08-23-16, Vol. 78. No. 33
Posted by Richard Perlberg on Aug 29, 2016
PROGRAM: Sam Roth was the guest speaker. She is director of marketing for Whaley’s Children Center in Flint.
PROGRAM: Sam Roth was the guest speaker. She is director of marketing for Whaley’s Children Center in Flint.
GUESTS: Anna Evers, daughter of Rachele; Cindy Snyder, honorary Brighton Rotarian now living in Peru.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- Piet Lindhout said Day of Caring went very well, with Brighton Rotary outlasting the rain and completing two ambitious projects. The United Way event included 1200 volunteers working on 130 work sites. Dennis Whitney noted that Lindhout and Associates was honored as the Small Business of the Year for the state.
- Peggi Bourke president President Adrienne Knack with a check for 31,040, the final tally for this year’s Dash or Crash, slightly up from last year’s first event. The Dash or Crash for 2017 will be the topic of the August 30 Rotary meeting.
- Donna Craig issued a reminder that some dues payments are still outstanding. Still.
- Nancy Johnson displayed some books for children about dyslexia which featured Henry Winkler who found out later in life that he has dyslexia.
- Brian Donovan said the demand for ramps is so great that new requests are shut down for the year, but there are still three more ramps and a Make a Wish gazebo to be completed. Next ramp project is Wednesday, August 31.
- Cindy Snyder told of her work supporting 55 different communities in the Peruvian Rain Forest. She has partnered with a Rotary Club in Lima to cover most of the costs involved in study abroad programs for students. However, she is raising money to cover costs such as fees for passports, visas, dental work and round-trip fare to Lima.
PROGRAM:
Frank Mancuso introduced Sam Roth who is director of marketing for Whaley’s Children’s Center in Flint, which is a home for children who have been the victim of abuse and neglect. The home was built from initial donations for a wealthy and influential Flint family whose 10-year-old died of diphtheria; after his death, they discovered he had been saving money for an orphanage.
The center, founded in 1924, was eventually left to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and accepted its first child in 1927. By the 1970s, its focus shifted to become a residential treatment facility for about 90 children, males and females between 5 and 17. The typical child has been in an average of four to six foster homes and exhibits pain-based behaviors. They need to learn that their abuse is not their fault and their past does not need to define their future.
After 18 months of vigorous therapy, which includes schooling, there is a success rate of 75 to 80 percent, which is defined as finding permanent home placement … either with a foster home or their original family.
Sam says these kids typically don’t have strong adult role models. She particularly likes a quote from basketball great Magic Johnson: “All kids need a little help, a little hope and somebody who believes in them.”
50-50
With the pop at 1,225, Pam McConeghy grabbed the Ace of Spades. She said her winnings will help fund the memorial for Matt Modrack, the visionary City of Brighton planner who died earlier this month,.