THE ROTARY FOUNDATION CREATES CHANNEL FOR DIRECT HUMANITARIAN SUPPORT IN UKRAINE REGION
Posted by Steve Lettau on Mar 09, 2022
In response to the deepening humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, The Rotary Foundation has created an official channel for Rotary members around the world to contribute funds to support the relief efforts underway by Rotary districts and has designated its Disaster Response Fund as the main avenue for contributions.
To this end, The Rotary Foundation has approved:
Now through 30 June 2022, designated Rotary districts that border Ukraine and the Rotary district in Ukraine may apply for grants of up to $50,000 each from the Disaster Response Fund. These expedited disaster response grants can be used to provide relief to refugees or other victims of the crisis including items such as water, food, shelter, medicine and clothing.
During this same period, other impacted Rotary districts that wish to offer support to refugees or other victims of the crisis in their district can apply for $25,000 grants from the Disaster Response Fund.
Now through 30 April 2022, Rotary districts can transfer unallocated District Designated Funds (DDF) to support the Disaster Response Fund, directly supporting these Ukraine-specific humanitarian grants.
Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund in support of Ukraine can be made here. All funds need to be received into the Disaster Response Fund by 30 April 2022 in order to qualify for use in support of the Ukrainian relief efforts.
Although the Disaster Response Fund will be the main avenue for Rotary Foundation support, Rotary and Rotaract clubs are also encouraged to create their own responses to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.
In addition to support provided through the Disaster Response Fund, the Foundation is coordinating with partners and regional leaders, exploring effective solutions to the increased humanitarian needs.
We are in contact with the United Nations High Commission on Refugees – USA to prepare for and respond to the needs of those being displaced in Ukraine and to neighboring countries.
ShelterBox, our project partner for disaster response, is in communication with Rotary members in Eastern Europe to explore how it may offer support with temporary transitional housing and other essential supplies.
The Rotary Action Group for Refugees, Forced Displacement, and Migration is also mobilizing its resources to assist in this crisis.
A million people have fled Ukraine and are in dire need of emergency aid. The United Nations estimates that number could grow to as many as 5 million people displaced. Rotary clubs in Europe and around the world have stepped up their relief work, some working on the ground to help displaced families.
We will continue to monitor the situation in Ukraine and neighboring countries. Visit My Rotary and follow Rotary on social media to stay updated on how clubs can get involved and what actions Rotary members have taken and the impact it has had for people in the region.
For all other questions and to obtain more information, please contact the Rotary Support Center at rotarysupportcenter@rotary.org.
Rotarian Rick Rosenfeld is Proof of “Service Above Self”
Come Thank Him on Tuesday
Last year Rick Rosenfeld, a Glenview Rotarian, helped our club’s John Cavanaugh redirect our Coat Off Your Back drive to support the Afghan refugees coming to the Chicagoland area. We had a gift from the Village in the Illumination Night where an additional 300 plus coats were collected. Now three months later there are still coats being redirected. They have found their way to local Afghan refugees, shipped to Ukraine and now to WINGS. Rick has kept us informed all along his effort and we appreciate it! Below is a “journal” of his pivots.
March 3rd
There is a massive clothing drive this weekend in Carol Stream. There will be a cargo container being shipped to Poland next week for early April arrival for Ukraine refugees. We plan to reroute all the coats we just picked up from the Park District two weeks ago and take them to Carol Stream for onward shipping to the Ukrainians. We also will send a portion of the spring/fall coats that were collected in November/December that we were holding for Afghan refugees until spring. There will be more than enough remaining for the local refugees here.
March 6th
Today, seven volunteers in five packed-to-the-gills SUVs departed Holy Cross in Deerfield for Carol Stream where Give Back Box was collecting this weekend. The SUVs contained all the coats from the “13th Barrel” at the Northbrook Park District, along with half of the spring coats that we collected during Coat off your Back, as well as overflow clothing donations for Afghan refugees. Give Back Box will be sending a cargo container to Poland next week with clothing for the hundreds of thousands of Ukraine refugees who have crossed the border. Rotarians and community members who donated to this winter’s coat drive now can take some comfort knowing that they have supported both Afghan refugees here and Ukraine refugees abroad.
Photo of the volunteers and their packed vehicles.
March 10th
After the big “5 SUVs” drop off of coats and clothes for Ukraine/Poland last weekend, we would like to do a distribution of coats to Wings, the local 4-star Charity Navigator non-profit that specializes in support for victims of domestic violence. Coats may go directly to women and children serviced by the program and others will go into their resale shop to generate cash for the organization. My family has personally supported Wings with small donations for the past five years and have confidence in them as an organization.
Thank you Rick for your dedication and follow through on this important initiative. Join us Tuesday when Rick will be the speaker at our lunch. Here is what he will share then:
Tuesday's Topic: What does 'safe return to international travel' look like?
Rick Rosenfeld, President of Journey Softly will share how a Travel Health and Safety Manager assesses risk in an endemic world. He will walk through four key questions and answers you should think about when planning international travel.
