Naomi Lynn drew the first choice for selecting the winning team (lead image), but March Madness did not end the way the DEI Divas planned! See the President's story below for the results of this fundraiser to help eradicate polio. Please join us in Maldaners Upstairs on April 14 for an important club assembly and update on plans to grow our membership. On April 21, UIS Rotaract Club President Romi Trujillo will speak about her experience at the February Rotary Peace Conference in Istanbul.
As we close out January, I’m proud to reflect on a month that embodied Rotary International’s theme of Vocational Service Month. Our Club demonstrated through learning, fellowship, and service how Rotarians put their professional skills and passions to work for the greater good of our community.
January notably marked an important milestone for our Club as we scheduled our first-ever lunchtime meeting. While weather conditions ultimately forced us to cancel the January 26th meeting due to a snow emergency and dangerously cold temperatures, the enthusiasm surrounding this new meeting option reaffirmed our goal of making Rotary accessible to more people with busy schedules. We are pleased to announce that we have re-scheduled our first monthly lunchtime meeting for February 16th, and as originally planned for the snowed-out January meeting, Larry Golden, Founder of the Illinois Innocence Project, will speak about this innovative project (image below). We will also offer lunchtime options in March, and April.
Our members were also honored to sponsor a table (lead image and image below) and join hundreds of community leaders, civic organizations, and elected officials at the Frontiers International Springfield Club’s 51st Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast on Martin Luther King Day. This year’s theme, “Have You Stopped Dreaming,” invited meaningful reflection on Dr. King’s enduring vision and our shared responsibility to invest in young people and families. Keynote speaker Erica Harold (image to right), Executive Director of the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism, delivered a powerful message rooted in her personal journey, reminding us that Dr. King’s call to love, perseverance, and action remains relevant today.
At our January 12th Club Assembly, we took time to look both backward and forward—reviewing what we accomplished in 2025 (see story in this Newsletter and first image below), where we stand today, and where we are headed in 2026. The discussion highlighted membership progress and challenges (second image below), leadership needs, and exciting ideas for increased visibility in the community, including plans for an all-Club float in local parades beginning with St. Patrick’s Day.
We were also pleased to have Ashley Dillingham as a guest at our Club Assembly (image to left). Having recently moved to Springfield from Effingham, Ashley, after the Club Assembly, chose to join our Club by transferring her membership from the Effingham Noon Rotary Club. She is an experienced Rotarian having served as a club president and as an Assistant District Governor. We’re excited to welcome her as a member of our Club!
We also kicked off the new year with an informative and inspiring update from Chris Richmond (image below), President of the Pillsbury Project. Chris shared how 2025 marked a turning point for Moving Pillsbury Forward, with major progress in cleanup, environmental remediation, demolition, and neighborhood revitalization. From responsibly recycling materials and saving millions of dollars to improving safety and quality of life, the project reflects what’s possible when collaboration, stewardship, and vision come together. We’re grateful to Chris for keeping our members informed on this important community issue.
One of the most tangible examples of Rotary’s impact this month was our continued commitment to literacy through our Little Library program. I extend our heartfelt thanks to Mary Riesling for her generous donation of hardcover and paperback books (image below). After learning about the program, Mary reached out and contributed a wonderful collection featuring authors such as David Baldacci, Harlan Coben, and John Sandford. These books will help spark imagination, learning, and connection across Springfield through our Club’s Little Libraries.
As we head into February—Rotary International’s Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention Month—our Club looks forward to several meaningful engagements.
* On February 9th, we will welcome representatives of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra to our club meeting.
* On February 10th, our Club will participate in the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce’s February Coffee & Connections, hosted by Pease’s at Bunn Gourmet, one of the Chamber’s signature morning networking events.
* On February 16th, we will have our rescheduled first lunch club meeting with Larry Golden speaking about the Illinois Innocence Project.
* February 23rd marks our annual celebration of The Rotary Foundation, including recognition of Paul Harris Fellows nominated through our Giving Circles, highlighted by honoring Sonthana Thongsithavong (image below) as our Community Paul Harris Fellow.
Thank you for making January such a meaningful start to the year. I look forward to continuing this momentum together in the months ahead.
info@spirotary.org changed the Webex meeting information for Rotary Year 2025-2026.
When it's time, join the Webex meeting here.
