostable or reusable flatware. Looking into cheap metal forks, spoons, and knives that CR will separate and wash for us after the event.

 

The Technology Committee is looking into setting up a few kiosks where people can see short videos about clients who have benefitted from the services of Reba and Connections.  Kristin Brown asked that people who underwrite TOE expenses use the donation button on the website and email her at kristin@coursedesign.com so she can keep track of who has paid.  Gary Peterson asked for someone to work with Leslie Peterson to sell raffle tickets. 

 

 

 

 

Linda Gerber introduced and welcomed back our own member who has been absent due to illness for some time, Patrick Mbullo, our International Service Committee Chair.  Patrick thanked Linda Gerber, whose work was appreciated during the time he was ill.  He further explained that ISC is part of a whole and cannot stand alone. 

 

Patrick thanked the Membership Committee for bringing a diverse membership into the club.  He explained that ISC has invested in five areas of focus: disease prevention and treatment, basic education and literacy, peace, conflict prevention/resolution, water and sanitation, economic and community development, and emergency response, for a total of $32,382 cash for 14 projects.  

 

Patrick reviewed the budget summary.  The following are short descriptions of the projects, with many more in depth details and touching photos to be found in the Rotary Zoom link provided to all members.

 

Patrick Mbullo went on to describe the Rain Roof Catchment Project in Kenya with a $3,000 ELRC cash investment that benefitted 1,130 directly. 

 

Albert Menard described the Karam Foundation Families Project with an ELRC investment of $2,400 that supported 92 families with back-to-school kids, extra academic support, and tutoring.

 

Sue Bova described the “Educating a Child” program in Kolkata, India, for Pramugdha Chakraborty, who is  on maternity leave.  The grant supports many children ages 5 to 16 who require resources for educational and vocational training and empowers children with extra-curricular activities to motivate and guide them.  ELRC provided $2,181.77 of the $15,000 budget.

 

Harold Bauer shared the “Right to Be Free” project of education in Ghana with a $1,500 investment by ELRC of the $14,000 budget.  Harold added how touched he was by seeing the benefits of this work brought to the lives of young people.

 

Sue Bova introduced the “Vision Project Vallejo” with the Vallejo Interact club of Mexico concentrating on disease prevention.  This project provided free vision tests, frames, and lenses for 300 children ages 6-18.

 

Bruce Baumberger explained the GG 2016077_Infectious Disease Unit at National Hospital in Abuja, Nigeria.  The $1,000 ELRC club contribution generated $2,500 in TRF matching funds toward a budget of $91,000.  This project aimed to assist in improving capability in handling critical medical conditions arising from Covid-19 Pandemic and other similar diseases in Nigeria.

 

Kristin Brown described a disease prevention project that provided neurosurgery equipment in Sucre, Bolivia.  ELRC committed $2,000 of the $58,072 project with the objective of improving the quality of neurosurgeries and neurological treatments.

 

Kristin Brown also explained the “Prevention and Care of Childhood Deafness” project in Palestine with a total impact of $7,500 for the $94,000 budget.  This project aimed to prevent and diagnose childhood deafness, train specialists and health care workers, enhance childhood deafness care, and provide epidemiological analysis of childhood deafness.

 

Don Gwinn spoke about “Special Wheelchairs for Children with Disabilities,” a project in Brazil.  ELRC donated $2,250 of the $34,206 budget to help children with severe neurological disabilities through custom wheelchairs and train families to care for the children, the maintenance of the wheelchair with a goal of providing 40-50 chairs.

 

Steve Carlson explained the “Peace Studio Creative Peacebuilders Program Fellowship” in Nigeria with ELRC funding $2,000 of the $125,000 budget.  This program aims to build peace through a medical team, welfare team, education and media team, and purchasing sanitary and other health items as well as education materials.

 

Kate Collinson described the “Habitat for Humanity Beirut Port Explosion” in Lebanon.  This is a $100,000 project that ELRC provided $3,000 in response to the recovery and repairs of the explosion, depite extreme Covid restrictions.  Habitat provides the key strengths of damage identification and assessment, construction expertise, and “in country” logistics.

 

Kathy Tate-Bradish shared the “AniShlishi” program of Israel.  ELRC provided $2,500 of the $44,059 budget providing workforce training, financial education, and re-engagement opportunities to Israel’s low income, at-risk youth ages 16-18 regardless of gender, religion, or ethnic background. She went on to describe “HIV Prevention in Kenya,” a global grant for an 18-month behavior change project in rural western Kenya,  aiming to reach 15,000 individuals over the course of the grant.

 

Linda Gerber described “Medical Fellowships for Cleft Repair Surgery in Brazil,” a global grant with ELRC cash investment of $10,000 and $62,103 of outside contributors providing training for plastic surgeons for five one-year medical fellowships in 2021-22, 100 surgeries, and surgical supplies and anesthesia. 

 

Linda Gerber also shared the “Safety and Quality Assurance Cleft Treatment in Mexico,” an ELRC investment of $2,000 that provided five one-year medical fellowships starting in 2021 or 2022.

 

Kate Collinson described the Emergency Response Community Service Grant to support immigrants, refugees, and undocumented residents impacted by Covid. Some $2,500 was donated to the C&W Foundation, whose grocery giveaway program supports roughly 90 undocumented individuals every week.  $2,500 was donated to Evanston Latinos to support undocumented resident’s rental and utility assistance and/or unmet funeral needs.  This project has two District grants, with $4,500 to be shared between C&W Foundation and Evanston Latinos!

 

There was a total of 14 ELRC ISC projects in 13 countries!

 

 

 

Evelyn Lee, Assistant District Governor

 

Basil from Humbleside Rotary Club, United Kingdom

 

John Walker from Humbleside Rotary Club, United Kingdom

 

 

Hillary Huffard Tucker, potential club member

 

 

John Osterlund, July 29