This week's virtual meeting with guest speaker Dorathy Martel from Next Step #ellsworthrotary #peopleofaction #wearerotary
On Tuesday, September 29th at 6 PM, our club had a virtual meeting over the telephone and internet via Zoom. President Laura Pellerano started the meeting.
Invocation was read by Laura Pellerano.
The Pledge Allegiance was led by Laura Pellerano, Ashley Johnson took notes and Tony and Julie Bouchard took attendance.
Visiting Rotarians: Dave and Betty Parsons
Guests: Dorathy Martel
Birthdays: Tricia Quirk on 9/29 Happy Birthday!
Club Anniversaries: Marshall Smith 22 Years on 10/1 Congratulations!
Checking In/Happy Dollars: Ashley Johnson, Pam Cushing, Clyde Cushing, Jodie Cushing, Laura and Gene Pellerano, Tony and Julie Bouchard, Dan Frye, Allegra Pellerano, Rod Fox, Max Dietshe, Marian and Dave Wells, Iris Simon, Rhonda Parker, Jack Frost, Scott Kimball, JoAnn Brown, Fred Beyer, and Jackie Sinclair.
All Happy Dollars goes towards Forgotten Felines this quarter. They rescue and rehome Rehabilitate and provide assistance with spay and neutering stray and feral cats. They are 100% funded by donations and funds raised from yard sales and craft fairs.
2nd Quarter of Happy Dollars will be going towards KidsPeace for Christmas Gifts for the kids. We did this last year and it made a huge impact!
Don’t forget about Polio Plus and EREY! Please consider making a donation.
Rotary Business:
- Blood Drive at Ellsworth Elks Lodge: Tuesday, October 13th and 27th from 1:00-6:00pm. Scott Kimball is looking for volunteers for both dates. A sign-up sheet will be emailed this week.
Community Service Update: There are currently no upcoming projects at this time. Contact Jodie Cushing if you have something in mind. - Membership Update: The Rotary Passport was emailed to all club members. Please look it over. October 20th is Membership Game Night. Please email JoAnn Brown something about yourself that other club members do not know about you.
- ClubRunner Passport: The Clubrunner Passport was emailed to all club members. We encourage all members to complete to be entered into a weekly $20 Visa Gift Card drawing! ClubRunner Mobile is wonderful tool allowing membership directory data to be available at your fingertips as well as other club information such as weekly newsletters, upcoming events, guest speakers and meetings. It is a great companion to our ClubRunner website. This week’s winner was Jodie Cushing!
- International Update: the 115 wheelchairs have arrived at Panama from the shipping container. The Panama Rotary Club will distribute these wheelchairs to those that need "the gift of mobility."
The Bar Harbor, Bangor Breakfast and Ellsworth Rotary Clubs have joined forces to provide these wheelchairs for the people of Panama. We had planned to travel and help in the distribution but COVID-19 has prevented us from traveling. This distribution will complete our Club's 7th distribution for a total of 1,000 wheelchairs.
Guest Speaker: This week’s guest speaker was Dorathy Martel, Executive Director of The Next Step domestic violence project. The Next Step has been active in Washington and Hancock counties for over 25 years supporting a greater peace in our society by offering training, direct support and furthering awareness of domestic violence.
While their Resource Centers may be closed, their team is working hard during the COVID-19 crisis to make sure individuals get the help they need. 24/7 HELPLINE 1-800-315-5579 to connect with a trained advocate who will listen, judgment-free, and help you understand the right next steps for you.
Dorathy spoke about the challenges the organization is facing during this pandemic. The Next Step needed to change their way of business. They had to learn to adapt to providing services via phone and video.
Visit their newly designed website at https://www.nextstepdvproject.org/
They provide trainings for those who would like to be a volunteer. Check their website for more information.
Respectfully submitted by Ashley Johnson
