Our Club was well represented and sponsored 12 UIS student at the Springfield Frontiers International Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast on January 15 at the Wyndham City Centre. For more information on this event, see the stories below! Please join us at Maldaners Upstairs on January 22. Derek Harms of the Springfield Park District will be the featured speaker for this club meeting, and will provide an update on Rotary Park and other parks in the District. See Upcoming Programs and Events for more information.
January 8 Presentation on From Hope to Soap Challenge
The presentation by Pamela Frazier, President and CEO, and Robert Frazier, Executive Director, of Clean Slate Advocates & All In One Laundry Center & Services in Springfield, IL was truly inspirational. The free laundry services they provide to our community are exceptional and provide a model for other communities to follow. They are indeed instilling hope one load of clean laundry at a time.
2024 Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast
We thank Harry Mitchell for coordinating the sign-up and participation in this event. Despite the frigid temperatures, ten club members attended (lead image to Newsletter, image below, and images in stories below). Loretta Meek's article (below) on the 12 UIS students we sponsored for the breakfast illustrates how spontaneous good deeds pay big dividends in our community and help support the next generation of good citizens. Thanks to Justin Rose for providing the lead image for this Newsletter and to Ken Gilmore for providing the image below.
January 22 Club Meeting
Join us for our club meeting at Maldaners Upstairs on January 22. Derek Harms of the Springfield Park District will update us on what's going in the parks, including Rotary Park. See Upcoming Programs and Events for more information on Derek and this presentation.
January 29 Off-site Social Night at Scheels
We are planning to gather in the community room area on the second floor of the Scheels Sporting Goods Store in Springfield. The elevator's to the community rooms are at the north end of the store. Our meeting will start at 5:45 p.m. If you would like to eat at the meeting, arrive early (around 5:15 p.m.) and buy a to go meal in the Scheels deli near the elevators to the community rooms. Don't miss this informal social night. They are always a good chance to get to know your Rotarian friends better. We will notify you if there are any changes to this plan.
info@spirotary.org changed the Webex meeting information.
Occurs on Mondays effective Monday, July 10, 2023 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) | 1 hr 30 mins
When we meet at Maldaner's, please submit your reservations for dinner! Click on the link embedded below and enter the date, your name, dine in/carry out and number of meals being consumed in the restaurant and/or carried out prior to each meeting. Preferably, everyone will fill out the form by noon on the Friday before the upcoming meeting. I have given Jesse at Maldaner's access to the view, so it will help him with planning. As always, we will direct him to have a few additional servings available for members who forget or last minute guests.
The same link will work for the entire Rotary year and will be shared within each Newsletter, so do not delete the Newsletter until you have submitted your dinner information. Please remember that the three most recent Newsletters can also be accessed from the Website Home Page (www.spirotary.org) so you can also access the link for reservations from the Website Home Page (www.spirotary.org).
Ten club members attended and greatly enjoyed the 2024 Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast hosted by our long-time partners Springfield Frontiers International. In addition to the Rotary table shown in the lead image to this Newsletter, we also had members at three other tables. Club members also purchased 12 tickets for UIS students to participate in the breakfast (See Loretta Meeks' article below).
We were pleased that such a large crowd (image above) was able to participate in the breakfast and hear the presentations despite dangerously cold temperatures and numerous winter illnesses in our community. Members were inspired to action by the keynote presentation by Wendi Will El-Amin (image below), M.D. and Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. Dr. El-Amin is a professor in the Department of Family Medicine and provides care at the Center for Family Medicine in Springfield. In addition, to work to eliminate inequities and disparities in health and health care, her message spoke to the need to keep the dream going in the next generations.
Thanks to Ken Gilmore for taking and providing the images for this article.
Twelve UIS students (lead image and images in this article provided by Justin Rose) attended the Frontiers International Dr. Martin Luther King Day Celebration Breakfast as a result of sponsorship by members of the Springfield Rotary Club. Six members of the Club worked together in an “impromptu” effort with Justin Rose, member of the Club and Director of the Diversity and Inclusion Office at the University of the Illinois Springfield to identify and sponsor twelve students. The students were representative of several majors and levels of academic preparation ranging from sophomores to seniors.
