“It is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer – 1906-1945 – German Protestant pastor, theologian, anti-Nazi dissident

“The real gift of gratitude is that the more grateful you are, the more present you become.” – Robert Holden – Author-Psychologist

“The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you.” – BB King – 1925-2015-Singer-Songwriter

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(notes provided by the erudite Mary Hodson)

November Bucket Bucks will be directed to The Angel Forever Foundation.

There are still slots open for Salvation Army Bellringing.   Contact Mary Kay to sign up.

Jarrod announced he is making pancake sweaters to distribute on Black Friday.  Contact Jarrod to place your order.

PROGRAM

Darrell introduced Dean Dempsey, a member of the Bitter Water Clan of the Navajo Nation.  His parents emphasized education as a way of rising out of the poverty of the reservation.   He attended DeVry University and now lives in Danville.

The Navajo Nation is the largest full blooded Native American Community in the world.   The Navajo reservation covers parts of New Mexico, Arizona and Utah.  The federal government owns the land and exercises control over the reservation.    The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) must approve how the tribe spends money and they do not trust the natives with funding for infrastructure programs.

One in five households on Navajo land lack access to running water.   Some families cannot afford electricity so they live without both water and electricity.  The reservation has been hard hit by the COVID-19 global pandemic.   Some residents must travel hours to reach one of the few clinics or hospitals.

Dean still has family living on the reservation.  His uncle delivers water to families who do not have access to running water.   He was using his own truck and made many trips to deliver water from an artesian well.   Dean started a Go Fund Me page called “Water for Oak Springs” to raise the money for his uncle to buy a water truck.   They now have a new Facebook page with a donation button, and the Go Fund Me page is still open.

Rotary clubs from California and Nevada help install wells through a project called “Dig Deep”.   They started on the east side of the reservation and are gradually working west.

Dean can be reached at tcoakville@gmail.com or 505-407-7402.

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

*All meetings via Zoom unless otherwise noted*

November 26th – No meeting – Thanksgiving

December 3rd – Susan Zola (Mary)

December 10th – Tracy Parsons (Ondine)

December 17th – C-U Sunrise Rotary Holiday Party (held during normal meeting time)

December 24th – No meeting

December 31st – Regular meeting canceled; social at 7pm (location TBD)

January 7th – TBD

January 14th – TBD

January 21st – TBD

January 28th – TBD

“I look at life as an almost infinite series of existential incidents which are strung together like a string of pearls.  Nobody knows how long it will be, but if you take each pearl or live each instant as you’re in that instant, there is nothing you cannot endure.” –Ernie Chambers – politician, civil rights activist

“If you don’t value your time, neither will others.” –Kim Garst – Author-Keynote Speaker

“Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we’ll ever do.” – Brene Brown – Research Professor

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(notes provided by the distinguished gentleman from Connecticut, Ed Perry)

James Taylor joined us this morning in singing America the Beautiful.

This year’s CU Sunrise Rotary Fruit Sale Fundraiser is entering the final days. Please get all your orders into Darrell by November 20th. Darrell will send out a club listing of his record for the number of cases ordered by each individual. Please double check his listing with your own records.  Development Services Center will be this year’s recipient of our fundraiser.

Get your order in for the Champaign West Poinsettia sale to Tom Hodson at TZHodson@gmail.com. $10 for each plant.

Mary Kay sent out the signup sheet for our Salvation Army Bell ringing to take place on December 12, at the Walmart on north Prospect. There are a few openings that still need to be filled.

Diana requested that anyone interested in helping with our club’s Virtual Holiday Party to please contact her.

Phyllis described how the $2,000 grant, “Reach Out and Read”,  will help Promise health Care’s doctors to distribute books to young readers.

This month’s Bucket money will go to the Angel Forever organization. 

PROGRAM

Danielle Matthews and Jodie Harmon of the Developmental Services Center (DSC) presented information about the services DSC provides. DSC’s mission is to support people in living a rich and meaningful life.

Founded in 1972, DSC provides services to over a 1,000 individuals in Champaign and Ford counties. DSC supports individuals who have developmental and intellectual disabilities. Jodie presented examples of this support in the following categories: Family Development, Employment services, Community Day Services, Residential Services, and Case Management and Family Support.

Family Development

This service provides early identification, early intervention and family support for infants and toddlers. Over 700 individuals have been served and 146 development screenings have performed in the past year. 

Employment Services

130 individuals have been matched up this year with employers, community groups and clubs. Each year DSC recognizes employees and companies who have contributed to this program’s success. DSC has just opened a retail space at 110 W. University in Champaign, “The Crow at 110”, where soaps, artwork, and jewelry are being made by 40 DSC individuals and are now ready for sale. 

Community Day Services

This part of operation was closed from March to September due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this program is back up and running at approximately 55%. The focus is to strengthen ties with the community by providing in person volunteers for clubs and groups. 

Residential Services

DSC provides support to 8 group homes and 49 individual living arrangements to help integrate young adults into the community.

Case Management and Individual Support

364 individuals are served with personal case management and family support.

DSC’s big annual fundraiser “Tree of Hope” begins this month and runs till January. Their goal this year is to raise $175,000.       

