Thom Nees, executive director of Serve Wenatchee Valley, will be with us on Thursday to help us understand some of the difficult issues of our community and how they are being addressed. The SWV mission statement reads “We are a cooperative of the church and community that serves as the heart and hands of Christ to meet the needs of those in crisis and keep families in their homes.” Many of us are aware of some of the events SWV sponsors, such as Clothes for the Classroom, Thanksgiving Baskets and a Christmas outreach, but there are many more avenues that SWV uses to connect with the needs of the homeless and those struggling with poverty. Come hear Thom explain the SWV mission and help us understand some of the challenges our communities face.
Beth Stipe says CFNCW is one of 26 Community Foundations in the state of Washington.
In 1986, their first grant was given to the Wenatchee Youth Circus. 30 years later, the CFNCW has granted over $22 million to our local community! Today the foundation stewards $77 million, all of which was raised locally and supports local causes, because local people care. None of those funds comes from the government or grants. CFNCW recently launched a “Give 10” campaign to inspire everyone in our region to leave a legacy in the community we love. The CFNCW gives everyone an opportunity to give a charitable gift in a way that is most meaningful to the individual donor. All are different because all donors and their interests are different. The foundation does this in a variety of ways;
Donor advised funds are the most flexible and allow people to make grant recommendations during their lifetime. Donations can engage the family to decide where the funds are given. Gifts can also be anonymous.
Agency funds partner with a non-profit organization to set up reserve funds and endowment funds for long term income and sustainability of that organization.
Designated Funds for donors who establish a designated organization that they have supported through their life time and after they are gone.
Unrestricted dollars are directed by the 28 volunteer members of the board of trustees to do competitive grant-making which support the needs of our community for today or tomorrow when needs are not yet known. Examples are public schools, Tonasket swimming pool, health and well-being, support services and scholarships.
Community Philanthropy means we all chip in together. It means every one of us gives. The “Give 10” campaign encourages everyone to give just 10%. Your $10 is just as important as $10 million from Bill Gates, especially in a rural community. A recent study done by the Community Foundation of NCW showed that over the next 20 years, if every person in Chelan, Douglas, and Okanogan counties left 10% of their will or estate – no matter how small or large – to the Community Foundation, we would have an additional $18 million per year to support nonprofit work in our region. Chances are, we won’t be here in 50 or 100 years. But our children and grandchildren will be. Let’s leave them a community that is brighter and better for all..
Word of the day is Tautologous (not a dinosaur). Meaning: An unnecessary repetition of an idea, especially in words. Example: The department of redundancy department.
Guests included Major Ralph Jiminez, Commander of local Salvation Army, and Renee Parkins , of Sunrise Rotary, ironically introduced by Dawn Davies (Director, WV Humane Society), while Renee is Development Officer. Ford Barrett introduced Jim and Barbara Brink, recently relocated from Bakersfield, CA.
Carmen Bossenbrock is available on the first meeting of the month to take photos for member profiles. (Some are in great need of updating)
Jill Leonard - AUCTION!! Planning has begun for the next Rotary fund-raising Auction, Jan. 26, 2019. Everyone is invited to the committee meeting, March 13. More later.
Dawn Davies - Humane Society benefit Auction for the Animals, themed "LIFE'S A BEACH", Feb. 17, 5 PM, $65 includes dinner buffet.
President Don's incentive - his 6-month-old puppy will be in the "puppy-kissing booth".
Gary Provo - Our program Feb. 22 will be SPECIAL OLYMPICS. Volunteers still needed to support Special Olympics March 2-4 in the Wenatchee area. Sign-up names were taken. Link to brochure here.
Joe St. Jean - Valentine Day Dinner Feb. 14 at Wenatchee Valley Tech Skills Center with well-known Guest Chef Richard Kitos. Call 662-8827, or see web page here.
Alfonzo Lopez announced a bingo night fund-raiser at Lewis-Clark school.
From the head table
Don Myers
"Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” Warren G. Bennis
Our board and leaders have decided that the thrust of our club for the next years will be leadership development. Sounds great (and it is!), but what does that actually look like? What is a leader and how do you develop one?
