This week - Mary Vance 2/9 Rotary Board Meeting @ 10:45am 2/9 Rotarian Spotlight 2/16 Service Project: Packaging snacks for Luke Clinic 2/23 Veterans Connected with Bryan Bradford
Congratulations to all the Howell Rotarians who were nominated for awards as the Howell Area Chamber of Commerce hosted its 69th Annual Dinner & Citizen of the Year Presentation Thursday night.
Jeff Blagg, 2025 Citizen of the Year Winner!
Jake Andrews, Community Engagement & Philanthropy Award Winner!
Don & Sandie Cortez, Rick Scofield Business of the Year Award Nominees!
Got Howell Rotary photos?
Please upload for future newsletters and social media posts.
Howell Rotary is proud to support literacy in our community once again by distributing free books at the Community Connect event.
📍 Location: 242 Church 🗓 Date: Saturday, February 7 ⏰ Event Time: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
We are seeking Rotarians to help make this meaningful outreach a success! We are also in need of plastic bags for guests to carry books home. If you have extras, please bring them to Rotary prior to the event.
Thank you for helping Howell Rotary spread the joy of reading and make a lasting impact in our community!
Livingston County United Way is also currently seeking volunteers to support Community Connect, a community-wide event that connects individuals and families to vital resources and services.
Volunteers are needed to help with:
Event set-up and tear-down Guest registration and check-in Assisting guests throughout the event to ensure a welcoming, smooth, and positive experience The goal is to create an environment that is patient, understanding, and kind, helping guests feel comfortable and supported from the moment they arrive.
Event Details: 📅 Saturday, February 7, 2026 ⏰ 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. 📍 2|42 Community Church, Brighton
Thank you for helping make Community Connect a welcoming and impactful event for our community.
Volunteer at Family Fun Day on Sat. 3/14/26
Howell Carnegie Library, along with other members of the Livingston Early Literacy Collaborative, is seeking volunteers to help with our Family Fun Day event. This fun celebration of early literacy and learning is a free community event for families with young children taking place on Saturday, March 14 at 2|42 Community Center. We are expecting a few hundred attendees. Last year, we had around 600 people in attendance.
High school students & adults can sign up here to volunteer.
Annual Volunteer Award Nominations Needed!
Volunteers are the vital spark in any community, and Livingston County is fortunate to have many dedicated people who catalyze great things. Please help us recognize the key individuals who have made a difference this past year and as a way of life. Nominations are due by February 6 and can be easily made by clicking here.
Award Categories are:
Charles W Itsell Volunteer of the Year
Donald Epley Lifetime Community Service Young Person of Distinction Youth Organization Randy Rudisill Business of the Year
Recipients of these special awards will be recognized at the annual “Spirit of the Community” Breakfast on Tuesday, March 17, at Chemung Hills.
Over the past year, I’ve been developing ART Doing Good, a nonprofit that brings together art, community stories, and local nonprofits through a series of murals in Downtown Howell. It officially became a nonprofit, which feels like a significant milestone.
With the Rotary Club of Howell as Founding Partner and support from community partners, including Explore Brighton Howell Area, the City of Howell, Howell DDA, the Howell Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Howell Carnegie District Library, the first mural will go up this spring on the Thai Cafe wall.
The idea is simple. Fill our downtown walls with welcoming art shaped by community voices, and make it easier for people to discover and connect with local nonprofits.
If that sounds like something you’d enjoy being part of, I’d love for you to subscribe to the ART Doing Good email list. I’ll share updates as murals take shape, stories from the community, opportunities for artists, and what’s coming next.
Thanks for reading and cheering this on.
Warmly, Susan
Susan Pominville ART Doing Good, Founder 517-545-5000
New Members Wanted
Do you know someone who lives, works, learns, or plays in our community, AND leads with Service Above Self? Invite them to join us for lunch to discover how Rotary changes lives!
We’re striving to grow by at least ONE new member EVERY MONTH to expand our capacity to do good. If someone comes to mind, share our Prospective New Member Application and help them take the first step toward joining our Rotary family!
Host Families for Exchange Student Needed August 2026 through June 2027
Howell Rotary would like to host an Exchange for the 2026-2027 school year. The student would attend Howell Public Schools.
Please consider being a part of thisRotary program or helping connect someone who might be interested. Anyone interested in learning more, please contact Patti Griffith at pgriffith717@gmail.com or 517-282-0411.
What Does a Host Family Do? Host families play an essential role in the exchange experience.
Rotary recommends that each student experience living with 2-3 families for a period of 3 to 5 months. The opportunity to be a host family is for all families and individuals (living alone or with others, with or without children, employed or retired). The home can be in a city or a rural setting, depending on where the student attends school.
Host families will:
Provide the student with a bed, a place to study, and meals
Receive an opportunity to learn more about another culture
Include the student as part of their family life
Offer guidance on navigating school and the community
Share local culture and traditions
Create a safe, supportive home environment
Hosting is not about luxury—it’s about warmth, curiosity, and the willingness to share life with someone from another culture.
Youth programs—RYE, Interact, Rotaract, RYLA—are core to the future of Rotary.
This is a wonderful chance for our district to continue building bridges across cultures and generations. If you are interested in hosting a student, please reach out. Your participation could make all the difference for a young person – and for your club.
News From Other Livingston County Clubs
Evening at the Dio, with Highway M36 Rotary Club Join the Highway M36 Rotary Club on Saturday, February 7 6:15 pm for an Evening at the Dio! Enjoy dinner and a performance of “The Roommate.” Tickets are $75 per person. Please reach out to m36rotary@gmail.com to purchase a ticket or become a sponsor! Proceeds will benefit the Muses of Dionysus and the Highway M36 Rotary Club.
For $25, add a message for a loved one in their printed program. Sponsorship opportunities begin at $100; ¼ page, ½ page & full page ads available (deadline to submit January 28).
Midnight in the Tropics, with Livingston Sunrise Rotary Club Join the Livingston Sunrise Rotary Club on Saturday, March 7 for Midnight in the Tropics! Tickets are $125 per person. Head over to Livingston Sunrise Rotary Club's webpage and get your tickets for you and your friends. This great event gives back to local charities, including Community Catalyst, Howell Veterans Association, and The Torch 180!
Rotary District Convention 2026
May 1-3, 2026 in Chatham, Ontario.
Howell Rotary will reimburse the registration fee for the Howell Rotarians that attend!
Why wait? Register today and then submit your registration for reimbursement!
We are excited to roll out the Red Carpet for you here in Chatham.
Howell Rotary Swag! Get yours today!
Show your Rotary pride with our new Howell Rotary gear! Visit our online store to check out the full selection and place your order.
Special thanks to Sandie and the team at First Impression Print & Marketing for hosting our store. Don’t miss your chance to sport your Rotary spirit!