Club meetings scheduled for Maldaners Upstairs generally occur on Mondays from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM, (UTC-05:00) Central Time (US & Canada)
5:30 PM | (UTC-05:00) Central Time (US & Canada) | and last for 1 hr. 30 mins. These meetings are accessible online by using the link provide below. We will be scheduling some noon meetings at Maldaners and some off-site, evening social hours during 2026. Check the website Home Page (spirotary.org) , Facebook, and Upcoming Programs and Events in the Monthly Newsletter for locations and times of club meetings.
On Monday, April 7, our Club had the honor of welcoming Dan O’Brien, District Governor for Rotary District 6460, to speak with us at Maldaners Upstairs.
Dan’s presentation was both engaging and educational, starting with a story about Gustave Loehr, a Carlinville native, who played a pivotal role in the creation of Rotary International. He introduced us to Loehr’s often-overlooked contribution and provided a short book titled Gustave Loehr, Rotary’s Forgotten Founder to further explore his impact.
He also shared a fascinating personal story about his visit to the U.S. Supreme Court, where he was an observer during the case of Rotary International vs. Rotary Club of Duarte. This case was a turning point for women in Rotary, as it paved the way for women to join Rotary clubs. Dan emphasized how this moment, along with meeting Dr. Sylvia Whitlock, one of the central figures in the case, motivated him to become a Rotarian. He noted that Rotary District 6460 is now 33% women members.
In his remarks, Dan acknowledged the success Rotary District 6460 continues to experience in service and fundraising efforts that support our communities. However, he also addressed a concern: membership. Membership has been declining across Rotary in the district and North America. He highlighted reasons for this decline and shared factors that keep members engaged, but emphasized that together we have to do a better job of attracting and supporting new members. To this end, Dan stated that the district is prioritizing offering a wider array of events and services to attract and retain new members with a goal of adding at least 4 new clubs and at least 100 new members during the year.
Our Club is grateful to District Governor Dan O’Brien for his insightful presentation and for taking the time to visit our Club. We thank him for sharing his knowledge and passion for Rotary. We look forward to working together to continue and strengthen Rotary’s positive impact in our community and beyond!
On March 31, our Club listened to Springfield, Illinois author and retired teacher, Kathy Lamsargis, speak about her debut book, Marbles in a Fishbowl. The book is a tribute to her grandparents and the life lessons she learned while spending time with them.
Kathy explained that the book explores the legacy of grandparents through shared memories of her and her sisters' experiences, highlighting the positive life lessons imparted by them. These experiences and lessons demonstrate that grandparenting matters.
Kathy also identified how her book aligns with Rotary's Four-West Test, which are the guiding principles for Rotarians to use for their personal and professional relationships. Specfically:
1. Is it the TRUTH?
- All the book's stories are true family stories
2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?
- Some character's flaws are revealed during the stories, but meaningful lessons are taught through these characters experiences.
3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
- Friends are made in the book while learning positive, life lessons.
4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
- Readers have recalled fond and sad memories of their grandparents that bring happiness and motivation to create happier memories, respectively.
The book is written for readers of all ages, notably teachers, parents, and children. It shares family recipes and offers up study questions to invoke introspection, understanding and memories.
The evening concluded with a book signing, allowing attendees to commemorate Kathy's interactions with her grandparents and reflect on the significance of intergenerational relationships.
Our Club appreciates Kathy for providing glimpses into the lives of her grandparents, Roy and Jane Bode, and sharing her lived stories with them. It set the mood for us to recall moments and memories with our own grandparents.
At our March 24 Club meeting, Vicki Megginson announced that Springfield Rotary Clubs are helping with a group of Lithuanian Dancers who are coming to Springfield. This group has come to Springfield in the past and Rotary Club members have helped with their arrangements. Volunteers will be needed to provide homes for the dancers to stay in and transportation to where they are going the next day. If you are interested in opening your home to one more young dancers, let Vicki know. She noted that she previously hosted three young women dancers and had a blast.
More information on the schedule is available now. The Lithuanian group will arrive in Springfield on the evening of April 29 and will depart on the morning of May 1 after breakfast with their host family. The Springfield Coordinators for the event are Viktoria Legge and Asta Wilder, and The Rotary Club World Citizens Alliance of Springfield (WeCARe), including Vicki Megginson, Sandy Bellatti, and Claire Manning, is coordinating host families for the group for the evenings of April 29 and 30. Several more host families are needed to accommodate the two adults with the group (the Lithuanian Director and the Program Coordinator) and the 6 young male and 7 female dancers, most of whom are 18 years old. Separate host families are needed for male and female dancers and for the adult coordinarors.
