“When you are enthusiastic about what you do, you feel this positive energy. It’s very simple.” – Paulo Coelho – Lyricist-Novelist

“Optimism is a happiness magnet. If you stay positive good things and good people will be drawn to you.” – Mary Lou Retton – Retired American Gymnast

“The sun himself is weak when he first rises, and gathers strength and courage as the day gets on.” – Charles Dickens – 1812-1870 – Writer

“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” – Dolly Parton – Singer

ANNOUNCEMENTS
(Notes provided by Allan Penwell)

Darrell and Mary will be helping out with the Rotary booth at the mall this weekend. Thanks to both of you for volunteering.

Our Sunrise banquet at Biaggi’s is Tuesday, October 29^th. Be there at 5:30 a.m. for hospitality hour.

Our new member contest is in full swing. The Baconators and Bananas are in a tie for 1^st with Porridge Pack, Hash Browns, and the Gurts behind. Bring a future Rotarian to one of our club meetings.

Eddie reports our football guessing is not so good. We were only 60% correct on picks for last week. Only one Rotarian in our area picked Illinois over Wisconsin last week. Really?

The fruit sale is underway, and a case of fruit is still only $27.00. The sale will wrap up on November 22^nd. Delivery date is likely the week of December 9^th. The primary benefactor of the sale is C-U at Home.

Program

Charlie introduced us to Rob Dalhaus, Director of C-U at Home.  But before that, Darrell presented Rob with a $150 check from our club’s monthly bucket money.

C-U at Home is a grassroots, 501(c)(3), faith-based homelessness ministry with facilities located in C-U. It supports the vulnerable homeless in our community. It is located at 50 East Washington in a building owned by Rosecrance Treatment Centers. It is a damp shelter which provides shelter for friends even if they have an addiction problem.

C-U at Home provides a place for the homeless to go that gives relief to local hospitals or the police who might be asked to care for someone. Their cost for a night of care is only $12.00 compared to emergency room or jail which can be hundreds of dollars. In 2018, shelter was provided to 287 different individuals for 5,700 nights so it is a real community resource. C-U at Home coordinates with Rosecrance for those who need help, but it also has access to transportation to take a friend to an out-of-town location for specialized care.

C-U at Home also operates the Phoenix Drop-in Center at 34 E. Green Street. C-U at Home operates street outreach, education & advocacy, and four transitional housing units. It is well known for One Winter Night which is its annual community awareness night where volunteers raise money and sleep in boxes in February in downtown Champaign.

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UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee member responsible listed in parentheses)

October 29th – Tuesday – C-U Sunrise Rotary Charter Anniversary banquet at Biaggi’s

October 31st – No regular meeting (5th Thursday) – 

November 7th – Shannon O’Rourke Kasali, who was both a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar and A Rotary Peace Scholar (Mary)

November 14th – District Governor Julie Dobski

November 21st – “A geneticist’s perspective on how the brain works” – Dr. Stephanie Ceman, Associate Professor, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, UIUC, and the Carle Illinois College of Medicine. (Ondine)

November 28th – TBD 

December 5th – John Paul Buzard from Buzard Pipe Organ Builders will speak to our club about building organs (Bob)

December 12th – Molly Delaney, Vice President of Development, Eastern Central Illinois Foodbank (ECIFB) (Mary)

December 19th – CUSR Holiday Party

December 26th – No meeting

January 2nd – TBD (David)

January 9th – Club Assembly

January 16th – Rush Record, Executive Director, CASA (Mary)

“Winning doesn’t always mean being first. Winning means you’re doing better than you’ve done before.” – Bonnie Blair – Professional Speed Skater

“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow.” – Helen Keller – 1880-1968 – Author

“Winning is fun, but those moments that you can touch someone’s life in a very positive way are better.” – Tim Howard – Professional Athlete

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(notes provided by the unconventional and unorthodox Paul Conforti)

Darrell said there will be a volunteer opportunity coming up for a reading program at the Danville Prison.

PROGRAM

Kelly White, Executive Director at 40 North | 88 West.

Kelly joined 40 North | 88 West in September 2009 as Project Coordinator of two programs for downtown Champaign: Art & Sol – an outdoor performance series, and Sight Specific – a series of storefront exhibits. Kelly was previously the manager of Verde Gallery in Champaign. Prior to re-locating to the Champaign-Urbana area, Kelly held the position of Assistant Museum Curator and Collections Manager for the SCAD Museum of Art at the Savannah College of Art and Design where she received her MFA and MA in Art History and Painting. She is also currently an Art History instructor at Parkland College. kwhite@40north.org 

40 North | 88 West Mission: Cultivating Creativity in Champaign County!

40 North is dedicated to fueling the growth and well-being of Champaign County by nurturing its arts, culture, and education community. It is guided in this effort by three principal themes:

ADVOCATE for the individuals, organizations, and enterprises in Champaign County that constitute its arts, culture, education community by promoting awareness of the extraordinary quality, quantity, and diversity of arts, culture and education activity in the County.

