The past two days have been long but incredibly engaging. The delegation spent the day at the Rochester Hills Public Library, starting with a tour and discussions with four RHPL trustees. After delivering a presentation at the Rochester Rotary Club, they returned to the library to learn about services for individuals with disabilities and the role of the Friends of the Library.
On Wednesday, the delegation spent the morning at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Rotarian Roger Roller, who also serves as a DIA docent, gave us a fantastic museum tour. District 6380 Governor Sharna Hatcher walked in! What a pleasant surprise.
After lunch, the delegation headed across the street to the Detroit Public Library, beginning with a tour of the Main Library. In a conference room, staff members gave insightful presentations on various aspects of their library services. Sergei, our translator, continues to impress with his remarkable skills—what a talent!
From left to right, we have Nurzhan Zholdybalinov, Deputy Head of ElectronicRresources at the National Academic Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Next is Zhanar Kulzhayeva, the American Corners program coordinator at Kazakhstan's US Embassy and Consulate. Zhanar is fluent in English and is the delegation's facilitator. Ainur Shaimukhanbetova is the Chief Executive Officer of Karagada Regional Universal Research Library. and is head of reference at the East Kazakhstan regional library. Altoty Saliyeva is the Department Head of the Aktobe Regional Universal Scientific Library. Meruyert Zhailibayeva is the head of reference at the East Kazakhstan Regional Library. Last but not least is Meiram Beltembayev, the director of the centralized Library system of Almaty. 
We began our journey at Hitsville USA, home of the Motown Museum, where we saw the iconic hat and glove Michael Jackson wore in the Billie Jean video—an incredible piece of music history he personally donated during his visit. 
The day culminated at Orchestra Hall, where the Detroit Symphony Orchestra delivered a stunning concert performance of Bizet’s Carmen. As we departed, we had the unexpected pleasure of meeting one of the performers, who graciously posed for a photo with members of our delegation.
Day 2 was packed with tours and great conversations. We started at the OPC Social and Activities Center (our local senior citizens center), enjoyed some delicious Detroit-style pizza at Buddy’s, and explored the impressive 88,000-square-foot Meadowbrook Hall. This afternoon, we’re touring Oakland University’s Kresge Library to see academic library services in action.
OPC’s Meals on Wheels program is designed for seniors who cannot shop and/or prepare meals. It allows seniors to age in place and encourages independence for those who wish to remain in their homes for as long as possible. However, OPC’s MOW Program is more than a meal. Volunteers provide a wellness check and deliver a hot, nutritious meal to homebound seniors. There is no waiting list, and meals are received within 24 hours of request. Since 2023, OPC has delivered over 92,000 meals!
Rochester Rotarians helped collect, clean, and rebuild bikes for children with Bikes 4 Kids Detroit. There's nothing quite like new-bike day, particularly for a kid who may never have had a set of wheels before! The joy radiated from the faces of hundreds of local children on December 7, and 8 as 400 kids came to the Piston Group warehouse in Corktown to pick out a bike and get fitted for a new helmet from Free Bikes 4 Kidz. Then, after some impromptu (but enthusiastic) test-riding in our building, they took their precious cargo home to ride in their neighborhoods - never mind that it's winter when you've got a new bike you want to ride! Another 1,800+ bicycles were sent out the following week in bulk (with a helmet for each bike) to organizations that pre-registered with Free Bikes 4 Kids and will have a giveaway event at their locations in time for the holidays. 
This is the seventh time FB4K has distributed bikes to kids in the Detroit community, bringing the total number of smiles and lives changed to 14,614 since 2018, thanks to dedicated volunteers, like Rochester Rotarians, and generous sponsors.
