“Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go.” – Hermann Hesse – 1877-1962 – Poet

 

“Feasts must be solemn and rare, or else they cease to be feasts.” – Aldous Huxley – 1894-1963 – Writer

 

“Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” – Marie Curie – 1867-1934 – French-Polish Physicist

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(Notes provided by Allan Penwell)

 

Bucket money for May will go to CU at Home.  For June, bucket money will go to Cunningham Township Angel Fund.

 

 

FROM THE DESK OF PRESIDENT DARRELL

 

For those members who paid ahead on meals, let us know if you would like a refund or would like to have it transferred to the foundation, and we could use it for purposes like the enchanted Bucket Money. This is an individual decision. The total amount is $1,337.

 

Oktay will be seeking nominations for the various awards. Please participate and make a nomination. A lot of different people have made sure we got a lot done this year, so take a few minutes and respond to Oktay’s request.

 

Dues are coming due soon. Many of us have been lucky throughout this unusual time, but some of us may have been furloughed or had their pay reduced. Please reach out privately, and we will make some kind of arrangements. While your dues and donations help the cause, your presence trumps all of that and we want to keep our Rotary family whole during this time.

 

PROGRAM

 

Phyllis introduced Debbie Hensleigh who is a local realtor and a volunteer for the food distribution program of Promise Healthcare known as Food as Medicine. Some of us have helped in re-bagging efforts, and Phyllis continues to send us volunteer opportunities. CUSR has also provided them with a $2,000 Rotary District Grant for their operations.

 

The Food as Medicine program teams with Frances Nelson Health Center to provide nutritious food primarily to low income Latino patients and families. Many of these families are from Guatemala and favor their own native foods such as masa flour, rice, dried black beans, and hard-to-get fresh produce. Debbie scours Champaign and Bloomington sources to find these specialties.

 

Sources she mentioned were Eastern Illinois Food Bank, Midwest Food Bank, and El Progreso grocery store. Each family is provided with a bag that provides 2-3 days of food and health information. The list of recipients has grown from 40 up to 80 families. These are families without food stamp benefits, and they are very, very grateful for this assistance. In addition to food, families desperately need diapers in sizes 4, 5, and 6.

 

Debbie talked about her focus on helping people approach the “ThirdThird” of their life (ages 60-90) with the purpose of making it the BEST Third. That’s completely possible with thought and action. She is leading the way and inspires others to design their own BEST “ThirdThird.”

 

In addition to all of the above, Debbie is hosting a dog as part of the breeding program of Leader Dogs for the Blind. 

 

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  May 14th May 21st May 28th
       
Reflection Keith Brandau Eddie Bridges Paul Conforti
Notetaker Hodson Conforti Perry
       
       

 

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

 

*The following meeting dates and speakers are included for reference purposes only.  At this time, it is not clear which speakers will still be available to speak on the listed dates.*

 

May 14th – 

May 21st – Jean Driscoll will discuss her experience as a wheelchair athlete as well as working for the University of Illinois (Bob)

May 28th – TBD (Charlie)

June 4th – TBD (David)

June 11th – TBD (Cary)

June 18th – TBD (Ondine)

June 25th – Pass the Gavel ceremony