WeCARe is hosting a welcome dinner for the group on April 29. The Lithuanian group will visit Springfield attractions and give a community program on April 30 at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Springfield. There are opportunities for our Club members to be involved by serving as host families. We hope you will all attend the performance on April 30 and help bring Rotary Exchange students to the event.
If you are interested in participating, please let Vick know.
Background on Peace Builder Club recognition and Committee: Jim Applegate, Chair of our Club's Peace Builder Committee (second from right in image below), spoke about our Peace Builders Committee and the Social Justice Sewing Academy at our July 8 Club Meeting. At that meeting, District Governor Dan O'Brien (second from left) and past District Governor, Bill Durall (far right), presented then President Megan Reynolds and Jim Applegate with a Rotary International Certificate recognizing our Club as a Rotary International Peace Builder Club (image below). We are very proud to be recognized for our peace-building efforts.
Our Club's Peace Builders Committee secured grants from the Healing Racism in Illinois Program (https://fieldfoundation.org/healingillinois) and the Rotary Literacy Grant program to create a partnership with the Social Justice Sewing Academy (SJSA) (www.sjsacademy.org) and The Outlet (www.theoutletillinois.org) supporting a Social Justice Sewing Academy (SJSA) for young men and boys (as well as some of their parents, grandparents, and young girls) served by The Outlet. The Outlet largely serves youth in families without present fathers.
For three nights about 20-25 participants (a) talked about what it means to be a young male in Springfield and America (b) worked with SJSA staff and experienced quilters to translate the ideas and emotions sparked by those discussions into visual images imprinted onto quilt squares and (c) created artist statements expressing what their squares meant to them (images above and on left provided by The Outlet). Each of the young men were given a copy of the book “Stitching Stolen Lives” authored by one of our SJSA partners (image below provided by The Outlet) and a picture of themselves with their square.
The insights and high level of engagement of participants was amazing to hear and see. One retired veteran teacher/quilter called it “one of the most meaningful things I have ever done.” Everyone involved from SJSA organizers to Outlet staff, to Rotary and quilter volunteers came away in awe of the young men’s work as well as energized and motivated to make sure their message was heard far and wide to spark change.
These squares have been transformed into a beautiful full-sized quilt by SJSA. With support from a second Club Grant from Rotary District 6460, the Peace Builders Committee is organizing community events where the quilt will be displayed, and recordings of the young men talking about their work will be presented to leaders and citizens across Springfield. The goal of these events is to spark community conversations about what Springfield needs to do to address the issues raised by these young men and their quilt and build greater peace in our community.
The quilt is on display in the Juneteenth Noir V: Resilience exhibition at the Illinois State Museum from June 13-Septembers 2. The Peace Committee was thrilled that the two young curators for the Noir V: Resilience exhibition, Austin Wells and Elijah Miller (image below), requested to include the quilt in their exhibition (second image below). Jim Applegate, Bonnie Styles, and Rod and Rosemary Buffington were honored to attend the Noir V: Resilience opening reception at the Illinois State Museum on June 13. The exhibition is open to the public during regular Illinois State Museum hours, and we encourage all our members to check it out and see the quilt. An article by Karen Witter on this project and the exhibition of the quilt was published in the June 12, 2025 issue of the Illinois Times.
The beautiful quilt created through this partnernship will also be loaned for displays at national quilting expositions and museums along with the estimated 45 other community quilts created to date by SJSA to give voice to those who are often not heard by their communities and country.
I was happy to report at our April 14 club meeting (image above) that our global grant application for the Nepali Water Project has been awarded! The preliminary steps were time consuming, and included pulling the initial application together in Nepal and then submitting the application for review by the Water and Sanitation Rotary Action group (Wash Rag). Wash Rag came back with several significant steps to add and some other suggestions. The project now is more than just providing water from a source over an hour to two hours away, but also includes a plan to impose a fee upon recipients to build sustainability of the system. The village will maintain the system using the funds received by the fees and train individuals in proper maintenance of the system itself. As to the users of the system, the school and the village will provide water and sanitation training and education. Nepal is part of the Third World countries where open defecation occurs. This sanitary system hopefully will be a driving force to educate the population in proper water and sanitation processes.