INFORM: 40 North will serve as an extensive repository of information about the individuals, organizations, and enterprises in Champaign County that constitute its arts, culture and education community. This information will be made publicly available and distributed through distinctively designed and effectively employed vehicles, including an engaging, powerful, and user-friendly website linked to an extensive arts, culture and education database

COLLABORATE: 40 North will encourage, support, and enable collaboration not only between members of the arts, culture and education community, but between that community, business, government and the public at large through a sustained process of cross-sector communication, convening, and event planning.

Friday Night Live is 40 North’s most widely attended program, running from the last weekend in May through August. Friday Night Live includes an eclectic mix of music and street performances including bluegrass, jazz, folk, soul, rock, country, and blues, along with a free kids’ activity every week.

Other 40 North programs include The Boneyard Arts Festival (which will celebrate its 18th year in April 2020), the MTD ART: Moving Pictures Through Your Neighborhood (focused on the inclusion of art on all MTD busses), and the Community Supported Art program (an endeavor to support local art, artists, and collectors.

For more information see: https://40north.org/

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UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee member responsible listed in parentheses)

October 24th – Rob Dalhaus from CU at Home (Charlie)

October 29th – Tuesday – C-U Sunrise Rotary Charter Anniversary banquet at Biaggi’s

October 31st – No regular meeting (5th Thursday) – 

November 7th – Shannon O’Rourke Kasali, who was both a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar and A Rotary Peace Scholar (Mary)

November 14th – District Governor Julie Dobski

November 21st – “A geneticist’s perspective on how the brain works” – Dr. Stephanie Ceman, Associate Professor, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, UIUC, and the Carle Illinois College of Medicine. (Ondine)

November 28th – TBD 

December 5th – John Paul Buzard from Buzard Pipe Organ Builders will speak to our club about building organs (Bob)

December 12th – Molly Delaney, Vice President of Development, Eastern Central Illinois Foodbank (ECIFB) (Mary)

December 19th – CUSR Holiday Party

December 26th – No meeting

January 2nd – TBD (David)

January 9th – Club Assembly

January 16th – Rush Record, Executive Director, CASA (Mary)

“I believe the world is as we choose to view it. Simple as that. Our happiness is, in the end, up to us, and to no one else.” – Susan Fletcher – Writer

“Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.” – Dalai Lama – Spiritual Leader

“The world is changed by your example not by your opinion.” – Paulo Coelho – Lyricist-Novelist

ANNOUNCEMENTS

October 18 – CASA Dinner “Casablanca”, I-Hotel.  If you cannot attend, at least consider their “Adopt a Kid” program.   

EI Food Bank Food Truck – tentative distribution date October 19 in Clinton.   Wear a Rotary shirt.

District Conference – October 18-19, Doubletree, Bloomington.  Sign up before October 18 for one or two days. See the District website for details.

October 26 – Booth for World Polio Day at Market Place Mall.   Contact Darrell to sign up.

CU Sunrise Anniversary dinner, 5:30 PM October 29 at Biaggis. 

November 16 – Central Interact 5th Annual Turkey Trot, benefitting Salt and Light.   Volunteers needed from 8 – 11 AM.  Sign up with Michelle.

ASSEMBLY

Charlie two great Rotarians as part of “Know Your CU Sunrise Rotarian”.

Diana Dummitt was born in Mexico City.  She sometimes rode her horse to Morris High School.  She earned an undergraduate degree and a Master’s degree from the University of Illinois.     She earned a second Master’s degree from EIU where she also played volleyball.  She worked for the University as an academic professional.   Her favorite past time is spending time with her family.   Diana and her husband have two sons and a daughter.  Diana travels to New York and Virginia to visit her grandchildren.     

Ed Perry was born in Greenwich, CT.  He also lived in Davenport, IA, Park Forest and Morton, Illinois.   He graduated with a degree in architecture from the University of Illinois and worked as an architect and general contractor for English Brothers.  He owns three classic British cars.  His favorite volunteer activities are home improvement projects.  He has been married to Marti for almost 50 years and they have one son.  Interesting facts about Ed are: 1) He still uses a slide rule; 2) He once shook hands with Bobby Kennedy and 3) He tried out for the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team.

