September 3rd, 2015 Newsletter
“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.” ― Dalai Lama
ANNOUNCEMENTS
(Notes provided by Allan Penwell).
Rotarian and recent speaker, Erich Adickes, will be offering photo workshops the first three Saturdays in September. Contact him at erichadickes@mac.com. The name of Erich’s business is Adickes Creative Services.
PROGRAM
Our speaker last week was Sheila Dodds who is the director of Champaign County Habitat for Humanity. Habitat is a non-profit corporation that provides housing for local citizens who could not otherwise afford it. Habitat was started in 1991 by a group of community members who believed that everyone should have a home. Habitat builds one to two homes annually and by year-end will have built 51 homes.
Habitat is supported by donations and by grants from local banks. The new owners have to make a modest down payment, and Habitat supplies the rest of the construction costs on a 25-year mortgage. Payments, including taxes and insurance, run in the $500-$600 range so this is usually lower than the rent that applicants are paying. It usually takes 18 months from the application to the move-in date for the new owners. One of the requirements is that the new owners have to put in 250 volunteer hours which keeps them engaged through the construction process.
Sheila was joined by Bobby Hart who works at Lincoln’s Challenge. He was on active duty for five years with the U.S. Army and served a tour in Iraq and one in Haiti. While in Iraq he suffered a significant injury to his back when an IED exploded. Habitat also buys foreclosed properties for rehabilitation, and Bobby and his family are very grateful to be moving into one such home in the near future.
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| Sept 10th | Sept 17th | Sept 24th | Oct 1st | |
| Introductions | Rod Roberts | Tod Satterthwaite | Mitch Schluter | Jen Shelby |
| Invocation | Alan Chalifoux | Neal Chamberlain | Paul Conforti | Molly Delaney |
| Greeters | Rod Roberts | Tod Satterthwaite | Mitch Schluter | Jen Shelby |
| Laura Auteberry | Oktay Baran | Keith Brandau | Alan Chalifoux | |
| Song Leader | Jeff Van Buren | Cary Woolard | Harold Adams | Laura Auteberry |
| Notetaker | Hodson | Lintner | Chamberlain | Perry |
| Rotary Minute | Tod Satterthwaite | Mitch Schluter | Jen Shelby | Lou Simpson |
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UPCOMING SCHEDULE
September 10th – Dan Olson, Executive Director, Champaign County Forest Preserve Distrct
September 17th – Tom Ramage, President, Parkland College, Update on Parkland’s Programs and Facilities
September 24th – Tyra Perry, new Head Coach of Women’s Softball, UIUC
October 1st – Christine Catanzarite, Director, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Illinois
October 8th – Jessica DeYoung, Director of the C-U Special Recreation Program
October 15th – TBD
October 22nd – Mike DeLorenzo, Associate Chancellor, will discuss Willard Airport
October 29th – TBD
November 5th – TBD