In addition, the women and young girls will not be required on a daily basis to walk to the source of the water and carry it back to the village. This allows the women to engage in micro-credit businesses, and the young girls to attend school for the full day.
Examination of the proposal by Wash Rag allowed them to issue an additional grant in the amount of $2000 to assist with the project
To put it briefly, after consideration of extensive reviews, we submitted a detailed application to the Rotary Foundation, which was the final step in the process for securing the grant!!!
The drinking water problem in Nepal is a multi-faceted issue that affects millions of people throughout the country. After the 2015 Nepal earthquake, the problem of drinking water became more severe as many old tanks got damaged and were not suitable for use. In many cases, the water source dried up, which not only created havoc in society but also forced many people to migrate.
The Rotary International Grant Application for this project was prepared by the Rotary Club of Dhulikhel in Nepal. Our club is serving as the U.S. partner with them on the Dhakalthok Drinking Water Project. This village is in Mandandeupur Municipality of Kavre, Nepal. After the 2015 earthquake, the water system was damaged. The people in the area have been transporting drinking water from a distance of 1.5 km. Women spend around 40-60 minutes to fetch the water. The goals of the project are to provide sustainable access to clean drinking water for underserved communities in Nepal, build and rehabilitate the water supply system that ensures the availability of safe drinking water, promote community involvement and education on water management and hygiene practices, and reduce the prevalence of waterborne diseases through improved water quality. The project will include infrastructure development including construction of 50 water tanks (each holding 1000 liters) to provide drinking water as per World Health Organization standards and pipeline and tap construction to bring water to 50 households with 326 members. It will also provide community education and training, monitoring, evaluation, and formation of of a Water User Group and Mandandeupur Muncipality commitments to ensure sustainability. As noted above it also includes a plan to impose a fee on water recipients to build sustainability into the system.
Rotary District 6460 is offering four District Scholarships ($3000 each) for undergraduate studies in the United States and one international scholarship ($18,000) for undergraduate or graduate studies abroad for the 2025-2026 academic year. Encourage students to apply online for these opportunities at the web addresses provided below. The application deadline is midnight on May 31, 2025.
Rotary District Scholarships ($3000)
Apply online at https://www.rotarydistrict6460.org/foun.../districtscholars/. The scholarship provides $3,000 payable to a college, university or approved vocational school in or outside the District for tuition, fees, and/or books. Eligible students must live in, go to school in, or have graduated from a school in the District; have completed a minimum of 24 credit hours at college, university, or vocational school; must be pursuing a degree relevant to the seven Rotary International Areas of Focus; and meet all other criteria listed in the application.
Rotary William J. Menghini International Scholarship ($18,000)
Apply online at https://www.rotarydistrict6460.org/found.../global-scholars/. The scholarship provides $18,000 payable to an international college or university for tuition, fees, books, and other college expenses. Eligible students must live in, go to school in, or have graduated from a school in the District; must have completed a minimum of 48 hours of university credits; must use the scholarship for a full academic year of undergraduate or graduate residential study in a country that the student has not lived or studied in before; must begin studies within 20 months after receiving the award; must serve as ambassadors of goodwill in the host country and share experiences with Rotarians, and meet all other criteria in the application. There are no restrictions on the field of study, but preference is given to students pursuing degrees relevant to the seven Rotary International Areas of Focus.
Direct questions to Dr. Bonnie Styles, Rotary District 6460 Scholarship Chair, bonstyles@yahoo.com.
We hope you signed up to volunteer for this event as part of the Rotary Club of Springfield Team! The deadline for signing up was April 4. Club members have enjoyed volunteering for this event in the past (image above and below)
The United Way Day of Action is always a great deal of fun and very well attended by Rotarians. The spring event will be on Friday, April 25, 2025, from 1:00-4:00 p.m. at various locations to be assigned closer to the day of service. This year, volunteers are invited to an appreciation luncheon beginning from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at noon at the Salvation Army are Clearlake Ave. Participants will also receive a complimentary United Way t-shirt for volunteering. We hope you registered by the April 4 deadline. If you invited others to accompany you, a reminder the minimum age to volunteer is 8 years old for the day of service.
If you had some difficulty signing up as part of the Rotary group, I provided an updated solution. I was having difficulty as well creating the group so I reached out to United Way for clarification.
