September, 2020

 

Don Meyer, District 5970 Foundation Chair

 
Foundation First newsletter
September, 2020
 
 
 
Dear Rotarians,
 
Our thoughts and prayers are with all our Rotary friends in Cedar Rapids and everyone in the Cedar Rapids area for enduring an unimaginable derecho storm.  I can’t imagine being without power, food, water, and even shelter, for that amount of time.  Hats off to the utility crews that worked day and night to restore power, neighbors helping neighbors clear their yards, and volunteers coming in to offer assistance. 
 
I’m very pleased to announce that District 5970 applied for and received another $25,000 Disaster Response Grant to respond to the crisis in Cedar Rapids.  The funds will be given to HACAP, the regional food bank that is currently providing $5,000 of food each day to those in need.  Our grant will feed those without food for five days. 
 
This is the second Disaster Response Grant our District has received in the last 5 months.  The first $25,000 grant, as you recall, was used for club projects that fought against the Covid-19 pandemic.  I know there are clubs who offered their own assistance to Cedar Rapids with food and supplies.  Thank you all for your service!
 
Global Scholar Updates
 
Connor Roth, our 2019-20 Global Scholar will be finishing up her year of study this month at the University of Sussex in Brighton, England.  She has done extremely well with her program of study in Peace and Conflict Resolution.  Connor is excited to give us this report:
 
“I recently received my second semester grades, which all stem from a final research paper we submit. I'm happy to share that while I received what transfers to an A+ on each paper, in my Hate Crime and Sexual Violence class I received the highest grade in the class and one that denotes publishable research! It is quite rare to get this high of a score in a Master's program so I was very happy to get such a great mark!”
 
Congratulations, Connor!  Keep up the great work!
 
Rebecca Draus is our 2020-21 Global Scholar, sponsored by the Bellevue Rotary Club.  She‘ll be studying at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.  Her area of study is Basic Education and Literacy.  She will earn a Masters Degree in Library Studies with the goal of becoming a literacy and education librarian to support teachers and educators in the communities in which she lives.  Rebecca has not been able to travel to Scotland yet due to Rotary’s travel ban and will likely begin classes online. 
 
       Rebecca Draus                                        Connor Roth
2020-21 Global Scholar                         2019-20 Global Scholar
 
 
Do You Know Your Club’s Foundation Giving Goals?
 
Thanks to the 40 clubs who have entered their Foundation Giving goals on Rotary’s website.  If you do not know what your club’s goals are, ask your President or Club Foundation Chair.  It’s important for every member to know what the goal is, and to know of the progress being made each month toward the goal.  
 
There are 11 clubs who have yet to enter their goals.  Please be sure to enter the goals as soon as you can.   Everybody loves to show progress, but you won’t show any progress until you set the goal.  Thanks!  
 
Yours in Rotary,
Don Meyer
District Foundation Chair                                                                                                                              
 
 
                                   

Donald Meyer

District 5970 Foundation Chair

donald.meyer@wartburg.edu