October 15, 2024 (Oct. 22, 2024)

Rochester Rotary Club RotoScoop

Report on the October 15, 2024 Meeting

Menu for October 22: Salad bar, herb-encrusted whitefish with tartar and lemon on the side, creamy vegetable lasagna, roasted potato wedges, braised cabbage, and ice cream bars.

ATTENDANCE

We missed you if you couldn't join us on October 15th. Forty-one members attended the meeting, including guests Natalia Peteraszczuk (our speaker) and Wendy Jones, both from Next Steps 4 Seniors.

INVOCATION

Ron Lichtle gave today’s invocation.

FIFTEENTH HANDSHAKE

Stuart Siegner was the greeter this week and declared that Brent Blakenship was the lucky recipient of this week's fifteenth handshake.

ROTARIAN OF THE WEEK

Ron DiLiddo wasn't in attendance to pass the coveted trophy on, so he gets the honor of paying another $5.

BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES

This week, we celebrated two special birthdays! Brent Blankenship marked his big day on October 17, while Tom Townsend's birthday is just around the corner on October 19. Congratulations to Rodney Hulbert, who is celebrating his 12th year as a Rotarian!

HAPPY BUCKS

Kyle Johnson got an early start on the holidays by passing around the sign-up sheet for Salvation Army bell ringers on November 25th. If you're interested in volunteering, please get in touch with Kyle at johns2kw@cmich.edu. In other holiday news, a "lagniappe" – a small gift traditionally given to customers by merchants – marks the start of the holiday season in Rochester. This special event coincides with the lighting of the Big Bright Lights downtown!

David Archbold shared that he, Tom Neveau, and Phil McPeek had an informational meeting at the Rochester Hills Public Library (RHPL) on October 14th. During the meeting, they identified three high school students who may be interested in a short-term foreign exchange program next summer. If you know anyone interested in a year-long or short-term exchange, please get in touch with one of the three gentlemen mentioned.

Juliane Morian was beaming after a weekend of celebrations for RHPL’s 100th anniversary. The festivities included an employee homecoming party on Friday, a community-wide gala on Saturday, and a fun-filled family day on Sunday. Congratulations to Juliane for her leadership in guiding the library into its second century of service. Well done, and cheers for a successful event!

CLUB ANNOUNCEMENTS

It's that time of year again—time to fix bicycles! Last year, we were joined by Bob Barnes, Executive Director of the Free Bikes 4 Kidz (https://fb4kdetroit.org/) program in Detroit, who shared the incredible impact this initiative has on the local community. Once again, Bob has invited us to lend a hand, and this year, we have two opportunities to get involved!

The available dates are:

Saturday, October 19th (this weekend)

Saturday, November 30th (the weekend after Thanksgiving)

We’ll be heading to the Free Bikes 4 Kidz warehouse on Hubbard Street in Detroit, starting at 10 a.m. and finishing around 1-2 p.m. If you'd like to join, please contact Tim Duncan (duncan@oaklandanimal.com), and he’ll add you to the sign-up list.

He also has space for three more Rotarians in his small bus for carpooling on October 19th. Let him know if you're interested!
The Rochester Rotary and the Mount Clemens Rotary clubs have been approved by the Congressional Office for International Leadership (COIL) to host an Open World Program on Public Library Development delegation from Kazakhstan. The five delegates and one facilitator will arrive on February 21st and leave on March 1st. We are seeking six people to host one of the delegates in their homes. In essence, your home would be a B&B. You would provide a private bedroom and access to a bathroom for one delegate. The host would be responsible for providing breakfast. The planning committee would take the people during the day and return them to the housing host after dinner each day. Please get in touch with Christine (hage.christine@gmail.com) for details on whether you can help with this project.

On October 22, we will vote on the proposed bylaw revisions. The recommended revisions would eliminate the Assistant Secretary position on the board and assign those duties to the Secretary. The Secretary position would become a one-year position and be on our leadership ladder.

Rotary Gateway Park cleanup is on Saturday, October 19th, from 8 to 11 a.m. All are welcome!

Linda Eastman is looking for volunteers for the Shred Polio event at Bordine’s on October 28th, from 9 a.m. to noon. Posters are available to help promote this recycling event.

Once again, the Rochester Rotary, the Rochester Kiwanis, the Rochester Lions, and the Rochester Hills Lions Clubs have provided essential items for foster children, our state's most invisible and voiceless children. Currently, some 10,000 Michigan children are in foster care. And there are even more kinship families in which a grandparent, aunt, or uncle cares for a child when the biological parent cannot. The four Rochester area service clubs collected new underwear, socks, pajamas, jeans, jackets, and diapers to help support children’s self-esteem. These are tangible expressions that a larger community surrounds them and cares for them. Thank you to everyone in the greater Rochester area for opening your hearts to children and youth who face unimaginable challenges. The estimated value is $6247.00.