For future reference for signing up a group, each individual volunteer has to complete/”respond” to the Day of Action opportunity on the Get Connected site. I linked the sign-up link; when you click that, scroll down until you see the blue “respond” button, and then click that. Once you’ve done that, you will be asked to answer a series of questions, including “Company” and “Team Leader”; that is where you indicate “Rotary” for the company question and then type Ken Gilmore for team leader. Each individual needs to do this as the sign up asks questions on volunteer’s contact information, t-shirt size, etc.! As long as you typed “Rotary” on your sign-up, then the United Way coordinators will know to put all of us in the same group when assigning the volunteer site.
Notes to type: Rotary Club of Springfield-Downtown
Team Leader: Ken Gilmore
Team Leader e-mail: kwgilmore23@gmail.com
Preferred Day: April 25 (4/25/25 Springfield Day of Action)
There was a separate link to sign up to attend the luncheon. Hope this helped you sign up. The luncheon is from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Salvation Army, 1600 Clearlake Ave., Springfield, IL 62703 and is catered by Cafe Moxo.
Memorial Day is Monday May 26. On May 17, we initiated the 2025 Rotary Flag Project deployment. The installation process should be complete by Friday May 23. We always need volunteers to deploy flags. Many of you have helped in the past and your services will be needed again. This year, I contacted all members in hopes that we would get some new volunteers. Thanks to all who were able to help with this round of flag installation.
The task involves being part of two person teams that deliver the flags from our warehouse to our customers. We use routing software to create routes of approximately 25 homes. The flags are dropped into plastic conduits in the customers lawns that have been previously installed by other volunteers. They are topped with a bright red plastic cap. Your heart will burst with joy when, after several minutes crawling on the ground, you spot that red cap and can deploy a flag. And a solar powered light. Then move on to the next address.
One member of the team must have a vehicle capable of carrying twelve foot flags. A route can take 4-5 hours to complete.
This service commemorates: Memorial Day, Flag Day, 4th of July, Labor Day and September 11.
The flags will remain out until after the September 11 holiday. They will need to be picked up and returned to the warehouse in the week starting Monday September 15. This is a change from previous years when we picked up flags after July 4 and put them out again for Labor Day.
If you can return as a volunteer or want to be a new participant, please let me know. It can be a lot of fun. And we raise $30,000 from the effort. Proceeds from this service directly support community grants and honor flights.
At our March 24 meeting, Rod Buffington presented two White Sox fans (Randi Erford and John Webb) with specially made baseball shirts bearing an image of Rod's painting of White Sox Stadium in Chicago (image above). The shirts are to sweeten a bet over whether the White Sox or Cubs will win the most games during this season. Most of us know that Rod is a hardcore Cubs fan. Check out the original Cubs hat that Randi made Rod wear!
We are thrilled to announce that tickets for the highly-anticipated annual Rotary Family Day at the Ballpark XXII are now on sale! This exciting event will take place on August 9 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, where the Cubs will face off against the Cardinals. Not only will you enjoy an unforgettable evening of baseball and camaraderie, but also the profits from ticket sales support our District 6460 Rotary Club Literacy Grants. By attending this event, you'll be contributing to a meaningful cause that benefits our local communities. Nearly every club in District 6460 has received a literacy grant over the years, and, our only requirement is that your club or its members has to sell at least one ticket or make a donation directly to our District Literacy Fund to apply for a literacy grant. We think that is beneficial to all concerned.
To purchase tickets, please visit our baseball game article on our website at rd6460.org. You can either click the link to purchase online or the link to download and print a PDF or Word ticket order form to mail in a check. For your convenience, I also attached the pdf order form to this email. You can easily sell tickets by copying and sending a link to our website to your friends and associates in an email and they can buy tickets themselves. We use paper tickets, and I will personally send them via First Class Mail.
We have Left Field Loge Reserved Tickets (Sections 269-271) available for this game. Tickets are limited and sell fast. DO NOT PROCRASTINATE! Tickets are $60 per seat -- currently very competitive to similar seats available on MLB ticket websites. We can also accommodate people with disabilities, and we have a supply of ADA-compliant tickets (Busch Stadium has elevators and handicapped accessible seats near the sections where our group will be seated).
I would appreciate it if each club president would send me the name of a Rotarian in your group who will be your Team captain and will help me promote the ticket sales. I'm happy to come to your club and speak about the game promotion at one of your meetings. I will also send periodic updates of our ticket sale progress.
