Join us on September 19 to hear Georgia Winson, World Affairs Council of Central Illinois, describe the history and activities of this Council. See Upcoming Programs and Events below for more details.
Sabo Presentation on Plans for Homeless Individuals
This past week on Monday, September 12, at our weekly Rotary meeting our guest speaker was Josh Sabo of the Heartland Continuum of Care. He spoke in considerable detail about a coordinated effort of 20 different organizations within Springfield to pursue a comprehensive long-term approach to resolving problems associated with homelessness in our community. Earlier in the day, Mr. Sabo addressed the Springfield City Council on this topic. His principal task is to ensure communication among these social service and other organizations, and, as appropriate, coordinate activities of those who have a role in assisting the homeless. He acknowledged that past efforts to address homelessness in Springfield have lacked focus as well as funding. He is hopeful that this current initiative will result in more – and more varied – housing options for the homeless, as well as more organizational support to transition the homeless to stable and permanent living situations.
Second Annual Rotary Chicken Dinner
REMINDER: The 2nd ANNUAL ROTARY CLUB CHICKEN DINNER is scheduled for this weekend: Saturday (September 17, 4-7 PM) and Sunday (September 18, 12-3 PM) at Casey’s Pub, on the corner of West Iles and Meadowbrook in Springfield. Once again this year, all five Springfield Rotary Clubs are joint sponsors. All profits will be designated for Polio Plus, Rotary International’s endeavor to eradicate polio from the planet.
Thanks in advance to those who have volunteered to work this event.
September 19 Meeting Features World Affairs Council of Central Illinois
This Monday, September 19, our Speaker will be Georgia Winson of the World Affairs Council of Central Illinois (lead image). She will talk about the history and activities of the Council. As always, guests are welcome to join us. For more information, see Upcoming Programs and Events below.
Our September 19 club meeting will be hybrid with the opportunity to dine in person at Maldaners Upstairs or dine at home by ordering a meal to pick up behind Maldaners. In either case, make a reservation!
All meals include the main course, sides, salad, and dessert. Take out meals are well packaged, and are hand delivered by Maldaner's staff, sometimes by Chef Michael Higgins!
Please make reservations for dining in or take out so we can estimate our food needs and so Maldaners knows you are coming. The deadline for reserving dinner for the September 19 meeting is Monday, September 19 at noon. Meals are $15 each. Please use the following link to make your reservations for the meal for dining in or pickup by clicking:
For curbside takeout, please place your meal tickets or cash in an envelope with your name and “for Sheila Mack” on the outside of the envelope and give it to the Maldaners staff member that gives you your food. They will get the envelopes to Sheila Mack. Curbside pickup is between 4:45 and 5:15 p.m. To pick up food, turn into the alley behind the building and pick up the food at the back door. It's easy to pick up your food an the food is delicious!
September 19 — Georgia Winson, World Affairs Council of Central Illinois, History and Activities of the WACCI
Georgia Winson, board member of the World Affairs Council of Central Illinois (WACCI), will attend our September 19 meeting to provide an overview of WACCI's mission and history. WACCI's focus on local engagement for personal, community, and global impact is closely aligned with Rotary's mission to "advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace." WACCI increases understanding and global citizenship through an expert lecture series that speaks to the critical issues that affect our world. Georgia is an LCPC in private practice with Psychological Services of Central Illinois. She was recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow as a result of her international work as Executive Director of Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach.
The flyer above provides the details on the second annual fried chicken dinner fundraiser (September 17-18, 2022). All of the Rotary Clubs of Springfield have joined together to sponsor this fundraiser. Members from all clubs sold tickets to pick up packaged chicken dinners at Casey's Pub, 2200 Meadowbrook Dr. in Springfield on Saturday, September 17 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. and Sunday, September 18 (noon to 3:00 p.m.).
Thanks to those who sold tickets and signed up to volunteer at the event. Please reach out to either Barry Tobias (btobias@cisco.com) or Christine Banks if your have any questions about tickets, volunteering, or any other issue related to this fundraiser. The image shows Vicki Megginson volunteering at last year's event. Volunteer tasks include dishing up the dinners and directing customers who are picking up meals.
Thanks for your support. This year's proceeds will go to PolioPlus.
In September, the Inbound Rotary Exchange students received their District pins at a Fun Weekend in Jacksonville. The image below shows our Inbound student, Tawan-o ”Mark” Sirchote from Bangkok, Thailand, receiving his pin, flanked by District Rotary Youth Exchange Chair Beth Allen and District Governor Bill Durall.
Rotary District Governor Nominee, Mike Martin from District 6490, David Fowler, Foundation President from Rotary Club of Springfield, Il., in partnership with Midwest Mission from Pawnee, Illinois, delivered 28,266 pounds of hand sanitizer and sanitizer wipes, on August 16th to Pikeville, Kentucky where it was unloaded by the Pike County Emergency Management Team.
The twenty-four pallets of donated Goop hand sanitizer and sanitizer wipes were donated by Ameren Corporation of Illinois/Missouri to the nonprofit, Computer Banc in Springfield, Illinois which facilitated the donation receipt, transportation, and storage for the effort. The Midwest Mission also donated half a semi-trailer of requested buckets, mops, and other needed tools for the rescue effort.
