September Foundation Greeting from Michelle Bell
It’s so hard for me to believe September is here already. It’s begun to feel like fall, and my twin boys are starting their senior year of high school. Where does the time go?
We still have 10 months left of the Rotary year and much still to accomplish.
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Watch for more information about the October deadline for Global Scholars, a program where your club can sponsor a grad student to get a degree at an International University.
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World Polio Day is Oct. 24, and we encourage you to plan an event to increase awareness of Polio eradication.
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November is Foundation Month. You will have an opportunity to hear Foundation Trustee Mary Beth Growney Selene speak about the Rotary Foundation at a noon event in Cedar Rapids on Monday, Nov. 6.
Please let me or any other district leadership personnel know how we can help you on this journey. It’s a great time to be a Rotarian!
Calling on District 5970 Clubs to put service above self!
Guaranteeing universal access to sanitation in homes is essential to reducing disease and improving nutrition, safety, wellness, and educational opportunities, especially for women and young girls.
Managua Rotary and Cedar Rapids Metro North Rotary Clubs, in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity Nicaragua, have joined forces to improve sanitation conditions for 60 Nicaraguan families (around 300 people) who live in poverty.
The total project budget for this Global Grant is $95,000, and we are calling upon other clubs in District 5970 to help reach the goal. Contact Metro North Rotarian Patti Kunz at pattikunz@cvhabitat.org or 563-590-4140 to learn how your club can get involved and change the lives of 300 people in Nicaragua!
District Grant benefits Bellevue literacy project
The Bellevue Rotary Club continued its emphasis on literacy with a $3,200 project targeted to children from birth to age 5.
Books for Beginners was a collaboration between Bellevue Rotarians, who provided boo
ks, and Bellevue Medical Associates Clinic, where
Dr. Jeffrey Hunter (left) emphasizes the importance of reading during children’s wellness checks at 2, 9, 12, and 15 months, and ages 3, 4, and 5.
At these visits the doctor encourages parents to read 20 minutes a day with their child and gives each young patient an age-appropriate book.
“The goal is to embed the routine of reading into the life of the family by the time a child begins kindergarten,” said Rotarian Linda Nudd, who spearheaded the project and worked with Dr. Hunter and his nurse to determine how it would be sustained.
Approximately 300 children and their families benefited from this program. The Rotary club patronized a local bookstore, The Book Worm, and negotiated a 10 percent discount on books. The club raised $1,706 for the project, including funds from their work at a Heritage Days food booth in July 2016. A District Grant provided an additional $1,500.
The local clinic expressed its gratitude in an email to Nudd that read, “Thank you to you and Rotary for the opportunity to be able to provide books to the young children we see in the office. Reading is very important for children, and Medical Associates in Bellevue is proud to be part of this program.”
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