The theme for this year’s event, “In Times of Challenge, We Will Stand,” provided an overview of accomplishments and challenges of the times as well as promoting the inclusion of new dreams, new journeys, and new dream keepers for the next generation of leaders. The keynote speaker was Dr. Wendi El-Amin, the Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. She challenged audience members to concentrate on individuals and organizations that will encourage them on their journey and help to promote their dreams—a message that each of the students embraced. The Springfield Club’s sponsorship initiative did a lot to convey that we accept the charge and responsibility of supporting our youth and being encouraging “dream keepers.”
Students commented on their appreciation for the Club’s sponsorship and support. They were uplifted by the message and the Club’s gesture and indicated it was an excellent opener to the upcoming spring semester.
Attendance at the event is a tradition for the Club. Ten club members (lead image and images in story below) were able to brave the weather conditions and attend. All members appreciate the dedication and mission of Dr. King, the efforts of Frontiers International, the University of Illinois Springfield and the sponsoring members.
On the evening of January 15, Membership Chair Harry Mitchell presented a new member orientation at the Stone Creek Neighborhood Club House. The session was offered to all new members who have been in our club for less than a year. For a variety of reasons including severe weather, health, and other issues, only two of the six new members were able to participate. These two new members both found the orientation session to be of great value. Harry provided information in advance of the meeting and offered further guidance and answered questions at the meeting. John Webb commented that "It was a very useful session for a new(er) member such as myself." Ken Gilmore, the other participant, described the session as "extremely beneficial." Thanks to Ken Gilmore for providing this image of the cheerful trainer surrounded by the two satisfied trainees.
The Citrus Campaign is over. By now, you probably know that we were forced to buy California oranges because of the failure of the Florida orange crop. One of the unsung heroes in this dilemma was Humphrey’s Market. They were able to a find a quality California substitute for Florida oranges. The feedback on these oranges has been very good. The image above shows me with a pallet of the California oranges.
Buying California oranges was more expensive than buying Florida oranges. We paid $38.00 for a large carton of California oranges compared to $28.00 last year for Florida oranges. I did what we could at the warehouse to save money. For instance, I did not buy small orange cartons which cost $25.00, instead we split large cartons in half to create small cartons at a cost of $19.00.
Higher costs have reduced the profits that will be available for community grants. However, some Rotarians have donated extra money to help offset this short fall. The estimated profit from this fundraiser is $10,400.
Other points of interest concerning the Citrus fundraiser:
Thirty-five members participated by selling citrus.
The Central Illinois Foodbank received 162 large cartons of oranges purchased by customers of the Sunrise, South and Downtown Rotary clubs. Our club provided 95 of the 162 cartons given to the foodbank. See the story below on the donation of oranges to the Foodbank.
Please remember that we are trying our new schedule with some social night meetings at locations other than Maldaners. Please pay attention to the meeting schedule listed 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. I am in the process of scheduling speakers now and will provide more details as soon as they are available.
January 22, 2024 Rotary Club Meeting at Maldaners Upstairs, 5:30 p.m.
Derek Harms, Executive Director of Springfield Park District: Springfield Park District Recreational Opportunities & Rotary Park Update
Derek grew up on a working farm south of Springfield, Illinois and earned a Bachelor of Science in Recreation Parks and Tourism Administration from Western Illinois University. It was at Western where he met his wife while performing volunteer work in the recreation department. They were later married and now have three daughters.
He began his professional career in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago where he held progressively higher positions in leadership and management at the Wood Dale Park District, Bloomingdale Park District and Elk Grove Park District. Although Derek lived and worked in the Chicago Suburbs for several years, he always considered Central Illinois his home.