We encourage you to join us for a fun-filled evening in St. Louis. Your participation will help us sell out the event and have a significant impact through our literacy grants. Over $580,000 has been raised since PDG Rod Buffington started and supported this project since 2004. Thank you Rod all for your continued support! We look forward to seeing you at the ballpark!
If you don't want to sell tickets, but you still want to support the District Literacy Fund by making a monetary donation to our Rotary District 6460 Foundation, or if you have any questions and need some help - Contact me at bribaraxp@yahoo.com or phone 217-652-4371!
PS This year, I will personally donate $100 to the club that sells the most tickets and $100 to the club that sells the most tickets per capita. If we sell out and the Cubs win this year, I will also buy and wear a Cub cap next year. (I hope that my late mother forgives me). Now, TURN UP THE VOLUME ON YOUR PHONE/TABLET OR COMPUTER AND enjoy some music --Harry Sing along
Brian Barstead District 6460 Literacy Committee Chair Past District Governor (2018-19) Assistant Area Rotary International Foundation Coordinator -Zone 31 (2024-2027) member Rotary Club of Springfield Sunrise since 1990
At our January Club Assembly, Youth Services Director Travis Magoulias (image above) spoke about the need for more help with the Rotary Exchange Student Program. Our Club has traditionally agreed to sponsor Inbound and Outbound Foreign Exchange students. These are high school-age students who live with a host family and attend high school in the community where they reside. Most of you know that we are currently sponsoring Eve, an inbound exchange student from Taiwan. Over the past few years we have had an increasing difficult time finding host families for these students. For example, we were unable to find host families for Eve for the 2025-2026 academic year. Fortunately Rotarians Barb and Lee Malany agreed to host her for both semesters. We also need Rotarians who are willing to counsel and spend time with these students. We thank the club members who have spent time with Eve, agreed to give her rides when needed, spoken with her when she comes to our club meetings, and gone to some of her performances in the Springfield Youth Symphony, but we need more help.
If we are going to continue sponsoring inbound exchange students, then we need members who are willing to serve as host families or help recruit host families, and to spend time with these students. Please contact Travis if you are interested in helping with exchange students, think you might want to serve as our Youth Exchange Counselor, want to get more involved in Youth Services, or have thoughts on the future of these programs.
Please remember that we are including some noon meetings at Maldaners and social night meetings at locations other than Maldaners. Please pay attention to the meeting schedule listed in the Newsletter, on our website home page (www.spirotary.org), and on our Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram pages for the dates and locations of the meetings.
February 2, 2025 No Rotary Club Meeting at Maldaners Upstairs
February 9, 2026, Rotary Club Meeting at Maldaners Upstairs, 5:30-6:45 p.m.
Taichi Fukumura (image below) and Trevor Othmann: The Illnois Symphony Orchestra
February 16, 2026, Rotary Club Meeting at Maldaners Upstairs, LUNCH: 11:50 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Larry Golden (image below), Founder of the Illinois Innocence Project: 25 Years Pursuing Justice at the Illinois Innocence Project
February 23, 2026, Rotary Club Meeting at Maldaners Upstairs, 5:30-6:45 p.m.
Foundation Night: Paul Harris Fellow Presentations, including the Paul Harris Community Fellow
Little Libraries are free book exchanges that aim to expand book access within our communities. The prevailing concept of “take a book, share a book” reigns.
Our Club supports this literacy initiative and has helped build up the Little Library system in our community with support from a District Grant. We continue to stock Little Libraries at three locations. These locations are as follows:
1. St. John’s Breadline, 430 North 5th Street;
2. Springfield Firehouse No. 5/“The First Black Firehouse,” 1310 East Adams Street (shown in the image above);
3. Ridgely Elementary School, 2040 North 8th Street (shown in image below);
If you are interested in donating books or helping stock books, please contact Allie Montney at onedirtymartini@gmail.com. To keep the supply of books up-to-date, the club held a book drive to solicit book donations from club members on October 7, and a book drive for community members will be scheduled later.
Here's your chance to be a pantry superhero! Join John Webb and I in stocking the Ridgely Elementary School micro pantry for two weeks. Your commitment will ensure that families and children have access to essential items when they need them most. Whether it's a can of soup, a box of cereal, or toiletries, your contribution will brighten someone's day. Reach out to Allie Montney at onedirtymartini@gmail.com or call 217-494-6901 to become a beacon of hope for those in need. Every item you place on those shelves is a small gesture that collectively makes a huge impact!