In response to the recent devastating flooding in Eastern Kentucky, the Pikeville Rotary Club, under the leadership of District Rotary Foundation Chair, PDG Rakesh Sachdeva, answered the call to serve. Both Illinois Rotary clubs donated funds to assist in the delivery expenses of the products to Kentucky. Our club donated $500 to cover part of the cost of the Midwest Mission semi-expenses.
Rotary officials, including Pikeville Rotary President Kay Hammond, Karen Roberts-Prater, Shelly Justice Fouts, and Novella Froman pose for a photo (image below) with Pike Emergency Management Director Nee Jackson and former Emergency Management Director Doug Tackett, as well as a volunteer driver from Illinois who brought a truckload of supplies to help Eastern Kentucky flood victims.
Thanks to our loyal Flag Service volunteers, flags were picked up following Patriots Day on September 11. This was our last Flag Service Project deployment and pick up for 2022! Flags and other materials are safely stored in the storage facility. Proceeds from this project support our community grants program.
Posted by Rotary Clubs of Springfield Sunrise and Springfield Westside
Please join us for a PolioPlus fundraiser on Thursday, Oct. 13, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Illini Country Club. This will be a wonderful opportunity to connect and mingle with other Rotarians, their families, and friends. All proceeds will go towards PolioPlus. Please see the invitation pasted below for full details, including ticket prices.
Sincerely, Elizabeth Murer, President, Rotary Club of Springfield - Sunrise & Nicole Pacheco, President, Rotary Club of Springfield - Westside
Our Ridgely micro pantry (image above) and little library (image on left) have officially made their way back outside the building for the community to use once again! Thanks to Vicki Megginson for the image above of the well-stocked micro pantry after she added nutritious food during her August shift. Please feel free to drop off any food/toiletries/cleaning supplies as you see fit. With school back in session, families need these things now more than ever! As a reminder, here are the Rotarians who signed up for a slot in August and September- August A- Bill Sturm, August B- Vicki Megginson, September A- Christine Banks, September B- Harry Mitchell. I encourage everyone to look at this list of Community Gardens and fill the pantry with local fresh fruits and vegetables whenever you're able- https://www.growspringfield.org/gardendirectory. You can see from the image on left, also provided by Vicki Megginson, the Little Library needs more books.
Ridgely School Supply Drive
We will once again be collecting school supplies for the wonderful teachers and staff at Ridgely Elementary. The school districts have once again received a grant that will cover all basic supplies. Most needed items this year include Wet Ones wipes, dry erase markers, Kleenex (image on right), all size Ziplock bags, and gift cards so the teachers can supplement what they need! Please bring these items with you to our next meeting, or coordinate pick up with Megan at 217-801-6452.
Rotary Service Volunteer Corp
We would like to start an email list that will get sent to members of the community who may not have the time or monetary capability to become Rotarians but would like to help those who need it most, and we need your help collecting names and organizations who may be interested in receiving those emails! We will utilize Sign Up Genius to fill slots, and we encourage all ages to join this unique volunteer opportunity. I am working on getting a flyer together, but in the mean time, please send over any leads you have to Megan at mnorman@familiadental.com.
Professional Clothing Drive at All in One Laundry
Anytime between now and the end of September, please bring your professional clothing in to club meetings to donate to the Springfield Chamber of Commerce's Professional Clothing Drive. Most needed items include blazers, blouses, slacks, button ups, suits, dress shirts, etc. They will be gathering that clothing, pressing and cleaning, and distributing everything to the community on October 12. Look for more information to come on possible volunteer opportunities at this event.
Central IL Foodbank
Special thanks are due to the Rotary Club members who volunteered at the Central Illinois Foodbank on September 1. Kirk, Ross, and I joined two non-Rotarian volunteers to sort and label 1,800 lbs. of canned goods (image below) and also packed and weighed boxes of fruit.
We are repeating a list of suggestions of foods and other items to stock in the Ridgely Food Pantry. These suggestions came from people who use food pantries to help feed their families.
1. Everyone donates Kraft Mac and Cheese in the box. They can rarely use it because it needs milk and butter, which is difficult to get from regular food banks. 2. Boxed milk is a treasure, as kids need it for cereal, which they also get a lot of. 3. Everyone donates pasta sauce and spaghetti noodles. 4. They cannot eat all the awesome canned veggies and soup unless you put a can opener in too or buy pop tops.* 5. Oil is a luxury and needed for Rice a-Roni, which they also get a lot of. 6. Spices or salt and pepper would be a real Holiday gift. 7. Tea bags and coffee make them feel like you care. 8. Sugar and flour are treats. 9. They fawn over fresh produce donated by farmers and grocery stores. 10. Seeds are cool in Spring and Summer because growing can be easy for some. 11. They rarely get fresh meat. 12. Tuna and crackers make a good lunch. 13. Hamburger Helper goes nowhere without ground beef. 14. They get lots of peanut butter and jelly but usually not sandwich bread. 15. Butter or margarine is nice too. 16. Eggs are a real commodity. 17. Cake mix and frosting makes it possible to make a child’s birthday cake. 18. Dishwashing detergent is very expensive and is always appreciated. 19. Feminine hygiene products are a luxury and women will cry over that. 20. Everyone loves Stove Top Stuffing.