With 20 years of experience in the travel industry Rick has returned to planning international travel following a four-year stint as Executive Director of Hands of Peace. Rick has a global network of partners who are focused on creating meaningful and safe travel experiences for individual travelers and small groups.
"When life gets you down and weary, sometimes all you need is a few words of encouragement. That is the basis of the PEPTOC Project devised by Jessica Martin and her students at West Side School in Healdsburg, California.
The project sets up a hotline that anyone can call up. Once you’re connected, you get the options to press different numbers in order to hear the message you need most."
“If you are feeling mad, frustrated or nervous, press 1. If you need words of encouragement or life advice, press 2. If you need a pep talk from kindergartners, press 3. If you need to hear kids laughing with delight, press 4. For encouragement in Spanish, press 5,” says the kid at the other end of the line.
And for nearly a minute, the kids will offer both profound and whimsical advice. Each in their own voice.
Martins’ idea for the hotline is inspired by the “Callin’ Oates” hotline launched a decade ago in which callers could press either 1 or 2 to listen to different songs. She believes that with the dire state of the world nowadays - wildfires, pandemic, wars - people could use a little pick-me-up."
The line, which is a simple phone tree, includes the following options:
Press 1: “If you’re feeling mad, frustrated or nervous”
Press 2: “If you need words of encouragement and life advice”
Press 3: “If you need a pep talk from kindergarteners”
Press 4: “If you need to hear kids laughing with delight”
Press 5: “For encouragement in Spanish”
Press 6: “If you would like to make a donation to support this project”
Here are some of the kids' responses:
Feeling mad? PEPTOC KID RESPONSE: You can always go to your bedroom, punch your pillow or cry on it and just go scream outside.
Feeling ticked off? PEPTOC KID RESPONSE: If you are mad or frustrated you can do what you want to do best or you can do flips on the trampoline.
Feeling uneasy? PEPTOC KID RESPONSE: If you are nervous, go get your wallet and spend it on ice cream and shoes. [smart kid!!]
I tried the phone line (707) 998-8410 this am – but it seemed to be not working. Maybe because it was an am news story -and millions tried calling? But not one to give up….i did some more digging and found their GoFund Me and this message!
Yesterday by Alina Collin, Organizer
Thank you so much for your support of the Peptoc project and the students at West Side School! Our current number is being ported to a new carrier (we got a sponsorship! Yay!!) and it is unexpectedly offline. Here's an alternate number to use/share for a Peptoc until we get it all figured out: 707-8PEPTOC, or 707-873-7862.
So I called 707-873-7862 this morning – you should too - I promise you -it will put a smile on your face!!
Thank you to our Rotarians who came out the celebrate Rick Rivkin’s Corporate Citizen of the Year Award from the Northbrook Chamber of Commerce for Saf-T-Gard. Sandy & Carlos were the presenters and did a lovely job of sharing so many of the reasons why this was a the perfect choice!
Shout out to Brad Floden, Cobalt Photography who took this incredible photo for us of club members, past and present!
Bev Moriello is Power of ONE in Action!
Bev's neighbor’s had an idea of doing yellow & blue bows (so they reached out to her...), she shared it with a couple of Rotarians [Sandy & Kathi], who reached out to the Village President and others who said yes we can do something in the Village...
Connected her with Rep. Jonathon Carroll’s community outreach person, Elly who will help with volunteers!
Bev you ARE the power of ONE!!
Now Bev needs ALL our help to make it happen!!
This will be an impactful opportunity to brand Rotary in the community! Are you in?
Paying it Forward to support our good works! Grateful to our supporters, donors and sponsors!
We have the following sponsors on board: First Bank of Highland Park; Saf-T-Gard; QuickKill; Carlos Früm & Sandy Frum; Northern Weathermakers; Sunset Foods!
$12,350 RAISED
41% of our Goal raised as of Sunday 1:51 PM
22 Days to go! We can hit our mark by selling 16 tickets a day!
Power of One Possibilities - Service Opportunities
TBD - soon Ukraine Ribbon Day with club & community volunteers - see Bev to help
TBD -Pancake Breakfast
APR 23: Save-The-Date: Ak ‘Tenamit trip, April 23-May 2, 2022 -- Join Rotarians from District 6440 and 6450 in Guatemala this Spring. Sixteen people have signed up, six spots remaining. Contact Dr. Bob Steinberg, rotarydrbob@comcast.net or 847-650-3668.
Save-The-Date: May 20-22, 2022 for our District 6440 Conference at Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva. More details to come!
Join Zoom meeting on the good old-fashioned telephone!
+1 312 626 6799 Meeting ID: 295 416 335 Password: 726580 for telephone only
Please note - Meetings are no longer recorded. If you do not attend on zoom or in person you will miss the fun! Meeting dates and times, or virtual access may change, always check our website for updates. In-person meetings are held at Hilton, 2855 Milwaukee Rd., Northbrook or other locations as announced, and the club Covid protocol must be followed.
We have hybrid-meetings. Join us! Contact RotaryNorthbrook@gmail.com to join us.
NOTE: The 3/22 meeting with Brad Schneider will at 5:30 at Heritage Oaks Golf Club.
The 3/29 meeting will be at the North Shore Senior Center
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