Our Stillwater Sunrise Rotary team volunteered on April 17 at Respectacle in Hudson. Jennifer Cherry, her daughter Alia, Jim Meier, Greg Otsuka, his daughter Mia, and Jon Stillman categorized, described, and photographed over 400 pairs of glasses that are now ready to be sent to people who need them. People who need glasses can enter their prescription, find good matches, and select a pair for only a $5 shipping charge. This is a perfect volunteer event that is enjoyable for all ages. Stay tuned for more opportunities to volunteer at this great organization.
At today's meeting, Rotarian Brett Emmons shared some of the fringe benefits one can gain from adopting sustainable habits.
Eating more (but not necessarily exclusively) vegetarian meals:In addition to the sustainability benefits, you gain health benefits from a more vegetarian diet. Adopt a goal (say, twice a week vegetarian) and share your favorite recipes!
Exercising by traveling with your bike or on foot: The excercise benefits are obvious, but you might not think of the other benefits of slower travel - being able to interact with things around you and visit with people on the way. You can set a goal here, too, and benefit in multiple ways. Then, share something you saw.
Grow your own vegetables, flowers, or native plantings: Here you can gain multiple benefits of healthy food, low-energy beauty and help restore balance to our local environment. Set some goals, and share a plant you're trying out along with your reason for trying it.
Thanks to everyone again for their participating in Hoops for Hope, our basketball pool which benefits our district's Fast for Hope initiative which currently is focused on a water project in El Corozo in Nicaragua. Our top 3 finishers (Rick H; Brent V; David W) have all graciously returned their winnings to Fast For Hope, which will make a total contribution of $1,000 from our bracket challenge this year!
Today we had another group at respectacle. Margie, Sara, Greg with daughter Mia, Del and his wife Marilyn, Lenny and myself managed to process more than 400 pairs of glasses. Jake Ballard was our host for the day. He thanked Stillwater Sunrise Rotary for a recent $500 grant that they will use for computers to help in the processing of glasses. Check our photo album on our website home page for some photos from the day.
A small group of masked and mostly vaccinated Rotarians convened at the International headquarters for Respectacle this Thursday morning in Hudson. We were met by Jake Ballard who got us settled, gave us some background and soon had us all working on our smart phones with surprising ease. Present were Tim Trooien who worked diligently photographing glasses so they could be viewed online by potential recipients. Jack and Jeanne Matlock along with Lenny Snellman and myself (Wendy Heck) worked on describing donated glasses. This information was entered into the phone and then we used our phones to scan a barcode for each pair. The system appeared to be organized and efficient. Once we finished Jake gave us a tour. They have thousands of glasses already cataloged, and thousands more in need of processing. We have another volunteer time scheduled for our group on Saturday March 6th. Due to Covid-19 we are limited to 8 volunteers, and everyone needs to stay masked and socially distanced.
Today, our club started a new initiative to secure a grant to collaborate with our partners in El Corozo, Nicaragua, to improve their ongoing water supply issues.Trucked-in water is not available during the rainy season, and is unreliable when the trucks can get through. A water line to a neighboring town is cut off during dry times, when that town has its own supply issues. Currently the only reliable water source for households in El Corozo requires a 5km walk out, and back with the heavy water jugs.
The grant initiative is in the early stages, and is planned as part of the district's ongoing Fast for Hope program. It targets approximately $64,000 to drill a well, install a solar-powered pump and run a line to a storage tank. Sustainable development is of key importance in this program, the local town will be invested in this work, and well-prepared for ongoing maintenance and support of the new infrastructure.
Today, our club board voted to contribute $400 to a project that the Remember Niger Coalition is coordinating to install a solar-powered electrical system at the Niamey School for the Deaf in Niger. The funds will be used to connect 4 classrooms and a
computer lab to solar-powered electricity. This will provide lighting to dark schoolroom areas and a number of electric cooling fans during extremely hot weather. Additionally, it will ensure a power source for 15 laptop computers, a printer, and a PowerPoint projector. Over 450 students and adults will be positively impacted annually by this project.
computer lab to solar-powered electricity. This will provide lighting to dark schoolroom areas and a number of electric cooling fans during extremely hot weather. Additionally, it will ensure a power source for 15 laptop computers, a printer, and a PowerPoint projector. Over 450 students and adults will be positively impacted annually by this project.
Our club has a new video available that describes our Strive mentoring program. Click on the icon, below, to see the video:
Service Above Self
Stillwater, MN 55082
United States of America