You can sign up to stock the Ridgely Micropantry using the new Sign-Up Genius online system featured in the above article by Ken Gilmore. We are now signing up one to two individuals for each slot.
Please sign up. There are numerous empty slots. The cold weather allows you stock all sorts of nutritious foods that we can't stock during the summer. Take a look at the kinds of foods that I am stocking in the pantry this winter, including fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as refrigerated items such as chicken, ground turkey, and eggs. These are treats that people don't usually see in the pantry.
I appreciate your help!
Thank you for signing up for a micropantry volunteer shift. Your time and effort are greatly appreciated by the community we serve.
Members who have supported this program realize the price of food and other products stocked in the pantry have become more expensive. Under a new program, a member may be reimbursed up to $100 when a purchase is made for the food pantry. Funding for this reimbursement was made possible by donations in the amount $1,739, which were received at the Rotary Open House in December 2024 that I hosted at my home
Below are the details including the location of the pantry, and suggestions on items to collect and distribute. If you are unable to complete your shift, please reach out and we'll work on a better period of time to meet your needs. If you have suggestions for future volunteers, please let me know and we'll adapt the program along the way.
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Ridgely Elementary School
2040 North 8th Street
Springfield, IL 62702
Main entrance to the school (look for the yellow and purple pantry by the front doors).
The image below shows the location of the pantry at the entrance to the school.
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.
The image below shows a fully stocked pantry.
The image below shows the empty micropantry before I stocked it in January 2026. This is why you need to sign up! The pantry is almost always empty when we show up to stock it. The need for nutritious food is great in the community surrounding our micropantry. .
Feel free to contact me.
Micro Pantry Coordinator: Allie Montney with assistance from John Webb
Phone 217-494-6901 (for the quickest response, please text)
Things I've noticed that may be helpful: Stocking the pantry on a weekend or after 4:00PM during the weekdays means less people and easier to get a parking spot. Ask friends and family to donate unused household items for the pantry that you can collect. If purchasing bags of fresh fruit or veggies, stock them individually so that more in need can take what they need. It's going to be freezing outside soon, so consider if the items will no longer be good if frozen. ALDI grocery stores have prices that cannot be beat.
I filled up the food pantry again on March 16. I would note that it was almost entirely empty when I arrived, except for two cans of peas and a weird bag of beans (image to left). Those were there when I filled the pantry this past week. Everything I purchased was taken and presumably consumed.
So, everyone should understand that the food pantry is needed. Everyone should also understand that even people with food insecurity don’t like canned peas! I guess canned peas are just nasty. Apparently, people would rather starve than eat those. Not sure I disagree.
Here is an image of the pantry after I stocked it on March 16 (image below).
We thank all the volunteers who gave and are giving generously of their time on service projects this Rotary Year. Work on our ongoing service projects continues, and we thank all who have stepped up to help coordinate these activities and especially Ken Gilmore, our Community Services Director for the 2024-2025 Rotary Year.
May 17 Bed Building Volunteer Opportunity
Thanks to Judith Pensoneau-Feuer, Vicki Megginson, John Webb for volunteering to build beds on May 17.
Stocking our Little Libraries
Allison Montney (onedirtymartini@gmail.com) is coordinating the stocking of Little Libraries. We previously built five Little Libraries and installed them at localities in Springfield with a support from a District Club Grant.
We routinely stock books at three of these locations:
Ridgely Elementary School (image on left, 2040 North 8th Street),
Springfield Firehouse No. 5 "The first Black Fire House" (image below, 1310 East Adams Street), and
St. John's Breadline (430 North 5th Street).
Through Dave Fowler's efforts we previously secured a large number of books that were donated by a group in St. Louis. The books are stored in the Computer Banc warehouse. To keep the books up-to-date, we have requested that club members bring in books to supplement the donated books stored in the Computer Banc warehouse. Contact Allison if you would like to donate books and/or stock Little Libraries.
Thanks to Allison coordinating this project and ensuring that these little libraries are well stocked. Let her know if you would like to help.
