Len will be speaking on the “Caritas Center” and has this to say about his experience:
My background is unique for this position. I spent most of my career in the laser industry working in aerospace, commercial lasers, and consulting. When working as independent consultant, I had the need, and the opportunity, to give back through Catholic Charities. My technical and business career surprisingly prepared me for this job – managing people, complex budget, managing government-funded programs, acquisition of funding, marketing and so on.
The call to help our neighbors drew me to Catholic Charities to serve as a volunteer. Soon I join the Board of Directors. When my predecessor resigned, I accepted the position as interim Executive Director, fully expecting a 3-month commitment. Well, once I became so involved, I knew that this is what I must do. So, I became a candidate for the position, and now I have been CEO for CCDSR in Santa Rosa since 2014. This is the best job I’ve ever had!
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!
The weather has cooled, and most of us have recently indulged in a large Thanksgiving feast. The night sky has prolonged its welcome, which means that we are all spending more time inside our homes. Our heaters are now in use and flannel sheets cover our beds. We are officially entering winter. A cozy tradition is lighting a fire in our fireplaces. Guess who else enjoys fireplaces? Hobgoblins
The name hobgoblin is derived from the English word, “Hob” which means elf. This word also refers to a shelf towards the back of a fireplace. Since this goblin is said to dwell in people’s homes, it’s speculated that this creature could be found lurking around fireplaces.
Hobgoblins are small, hairy men who are known for trickery and short tempers. While you are asleep, this goblin carries out chores like dusting and ironing. Its shapeshifting abilities allows it to perform pranks. One would not want to offend this goblin, for it could be frightening and even dangerous.
A hobgoblin is a more mischievous version of elf on a shelf, and instead of offering random gifts, he cleans your space. As a token of appreciation, your in-home hobgoblin loves food. Do not offer him clothing-he will be banished forever if this occurs. He is prideful and will take it as an insult if clothing is offered. Also, it is hard to find appropriate apparel to fit his slight stature. Is your holiday wish to have a hobgoblin in your fireplace? It may be better than an elf on a shelf. Just make sure to exercise upmost diplomacy.
Javier Fonseca stands sentry, having just completed packing his family's priority items as he, wife Ana Lucia, daughter Luciana and sister in law, Marianella, prepare to embark on their marathon drive from California to Tampa Florida.
In four nights, five days of 600-700 miles a day, they safely reached their new home in Palm Harbor Florida.
Javier and Ana Lucia have been preparing intensely for the past 3 years to establish new professional roots in the United States. In their most recent achievement, Javier obtained his Dental Hygienist license for Florida. He received numerous offers, and has accepted one with hopeful opportunity for Ana Lucia as well.
They now reside in a two bedroom apartment both near his work and his sister who is thrilled to have them all so close.
Luciana, now a blooming, articulate bilingual four year old is registered for pre-school.
Instrumental in advancing Santa Rosa Sunrise' Sabalos vision and dental projects, Javier and Ana Lucia, both Dentists who practiced in Nicaragua prior to coming to Santa Rosa, send their thanks for all the welcome and support they have received through Sunrise' extended family. We will be hearing more as they get further settled.
Luciana and Javier paused during their packing in front of their 700 sf apartment in Kenwood at St Patrick's.
Two blossoms of thanks from Luciana to friends helping her prepare for takeoff.
Five days later, no speeding tickets or flat tires, thankfully entering their new Palm Harbor home, Javier and Ana Lucia approach the front door:
M.J. Girard is currently an on air personality on KOWSfm.com His “Roots of Rock” is broadcast every Sunday morning at 7 AM
Ah, December, the last opportunity for tax deductions and sharing the love and happiness that culminates into family gatherings and celebrations of life. Even though we all continue to struggle with this pervasive pandemic and its continuous variants, we know in our heart of hearts that “Love” truly is the answer, whatever the question!
This Sunday’s Roots of Rock will present the body of work from the undisputed “King of Rock” none other than Elvis Aron Presley. We will begin at the beginning, an excellent place to start, with his early recordings, and saunter through his final releases. I grew up listening to rock music because my mother was an avid fan and enjoyed the energy that music brought into one’s life. Fond memories still linger of our listening and her attempts of teaching me dance steps in the living room whilst listening to recordings played on our Packard Bell “entertainment” console, a combination television, AM/FM receiver and record player, which incidentally played every conceivable speed, from 16 rpm through 33, 45 and 78’s!
Hope that you are enjoying the programs, they are presented with a lifetime embedded in the entertainment world that has brought me numerous opportunities and many fond memories. Previous presentations are archived on KOWSfm.com as well as my website Girard.org ….incidentally, underwriters are welcome as well as programming your own show. If you’re interested, let me know. It’s easy and fun!
Sunrisers, don't miss the December Service opportunity at the Redwood Empire Food Bank, this Thursday from 5:00-7:00 pm. In case you're on the fence,
1. Do you like helping out those who don't have access to the basics, like enough food?
2. Do you like hanging out with neat people?
3. Does it feel mentally relaxing to put the stresses and to-do lists away for a little while, and just do a little manual labor?
