Meeting Date:      October 7th, 2022 

Presiding:            President Michelle Fortin 

Greeter:               Tom Ives

President Michelle opened the meeting at 07:30 and greeter Tom shared some inspiration. 

 

 

Guests: Mike Ard; Our speaker, Steve Croke

Announcements:

• Michelle Fortin – Breakfast invoices have gone out.  New fee for second quarter is $75 due to less meetings and Mike Ard  was announced as a incoming new member for hid 2nd and final week.
• John Hanson’s Mom passed away- Obituary read by Michelle
• Matt Dodge spoke on Auction.  Sponsorships are currently 90% of where we were last year.  Jerry Kingwill from Cobb Hill joined Sponsorships.  Last call for sponsorships.  3 weeks from today will be the  last meeting before the auction.  Auction will be going live Wednesday - Saturday.  
  We are only up to about 60% of the number of items that we had last year.  We need items by 10/21.  Matt will send out email with businesses again as a reminder.  Requested that we all try and reach out to businesses to increase donations.
  Judy Goodnow - Requested items to be handed to Gerry Carrier and Matt Dodge this week.  Judy will be here next week to collect items.  
  Matt Dodge - In process of updating the banner and signs from last year.  Should be available within a week.   Will be in touch by next week regarding where to put signs as well as other details. 
• Gerry Carrier -Update on Pavilion.  Pad has been poured.  Sent out requests to framers to see if we can get interest.  Two got back saying they can no longer commit.  Third bid came in a bit higher than expected.  May happen this fall or wait until next week to see if material cost is lower.
• Linda Bliss spoke on Roadside pickup.  We had one member who had to withdraw.  We are still short 2 people. Hoping to get 2 more volunteers.  
• Michelle Fortin spoke with the Garden Club.  Rotary Park clean up will be on 10/22.  Michelle will be sending a sign up sheet out this weekend. 
• Bob Couch provided Christmas Tree update.  Received email from Sharon 2 days ago.  Will be ready to go on Friday the 25^th around 9:00 a.m.    Will need volunteers to unload trees.  Will start selling around noon.  Confirmed no Rotary that day.  
• Michelle Fortin reminded participants on Zoom to send Melissa Howard a welcome email if they are unable to introduce in person
• Steve DeStefano reminded everyone to bring in peanut butter by end of the month for the Interact collection.  

 

We celebrated Tamar Roberts' birthday today!  Club sang Happy Birthday.

Mike Gula paid a fine due to not showing up before his guest.

Dave Gazaway - Late $1 

• Tamar Roberts - Gave Happy $66 in celebration of her Birthday
• Bob ?- Gave a Happy $62
• Matt Gatzke - Happy $2.  One of the groups he is involved at an Assisted Living facility had their first in person meeting since Covid.  Next Thursday at Lithermans is Trivia Night “Beat the Librarians” 6-8 p.m.
• Linda Bliss - Happy Buck.  Spent yesterday in Boston at Mass eye.  Had laser surgery.  
• Kim Place - Happy $5.  Celebrated 25^th anniversary.  Hiked Mt. Washington.
• Peter Imse - Happy $5 in celebration of his birthday.  Last year was a year of great events:  Retirement, Super Bowl, 6^th Grandchild being born.  Visited Mom age 99.  
• Mike Gula - Late $1.   Happy $1 Went to Errol to close camp.  Best friend got them tickets for Billy Joel.  Happy $1 son prepared and cooked duck which he had hunted.  
• Ben Kiniry - Visited son who was graduating Navy basic training.  Went to Top Gun movie with son.  Saw Tanya Frost at the airport in Chicago.  

Program: 

Steve Croke  Executive Director Family Promise of Concord was introduced as guest speaker by Dave Gazaway.  
Made movie in NH Film Festival.  Met wife in NH.  Decided to move to NH from CA.  Youngest of 9 children.  Became interested in family homelessness.  Highest demographic of homelessness is family homelessness.  Has been working with Family Promise for 3 weeks. 
Family Promise is a national organization with over 200 affiliates in 43 States.  Paul Russo from Bow is head of Board.
Provides shelter program as well as many other services such as monetary assistance, case management, work with landlords.
Most families stay with them for about 3 months.  Family Promise of Concord will assist them in finding permanent living.
Once they are out of the program, they continue to work with for about a year providing case management, financial assistance, etc. through their Stabilization Program
Shelter program- works with interface communities who host families.  Volunteers come in to provide dinner, stay overnight with guests, and provide other assistance. They use 20-50 volunteers at the site.  The goal is to keep 3 families at once.  They are planning on growing the program over the next 5 years due to demand. 
Biggest benefit is to try and keep the family unit together.  

 

Matt Gatzke presented the book “The Pigeon Has To Go To School” to Steve.  The book will be donated to the Baker Free Library

 

 

Respectfully Submitted, 

Kim Place