Charlotte-Shelburne Rotary - Newsletter

Rotary launched its PolioPlus program in 1985 and contributions to the PolioPlus Fund continue to support the most essential components of polio eradication activities in our partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and UNICEF. With Rotary's community-based network worldwide, Rotary is the volunteer arm of the global partnership dedicated to eradicating polio. By volunteering and supporting the PolioPlus program, Rotarians do the work of the world with every Polio vaccine administered!

Announcements

Double Match – Charlotte Shelburne Rotary will match member’s donations to the Polio Plus Campaign dollar for dollar, until a $1,000 reserve is used up. Currently eight club members have participated, leaving $600 to be used for matches. This is an easy way to help the valuable Polio Plus program of the Rotary Foundation, getting credit for twice as much as you actually donate, and club members should consider helping Rotary to stamp out Polio through this program. The offer continues through March 31.

Katie Camardo has sent an email reporting that in spite of the recent upheaval at Teddy Bear Company, she is still employed and busy at her job.

Our Mexican exchange student, who had been staying with Tim Cope and his family, has recently moved to the home of Joe and Carol Obuchowski.

Rosalyn Graham presented Linda Gilbert with two pounds of Shelburne Farms Two-Year Cheddar to take to Dave Jonah and Family when they meet in Tela, Honduras. A special request from Dave.

Thank yous were received from the Green Mountain Club and the Burlington Meals on Wheels for donations sent to them recently.

Membership

The following people have been proposed for membership:

Deborah Woodbury, current member of the Middlebury Club, would like to transfer to our Club. She works in the insurance division of TD Banknorth and is sponsored by Bob Maynes.
Carol Smith works in the Wealth Management Division at TD Banknorth. She resides in Shelburne and is also sponsored by Bob Maynes.

Please contact a member of the Board with any questions.

Meetings

Jan. 21 – annual meeting with votes on new slate of offices and changes to the bylaws, and committee meetings
Jan. 28 – Youth Day – speech contest winner, RYLA participants (who will be presented with their certificates by Judy Christensen), and our Mexican exchange student.
Jan. 29 – Board meeting

Sergeant at Arms

Kris Engstrom circulated a sign up sheet for volunteers to lead the devotions at the beginning of the meeting.

She also explained that the pot of money that fuels the weekly lucky draw is the accumulated result of $1 from each member’s payment at the door every week. Fines go to the general fund for club projects.

Happy fines:

Lots of pin fines.

Jim Spadacinni – for the UVM Hockey Team and especially Peter Lenes
Steve Dates – for the arrival of their fifth grand child
Michael Lash – just happy
Eric Hanley – for Lauren’s first goal – in a game where the girls team beat the boys
George Schiavone – for living in an area where we care for our homeless and needy neighbors
Sharon Beal – for her son appearing on the Jackson Hole website (almost completely buried in fluffy fresh powder – a total of 14 feet in 3 weeks) – and their daughter on the Mount Snow website
Terrell Titus – she’s going to be a grandmother
John Hammer – happy with a half-inch of snow here

Lucky draw: Jim Spadacinni’s number was drawn but he chose the wrong card and didn’t take home the $29.50 pot.

JUMP – Joint Urban Ministry Project

Bronwyn Rider (Chairman of the JUMP Board), Rev. Keri Aubert (who shares staffing duties at JUMP), and President Steve Dates presenting the prized Rotary coffee mug.

Rev. Keri Aubert and Bronwyn Rider introduced the work of the Joint Urban Ministry Project, an interfaith project of Burlington congregations, designed to create an atmosphere where people feel comfortable coming and asking for help related to housing, food, health insurance and much more. People line up at 7 a.m., waiting for the 8:30 opening, hoping to be among the 10 people JUMP can see each day. In addition volunteers help to advise people to find other services in the area that can help their specific needs.

Most of the people they see are on SSI because of physical or mental disabilities, and among the needs they help to address are housing (the high price of housing makes it virtually unaffordable for a person on $700 a month social security), domestic violence, recent incarceration (looking for jobs, housing, new directions to avoid the old ways that lead to their incarceration), substance abuse or addiction, chronic homelessness (living in tents year round), seasonal unemployment (the length of the unemployment is getting longer), refugees (from Africa and newly from Bhutan.)

JUMP can provide vouchers for food, laundry, medications, transportation, utilities, thrift shops, Recycle North, and also helps with securing identity paperwork such as birth certificates. They also keep in stock food, toiletries and baby care materials.

They work with partner organizations such as Joseph’s House and Catholic Charities, but often JUMP is the only service open.

Their budget is $120,000 a year, with support coming from 26 congregations, as well as individual donors and business donors.

On a daily basis there is one staff person and three volunteers, with 70 volunteers rotating through the service. JUMP is eager to talk to anyone who would like to be a volunteer, or would be able to make a donation in support of their work.

“We like to think we’re making a difference beyond the material needs – we’re making changes,” Aubert said.

In 2008, in 242 days of service, they saw 1,400 adults for 2,100 visits.