Tod and the Project Development Committee led a discussion about future volunteer opportunities.  The committee will continue its goal of one volunteer opportunity per month.

Diana is talking to Wylie Elementary School in Urbana about volunteer opportunities.   They have many third graders who cannot read, and we may be able to help by reading with them on a regular basis.  

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UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee member responsible listed in parentheses)

October 17th – Kelly White, Executive Director, 40 North | 88 West (Cary)

October 24th – Rob Dalhaus from CU at Home (Charlie)

October 29th – Tuesday – C-U Sunrise Rotary Charter Anniversary banquet at Biaggi’s

October 31st – No regular meeting (5th Thursday) – 

November 7th – Shannon O’Rourke Kasali, who was both a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar and A Rotary Peace Scholar (Mary)

November 14th – District Governor Julie Dobski

November 21st – “A geneticist’s perspective on how the brain works” – Dr. Stephanie Ceman, Associate Professor, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, UIUC, and the Carle Illinois College of Medicine. (Ondine)

November 28th – TBD 

December 5th – John Paul Buzard from Buzard Pipe Organ Builders will speak to our club about building organs (Bob)

December 12th – TBD

December 19th – CUSR Holiday Party

December 26th – No meeting

January 2nd – TBD

“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” – Mark Twain – 1835-1910 – Writer-Publisher-Lecturer-Entrepreneur

“Colors are brighter when the mind is open.” – Adriana Alarcon – Author

“Life is like a balloon. If you never let yourself go, you will never know how far you can rise!” – Linda Poindexter – Writer-Humorist

ANNOUNCEMENTS
(Notes provided by Allan Penwell)

Larry announced that we had a good turnout for the repack at Eastern Illinois Food Bank last Friday. We packaged 2,040 meals of elbow macaroni.

There is a note from Phyllis that volunteers are needed for the hazardous waste drop off at Market Place Mall. Call Phyllis for details.

Be sure to sign up for our charter anniversary dinner on October 29^th at Biaggi’s.

We have names for two of our membership teams.  Team #3 is now the Baconators, and Team #2 is the Porridge Pack. Teams #1, #4, and #5 need to get busy with their team names.

Fast Eddie announced that we are in the middle of the pack on football guessing and only ½ of 1% behind first place.

Program

Lisa Wilson is the Executive Director of The Refugee Center in Champaign. She recently completed a 40 hour immigration law course co-sponsored by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center and the Illinois Coalition for immigrant and Refugee Rights. Lisa joined us last Thursday to tell us about her organization.

The Refugee Center was created in 1980 and is located next to the C-U Public Health District on Kenyon Road. The original purpose was to help refugees from Vietnam, but it assists all immigrants as well as refugees. Recently The Center has seen more refugees from Afghanistan as these are families who have helped the U.S. to fight the anti-government forces in their former country.  Refugees of other countries are from the Congo, Honduras, and Vietnam.

The Center helps refugees to adapt to life in C-U with housing, food, the bus system, school, and to find work. The basics for new arrivals are to obtain a social security number and enroll them in an ESL program to learn English. Language is the biggest problem, and it usually takes two years for the refugees to find the skills to adapt to their new life.

The number of immigrants (and refugees) continues to grow in our community with an estimated population of 24,000 which is about 11% of the total. In a recent quarter, The Center served 331 individuals of 56 families. For the past year, there are over 2,200 who are served.

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UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee member responsible listed in parentheses)

October 3rd – Lisa Wilson, Executive Director, East Central Illinois Refugee Mutual Assistance Center (ECIRMAC) (Mary)

October 10th – Club Assembly

October 17th – Kelly White, Executive Director, 40 North | 88 West (Cary)

October 24th – Rob Dalhaus from CU at Home (Charlie)

October 29th – Tuesday – C-U Sunrise Rotary Charter Anniversary banquet at Biaggi’s

October 31st – No regular meeting (5th Thursday) – 

November 7th – Shannon O’Rourke Kasali, who was both a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar and A Rotary Peace Scholar (Mary)

November 14th – District Governor Julie Dobski

November 21st – “A geneticist’s perspective on how the brain works” – Dr. Stephanie Ceman, Associate Professor, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, UIUC, and the Carle Illinois College of Medicine. (Ondine)

November 28th – TBD 

December 5th – John Paul Buzard from Buzard Pipe Organ Builders will speak to our club about building organs (Bob)

December 12th – TBD

December 19th – CUSR Holiday Party