This Thursday, Marimar will speak to our club. She is one the leading winemakers in Sonoma County and her wines are world famous. Born in Barcelona, Spain, Marimar is fluent in six languages and holds a degree in Business & Economics from the University of Barcelona. She and her team focus primarily on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
The Jewish Community Free Clinic, by Executive Director Donna Waldman
Our Speaker for Thursday, January 19, 2023, was Donna Waldman, Executive Director of the Jewish Community Free Clinic (JCFC) in Santa Rosa. JCFC was founded in 2001 b Dr. Robin Lowitz, a long-time Santa Rosa physician. Dr. Lowitz saw the need in Santa Rosa for free healthcare for those who could not afford it, especially farmworkers. JCFC’s services are completely free, with no questions asked. All medical services are performed by volunteers, including physicians, nurse practitioners, and nurses, among others. It is open 30 hours per week. Donna has been with the JCFC from its beginning! JCFC is run by Jewish people but it does not primarily serve the Jewish community. It is guided by Jewish principles of philanthropy, including the concept that we should leave the world better than we found it. As Donna stated, charity is an obligation. JCFC’s current patients include migrant workers, Fijian health-care workers, the low income, mothers with children, and refugees, including Venezuelans and Ukrainians. Its current budget is $500,000. Danna believes that the JCFC saves our local emergency rooms much more than that by providing an alternative for the uninsured. She noted that even community health care clinics cost some money, and the people served by the JCFC cannot typically afford to pay anything for services.
JCFC provides a wide range of primary care treatments to its patients and plays an active role in providing vaccinations. It has two full-time people working in primary care. It has also recently received a grant for $90,000 to respond to Covid emergencies, including prescriptions for paxlovid. This drug is very effective for treating Covid, but must be administered within 5 days of the onset of symptoms, so prompt diagnosis and referral are very important and part of JCFC’s core practice. JCFC’s services include acupuncture, which Donna believes is an effective pain management tool and can often keep people from resorting to, or staying on, opioids. Mental health services are also available at JCFC. The treatment can last up to 8-12 weeks and is solution-focused, which emphasizes goal clarification, skill development, actively working on steps needed to identify and engage strengths and resiliency. JCFC also has a teaching clinic in which it helps train Kaiser Residents and Sonoma State Family Nurse Practitioner students. Donna also teaches a group of high school students on issues of social justice and civics, and she reports that the students love it and never miss a class!
JCFC benefits the community in a number of ways. It focuses on the treatment of communicable diseases, helps low-income people, and migrants, and refers people to permanent medical care. It was instrumental in helping Sonoma County achieve its high rate of Covid vaccinations. It also partners with the community health care system in Sonoma County.
Thank you, Donna, for providing us with key information about a wonderful organization helping Sonoma County by treating the uninsured, low-income, and migrant/refugee population. And thank you for all the good work you and the organization do in Sonoma County!
Click HERE to view a recording of Donna Waldman's presentation. It will be available for a limited time.
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!
For over a generation, 37 years. Santa Rosa Sunrise Rotary members have moved and shaken local and far-reaching landscapes, bringing innovative partnerships, international goodwill, FUN, FULFILLMENT, food, roofs, to mention a few leadership achievements.
Change can be intimidating. It can also be inspirational. See how club leaders during Dave Lorenzen's year leveraged leadership hosting Del Raby's year as District 5130's Governor:- Link to 1992-93 Year
Leadership is not limited to club management. Here are some examples of how leadership brings great ideas to fruition, resulting in significant improvement in the quality of many lives. Including the members!
Youthful vitality both attracts our focus as well as we promote it. take a look at these faces and look for still familiar names from Dave and Del's 1992-93 year: - Link to 1992 - 93 Exchange Students
First it was "Fines". And when that was thought to be "negative" it became "recognitions" and after that "High Five". But Jack has announced a new twist for these moments, designed to fit every celebration as well as sorrowful news. And it does not have to be a "High Five". "Happy Dollars" and "Sad Dollars" can be whatever you want them to be. Or whatever you feel is appropriate.
Happy Dollars
Randy Seelye is back home after attending from his hospital bed in Truckee last week. He broke a bone in his hip after getting tripped-up by a snow boarder while disembarking a chair lift at Northstar-at-Tahoe. Way to keep up your perfect attendance, Randy!
Sad Dollars
President Jack reported that Jennifer Hembd has regretfully resigned from our Sunrise Rotary Club and will pursue Rotary in Palm Springs where she resides most of the year. We wish her well!
Do you have Happy or Sad Dollars to share? There is no need to wait until the meeting. Send them to the editor.
1. A man takes his car to a hotel. Upon reaching the hotel, he is immediately declared bankrupt. Why?
2. What do these words have in common: polish, job, herb?
Send your answers to the editor. Brownie points and answers will appear in next week's bulletin.
Answers from last week:
1. Two boxers are in a match scheduled for 12 rounds. (Pure boxing only - no kicking, UFC takedowns, or anything else). One of the boxers gets knocked out after only six rounds, yet no man throws a punch. How is this possible?
A) Both boxers are female.
2. In 1990, a person is 15 years old. In 1995, that same person is 10 years old. How can this be?
Along with community volunteers, members of the Rotary Club of Lautoka planted more than 4,000 mangrove saplings in September along a nearly 2,000-square-foot stretch of beach at Taiperia. The area, home to low-income Fijians, is about 2.5 miles from central Lautoka, on the island of Viti Levu. “For a small island nation such as Fiji, it is particularly important to protect our homes and livelihoods, as the vast population of the country lives near coastal areas,” says Club President Chirag Parmar. “The planting of mangroves helps protect these areas from coastal erosion and also rehabilitates the ecosystem of our shoreline.” The club teamed up with the Ministry of Forestry on the project and used $130 in donations to buy the plantings. “We used a small batch of funds from a much larger donation received from the International Fellowship of Rotarian Scuba Divers,” Parmar adds, illustrating the depth of Rotary partnerships.
This story originally appeared in the January 2023 issue of Rotary magazine.
Rotary Club of Santa Rosa Sunrise - Founded June 30, 1986
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