Club President Joanne Serkeyn welcomed 17 Lincoln Rotarians and 2 guests: Sue Miszturak, former Lincoln Rotarian; Kim Rossi, guest speaker.
Bob Groh offered the Land Acknowledgment followed by his Thought for the Day on the theme of “Contrasts”.
With the beauty and bounty that we all enjoy as products of the earth in this part of the world, we are so fortunate. This is in contrast to many locations elsewhere where products of the earth wreak havoc through earthquakes, storms, flooding, etc. causing massive destruction and upheaval and so much misfortune for others. Our good fortune as Lincoln Rotarians motivates us to realize that even little things count in what we do to “create hope in the world” where contrasts in circumstance abound.
Bob proposed a toast to the King, Canada & Lincoln Rotary.
For her Point of Pride, Barb Mitges expounded on the amazing success of Bike the Benchlands (BTB). She explained that at the registration desk, she, Nancy, Gayle & Paul greeted the participants upon arrival and welcomed them back after their ride. There they experienced firsthand the smiles and positive feedback that flowed from all. Everyone was thrilled with every aspect of the event including lunch.
50/50 DRAW
Dave Woods had the winning ticket but pulled the five of spades instead of the ace.
HAPPY BUCKS
Barb - to let everyone know that Sue Miszturak, known as Sue #1, introduced her to Rotary for which she is very thankful
Sue M - happy to be attending before she and Mark move to their new home in Ripley, ON where she intends to join the Kincardine Rotary Club
Sue F - nice to see Sue M; Congrats on Bike the Benchlands (BTB)
Andy - happy that he completed BTB 50km ride wearing "regular clothes”. Maybe he’ll be sporting spandex next year
Bill - for the success of BTB while he was tending to his grandkids at the cottage
Debbie - just happy
Martha - for a happy time camping with her grandchildren. Thankful that Daughter Margaret is able to return home to Yellowknife following 2 weeks in Calgary during the evacuation
Lindsay - looking forward to being a Lamplighter Guide
Dave F - encourages everyone to hurry up and purchase their Lamplighter tickets. Moving back to Guelph to be closer to grandkids.
Anna - September is time for a fresh start & new beginnings
Gayle - Happy Birthday to Paul! Happy that their dog is learning to walk on a lead
Dave W - expecting a new grandchild soon
Bob - BTB experience was a ‘knock out’ for his friends! Happy that he has learned to put his spandex on the right way.
Rob - thinks that Andy would look good in spandex as compared to himself who would look like an egg
Joanne - 2 kids in university. Grateful to all those who helped with BTB and thanks to Pathstone.
PROGRAM
Pathstone Mental Health Foundation
Guest Speaker: Kim Rossi
Director of Philanthropy & Public Relations
Rob Foster introduced Kim Rossi as an “uber advocate” for mental health. In her role at Pathstone over six years, she has made substantial inroads in promoting awareness of the needs of vulnerable children & youth in her outreach to both levels of municipal government and among other influencers in Niagara.
Kim is a former radio & TV host and experienced in event planning and fundraising. At Pathstone Mental Health Foundation, she and one other staff member carry out their mission of raising much needed funds to support various programs and services geared to improving the mental health of children across Niagara. Consequently, third party events like Bike the Benchlands are essential for securing the funds required to fulfill the foundation’s ongoing mission. With this explanation, Kim praised Lincoln Rotary for its tremendous success with its inaugural Bike the Benchlands fundraiser and graciously thanked the club for dedicating a significant portion of its proceeds for Pathstone.
All donations from third party events are used exclusively for frontline services delivered through walk-in clinics in ten easy to access locations across Niagara. The Fleming Centre serves as one of those locations & is open for in-person walk-ins every Thursday, 11:30am - 6:00pm.
Using a PowerPoint presentation entitled, “Pathstone’s What’s on Deck Report”, Kim highlighted the following:
The Well-Being of Ontario Students Report (2022), with outcomes from a survey targeting adolescents (Grades 7-12) conducted every two years by CAMH(Centre for Addiction & Mental Health). The survey measures physical & mental health, social media use, drug use, among many other well-being indicators.
From the report, here is a snapshot of what kids were really feeling:
✔ Nearly 1 in 5 reported that they contemplated suicide last year. ✔ 18% say the OFTEN or ALWAYS feel lonely. ✔ 59% feel depressed about their future. ✔ A quarter of students say their relationship with their parents/guardians worsened during the pandemic. ✔ 39% say they RARELY or NEVER talk to a parent about their problems or feelings
Who Are We?
Pathstone, now 55 years young, is the primary provider of children and youth mental health services in Niagara. We support those from the start of their life until their 18th birthday and their families. Our services are offered at no cost. We are mainly funded by the Ministry of Health, with gap funding coming from private and corporate donors as well as groups, clubs and associations. Pathstone keeps step with the increased demands of mental health care thanks to funds raised across our community.
Education and Awareness Efforts
Branding, awareness, education & prevention are key functions to Pathstone’s everyday efforts and are carried out via a number of annual events and campaigns - e.g. #Project Plaid & Hope Gala (November); Wellness Walls/Wellness Stalls; etc.
To keep up with Pathstone News, click here and go to the bottom of the web page to SIGN UP for their NEWSLETTER
In conclusion, Kim featured Pathstone’s Commitment to Community…
✔ Offer Mental Health support to every corner of our community.
✔ Expand our brand through creative campaigns and projects.
✔ Become the industry leader in service delivery, research, and training.
✔ Recruitment. We are stretching outside of Niagara to prospect new talent to join our team.
✔ Continue conversations with government to increase funding.
She ended with a fundamental question to be asked if ever in a situation where you’re concerned about someone’s wellbeing…
Do you feel safe with yourself?
President Joanne extended special thanks to Kim with the promise that the club’s Bike the Benchlands contribution of $5,000 would be coming Pathstone’s way very shortly.
The meeting adjourned following the reciting of the 4-way test.
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