President Joanne Serkeyn welcomed 18 Lincoln Rotarians, Exchange Student Coco Chen, Regular Visitor Justin Ziegers + Guests Lisa Toms, Bryan Rose & Jonna Wolfenberg. Pod #3 representatives, Sue Foster & Andy Fluit led the opening exercises.
Sue began with the LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT followed by her INVOCATION…
“As we gather today as People of Action, let us... Be grateful for all who dream of a world at peace & free from polio; Offer gratitude; Honour people who have sacrificed much for our dreams of a free world; Be a source for hope of those in need; Give gratitude for our opportunities to serve; Let our feelings of love and kindness always be reflected in our dreams & actions…”
She ended with a TOAST to the King (who is visiting Canada on this day), Rotary International & the Rotary Club of Lincoln.
For his POINT OF PRIDE (POP), Andy explained that he is a volunteer at Niagara Christian Gleaners (NCG) - an organization that takes surplus produce from the marketplace and processes nutritional dehydrated food. In 2023, Lincoln Rotary used its District Grant to purchase an electric motorized pallet mover for NCG that is now used 6 days a week moving pallets of fresh and processed food throughout the plant in Smithville. In 2024, NCG processed some 4 million pounds of fresh vegetables & fruit to produce 14.2 million servings to feed hungry people in 10 countries around the world. He expressed his pride in and thanks to Lincoln Rotary for contributing to this ongoing activity.
Phil Goodwin was pleased to share his POP, which featured his grandson (5 years) who is in French Immersion and already impressing his Grampa with his proficiency in French.
50/50
Jennifer Toews had the winning ticket and wonder of wonders pulled the Ace of Spades to win the jackpot ($ unknown)
HAPPY BUCKSwere suspended to allow for a jam-packed program.
PROGRAM
Coco Chen
Inbound Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) 2024-25
Coco treated us to a terrific slide presentation with her colourful & charming narrative on all that she has experienced as our club’s (shared with RC Grimsby) 2024-25 Inbound RYE student. Her photos were organized into collages to represent all aspects of her life since arriving in Canada from Taiwan last September - Host Families; School; Travels; Culture; Food; District 7090 RYE Excursions; etc. Coco’s appreciation for all who have supported her RYE adventure along with her sense of humour shone through as she related the many stories that corresponded with the images on her slides.
THANK YOU COCO! We are so fortunate to know you!!! Wishing you happiness, good health & success as you make your way on the rest of your life journey.
What started in 2000 with two $100,000 donations has now multiplied to an asset pool of over $91.5 MILLION and has invested more than $32 MILLION in Niagara's charitable sector through grants.
Bryan explained that as a public foundation, NCF is essentially a “charity of charities”. As it has built its asset pool through the establishment of endowment funds, investment in charitable organizations in Niagara through its community grants program have increased from $9K in 2001 to $3.8M in 2024. Focussing on families and businesses, NCF helps donors create permanent, yet flexible endowment funds. As permanent, income-earning funds, they benefit the people of Niagara and fulfill the philanthropic objectives of individual donors making an impact on the community today and for generations to come.
Ultimately, NCF empowers the charitable sector by working with donors to support the causes that matter most to them while also meeting the greatest needs of our community. NCF provides grants to eligible Canadian charities involved in supporting initiatives from health, education and social services to arts, culture and the environment.
NCF provides philanthropic leadership by bringing people together from all sectors to identify and address issues and leverage opportunities in the region. Its initiatives foster strong governance, capacity building & long term sustainability, collaboration, entrepreneurialism, etc. as key contributors to success.
Bryan concluded his presentation with a brief overview of Lincoln Rotary’s “Adrie’s Hope” Fund. Disbursements from this fund average $500 annually to the Rotary Club of Lincoln Foundation Inc. for direct investment in the Khazimula Children’s Project.
Jonna Wolfenberg
Manager of Philanthropy
YMCA of Niagara
Jonna’s appeal for support for the YMCA Niagara’s Summer Camp came to the attention of Lincoln Rotarians through a chance meeting at the YM display at District Conference 2025.
She began her presentation with the compelling story of how she & her very best friend met at YM Camp when they were youngsters. Elaborating on her rich experience as a young camper over many summers, she noted that now more than ever outdoor adventure camp is critical to a child’s development.
The YMCA Niagara’s current outreach for funding support is to provide underserviced youth the opportunity to have a summertime experience they would not otherwise have access to -- connecting to and fostering a love for outdoor discovery in a safe and exciting environment is the goal of the Summer Camp Program.
With the postponement of Lincoln Rotary’s 2024-25 Community Garden Hub District Grant Project, the RCL Rotary Foundation Committee considered this funding need and recommended substituting the postponed project with a grant to provide at least 22 children with two weeks each at the YM Summer Camp in Grimsby. This camp has a Helping Hands program that offers 1:1 support for children with physical and/or, developmental disabilities, mental health or behavioural considerations so they can enjoy a positive and supportive camp experience alongside their peers. With the rising cost of housing and groceries, children and youth activities are usually the first to go in many households. This grant will help alleviate this burden for families in our immediate community of Niagara West.
Following a lively discussion featuring the merits of summer camp and the YM’s policy to ensure that “nobody is turned away”, Rob Foster, RCL Foundation Director, presented Jonna with a cheque in the amount of $5,520 CAD. This represents RCL’s substitute District Grant Project 2024-25 for a total of $4000 USD - 50% afforded by our club & 50% by Rotary District 7090 District Grants Program.
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For his POINT OF PRIDE (POP), Andy explained that he is a volunteer at 
