President Brenda Kell-Kotwa called the meeting to order and welcomed Dale Hatch, Gynette Smith & Erin Graybiel, as guests + 19 Lincoln Rotarians.
She invited Gayle Lucas-Roth to begin with a Land Acknowledgement as a formal statement recognizing the unique and enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories. This acknowledgment will continue to be a regular opening practice at our meetings.
Representing POD #4, Gayle followed with her Thought for the Day. She and Paul are participating in a course focusing on Who We Are, which prompted her thoughts around the contrast between the splendour of the Coronation of King Charles III and the unequivocal hardship that First Nations people in Canada continue to endure as a result of British colonialism. Gayle also reflected on the single red dress hanging at the Rittenhouse Library - a symbol to raise awareness and action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit People who have been taken as a result of gender-based and racialized violence in Canada. She observed that in Rotary we try to make the world a better place based on the values inherent in our 4-way test.
Gayle invited all to toast the King, Rotary and Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Niagara.
For her Point of Pride, POD #4 member Alice Klamer shared that in 2020 she & her husband, Jim Garrett, established a family endowment fund with the Niagara Community Foundation. One of the charities they support through their fund is Big Brothers Big Sisters. By investing in the Niagara Community Fund, she explained, “Our initial donations grow and numerous organizations in our community benefit.”
Lucky Alice held the winning 50/50 ticket but she unluckily pulled the 3 of clubs.
Because of the very full agenda, HAPPY BUCKS were welcomed without the usual sharing of happy stories.
PROGRAM
The RI theme for May is YOUTH SERVICE, which serves as the context for programming planned and organized
by the POD #4 team for club meetings this month.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Niagara
with Gynette Smith, President & Erin Graybiel, Executive Director
In introducing Gynette & Erin, Margaret Andrewes highlighted that Gynette’s involvement as a community volunteer with BBBS has spanned two decades. She is currently Board President. Prior to Erin's appointment as ED in early 2022, she served for nearly 20 years in various roles with YMCA Niagara.
Gynette spoke briefly about how in growing their Tim Hortons business in Niagara, her parents John and Marie Reidiger, and she and her brother Chris have appreciated their opportunity to support BBBS of Niagara. As a BBBS partner for almost 20 years, Tim Hortons has been title sponsor for events such as Move For Kids Sake and Bowl For Kids Sake.
Erin began her presentation by pointing out that BBBS mentoring services arrived in Niagara some 85 years ago. She suggested that the current restructuring of BBBS in Niagara to combine all services under one umbrella is intended to position the organization for the next 85 years.
Our no-cost to families mentoring programs strive to reach young people who are facing adversity and are in need of an additional, supportive relationship. Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies formally match young people with an adult, volunteer Mentor. Mentors are professionally trained and supported to ignite the unique power and potential of each Mentee. Big Brothers Big Sisters provides every match with access to a professional Caseworker who provides support to the Mentee, Mentor and family.
Providing the relationships that young people need to succeed and realize their full potential is what BBBS is about!
Erin explained that each child served faces an average of three adversities - e.g. lack of self-confidence or self-esteem; lack of social skills or friendships; experiences with bullying. Key to meeting the needs of “the littles” and their families requires community partnerships.
* BBBS has recently cooperated with Pathstone Mental Health to open a walk-in clinic at the Pen Centre (St Catharines). While BBBS does mentoring best, Pathstone is all about family-centred mental health care. In this shared location, both organizations offer ease of access to critical supports and services for Niagara youth and their families.
* Similarly, BBBS recently opened a satellite office in an available space at Community Care of West Niagara in Beamsville. While the two agencies offer different services, they have the opportunity to work together, cross-referring clients to ensure they’re getting everything they need, whether that’s mentorship for young people, food for families or any of the other services now offered out of the building.
These are two of four BBBS of Niagara satellite offices. Main offices are located in St Catharines & Welland.
Currently, there is an URGENT NEED for VOLUNTEERS to serve at least one hour a week as IN-SCHOOL MENTORS. There are 200 children on the waiting list in Niagara. Learn about In-School Mentorship here.
In 2023, BBBS of Niagara is projecting expenses close to $1.6 million with the majority of agency expenses related to service delivery.
Revenue Sources
Fundraising Events 9%
Donations 24%
Grants 41%
(Ministry of Education; United Way; etc.)
Other 3%
Government Assistance 23%
(COVID Relief)
Every gift makes a BIG impact!
$1250 moves one child off the waitlist and matches them with a life changing mentor
$500 recruits, screens and trains a volunteer for our programs
The Impact
Our Youth Experience Positive Education and Economic Outcomes
- 63% have post-secondary education
- 81% have stronger financial literacy
- 17% more likely to be employed
- 47% hold more senior leadership positions
23:1 Every dollar invested in mentoring returns $23 to society
Throughout her dynamic presentation, Erin posed questions. Club members with the correct answers were rewarded with a BBBS coffee mug.
Special thanks were extended to Erin & Gynette for their participation as Lincoln Rotary embarks on its Community Assessment. The purpose of this initiative is to gain a better understanding of the nature of children and youth services provided by various organizations in our immediate community along with the challenges and opportunities faced by each organization. Through the assessment process, our club will have the information we need to enable informed decisions for targeting support - goods, services & funding, in direct response to community needs.
.png)
Andy Fluit introduced Klaas as a longstanding volunteer leader with Niagara Christian Gleaners (NCG). Klaas explained that “Christian Gleaners” originated in British Columbia in 1994 out of a growing concern for the hungry people of the world. In 2008, the first operation in Ontario was established in Cambridge, followed by a second one in Leamington. The third opened in Niagara in December 2018 in a brand new plant located the Industrial Park in Smithville.
Each year, NCG collects over 3 million pounds of surplus produce from their grower partners in Ontario and other provinces. Hundreds of volunteers wash, chop, dry and package 5,000 - 8,000 lbs of all types of vegetables + apples, pears and apricots each and every day to produce at least 15 million servings annually.
