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Russell Hampton
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Long, Gerry
 
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Feb 10, 2021
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Feb 24, 2021
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Mar 10, 2021
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Mar 31, 2021
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Monday February 8, 2021
 
This week seemed like a blur-literally! Since last Sunday every time you looked outside snow was falling. Once we dug out, life is returning to the daily grind. One thing I did notice this week from the high volume of phone calls at the store is that many people are lonely and are craving human interaction. I know, the pandemic is keeping distance between all of us (but I am humbled by how Bethlehem Rotary has stepped up and keeps accomplishing the many things we do). Take a moment...think of some friends you have not heard from in a while (Rotarians included), call and say hello and see how they are doing. I did this numerous times this week and found it very rewarding. It's the simple things we sometimes forget to do.
 
Building on this, there have been suggestions we try a Breakfast Coffee meeting to meet some schedules. Starting at 7:30am, it would follow our Happy Hour format of casual conversation and take the conversation wherever we want. If this sounds interesting, fits your schedule better, please email me at aykroydhardware@verizon.net with a YES and day of the week preferred. We are trying our best to accommodate all of our hectic schedules and provide a new option. Hope to hear from you!
 
Last month I mentioned that Chris Nelson stepping down as Chair of the Jamaica-Unitas Project. We are still looking for new leadership and possibly a different project to pursue on our International front. If you are interested, have ideas, etc. please contact Chris, Hopeton Clennon or me for information.
 
Want to learn more about International Service? District 7430's next Training Tuesday is February 16 at 7pm titled International Service Part 2-Rotary Action Groups (RAG). RAGs are independent, Rotary affiliated groups made up of people from around the world who are experts in a particular field-such as economic development, peace, addiction prevention, environment, water and much more. Go to Rotary International's website for all areas of focus-there might be an area that you are passionate about. Then go to the D7430 website and register to learn how to turn that passion into a project.
 
Last week's meeting featured Jenae Holtzhafer from the Kindness Project of the Lehigh Valley. The organization provides support to foster children and foster families in the area. Providing data and information on foster care in the U.S., she stressed that over two thirds of the foster children have siblings and that kinship placement together results in a better situation for all concerned. Only about 25% of the children get to be placed in a home with siblings. The Kindness Project's goal is to help ease the burden on foster families by providing clothing, furniture, and other essential items to foster children through "The Kindness Exchange" store in Emmaus. 
 
The store nicknamed the "foster closet" allows the foster children to shop in the store by department, picking out needed supplies any child would need. There is even a birthday room that the child can shop on their special day. The end result relieves some of the financial burden of foster families who in reality receive a small stipend to care for the child and the resources that the Kindness Project provides hopefully allows the child to be fostered along with a sibling. A win-win for all. Jenae's passion resonated with all of us and we hope we can assist her in the future. Please visit www.kindnessprojectLV.org to find out about her group, the store, and how you can help.
 
This week we will welcome Julie Bailey, the Executive Director for the Foundation for the Bethlehem Area School District. Hard to believe but it's been almost 2 years since we had an update from the Foundation. Plan to join us to learn about current 2020-21 school year programs, projects and new initiatives designed to meet the current environment. To preview some of them, go to www.basdwpweb.bethk12.pa.us/the foundation and bring your questions. And I know some our members serve on the Foundation and I hope they can join us to provide any insights they may have.
 
 
Yours in Rotary service,
 
President Pete Mickolay