Adults over age 85 are the fastest growing population segment in Sonoma County. How, and how well, are we meeting the housing and care needs of our aging seniors? What are you doing now to prepare for your own future needs? Join us on February 20 to learn (and share) more!
Rotarian and guest speaker, Eloise Tweeten, knows first-hand the consequences of “lack of planning” when it comes to aging seniors. Her father at age 89 and aunt at age 93 both waited until a health crisis sent them to the hospital and they ultimately needed 24-hour care & supervision-but not “nursing home” care. The challenges Eloise encountered while trying to manage her aunt's care in Tucson, Arizona by long distance inspired her to provide a needed service to other elders and their families. Her father moved into a continuing care community near his home in Madison, Wisconsin, and her aunt moved to a smaller care home in Tucson. Eloise was her aunt’s durable power of attorney.
Eloise Tweeten, founder of Tweeten Eldercare Advisors, started her business in 2008. As an eldercare advisor specializing in assisted living placement, she considers her work to be a cross between social services and real estate. She also works closely with other senior service professionals throughout the North Bay to find the resources needed to help older adults age gracefully, whether at home or in a “home away from home.”
Eloise was born, raised and educated in Madison, Wisconsin and has lived in California since 1985. She holds an undergraduate degree in psychology and a Master of Science degree in business with a concentration in human resource management. With a background in Human Resources and mediation, Eloise had 20 years’ experience in management and consulting prior to starting Tweeten Eldercare Advisors. In her work as a community mediator as well as in the Human Resources field, she had always been drawn to finding win-win solutions to challenging life situations. Throughout her varied professional experience, the common denominator has been helping people navigate difficult transitions.
In her current work, Eloise or an associate will first meet with a senior and/or family member and help identify both short and longer-term housing and care options. This process often involves touring senior communities and care homes in order to find the best fit for an individual who can no longer live safely in their own home. Her services are paid for by the community if a client moves, so there is no cost to the senior, much like a buyer's agent in real estate. She considers geographic parameters, likes and dislikes, financial considerations, and care needs to identify the most appropriate options, because “one size does NOT fit all”!
Our Program on February 13th was a summary of the Club’s 2020 Eye and Dental Mission to Nicaragua. We heard from a variety of attendees, including some first timers. Marty started the program by saying that he went with his daughter, A.J. and that for them the trip a life changing experience. Marty reminded us of the area’s abject poverty and the people’s inability to get professional help for their eyes and teeth. Marty was especially impressed with how the Mission’s work contributed to children's welfare.
John Jones provided the basic mission information. The group flew to Managua and took two chartered aircraft (tourism, and scheduled flights, are gone thanks to civil unrest in Nicaragua) over Lake Nicaragua, landing on a dirt runway in San Carlos. They then took the two-hour boat ride along the Rio San Juan to Sabalos. Most of the group stayed at the Sabalos Lodge, which is owned and operated by Rafael and Ninosca, our main contacts in the area. Every day the group took a one-hour bus trip to and from Buena Vista, where the work is done. John reminded us that this is an area of 36,000 people with absolutely no eye care. The mission saw 961 people in the eye clinic, 195 dental patients (with 134 tooth extractions!) and completed 187 tooth filings. People come from miles for the treatment, usually by foot and sometimes by horse or mule. The dental group was led by Joanna, the only dentist in the entire region, three motivated and energetic recent Nicaraguan dental school graduates, and Ezbon. The dental group also drafted mission members for important dental assistant tasks, including Millie (Michael Riel’s stepdaughter), who spent all three working days toiling as a dental assistant. Michael was the dental implements sterilization guru! On the eyeglass side, Steve Zwick is the Mission expert eyeglass fitter! AJ and Grace were fantastic on the autorefractor.
Millie told us how much fun she had helping people and taking naps (as per photos) on boat and bus. Michael told us that the mission is the main reason he joined the club. He and Rebecca honeymooned there, but this was his first mission. The Mission was one of the best experiences of his life! Rebecca mentioned that it was an honor and a privilege. Seeing the looks on people’s faces when they received new glasses and could finally see, or when they received professional dental care, was amazing. She reminded us that the people in the region lead very simple lives and are amazingly appreciative of the work the Mission performs. Marty read a statement from A.J., who hadn’t expected the mission to be so great and how inspiring it was to see the young dentists work. She loved the Spanish fortress visit. Penny and Paul stayed at the “Tarzan” hut. Monkeys climb around on the roof all night and howl at 3:00 a.m.! The place has bats, but bats eat mosquitos, so Penny likes bats! Penny said that the first patient she helped gave her a huge hug; her reaction was “Yes!” Paul’s main impression is that the Nicaraguan mission has a huge impact on the people of the region and that we need to keep that simple fact in mind.
John’s closing message was about our partner, Rafael, who is being treated for throat cancer. He was scheduled for surgery Sunday. (We understand that the surgery was went well and was less intrusive than expected. So, good thoughts to Rafael and his wife, Ninosca!)
Thank you to all the Mission participants for their heartfelt summaries and for their service to the people of the region. Your hard work and personal sacrifices are very much appreciated by the club and, of course, by the lives you’ve improved!
On a regular basis, our resident photo pro Warren Smith, submits pictures of what is going on at the weekly meetings. You can always find the most recent pictures at the websites photo journal called "Meeting Sighting" Please note that all the meeting photos for the entire Rotary year are at this location with the most recent on the last page.
Thanks for all the great pictures Warren!Link to Meeting Sightings. The most recent are on the last page!