Stocking of the Ridgely School Micropantry
Please sign up for a shift to stock the Micropantry at Ridgely Elementary School (our adopted school). Allison Montney is coordinating the stocking of this micropantry with food, cleaning, and toiletry items. She maintains a schedule of volunteers to stock the pantry for a two week period. If you would like to volunteer to stock this important and regularly used pantry, please let Allison know (onedirtymartini@gmail.com). Check out her article on micropantry volunteers for more information on this service project.
Flags are Deployed for 2025!
The flag service committee announced that in 2025, we will only have one deployment of the flags before Memorial Day and one retrieval after the Commemoration of September 11. Flag Service deployment for Memorial Day was completed in time to celebrate Memorial Day on May 23! Contact John Loftus for information on how to volunteer for this important service project and fundraiser. Project activities, such as buying supplies and repairing flags, take place throughout the year. The proceeds from this project helped support the community grant awards announced in this Newsletter. Contact John Loftus (jlloftus@aol.com) if you would like to volunteer.
John Montgomery Memorial Citrus Campaign
The 2024 John Montgomery Memorial Citrus Drive is over! Bill Smith launched the campaign in September and provided background on the outstanding Rotarian that the campaign is dedicated to. Thanks to all members for participating in the 2024 campaign! The proceeds from the Citrus Sale supported the community grants described in this Newsletter. We will launch our 2025 campaign this fall! If you would like to volunteer for the citrus committee, let Marty Michelson know (exdirector@rutledgeyouthfoundation.com).
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 online Membership Applicationin a new window. You can also click on this link to download an electronic 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 hmitchell11@comcast.net. We look forward to hearing from you!
Please remember to report your service hours and related contributions. You will be able to enter your hours and correctly assign them to the correct Rotary Calendar year. Just follow this link:
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 hours for any volunteering that you do on behalf of Rotary.
The image below show Bonnie Styles stocking the Ridgely School Micropantry from December 8-21. Bonnie's purchases of food were supplement by several donations of food coordinated by the Springfield Micropantry Group, which she belongs to. Each time Bonnie stocked the pantry there was nothing left except for a few cans of green beans and some cans and bags of beans. These experiences demonstrate the serious need for the micropantry in the area surrounding Ridgely School. We also thank Vicki Megginson and Allie Montney for stocking the Ridgely School Micropantry from November 24-December 7, and Brandy Zanger for also stocking food from a food drive at her workplace, as well as John Loftus who stocked the pantry from December 22 through 31, and Allie Montney for stocking in January 2026. If you haven't signed up for a shift, you can sign up using the link in the article by Community Services Director Ken Gilmore in this Newsletter. Please also read the article by Allie Montney in this Newsletter on the need for more volunteers to help stock this important pantry.
Our members were also honored to sponsor a table (lead image and image below) and join hundreds of community leaders, civic organizations, and elected officials at the Frontiers International Springfield Club’s 51st Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast on Martin Luther King Day. This year’s theme, “Have You Stopped Dreaming,” invited meaningful reflection on Dr. King’s enduring vision and our shared responsibility to invest in young people and families. Keynote speaker Erica Harold (image to right), Executive Director of the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism, delivered a powerful message rooted in her personal journey, reminding us that Dr. King’s call to love, perseverance, and action remains relevant today.
We were also pleased to have Ashley Dillingham as a guest at our Club Assembly (image to left). Having recently moved to Springfield from Effingham, Ashley, after the Club Assembly, chose to join our Club by transferring her membership from the Effingham Noon Rotary Club. She is an experienced Rotarian having served as a club president and as an Assistant District Governor. We’re excited to welcome her as a member of our Club!
On March 31, our Club listened to Springfield, Illinois author and retired teacher, Kathy Lamsargis, speak about her debut book, Marbles in a Fishbowl. The book is a tribute to her grandparents and the life lessons she learned while spending time with them.
For three nights about 20-25 participants (a) talked about what it means to be a young male in Springfield and America (b) worked with SJSA staff and experienced quilters to translate the ideas and emotions sparked by those discussions into visual images imprinted onto quilt squares and (c) created artist statements expressing what their squares meant to them (images above and on left provided by The Outlet). Each of the young men were given a copy of the book “Stitching Stolen Lives” authored by one of our SJSA partners (image below provided by The Outlet) and a picture of themselves with their square.
I filled up the food pantry again on March 16. I would note that it was almost entirely empty when I arrived, except for two cans of peas and a weird bag of beans (image to left). Those were there when I filled the pantry this past week. Everything I purchased was taken and presumably consumed.
