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Announcements
Wakefield Rotary Club and the Chariho Rotary Club will have a joint meeting on the evening of April 16 at the Richmond Country Club. The speaker, a polio survivor from New Jersey, will talk about the importance of the Polio Plus campaign. Please plan to join the group for fellowship with our neighboring club.
The RLI or Rotary Leadership Institute will be held on March 31 in Lincoln. Please notify Tom if you are interested in attending.
New Members Proposed and approved buy the Wakefield Rotary Board, Please contact Membership Chair Russell or President Tom with any concerns.
Christine Tanner, REMAX Real Estate, Sponsor Linda Hennessey
Bill Marcelo, Banker Washington Trust, Sponsor Tom
The Wakefield Rotary Club is assisting with the Rotary International Foundation Fund Drive. The following Rotarians have been assigned to solicit gifts from certain members, based on the pages of the Membership Directory. Elizabeth Candas, pages 6-7; Bob Cruz, pages 8-9; Linda Hennessey, pages 10-11; Ed McLaughlin, pages 12-13; Tom Tarzwell, pages 14-15; Martha Whittier, pages 16-18. Please dig deep for a donation when you hear from these folks.
Interested in what you have given in the past? How close you are to your next Paul Harris Fellow?
Follow the instructions below to see!
Go to:
Rotary.org
Sign in with email and password
Drop down under “The Rotary Foundation”
Right Column “Foundation Reports”
Under Individual reports , Donor History Report, click “View Report”
For some reason a second page loads? Click “Donor History Report”
An overview of your total giving should appear. Total Dollars and Points accumulated.
A TAB on the bottom titled “transaction Details” Will open a page that shows every contribution from day one.
Beth Leconte reported on possible community service projects for the club. A group of volunteers will investigate the most promising opportunities. So far, the list includes the Izzy Family Room at Hasbro Children’s Hospital; the Literacy Volunteers; the RI Food Bank farm volunteer program; a Beach Cleanup (Save the Bay, Narragansett, or SK); Camp Fuller Cleanup with Rotaract; Dress for Success; Habitat for Humanity Restore; Mews/Easter Seals event; Thundermist food and resource room; and Special Olympics. If you have any other ideas or leads for service projects, especially in collaboration with other local groups, please contact Beth.
Thank you for your service above self!
Happy Bucks
Sunshine
Elizabeth reported that Darlene Lepore is celebrating a birthday this week. She was not in attendance, but Sheryl Peno accepted the “Happy Birthday” song on her behalf.
President Tom pitched in a dollar because he is also marking another year. There was much speculation about which number it is but he wasn’t telling.
Happy bucks
Steve Certa contributed $2 after Glen Zibolis shook him down.
Glen fined Jim Blackerby for leaving his cell phone on a table unattended.
Ben Bardo described a trip to New York City with his wife where they were able to find gluten-free food, some reasonably priced, some not so much.
PROGRAM
Speaker Stephen Certa, Past District Governor
Program
“Safe Passage”
Steve was introduced by Russell Bertrand, who traveled with Steve to Guatemala to work with Safe Passage.
Safe Passage/Camino Seguro works to bring hope and empowerment to the children of poor families who work in the garbage dump that serves Guatemala City. It was established in 1999 by a young North American named Hanley Denning, who had gone to Guatemala to study Spanish but was so touched by the plight of these poor children that she sold her possessions and started an organization to help them. Starting with a basic primary school based on Montessori methods of experiential learning, they have expanded their scope to provide meals, recreation, sanitation facilities, uniforms, medical care, and other basic needs for the children and families. All of the income to the organization comes from charitable donations, including those from a number of Rotary Clubs.
The school has grown incrementally, adding one grade level per year. It produced its first 6th grade graduating class, and now educates children through junior high. Rotary has helped train the teachers, and they have upgraded the offerings from basic custodial care to an organized curriculum, including reading, writing, math, English, and computer skills. Safe Passage received national recognition from the Ministry of Education for its work and is now considered one of the best schools in Guatemala. It has acquired additional property and with the help of volunteers has built new classrooms, playgrounds, and a garden where the children help grow the food they eat.
Steve’s club, the Weymouth Rotary, has initiated two multi-district global grants from Rotary International in support of Safe Passage. Local Rotary Clubs from Guatemala City are partners, as are other clubs in the U.S. One grant supported the installation of a solar water heater and dishwasher to provide clean dishes after an outbreak of Hepatitis C in the area. The other grant funded the purchase of equipment for a science lab. Steve will return to Guatemala in May, accompanied by our own Fran Alexakos.
For more information about the group, you can access the website: safepassage.org.
