This week's meeting includes ways we support our community by presenting organizations with funds to help them continue their missions. We are People of Action and this is one of the ways we demonstrate this.
The following two weeks we will be meeting at IHOP. Join us if you have time.
The Scholarship portal is open now. Spread the word! Our Scholarships are for graduating seniors who aspire to go to vocational school, college or university. Scholarship Committee Chair Don will be reaching out to members who want to help out this year.
The link to our YouTube Channel is now available on our website and our weekly bulletins. You can view recent online meetings. If you watch any of them, you can count it as a makeup. Just let our Co-Secretary, Christine Egelstad know.
Last week was a busy week for our Club. Laurie Westover, Club Treasurer, announces the second round of giving to non-profits at our meeting on Friday, December 12th with distribution scheduled for Friday, December 19th at the weekly meeting of our Club. Stay tuned for the announcement and the pictures. On Saturday, we were participants in the Winterfest event in downtown Lake Stevens which included the lighting of the Christmas tree and Santa arriving via Fire Engine courtesy of the Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue (SRFR). Our booth was busy early on giving small gifts to the children who were waiting for the activities to begin. And, lastly, we co-sponsored a Blood Drive with the Lake Stevens School District and the American Red Cross on Friday. The schedule was full and those providing blood signed up early. That is what “Rotary” is all about….Service to the Community.
Benjamin James, older brother of our Program Director Kendra Pinkelman was out guest speaker, talking about the Mental Health Crisis in Nursing. Benjamin thanked our Club members for their support when they lost their home in a major California fire. Code Blue is the subject of his crisis in nursing and the lack of assistance from a mental health professional. From photographer, designer and studying humans the past 20 years, he decided to go to college and become a social worker. Benjamin wants to focus on our own pain due to the center of the storm are what nurses and health care professionals are experiencing. Over 60% of nurses are experiencing abuses and burn-out.
Covid was a major issues for nurses and health care providers. Stigma and employer retaliation is a major issue with nurses across the country. Over 30% of health care workers are nurses. In the State of Washington, turn over in nursing is around 60%. Mental health care is unavailable in many cases. Leadership is a major challenge.
Our health care workers are not burning out because they are weak----they are burning out because the system is. This is solvable. Benjamin suggested that advocates need to contact their state legislators about staffing levels and workforce-support bills. So many ways to help change the system such as holding community forums was just one of the recommendations that he made during his closing presentation.
Interact is a service club for youth ages 14-18. The name is a combination of the words international and action. We join Clubs in over 120 countries around the world. The global youth network is dedicated to community and international service. Every Interact Club project, great or small, has a lasting impact on society worldwide.
Club Meetings are held at Lake Stevens High School. Contact Mrs. Odegaard for more information!
Our regular Rotary Club Meetings are at the Lake Stevens School District Educational Service Center lower level Community Room located at 12309 22nd St NE. We start at 7:30 am. Click here for the online link. There will not be any breakfast served. However, coffee will be available. Visitors are always welcome.
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