For additional information see www.dsc-illinos.org.  

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

*All meetings via Zoom unless otherwise noted*

November 19th – Dean Dempsey, a member of the Navajo nation, who is organizing a project to bring water to tribe members who have water challenges in the best of times (Darrell)

November 26th – No meeting – Thanksgiving

December 3rd – Susan Zola (Mary)

December 10th – Tracy Parsons (Ondine)

December 17th – C-U Sunrise Rotary Holiday Party (held during normal meeting time)

December 24th – No meeting

December 31st – Regular meeting canceled; social at 7pm (location TBD)

January 7th – TBD

January 14th – TBD

January 21st – TBD

January 28th – TBD

“There are years that ask questions and years that answer.” –Zora Neale Hurston – 1891-1960 – author, anthropologist, filmmaker

“Thinking should become your capital asset, no matter whatever ups and downs you come across in your life.” – A.P.J. Abdul Kalam – 1931-2015 – Former President of India

“Everyday gratitude sweetens what appears flavorless and brightens all that appears dim.” – Amy Leigh Mercree – Author

ANNOUNCEMENTS
(notes provided by the unconventional and unorthodox Paul Conforti)

Champaign West Rotary will once again sell holiday poinsettias to support the club’s charitable allocations. Checks are made payable to “CWRC” (Champaign West Rotary Charities). Credit card payments are accepted on the sales form. Businesses can be invoiced. Plants sell for $10 each (red, white or pink in color). Purchases of 12 or more are eligible for delivery. Final date to order is November 27th, 2020. Contact Tom Hodson at TZHodson@gmail.com.

The famous C-U Sunrise Rotary Fruit Sale has begun.  This year we are accepting online orders at:

https://forms.gle/8xrTw547Dd7BtQwx8

Our club will ring the bell for the Salvation Army on Saturday, December 12 from 10am – 7pm outside Walmart on Prospect. President Mary will distribute a signup sheet.

Our club has received $2000 Reach Out and Read District grant which will go to Promise Health Care.

November Bucket Bucks will go to the Angel Forever Foundation. December Bucket Bucks will go to Grand Prairie Friends.  Send your Bucket Buck checks to:

Lou Simpson

1408 S Hillcrest St

Urbana, IL 61801-5002

PROGRAM

This week’s speaker was Sam Banks, CEO and Executive Director, of the Don Moyer Boys & Girls Club in Champaign.

The mission of the club is to meet youth where they are and understand what they need to grow and succeed. They emphasize three key areas: Academic Success, Good Character and Citizenship, and Healthy Lifestyles. These areas provide a platform for helping kids build the skills and relationships needed to achieve a great future.

With a staff of 12 full-time employees, 9 part-time employees, and a host of volunteers (many from the University of Illinois) the first goal for every kid every day is to provide a smile and friendship because that needs to be a part of every child’s day.

The Academic Support Program runs from September through May from 8am until 5pm and costs $20/year. Yes, $20 per year!

Elementary Summer Camp (K-5) runs from mid-June through July from 9am – 5pm and costs $125 per child. Teen Summer Camp (grades 6-12) is from 6pm – 9pm and is free.

The annual budget for Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club is $6 million with 70% of that budget coming from donations and fund raising.

Currently there are two club locations. The main location is at 201 E Park St in Champaign, and the second location is at JW Eater Junior High School in Rantoul.

Next year, a third location will open in partnership with the Champaign Park District at the newly constructed Martens Center at 1501 N Market Street in Champaign next to Human Kinetics. This location will allow the Boys and Girls Club to expand elementary programs from 100 to 200 kids daily and allow an expansion of teen programs at the Park Street location.

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

*All meetings via Zoom unless otherwise noted*

November 12th – Danielle Matthews, CEO of Developmental Services Center and Jodie Harmon, DSC’s Director of Development and Communications (Cary)

November 19th – Dean Dempsey, a member of the Navajo nation, who is organizing a project to bring water to tribe members who have water challenges in the best of times (Darrell)

November 26th – No meeting – Thanksgiving

December 3rd – Susan Zola (Mary)

December 10th – TBD

December 17th – TBD

December 24th – TBD

December 31st – TBD

January 7th – TBD

January 14th – TBD

January 21st – TBD

January 28th – TBD

“The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” – Ralph Nader – Author-Activist

“Beautiful things take time.” – Unknown

The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials. – Chinese Proverb

ANNOUNCEMENTS

There was no regular meeting last week.  Instead, a social was hosted at Riggs Brewery in Urbana.

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

*All meetings via Zoom unless otherwise noted*

November 5th – Sam Banks, President/CEO, Don Moyer Boys & Girls Club (Bob)

November 12th – Danielle Matthews, CEO of Developmental Services Center and Jodie Harmon, DSC’s Director of Development and Communications (Cary)

November 19th – Dean Dempsey, a member of the Navajo nation, who is organizing a project to bring water to tribe members who have water challenges in the best of times (Darrell)

November 26th – No meeting – Thanksgiving

December 3rd – Susan Zola (Mary)

December 10th – TBD

December 17th – TBD

December 24th – TBD

December 31st – TBD

January 7th – TBD

January 14th – TBD

January 21st – TBD

January 28th – TBD