Posted by Bill Kopper on Jan 14, 2021
 
 
Author Gretchen Peralta
Photos Patsy Inouye
 
 
Last Friday morning at 0655, Davis Sunrise Rotary had 33 people logged on to Zoom, chatting and ready to go.  By 0702 our numbers rose to 44 and by then Madam President Vanessa rang the bell and this Reporter had to stay focused or scribbling all the pearls of wisdom being said. 
Then hearing the cue to Chuck Snipes …..Are we ready?  Everything fell apart.  Chuck was frozen and muted….no singing heard.  The punt to Carolyn Stiver who “rescued” Chuck only to have him sing and crackle through our regular Rotary morning songs.  Ever gracious, Madam President, thanked Chuck for his wonderful rendition.  Has her hearing been checked?
We had no visiting Rotarians and only one new guest, Anya McCann.  Taking a quick glance found our numbers had swollen to 51!  No mail, but then Madam President confessed to checking our P.O. Box twice to find it empty so pleased to see mail now going to her home to save the trip.
Announcements….announcements…First came a great big THANK YOU to all of those who stepped up on December 19th to deliver food.  In fact, so many offered their time, that a few had to be turned down.  President Elect David Copp let us know there was going to be the first ISC (International Service Committee) meeting for 2021 on Tuesday, the 12th at 6:30pm.  Madam President circulated a “Poll” asking which of the listed things were most missed….HUGS came out on top!
                                                                       
 
Stand back….Manny Carbahal was our Sergeant of the Day and he picked on the injured President Elect David who looked like he lost a prize fight, but alas only tumbled while trying to ski.   Clay Brandow shared a moment of pride.  His Physician daughter, Chole, got and is giving the vaccination to others. 
We shared a respectful moment of silence for our member Daisy who was recognized for her Service Above Self and let us know there would be a Memorial Zoom Service on Sunday the 10th at 3pm.
Moving on Jack Latow was bursting with pride to announce that regardless of all her wedding snafus during COVID-19, his daughter Kaley was pregnant…..wedding to be rescheduled this summer, but likely after birth on or about June 27th.  Jack  recognized Stacy Abrams of “the great state of Georgia” for the recent election.  Brodie Hamilton turned 71 and was happy enough to donate $71 and added another $15 for Daisy.  Madam President also donated in Daisy’s name after Lorie brought her (Daisy) to a Progress Ranch project and taught Ella and Jack how to “teach” Daisy a few tricks.  Gretchen acknowledged Mike Read’s staff at the Dispensary developed a program throughout December that required customers to bring a can of food for any purchase….they collected 1950 pounds of canned food. 
 
                                                                                                             
 
Brian Sway also donated to our Foundation for Daisy and in recognition that our nation managed to get through a bitter stress test and encouraged everyone to take a moment to reflect.  Cliff Sheppard also made a donation to our Foundation for Daisy.  Ken Firestone’s 97 year old father had died during the week and for his father and Daisy he also donated.  David Murphy is donating because his RN daughter at Duke and his wife got their vaccination and he also did not  miss the opportunity to also recognize Daisy.  Elma Gardner donated because she was happy that her dog Riley was hospitalized and safely treated for a tumor yet was saddened for Daisy’s lost.  Chuck Snipes was happy that Georgia won some game.  Tyson Hubbard, Lucas Frerichs, Andrew Newman, Dave Heard, Patsy Inouye and Carolyn Stiver all pitched in for Daisy.
 
Speaker Jeni Price, President of Board and Sally Coates In-term Executive Director from NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness).  Statistics show that 1 in 5 (in Davis it’s 1 in 4) adults experience a mental illness and 50% begin with symptoms by age 14.  The most common illnesses are the mood disorders of depression; bipolar; schizophrenia; anxiety and PTSD.  The community impact is immense between ER visits; incarceration and billions annually in lost wages. 
 
Our local NAMI has many signature programs addressing recovery, education, support and advocacy to promote the slogan “You are NOT Alone”.  Like Rotary, NAMI has 4 Pillars of Service being Peer-To-Peer and Family-to-Family classes taught by trained members along with Can Do Peer and Family Support Groups.  NAMI also has  “In Our Own Voice”,  which inspires hope and changes attitudes about stereotypes and Ending the Silence for middle and high school students to help them reach out.
 
NAMI’s annual fundraiser is the 42nd Pat Williams Dinner designed to celebrate her efforts and leadership for bringing mental illness out of the darkness throughout Yolo County.  Pat Williams is responsible to co-founding Yolo County Care Continuum; Safe Harbor; many residential Centers including Safe Harbor and Pine Tree Gardens.  The 42nd Pat Williams Dinner this year will be virtual on Thursday, February 18 from 6-7:30pm and open to the community, mental health clinicians and those working through their mental illness.  This year’s honoree will be Dr. Captane (Cap) Thomson, Yolo County Psychiatrist and former County Mental Health Director.  Once you sign up, a light Vietnamese dinner will be delivered to your home!
NAMI’s current needs include outreach and spreading/sharing the word; volunteers with technical support for developing virtual programs; and forming a virtual Mental Health Walk Team for May 22nd to name a few. 
 
More information?  www.namiyolo.org; friends @namiyolo; or 530-756-8181.
Ending the meeting, Madam President recognized 3 Truths and a Lie for Dan Carson….well Dan did not interview Bozo The Clown, but he was on Bozo’s show in Chicago when he was 6 years old.
That was it and the bell rang.