September is the month when Rotarians all around the world will focus efforts on supporting Youth and Youth Programs.
Comstock Park Rotary Club is made up of business, professional, and community leaders. We meet regularly to plan and implement community service activities and network with each other . Our Rotary Club provides members with an opportunity to make a contribution to the Comstock Park community and to communities around the world. People join Rotary for many reasons, including community involvement, personal development, professional networking, and camaraderie with fellow members. But perhaps the most important benefit is the satisfaction gained from making a real difference in the world.
“The global effort against COVID-19 depends on actions taken in every country. As people of action, this is our time to connect with each other to offer immediate help to people in need.” – Mark Daniel Maloney, Rotary International President, 2019-2020.
So many catastrophic events happen every year but most do not affect our local community, or even our continent.
This year we are face a different kind of disaster, one that affects the entire world, including the State of Michigan, our own community and our own family and neighbors. Many activities have been delayed or postponed, including our Rotary barbeques.
Gatherings of groups are not allowed at this time, although we continue to meet together through modern media. Our community has its own needs. Food banks are running short. At this time, face masks are not available to many whose jobs makes it necessary to meet the public.
To assist in addressing the needs of our local community, the Comstock Park Rotary generously contributed $4,000 to our local food bank, "Feeding America". This great organization is able to turn $4,000 into 40,00 meals. We are very happy that we could assist in meeting their needs.
In addition, the Comstock Park Rotary Club was able to acquire 2,700 face masks at a very good price. As of today, 2,000 of these have already been distributed to facilities in our community to help alleviate the current shortage.
All this is resulting in a drain of our resources, especially if future barbeques at Dwight Lydell Park (our main source of revenue) are in jeopardy, but we feel this is the best way we can help our current situation.
Christmas may be gone but members of the Comstock Park Rotary continue to do community service work projects. In January, club members volunteered an afternoon at our local Feeding America warehouse. Feeding America is a United States–based nonprofit organization that is a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks that feed more than 46 million people through food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other community-based agencies.
It was a busy Thursday for Rotary members. Almost all members participated in the Salvation Army 's Red Kettle campaign. This photo depicts Gerald Hopkins, Rotarian and superintendent of Kenowa Hills Schools. Earlier during the day, Rotarians enjoyed participating in our Annual Meeting which, of course coincided with our Christmas meeting. Beautiful holiday music was provided by Aaron and Rosalie Baxter.
Busy Holiday Season for Comstock Park Rotary members.
Comstock Park Rotarians will be busy this holiday season supporting other organizations spread holiday cheer across the community.
On Friday December 13, club members will be busy receiving and sorting packages for Santa Girls. Anticipated delivery time at the Alpine Township Hall is 10:00 AM.
On Saturday, December 14, club members and family and friends will be delivering Santa Girls presents to needy families in the Comstock Park, Walker communities. Designated members should pick up their assigned deliveries no later than 9:30 at the Alpine Township Hall.
Participating in reading with students at Pine Island School begins on December 17 at 10:00 am.
On Thursday December 19, our club members will ring bells all day at the Alpine Ave Walmart on behalf of the Salvation Army
On Thursday, January 16, in the afternoon, members of our club will assist in preparing food for Feeding America.
In February, we plan to assist the Hand to Hand program at Belmont Community Church in preparing food baskets for students at Pine Island and Stoney Creek Schools who may otherwise not get healthy meals on weekends.
Anyone interested in assisting in some of these projects or in becoming a Comstock Park Rotarian, please e-mail answers@cprotary.com.
Merry Christmas to all!
Two of Rotary International’s global projects are the eradication of polio worldwide and providing clean water and improving sanitary conditions in third world countries. The Comstock Park Rotary Club has supported both these projects, giving annually to the Polio fund, and being involved in several clean water projects throughout the years. In addition to raising funds for water filters, in 2013 our club sent representatives and helped a team of El Salvador Rotarians install a water well for residents in a small community near Aca Jutla, El Salvador. On Thursday, December 5th, the guest speaker at our weekly meeting was Mark De Haan, a civil engineer with the engineering firm Prein & Newhof. Mark was there as a representative of the American Water Works Association, an international non-profit, scientific and educational association founded to improve water quality and supply across the globe. In partnership with other non-profits, one of their missions is to build a well, provide clean water, and provide sanitary education to a community in Ecuador. While the cost of this project would exceed $100,000, Mark De Haan was hoping to partner with Rotary organizations in order to raise 18,600 to pay for pumps.
Today the Comstock Park Rotary was pleased to present a $3,000 check to Leslie Poot , representing Hand2Hand and Plainfield Christian Church. Hand2Hand is a West Michigan program that is sponsored by many area churches of all denominations in partnership with local schools. The local program sponsored by Plainfield Christian Church partners with Pine Island and Stoney Creek Elementary Schools in Comstock Park by providing to provide a backpack filled with supplemental food that bridges the gap of weekend hunger. Food sent home consists of breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner items, often sent home with a recipe card included. The program nourishes more than physical needs. It provides consistency, love and demonstrates to all within a home that people do care and ultimately that God cares. Some of the food is purchased, and much of it is donate by individuals, organizations and businesses It is estimated that one out of five students goes without a nutritional meal on weekends. Food is distributed at schools and taken home in a back pack.Today the Comstock Park Rotary also approved a project to restore the outdoor garden at Zinzer school. This fall our members cleaned up the garden, and hope to restore it and stock it with Michigan plants this coming spring.
Most of us were too young to remember but sixty years ago, polio was one of the most feared diseases in the U.S. By the 1950s, polio had become one of the most communicable diseases among children in the United States. In 1950 alone, nearly 60,000 children were infected with the virus, thousands were paralyzed, and more than 3,000 died. Hospitals set up special units with iron lung machines to keep polio victims alive. Polio is so contagious that direct contact with an infected person can cause the disease. In 1955 the US began widespread vaccinations and by 1979 the virus was eliminated across the country. Wild polio virus cases have decreased by over 99% since 1988, from an estimated 350 000 cases in more than 125 endemic countries then, to 33 reported cases in 2018. But until Polio is 100% eradicated, the risk of another epidemic remains.
JOIN A PROJECT
Change your community with us by volunteering on a local project.
PARTNER WITH US
We work with groups and organizations of all sizes to accomplish even more.
DISCOVER NEW CULTURES
Discover and celebrate diverse perspectives with a global organization.
Serving Our Local Community and the World
Comstock Park, MI 49321
United States of America