This year’s community-wide effort resulted in 886 diapers, 43 pairs of pajamas, 45 pairs of socks, 328 pairs of underwear, 8 pairs of sweatpants, 5 sweatshirts, 2 pairs of pants/jeans, 2 jackets, 15 handcrafted tote bags, 3 pieces of luggage, 6 packages of baby wipes, 3 containers of baby formula, 1 diaper bag, 7 pairs of gloves/mittens, 7 Beanie Babies, 7 onesies, 15 t-shirts, 4 bralettes, 2 cold-weather base layer tops, 2 base layer pants, 1 plush robe, 1 wallet purse, 1 pair of tennis shoes, 3 women’s joggers/pants, 9 pairs of jeans, 2 knit hats, 7 athletic bras, and 1 women’s sports top.

These items are being delivered to the Macomb Foster Closet, Mandy’s Place Residential Center, True Vision Church and Community Mission Center, Friends of Foster Kids, Wayne State University’s program for foster care students, the Park West Foundation for women aging out of foster care, and individual foster/adoptive/kinship families who come to us in need.

These organizations will distribute the donations to children in Wayne, Oakland, Lapeer, Macomb, St. Clair, Washtenaw, and other counties throughout the state.

SONG LEADER

Bob Lytle was playing with the theme of today's speaker, focusing on older adults. He selected Down by the OLD Mill Stream and Try to Remember. We were pretty successful in remembering the words and melodies!

SHERIFF'S REPORT

Sheriff David Blair fined Frank Rewold for missing his "celebrity chef" appearance at Parc 600 due to illness. Frank made up for it on October 15th, when many Rotarians gathered to enjoy their meals. In addition, 10% of Parc 600's sales between 5 and 7 p.m. will be donated to Rochester Rotary Charities. If you would like a full photo recap, visit the Club's website and check the right-hand dashboard for the album.

Board members were also fined for axing the Assistant Secretary position.

Sheriff Dave then shifted to Halloween-themed fines. John Modetz was fined for overly realistic decorations at his funeral home, while Paul Hage modeled his Mr. Clean costume with folded arms. David Archbold stood with arms outstretched, showcasing his scarecrow costume. Other members were fined for less-than-exciting Halloween treat plans: Juliane Morian is handing out books, and Linda Eastman is stepping it up with books in Spanish. Tim Crawford believes trick-or-treaters will love his sample insurance policies. Tim Duncan plans to hand out dog food, Ron Lichtle will give out grass seed, and Renee Cortright will be distributing playing cards and poker chips. Dr. Jay Eastman plans to use his traditional gift of free tongue depressors. Quite the festive crew! A total of $236 in fines was collected, benefiting our scholarship fund.

SPEAKER

Natalia Petraszczuk, Vice President of Operations at Next Steps 4 Seniors, shared insights into the foundation’s mission alongside founder and CEO Wendy Jones. Next Steps 4 Seniors Foundation works to bridge the financial gap for low-income seniors in need of proper housing and care, guided by the principles of faith, hope, and love, to ensure that these vulnerable individuals can live out their later years with dignity and grace.

The foundation offers a range of programs, including senior support services, caregiver support, housing assistance, financial aid, spiritual care, volunteer opportunities, and help with urgent needs. Its mission is to improve the lives of low-income elderly adults who otherwise lack access to the care they require for a safe and fulfilling life.

In Michigan alone, over two million residents are aged 60 and older, with one million earning $39,000 or less annually. Many seniors fall through the cracks, unable to afford necessary services such as assisted living or memory care when the time comes. Next Steps 4 Seniors Foundation bridges this gap by providing financial assistance and legal, physical, and spiritual support to ensure the underserved elderly community receives the love, care, and companionship they deserve.

Ms. Petraszczuk shared a story of two elderly twin sisters who were mentally disabled, unattended , and were living in their basement eating baloney sandwiches when their 95-year-old mother passed. Their 79-year-old sister was hospitalized after an auto accident. Four days later, the caregiving sister asked where the twins were, and law enforcement officials went to the home and found the sisters. Now, the three sisters are engaged and happy in the same assisted living facility.

Next Steps 4 Seniors is funded through donations, grants, and monthly gifts with an annual budget of $300,000.

Nov 19, 2024 12:00 PM

Patti Jacques

Gifts For All Gods Children

Nov 26, 2024 12:00 PM

Melissa Weisse

Leader Dogs for the Blind

Dec 10, 2024 12:00 PM

City of Rochester Police Chief George Rouhib

Updates from the Rochester Police Department

Dec 17, 2024 12:00 PM

Renee Cortright @ OPC

Meals on Wheels Program

Jan 07, 2025 12:00 PM

Christine Hage/Thomas Townsend

Rochester Rotary Club Mid-Year Report

View entire list

LAGNIAPPE in Downtown Rochester MI
Rochester, MI
Nov. 25, 2024

The Rochester Area Hometown Christmas Parade
Rochester, MI
Dec. 08, 2024

Christmas Party
TBA
Dec. 12, 2024

View entire list

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