Monday, March 21, 2022 - THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING!!!
THIS WEEK --
Thea Lind, Bethlehem Rotary Foundation Grants chair, will provide an update of grants awarded to the community from 2021 as well as a review of the grants process
Start or continue reading to prepare for our book discussion this month by reading It's Better than it Looks: Reasons for Optimism in an Age of Fear by Gregg Easterbrook.
Share your involvement in Rotary on your social media. Invite potential Rotarians to join our meeting and attend our HAPPY HOUR this THURSDAY Thursday at Twisted Olive. Remember, it's our March for Membership and time to devote extra energy to recruitment. Let's increase the vitality and impact of our club and its impact by recruiting new members.
Contact Bill Rowe to volunteer with our next service project at the Bethlehem Emergency Shelter on April 3.
LAST WEEK --
Our meeting was hosted by Past President Pete Mickolay and opened with a brief talk from Ryan Calhoun, our March BAVTS Artisan of the Month. Ryan is a senior at Liberty High School and enrolled in the Building Trades program at BAVTS. This Vo-Tech program has introduced and taught Ryan various skills used by different trades in the construction field. His interest now has focused on woodworking-so much so that he has assembled his own woodworking shop at home. The program has helped Ryan develop skills to assist his uncle, a disabled veteran, in renovating a home to make it functional for his uncle. Ryan has volunteered with several community organizations including NAM Knights giving back to our community. It was a very inspiring talk and we wish him success in his future career path.
Past District 7430 Governor Ron Smith presented an update on the Rotary Foundations Uganda Global Grant-Model for Midwife Education in Developing countries. Initially funded through a $81,000 Global Grant, the 3-year project utilized Volunteer Training Teams-VTT consisting of members from Rotary and Drexel University College of Medicine as well as counterparts in the Kampala Uganda region to execute the Global Grant.
A Rotary Area of Focus-Maternal and Child healthcare education-was the guide for the Team to develop a sustainable computer network for educating healthcare workers. A strong emphasis was put on midwife training because many times if there are complications, sometimes the midwife has to choose between saving the mother or newborn. The health center infrastructure was improved with new equipment and supplies, and nd by exchanging healthcare professionals, sustainable results were achieved!
The take away from this program was Be BOLD. Global Grants are meant to be impactful. Engaging other clubs as well as other Rotary Districts can help bring more financial power to touch more lives. Look beyond Rotary for partnerships like they did with Drexel University. We saw first hand the impact our contributions to the Rotary International Annual Fund brings. Maybe you know of a need somewhere in the world that a Global Grant, with a minimum expenditure of $30,000, would improve the lives of many people. If you do, talk to our club leadership team and maybe we all can "Dream Big" with Rotary.
Yours in Rotary service,
President Deb Walter and Past President Pete Mickolay
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