“You build on failure. Use it as a stepping stone and close the door on the past. Don’t try to forget the mistakes, but don’t dwell on it.” – Johnny Cash – 1932-2003 – Singer-Songwriter-Musician-Actor

 

“You can’t knock on opportunity’s door and not be ready.”  – Bruno Mars – Singer-Songwriter-Producer-Musician

 

“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.” – Maya Angelou – 1928-2014 – Poet-Singer-Memoirist-Civil Rights Activist

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(notes provided by the erudite Mary Hodson)

 

Isabelle Hernandez’ dad, Alvaro, visited our meeting on March 9.  He is a member of the Champaign Rotary Club.

 

March 26 – Read Across America will be held at Lincoln Square from 10-1.

 

March 31 – Tour and Club Social at U of I Chez Center, starting at 6 PM.   Spouses welcome.

 

April 9 – Boneyard Clean Up Community Day at Scott Park on Springfield Ave.   Help with check in from 8:30 -11 or lunch 11-1.

  

 

PROGRAM

 

Mary introduced Marlin Livingston, member of Champaign West Rotary and CEO of Cunningham Children’s Home.    Marlin served 23 years in the Army National Guard and has over 30 years of experience in the field of child welfare.   He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the United Methodist Association and chairs their national accrediting body.   He and his wife have three sons and have been foster parents to over twenty foster children.

 

Cunningham Children’s Home has a staff of 400 and over $25 million in annual income, one fifth of which comes from fundraising.   A year ago, the US Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) asked Cunningham to apply to house unaccompanied minors who have crossed the border with Mexico.   Most are from Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rico and Venezuela.   Cunningham was one of two Illinois agencies chosen for their experience in dealing with young victims of trauma.   After submitting an 800-page application, Cunningham began receiving refugee children in April of last year.

 

The kids, aged 8-18, are fleeing gangs or prostitution and/or their parents have been murdered.  Typically, Cunningham will get 24 hours’ notice that they are to pick up 5-8 refugee children at O’Hare.  

 

Within 48 hours the kids have a zoom meeting in a Chicago immigration court and they must be given the opportunity to telephone their US contact, if they have one.   Within 72 hours, they must have a complete physical and vaccinations.   Cunningham then has 30 days to settle the kids with their US family or friends or a foster home.  Over 80% do have family or friends, documented or not, to go to, and Cunningham staff flies all over the US to deliver the kids to their US placements.   The sponsor families receive no government support.

 

If a child turns 18 while at Cunningham, an ICE Agent will be there immediately to pick him or her up.   If, however, the kid has already been placed with a sponsor, the immigration process has begun, and the kid can stay in the US the 5-8 years it takes for their case to be processed in the immigration court.   Cunningham staff do everything they can to expedite the placement of children who are approaching the age of 18.

 

The ORR contract required Cunningham to keep refugees separate from the American kids, so Cunningham spent $1 million of their own funds to refurbish their “old” campus, now called “Caminos National”.   They hired 55 new staff, half of whom were required to be bilingual.   Cunningham staff are required to maintain “line of sight” supervision at all times except when the children are in the bathroom or changing clothes.   In thirty days, Cunningham teachers are required to give the kids an orientation to the US government.  They learn the Pledge of Allegiance and the history of Illinois.  Marlin said the children pick up English very quickly.

 

When the news of the contract reached the paper, Cunningham received calls from members of the community who were fearful that the kids might carry COVID-19.   But for some reason, the refugee kids have had much less incidence of COVID than the American kids at Cuningham.

 

Marlin said that the kids are “wonderful”.   They love to cook, garden and play soccer.   Cunningham has tried to get them to play basketball and other American style games but they just want to play soccer all day.

 

When asked what Rotarians could do to help, Marlin said that Cunningham needs board members, particularly ones with experience in finance or accounting.

 

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  Mar 17th Mar 24th Mar 31st April 7th
Introductions Allan Penwell Ed Perry Joe Rank Rod Roberts
Reflection Robb Patton Jerry Payonk Allan Penwell Ed Perry
Greeters Allan Penwell Ed Perry Joe Rank Rod Roberts
Mary Kay Smith Cary Woolard Eddie Bridges Paul Conforti
Notetaker Conforti Perry Hodson Conforti

 

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

 

March 17th – AG Michael Harris will discuss visiting Rotary Clubs around the world (Mary)

March 24th – Professor Fred Christensen, OLLIE presenter and president of the East Central Illinois Archeological Society will speak on “What history tells us about the Ukraine-Russian War” (Mary)

March 31st – TBD

April 7th – TBD

April 14th – TBD (Bob)

April 21st – Mayor Diane Marlin, City of Urbana (Cary)

April 28th – Jordan Dziura, the Executive Director at Illini Media Co., will discuss the Daily Illini’s 110th anniversary, upcoming reunion for IMC alums, and the future of college media (Charlie)

May 5th – TBD

May 12th – Scott Schwartz, Curator and Archivist for the Sousa Archives and Center for American Music, University of Illinois Library (Joe)

May 19th – Major General (ret) William L. Enyart (Mary)

May 26th – Jacque Kalipeni, representing the Kalipeni Foundation that helps communities in Malawi

June 2nd – TBD

June 9th – TBD

June 16th – TBD