4. If there's some great music from the 60's and 70's playing in the background, do you find yourself singing along or maybe even doing a little boogie with some carrots? (Why not, everyone else is.....)
Well, the Rotary Redwood Empire monthly food packing is just the thing for you! As many of you said in our promo video, "Join Us!" Here's the link to sign up:
As many of you know we never stopped our services during the pandemic but the number of children coming to the farm was lower. That has changed, we have now repopulated and have a wait list for individuals and new groups. The word is out that Animals and Nature have a healing and calming effect on traumatized children and adults.
Because of the drought and reduced number of children over the past two years we haven't had a great need for rain boots, socks and ponchos. We do have that need now. I am asking that you look at our Amazon shopping list and purchase a pair of boots, socks or a poncho so that our children can stay warm and dry while at the farm this winter. You don't need to wait for Giving Tuesday or Christmas to help us.
Please share this list with friends and family.
It is simple - just click the link below. If you do make a purchase for Forget Me Not Farm, please include a gift notice with your name so we can acknowledge your gift with a big THANK YOU!
Murphy drops some buttered toast on the kitchen floor – lo and behold..... it lands butter-side-up.
He looks down in astonishment, for he knows it's a law of the universe that buttered toast ALWAYS falls butter-down.
So he rushes round to the Parish church to fetch Father Flanagan. He tells the Priest that a miracle has occurred in his kitchen. He won't say what it is but asks Fr. Flanagan to come and see it with his own eyes.
He leads Fr. Flanagan into the kitchen and asks him what he sees on the floor. "Well," says he Priest, "it’s pretty obvious. Someone has dropped some buttered toast on the floor and then, for some reason, they flipped it over so that the butter was on top."
“No, Father, I dropped it and it landed like that!" exclaimed Murphy.
"Oh my Lord," says Fr. Flanagan, "Dropped toast never falls with the butter side up. It's a miracle... but wait... it's not for me to say it's a miracle. I'll have to report this matter to the Bishop, and, he'll have to deal with it. He'll send some people round to interview you, take photos, etc."
A thorough investigation is conducted, not only by the Archdiocese but by scientists sent over from the Curia in Rome. No expense is spared. There is great excitement in the town as everyone knows that a miracle will bring in much needed tourism revenue. Then, after 8 long weeks and with great fanfare, the Bishop announces the final ruling:
"It is certain that some kind of an extraordinary event took place in Murphy's kitchen, quite outside the natural laws of the universe. Yet the Holy See must be very cautious before ruling a miracle. All other explanations must be ruled out." "Unfortunately, in this case, it has been declared 'No Miracle', because they think . . . Murphy may have buttered the toast on the wrong side.
Midwife empowers women through pregnancy and beyond
An estimated 5.9 million children under the age of five die each year because of malnutrition, inadequate health care, and poor sanitation – all of which can be prevented. Rotary provides education, immunizations, birth kits, and mobile health clinics to empower women. Another resource for women is midwives. Rotarian Andrea Cassidy shares her experience.
Andrea Cassidy - Rotary Club of Windsor (1918), Ontario
Midwives love birth stories. The very first birth I did was for a Mennonite woman who was in Canada illegally, had no health care coverage, and didn’t speak the language. I did one prenatal visit, and she gave birth that night. We typically do home visits for the first few weeks afterward. The family didn’t understand that they didn’t have to pay — funding for my services is through the Ontario Ministry of Health — so they kept giving me cucumbers.
Midwives can provide care for women who have no health insurance, and often do so for the most vulnerable populations. We have 30- to 45-minute appointments, longer than doctors. We see people who have language barriers or mental health issues, who are teen moms, people who are going to give up their babies after birth. They all deserve respect, kindness, and autonomy in their care.
Empowering women is my job. It’s their body and their baby. We ask what they want, and then see if we can accomplish it. Do you want to have your baby in water? In a hospital or at home? Do you want to catch your baby yourself? Do you want your children in the room? The woman gets to choose what kind of testing she wants done in her pregnancy, as opposed to being told that it’s time.
We can prescribe, diagnose, and order labs, and do all the work for your pregnancy, birth, and the first six weeks. We have good working relationships with our physicians and can check with them about problems. Sometimes things get more complicated and we transfer care to doctors, like with a cesarean section, but we don’t leave. We are the familiar face.
We do a lot of training on breastfeeding. In the clinic I might teach you how to breastfeed in a chair. If I go to your home and see that you don’t have a chair, but a mattress on the floor, I teach you how to breastfeed in your space — on a mattress on the floor.
The best part of my job is giving women permission to care for themselves. I’ll come to the mom in postpartum and say, “Your baby’s great. Now let’s talk about you. Are you eating, drinking, sleeping? Are you in pain?” The baby is rarely the problem, but the mom is a mess. I spend a lot of time telling women that it’s OK to take space for themselves. — As told to Anne Stein
This story originally appeared in the November 2021 issue of Rotary magazine.
Rotary Club of Santa Rosa Sunrise - Founded June 30, 1986
.png)
.png)