In 2007, Derek moved to Springfield to accept the position of Director of Recreation at the Springfield Park District and was later appointed by the Park Board of Trustees as the Springfield Park District’s Executive Director in 2013. Under Harms’s leadership, the Springfield Park District has accomplished many significant milestones. The District developed a comprehensive master plan, ADA transition plan, secured millions of dollars in outside grant funding to reduce the burden on local taxpayers while improving local parks and facilities, eliminated negative fund balances and earned multiple credit rating upgrades from Moody Investor’s Service resulting in the District’s highest credit rating ever obtained.
Throughout his diverse career, he has led and managed both the visioning and construction phases of countless multimillion-dollar community wide park re-development projects including the construction of a $10 million water theme park, community wide recreation centers, athletic complexes, skate parks, dog parks, pump track, splash pad, in-line hockey rink, zoo animal exhibits enclosures and much more.
Throughout his personal and professional life, Derek has witnessed the powerful impact that recreation can have on individuals, families and communities. He believes recreation is critical to fueling the human spirit, building strong family ties, and creating a series of connections with nature and our environment that are as essential to life as air and water.
January 29, 2024 Off-site Social Night at Scheels Sporting Goods Store, Springfield, 5:45 p.m.
We are planning to gather in the community room area on the second floor of the Scheels Store in Springfield. The elevators to the community rooms are at the north end of the store. Our meeting will start at 5:45 p.m. If you want to eat at the meeting, you should arrive early (around 5:15 p.m.) and buy a to go meal in the Scheels deli near the elevators that go to the community room area. Don't miss this informal social night. They are always a good chance to get to know your Rotarian friends better. We will notify you if there are any changes to this plan.
Here's your chance to be a pantry superhero! Join us 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!
Thank you for signing up for a micro pantry volunteer shift. Your time and effort are greatly appreciated by the community we serve. Below are the details including your two week shift, 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.
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.
Time Commitment: Two consecutive weeks (1-2 restocking visits per week)
Volunteer Schedule for Winter 2023 - Spring 2024
Thanks to Bonnie Styles for stocking the pantry for the December 17-31 shift during the holiday season. Bonnie provided the image on the left that shows the special items she stocked in the pantry for Christmas Eve and Christmas. She reported that all these foods and supplies (including Rotary oranges, bread, coffee, tea bags, hot cocoa mix, holiday cookies, pancake mixes that only required water, syrup, tuna, linguini noodles, and 6 can openers for meat pasta sauces and other cans that didn't have pull tops) were all gone by by December 27. She does not normally include sweets, but it seemed appropriate for the holidays! She restocked the pantry on December 27 and December 30 (image below) to be certain that it was ready for New Years Eve. Each time she checked the pantry, there were only a few canned goods left, including some green beans and chickpeas. This pantry continues to be heavily used during the winter months.
Thanks to Bill Sturm for stocking the pantry from January 1-14, which has included some extremely cold weather! Special thanks to Rod and Rosemary who have taken the next shift and encountered severly cold weather.
Upcoming Schedule:
January 15 - 28: Rod & Rosemary Buffington
January 29 - Feb 11: Jim Applegate
February 12 - 25: Harry Mitchell
February 26 - March 10: Sheila Mack
March 11 - March 24: Ross Hodel
March 25 - April 7: Randy Erford
April 8 - April 21: Jason Huddleston
April 22 - May 5: Bill Kempiners
Micro Pantry Coordinator: Allie Montney
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.
At our January 8 Board and Club meetings, President Travis reported that our 2023-2024 Club's Community Service Director, Madeline Boner had resigned as Community Service Director and from our Club because her job is requiring more work than she had anticipated. We wish her the best in her career and hope that she will be able to come back to us in the future when the duties of life and work are perhaps a little less demanding. We thank all the volunteers who gave and are giving generously of their time on service projects this fall and over the holiday season. Work on our ongoing service projects continues, and we thank all who have stepped up to help coordinate these activities.
Stocking our Little Libraries
Jason Huddleston (jahudd212@gmail.com) and Allison Montney (onedirtymartini@gmail.com) have taken on the important task of coordinating the stocking of our Little Libraries. We previously built a series of Little Libraries with a support from a District Club Grant and secured a large number of books that were donated by a group in St. Louis. The books are stored in the Computer Banc warehouse. We thank new members Jason and Allison (far right in image to right) for taking on this important task.