* At our November 29 club meeting, Ross Hodel reported that he followed this advice and stocked numerous can openers in the Ridgely Pantry. He noted that they were quickly snapped up.
Do you know or are you someone who has a passion to give back to your community? The Rotarians in this image are helping pack essential items for the Illinois Police Department to give to homeless individuals in our community. As a Rotarian, you adhere to the principles of the 4-way Test., which are:
Is it the Truth?
Is it Fair to all concerned?
Will it build Good Will and Better Friendships?
Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?
If you find value in these ideals and want to be part of a great organization, right click on the attached link to open our Membership Application in a new window. You can also download a copy of the Membership Application from our Club's website Home Page (www.spirotary.org) in the Download Files section. You can send the completed application to the Membership Committee at illinoisdelta@hotmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
Please email images of service activities to Bonnie Styles at bonstyles@yahoo.com. It's easy to take pictures if you have a smartphone, but even an old style camera works just fine. Send me an email (bonstyles@yahoo.com) to let me know when you will be volunteering for a service project, and I will come out and take some images.
Be sure to turn in your Flag Service Project hours, Central IL Foodbank hours (image below), and any other volunteer hours that you have not reported.
This past week on Monday, September 12, at our weekly Rotary meeting our guest speaker was Josh Sabo of the Heartland Continuum of Care. He spoke in considerable detail about a coordinated effort of 20 different organizations within Springfield to pursue a comprehensive long-term approach to resolving problems associated with homelessness in our community. Earlier in the day, Mr. Sabo addressed the Springfield City Council on this topic. His principal task is to ensure communication among these social service and other organizations, and, as appropriate, coordinate activities of those who have a role in assisting the homeless. He acknowledged that past efforts to address homelessness in Springfield have lacked focus as well as funding. He is hopeful that this current initiative will result in more – and more varied – housing options for the homeless, as well as more organizational support to transition the homeless to stable and permanent living situations.
REMINDER: The 2nd ANNUAL ROTARY CLUB CHICKEN DINNER is scheduled for this weekend: Saturday (September 17, 4-7 PM) and Sunday (September 18, 12-3 PM) at Casey’s Pub, on the corner of West Iles and Meadowbrook in Springfield. Once again this year, all five Springfield Rotary Clubs are joint sponsors. All profits will be designated for Polio Plus, Rotary International’s endeavor to eradicate polio from the planet. 
For curbside takeout, please place your meal tickets or cash in an envelope with your name and “for Sheila Mack” on the outside of the envelope and give it to the Maldaners staff member that gives you your food. They will get the envelopes to Sheila Mack. Curbside pickup is between 4:45 and 5:15 p.m. To pick up food, turn into the alley behind the building and pick up the food at the back door. It's easy to pick up your food an the food is delicious!
Rotary District Governor Nominee, Mike Martin from District 6490, David Fowler, Foundation President from Rotary Club of Springfield, Il., in partnership with Midwest Mission from Pawnee, Illinois, delivered 28,266 pounds of hand sanitizer and sanitizer wipes, on August 16th to Pikeville, Kentucky where it was unloaded by the Pike County Emergency Management Team.
Thanks to our loyal Flag Service volunteers, flags were picked up following Patriots Day on September 11. This was our last Flag Service Project deployment and pick up for 2022! Flags and other materials are safely stored in the storage facility. Proceeds from this project support our community grants program.
Our Ridgely micro pantry (image above) and little library (image on left) have officially made their way back outside the building for the community to use once again! Thanks to Vicki Megginson for the image above of the well-stocked micro pantry after she added nutritious food during her August shift. Please feel free to drop off any food/toiletries/cleaning supplies as you see fit. With school back in session, families need these things now more than ever! As a reminder, here are the Rotarians who signed up for a slot in August and September- August A- Bill Sturm, August B- Vicki Megginson, September A- Christine Banks, September B- Harry Mitchell. I encourage everyone to look at this list of Community Gardens and fill the pantry with local fresh fruits and vegetables whenever you're able- 
We will once again be collecting school supplies for the wonderful teachers and staff at Ridgely Elementary. The school districts have once again received a grant that will cover all basic supplies. Most needed items this year include Wet Ones wipes, dry erase markers, Kleenex (image on right), all size Ziplock bags, and gift cards so the teachers can supplement what they need! Please bring these items with you to our next meeting, or coordinate pick up with Megan at 217-801-6452.
Anytime between now and the end of September, please bring your professional clothing in to club meetings to donate to the Springfield Chamber of Commerce's Professional Clothing Drive. Most needed items include blazers, blouses, slacks, button ups, suits, dress shirts, etc. They will be gathering that clothing, pressing and cleaning, and distributing everything to the community on October 12. Look for more information to come on possible volunteer opportunities at this event. 
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