Escondido Sunrise Rotary; “The Assistance League; Helping Youth Succeed in School with the Necessities of School Life”… November 7, 2019  

President Brian led the meeting…

We honored our flag and our nation with the pledge led by Past President, Dave Herbert…

An invocation was offered by Past President, Jack Anderson…

 

Visitors and Guests:

Darol Castor of Escondido East Rotary was visiting today; Welcome Darol 

And our ‘First Lady’, Nancy Murphy was with us today… Welcome Nancy!

 

Birthdays:                

None this week 

Anniversaries:

None this week…

Rotary Anniversaries:                        

Past President Mike O’Malley, 8 years on November 8… Glad you’re with us as we serve together Mike!!

Dates to Remember:

November        23:    Tijuana House Build; with Project Mercy, this is a                         project that really brings a great benefit to a family                         in one day… The Saturday project will begin with                         car-pooling from     Cocina early in the AM…

December        4:    Rotary 5340 Golf League at the RB Inn; shotgun                         start at 1PM… Sign up with Past President Scott                         Putnicki or Chris Miller    

            7:    Bikes for Kids; bike build project at Aelott Air                             Conditioning 

January         11:    A Saturday Night with the San Diego Gulls; tix are                         $80 for the on-ice suite… Get your tix from Past                         President Rich Aeling… only a few tickets remain                         unsold.                    

Announcements:

Darol Castor, visiting from the East Club was soliciting volunteers for their Thanksgiving Food Distribution project… They serve over 150 dinners to those less fortunate… Volunteers can sign up with Darol, and be ready at 11:15 on Thanksgiving morning to deliver about 5 meals or so…

Darol Castor seeking Rotarian support to deliver meals…

 

 Past President Rich Aeling shared information on the Tijuana House Build project with some information from the family that our project will benefit… Rich and Past President Mark Hoekstra are coordinating the work; the plan is to also raise some extra funds to help outfit the house and help make it a ‘home’…

Past President Rich Aeling sharing information on upcoming projects…

 

 

 

 

 

Rich also ‘passed the hat’ to raise additional funds to help outfit the house that we will build… This enables Sunrise Rotary to add some ‘finishing touches’ to the house as we turn the keys over to the family…

Our member’s generosity brought $260 to the table during our meeting… Thanks for digging deep!!

 

 

Past President Rich also discussed the upcoming ‘Bikes for Kids’ event… We have received a grant; additional funds are needed at the $75 per bike cost… If you can add some $$ to this project, your donation is very welcome…

President Brian shared some information discussed at the recent Board meeting…

 

One item was also mentioned; our becoming a Community Benefit Partner with EDI/EDCO in their new composting and recycling project which will be an Anerobic Digester… This project will convert green waste and compostable trash into Renewable Natural Gas, which will power their fleet of collection vehicles… Our program on December 5 will feature EDI/EDCO leadership discussing the project…

 

 

Rotarians Having Fun and Rotary Events:

Past President Mike Muehl and his ‘deceptive badge’… It seems that Mike has a badge wherever it is needed… 

Busted!!!

 

 

 

Sergeant at Arms, Gloria Leffler was having a fun time at an AFLAC event on the Queen Mary…

 

 

 

Hi Fives and Announcements:

Father Bill Dopp shared a ‘thank you’ greeting from our speaker last week, ‘Stone’ Mpalanyi from the Chain Foundation Orphanage in Uganda… Stone made 3 presentations in San Diego County, in addition to our meeting; he also presented to groups in Boston, Hartford and Denver… He shared through Father Bill that the orphanage’s blind support programs would directly benefit from our gift…

 

Program: 

The Assistance League of Inland North County was our program today, introduced by President Brian… Pat Kellenbarger and Carole Comeau were with us on behalf of the League…

The Assistance League, part of a larger parent organization, operates a thrift shop on East Valley Parkway… Their enterprising efforts support many community benefit projects serving youth, first responders and many community partners…

Pat Kellenbarger speaking to Sunrise Rotarians…

 

Some significant programs of the Assistance League are ‘Operation School Bell’ through which they provide school clothing and shoes to students recommended by school nurses as having great need. Last year, over 2,000 children were served with $100 gift cards to Kohl’s…. 

The League also has provided 17 defibrillator devices to first responders, and they provide teddy bears through their ‘hug-a-bear’ project for law enforcement and medical personnel to use with children experiencing traumatic circumstances in their lives…

Nearly all of the funds used for these great philanthropic efforts come through their thrift shop operations… Over 120 volunteer hours per month are spent by Assistance League members to staff and support these activities… 80% of the funds they raise are returned to the community; in 2018 over $500,000…

Another program that they are very proud of is their ‘Ready, Set, Read’ program that provides reading opportunities and books at 11 schools in the Escondido Elementary School District… 

Pat Kellenbarger and Carole Comeau pictured with President Brian….

 

 

Next Week’s Program:

Craig Rush of the Office of Special Projects, Division of State Architect…

OpportunityDrawing:   

    Grand Prize:    $254…Past President George Beitner had the                             winning ticket… Not so lucky George, thanks                                      for leaving the pot to grow for another meeting…

Lunch Money:        $12… Past President George… Again??? What a                         lucky guy!!