President Chris Joyce presided. 

 

Harvey Newcomb presented the Thought for the Day:

 

"Sitting silently bedside a friend who is hurting may be the best gift we can give."  - Unknown

 

 

Chris introduced Julie Aubry, the president of the Evanston Nouveau Rotary Club. It meets the first Thursday of every month and currently has 20 members. Members are focusing on alleviating homelessness and housing insecurity.

 

Chris noted that March is Rotary International water sanitation and hygiene month. He announced that the club’s Board will meet on March 17 at 6:30 p.m. All Club members are welcome to attend. He said he is working with the Noon Club to coordinate a meeting where Holger Knaack, Rotary International President, will speak. The meeting will take place on a Wednesday and will replace the club’s usual Tuesday morning meeting.

 

Susan Prout announced that the Community Service Committee will meet virtually at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 9.

 

Neil Gambow announced that sufficient volunteers have signed up to support a Virtual Career Night on March 17 for Evanston Township High School students. The purpose of the night is to connect those students interested in career pathways that do not require college with local employers that offer these career pathways.  This Career Night is along the lines of the in-person Career Night at ETHS in 2019.

 

Linda Gerber announced that Taste of Evanston Restaurant NaKorn Kitchen prepared 200 meals last week for families who have lost so much during the pandemic. This was the fifth such delivery to households supported by Evanston Latinos, a grassroots organization that works to strengthen the community and advocates for equity and inclusion for Latinos in Evanston. Our club facilitated this partnership, and our volunteers delivered meals to the families. Club members can help keep this going by contributing to “Put A Fork In Hunger!” at <https://nakornkitchen.com/checkout/donate>  as we work together in the community to feed those in need.

 

Bruce Baumberger announced a District 6440 speakers’ series which will focus on vaccinations. The first program will take place on March 15 at 6 p.m.

 

Gary Peterson said that the club so far has donated $16,125 to the Rotary International Foundation. The Club’s fiscal year goal is $18,000.

 

Bryant Wallace announced a virtual fundraiser on March 13 supporting The Chessmen Club of the Northshore.

 

 

Linda Gerber and Yves Lassere presented updates on ELRC’s two global grants: Medical Fellowships in Advanced Cleft Surgery in Brazil and HIV Reduction in Kenya.

 

On March 1, our partners in Brazil were introduced to the five plastic surgeons embarking on a one-year medical fellowship to specialize in advanced cleft repair surgery at the Hospital for the Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies at the University of Sao Paulo.

 

The goal of ELRC’s first global grant project is to address the dire need for trained cleft surgeons in the poorest regions of Brazil. Following their training, these doctors will provide cleft repair surgery at no cost to families who cannot otherwise afford the care.

 

Also present to welcome the fellows was Mariane Goes from Smile Train Brazil. Adailton Silva and Roberto Lucio Vieira represented the Rotary Club of Campinas-Sul.

 

These surgeons are going to take Rotarians on a video journey of their year. Together, the surgeons and Rotarians who support them are changing the world one smile at a time.

 

 

The members of Siaya RC held a stakeholders’ meeting on March 1 to formally kick off the global grant project with all the major players in the area.

The main goals of the meeting were:

Many stakeholders attended, including local government officials and members of the local media. The president of The Rotary Club of Siaya welcomed the Chief Officer of Health in the County Government of Siaya, Dr. Eunice Fwaya, to officially open the workshop. In her remarks, Dr. Fwaya gave a thumbs up to the project while noting that The Department of Health in the County Government of Siaya had entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Rotary Club of Siaya to undertake the project.

 

At the meeting, an overview was presented on Rotary International, Siaya RC and the major activities of the project, followed by a review of the roles and responsibilities of each organization in executing the project in the community. Special focus was placed on the support needed from The Department of Health to identify Community Health Workers to mobilize young people for training and to offer supervision during the implementation process.

 

The project team is currently working on having the first workshop on March 29, with the active participation of the Siaya RC and many of the stakeholders who attended the meeting.

 

 

Bryant Wallace boasted Steve Goranson for helping to organize a meeting.

 

 

 

 

Myra Janus introduced the club to Derrick, saying that she had been very impressed with Young, Black, and Lit when she first met him 10 months ago. https://www.youngblackandlit.org

 

Derrick presented the Club with a power point. He began by saying that books can serve as mirrors (children who see themselves in books tend to be more engaged in them), windows (children can see their lives in literature, particularly if the books reflect their lives and culture), and sliding doors (children can be inspired to “slide” into new lives by books). Derrick described the level of diversity that childrens’ books reflected in 2018, with just 10% showing black children.

 

He pointed out that 61% of low-income families have no books at home and that 80% of preschool programs have no age-appropriate books. He said the goal of Young, Black & Lit is for children of color to have at least 80 books at home, because this number correlates with a high rate of success for kids.

 

He said that his young niece had inspired the program. She had started obtaining books for children her age and giving them away.

 

Derrick said that at Oakton School in Evanston, Young Black & Lit gives one book featuring African American Children to each child each month and five books at the end of the year to each child. Other schools besides Oakton also participate in the program.

 

Young Black & Lit also holds literature fairs and offers a bookstore where books featuring African American children are provided for free to children.

 

 

 

Julie Aubry, president, Evanston Nouveau Rotary Club

 

 

Derrick Ramsey, president, Young Black and Lit

 

 

Joan Borg, March 13

Dale Bradley – 14 years

Karena Bierman – 15 years