The image of the Little Library at Ridgely School (to the left) clearly shows that this little library needed to be regularly stocked. Thanks to Jason and Allison for coordinating this project and ensuring that it is well stocked. Let them know if you would like to help.
We also need to help keep our newest Little Library at the old Firehouse well stocked with books (image below)! We thank Kathryn Harris for her work and promotion for this Little Library, which is right across the street from her home! If you would like to help stock this little library and any of the others we have installed in Springfield, please contact Jason and Allison.
Stocking of the Ridgely School Micropantry
We previously installed a Micropantry at Ridgely Elementary School (our adopted school) with support from a District Grant. At our October 23 meeting, Allison Montney volunteered to coordinate the stocking of this micropantry with food, cleaning, and toiletry items. She has implemented a system for volunteers to sign up 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) as soon as possible. More information is provided in Allie's article in this Newsletter.
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Flag Service
On September 12-15, Flag Service teams completed the last pick up of flags for 2023 following the commemoration of Patriot's Day (September 11). Teams picked up the flags and returned them to the warehouse. The teams consist primarily of Rotarians, but numerous family members assist Rotarians in this effort. Alec Tobias, son of Barry Tobias, often assists Barry. The image above shows Alec picking up flags in this final round for 2023. The image on the left shows Ross Hodel picking up flags, and the image below shows John Webb and Jim Theis returning flags to the warehouse.
At our September 18 meeting, President Travis extended a special thanks to all the individuals who participated in flag installation and pick in 2023. Please consider volunteering for the Flag Service project. There is much work to be done throughout the year. Bill Sturm relayed that there is a current need for volunteers to help replace faded flags with new ones and help transfer good flags from bent poles to new poles. If you are interested in assisting with this task please contract Bill Sturm (sturmdmd@hotmail.com). Please contact John Loftus (jlloftus@aol.com) if you would like to help with any aspect of our Flag Service project. It's rewarding and raises lots of money for our community grants program!
Citrus Campaign
As noted by our Warehouse Czar Bill Smith in his article above, this year's successful campaign had ended and has raised monies for our community grants program. We thank all the Rotarians who ordered and sold citrus, and all those who worked on the planning of the campaign and in the warehouse.
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. Travis Magoulias has added the 2023-2024 Rotary Year to the form. You will be able to enter your hours now 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.
Be sure to record the service you conducted over the holidays. The images below show Rotarians from our Club volunteering on holiday projects.
On the evening of January 15, Membership Chair Harry Mitchell presented a new member orientation at the Stone Creek Neighborhood Club House. The session was offered to all new members who have been in our club for less than a year. For a variety of reasons including severe weather, health, and other issues, only two of the six new members were able to participate. These two new members both found the orientation session to be of great value. Harry provided information in advance of the meeting and offered further guidance and answered questions at the meeting. John Webb commented that "It was a very useful session for a new(er) member such as myself." Ken Gilmore, the other participant, described the session as "extremely beneficial." Thanks to Ken Gilmore for providing this image of the cheerful trainer surrounded by the two satisfied trainees. 
Derek grew up on a working farm south of Springfield, Illinois and earned a Bachelor of Science in Recreation Parks and Tourism Administration from Western Illinois University. It was at Western where he met his wife while performing volunteer work in the recreation department. They were later married and now have three daughters.
Jason Huddleston (
On September 12-15, Flag Service teams completed the last pick up of flags for 2023 following the commemoration of Patriot's Day (September 11). Teams picked up the flags and returned them to the warehouse. The teams consist primarily of Rotarians, but numerous family members assist Rotarians in this effort. Alec Tobias, son of Barry Tobias, often assists Barry. The image above shows Alec picking up flags in this final round for 2023. The image on the left shows Ross Hodel picking up flags, and the image below shows John Webb and Jim Theis returning flags to the warehouse.
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