I have always liked the idea that leaders help people get from here to there. “Here” isn’t necessarily bad, but neither is it the best. And leaders want the best; for themselves, for those they lead, for the communities in which they live. Leaders are almost always people of vision, seeing something that could be and then looking for ways to make it happen – as Bennis said, to translate vision into reality. The visions of a leader can range from massive to small and personal. We can all attach big things in history to the profound words “I have a dream…” We know that Paul Harris and friends had great vision in 1905, as did 25 Wenatchee businessmen in 1921. Beth Stipe gave us a great dose of vision as she challenged us with the idea of what 10% giving could accomplish. And I was encouraged at lunch today when four different Rotarians introduced visitors who had interest in our club – thanks for having vision for those folks! Perhaps the vision includes them becoming a Rotarian – something we believe would be good for both them and us. But perhaps it was just the view of a group of local community leaders, women and men committed to making a difference right where they live and work. How can that fail to inspire? So thanks for being leaders. Take a minute to think about your own vision, and the next steps toward making that vision a reality.
From Marcus Palayo of Wenatchee. "Soltau, Germany is a town of about 22,000 people , an hour or so south of Hamburg and about an hour north of Hanover. My relationship with my host family is calm and easy going. I do the same chores as my host brother, Andreas - keep my room clean and help with dinner. I've been to a few Rotary meetings and went on a tour with Rotary. My counselor and I have met a few times, Life is good.
School is pretty easy, especially because there is no pressure as grades do not count. This year I am taking German, Biology, Math, History, English, Spanish and PE. Considering that when I arrived I knew no German, I would say that it has improved fairly well, yet I still need to get much better with speaking.
For fun I hang out with friends in town after school, eat ice cream or doner. By playing soccer I have made friends at school and I am playing basketball with an adult league here. I have been to a fusseball game, last fall we went canoeing. I went skiing last weekend. My first host family treated me to a Rolling Stones Concert. A few times I have been to Hanover for shopping with my host families. I hooked up with Henning a few times. [Henning Theolewas one of 2 inbound RYE students here, 2015-16]. Thanks Rotary for making this happen for me!"
[Note - Marcus is one of our two current outbound students, was a member of our Interact Club and a regular club guest; in photo, he is top right, dark curly hair, and a very fine young man]
SPECIAL EVENTS CALENDAR
SPONSORS
May 17-19 - District Event
District Conference - Prosser, WA
June 23-27 - RI Event
RI Convention - Toronto
July 14 Fundraiser
Wine/Food Fundraiser, Wells House
September 20-22 - Zone Event
Zone Conference, Hotel Boneventure, Montreal PQ
January 26, 2019
Rotary Fundraiser AUCTION
We appreciate all of our sponsoring merchants & businesses.
End Polio Now/Club 60 - Approximate totals collected:
Goal this Rotary year = $4,000, or $12,000 with Gates Foundation 2-for-1 match (20,040 lives saved). Donations by club members on Feb. 8 = $33.15 thus bringing our total (since July 1) to $3067 or $9201 with the Gates match. This equates to 15,366 lives saved.
$3067
Donated by the public on World Polio Day = $2675.
GRANTS UPDATE REPORT
The Community Outreach committee of Wenatchee Rotary met recently to review the applications that had been submitted during our second cycle of grant funding.
The money was funded by our January 2017 auction and will support for the following groups in their efforts to make a positive impact in our community.
1) 2nd Harvest Food Bank - $1,000 - We will join with our two other local Rotary clubs in sponsoring a 2nd Harvest Food Bank truck visit to our valley.
2) North Central Education Foundation – $1000 - The NCE Foundations Classroom Grant program provides grants to innovative classrooms throughout our area.
3) Foothills Middle School Robotics Program - $1000 - Wenatchee Rotary is sponsoring a robotics team from Foothills Middle School as they compete in the VEX World championship Competition, the largest robotics competition in the world.
The Community Outreach committee urges you to engage others in our Rotary Grants program by encouraging them to submit grant applications.
Our third cycle of funding runs from February 1 until March 15.
Having fun in Rotary,.....Joe St.Jean
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