New Gen Peacebuildersis not too new> Founded in 2012 by Rotary Peace Fellow Grasduates, among them Particia Shafer who spoke to our club several years ago, New Gen Peacebuilders is a vital link, catalyst for developing leaders at an early age (14-25) to create a more sustainable, relevant and empowering approach to higher standards of living.
Adopted locally in District 5130 with impetus from now District Governor Elect Doug Johnson, Sunrise members Eloise Tweeten, Jack Strange, Mike Kelly and Leroy Carlenzoli have been active in developing this program. Mike and Leroy's Peace Wall is legendary.
Interact students from Elsie Allen High School, Trinity was a graduate before heading off to college and Rob Giacomini is currently in Eloise Tweeten's Cohort.
Sunrise is supporting 7 students this year at $500 each. Santa Rosa Rotary is funding 12 other students.
Take a look at the following link to discover more of the depth New Gen Peacebuilders provides both students and mentors. You may find yourself inspired to connect to the future in a new generating way!!
I have been asked, “What is Rock and Roll…Exactly?” My reply…It’s a culmination of many musical art forms, however, there was a “Pure” form early on that was considered to be the “Purest”. Rockabilly!
This genre was preserved in perfect isolation, mainly because it went nowhere! Captured from the 1954 release of Elvis’s first release on the Yellow Sun recording label and ending upon his induction into the U.S. Army in 1958. Along with that unfortunate event, Jerry Lee Lewis marrying his fourteen year old cousin Myra sent adults reeling. Carl Perkins 1956 car crash along with a very long period of convalescence just as his “Blue Suede Shoes” was released, was followed by the death of Eddie Cochran and serious injury to Gene Vincent in a 1960 taxi cab accident in London, reinjuring Vincent’s previous leg injury, nearly crippling him for the remainder of his life.
This early period of R&R was the purest form of unbridled talent, causing the near demise of Country music, as the older C&W artist scrambled to catch up to this HOT new form of popular music sweeping the forty-eight states…Every wanta be Elvis beat a path to Sun Records in Memphis, where it all began.
Needless to say, Sam Phillips never looked back, Elvis’ first Sun Record release of “That’s Alright” brought in all of the much needed cash and notoriety that he sought. Rockabilly, also known as “Cat” music, (Cool Cat) was the purest form, almost of classical quality, however, it was Southern music, and except for its major artist, Elvis, Cash, Orbison, Rich and Lewis, just to mention the top of the southern performers, remained pure to the sound of the South.
Out west, Ricky Nelson tried to emulate that sound, using James Burton, from Louisiana, as the hot guitarist to infuse his recordings. These records from Memphis were not just Southern music, it was white male music, with the exception of Wanda Jackson, a mix of Blues and Bluegrass. According to Carl Perkins, “Blues with a Country beat.”
This “Cat Music” was a secret language sought after by the breakaway youth of the Fifties, times were flush, and James Dean was their hero.
Until next time, stay well, tune into my show every Saturday morning at eight.
1. What are the key elements of programs of scale grants?
This is a new type of grant intended to provide measurable and sustainable solutions to issues affecting many people in a large geographic area. Every year, The Rotary Foundation will award a $2 million grant to one project that aligns with one or more of Rotary’s areas of focus. The grant will support project activities for three to five years.
These grants do not require an international Rotary partner. However, applicants are expected to work with partners outside Rotary, such as nongovernmental organizations, government entities, and private-sector institutions. These partners may assist Rotarians at any stage of program development, and we encourage them to contribute funding. While Rotary is required to have a leadership role, our partners must have “skin in the game.”
Finally, proposals for this grant type must demonstrate that similar projects have been successfully implemented. In turn, it should be possible to replicate the grant-supported project in other communities with similar needs.
2. Why did Rotary create this new grant type?
We wanted to complement the existing grant types with one that would benefit a much larger community. Programs of scale grants challenge Rotarians to think big and to work with other organizations to find comprehensive solutions to large-scale issues. As we’ve learned from the PolioPlus program, if you want to make a significant impact, you need to have partners who are willing to jump in with you.
For example, in Sri Lanka, we have been working on a project to eliminate cervical cancer. My club, the Rotary Club of Colombo, had set up a cancer detection center. We then partnered with the Rotary Club of Birmingham, Alabama, on a global grant that funded HPV (human papillomavirus) testing machines. In addition, we brought in the University of Alabama at Birmingham to train staff, a leading telecom company to fund the construction of a new facility, and the Sri Lankan government to cover the cost of vaccines. In 2018, the project ensured that 83 percent of all 10-year-old girls in the country were vaccinated.
The power of Rotary is much greater when we partner with like-minded organizations. This project involves multiple partners at a national and international level that are working together to prevent disease on a massive scale. Programs of scale grants give Rotarians the opportunity to replicate achievements like this one.
3. How does the application process work?
Rotary clubs and districts are invited to submit a proposal for a fully developed program, including proof of concept, baseline data from a community assessment, and ongoing monitoring and evaluation plans. Proposals are due 1 March. Those with the strongest proposals will then be invited to submit an application by 30 June.
Proposals and applications will be reviewed by a committee that includes members of The Rotary Foundation Cadre of Technical Advisers and other subject-matter and grants experts. The Trustees will then consider the recommendations of the selection committee and will make the final award determination at their October meeting.
4. How will we measure the success of these grants?
The fundamental thing is that anything we do must benefit the community. Success will be measured in the ultimate impact of these grants on recipient communities. It will also be measured in Rotary’s ability to position itself as a leader in implementing solutions to long-standing development issues, especially in partnership with other organizations that represent the values and aspirations of Rotarians.
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