Many thanks to Barbara Bartle who shared the inspiring story of one person's idea that grew into a vital clinic serving over a thousand patients every year!

Guerrero Surgery and Education Center is a non-profit organization that provides free healthcare, primarily eye care, to patients in the state of Chihuahua in Mexico.  The idea began with optometrist Tom Pruitt, who with volunteers in the 1980's, traveled from city to city to provide eye care.  

Christa told us about the Welcoming Americans model that the New Americans Task Force set in motion 20 years ago and that Nebraska Appleseed adopted to help immigrants assimilate into the Lincoln Community.  To help them feel like a part of the community, citizenship classes, literacy classes, and classes on basics of how the community works, called My Community Academy, are offered.  She let us know that we need to amplify our voices to be heard over the anti-immigrant voices that are prevalent today.  Some interesting facts about immigration to Lincoln are that we have had no refugees settled here since President Trump took office again in January 2025 other than 7 families from South Africa, but we are seeing a fair amount of secondary migration such as Yazidi families who were settled in other parts of the country moving here because they are hearing from other Yazidis that Lincoln is a great place to live.

Christa encouraged us to watch for Lincoln Welcoming Week events that we can participate in to celebrate the rich cultural diversity in our communities.  Remember, Lincoln East Rotary Club is proud to be a sponsor of Lincoln Welcoming Week, September 10-19, 2026!  

https://welcominglnk.org/welcoming-week/#:~:text=Join%20us%20every%20September%20for,our%20community's%20rich%20cultural%20diversity.

Ozzie Gilbertson is our newest Paul Harris recipient for his involvement in Rotary projects over the years. Remember, Ozzie was instrumental in starting our foundation!  Pictured is his wife, Kaye, receiving it on his behalf.

Shannon and Jude did a wonderful job both raising money to renovate the Meadowlark Pool and reporting to us all the new programs the pool will encompass.  Since the city closed the only city pool in that section of town, the renewed Meadowlark Pool will allow people to just come for a day instead of purchasing a season membership.  They are keeping the pool open later into the evening so families can swim together after dinner.  They have also made partnerships with various nonprofits around town to provide things like swimming lessons for underprivileged children, and quiet hours for kids that need them.  The project needs $792,000 to do the work with a 7% contingency fund and they have raised $634,853 from a huge variety of sources.  The work on repairs to the liner, pumps, filters, concrete decking and diving board as well as safety upgrades is slated to begin this fall and complete in spring 2027 so that there can be a 2027 swim season.  Lincoln East Rotary wishes them well and gave another donation to help get them over the finish line!

Amanda Barker currently serves as the Director for Community Engagement + Partnerships for the Lincoln Community Foundation.Randy Bretz is known across Lincoln as a connector.  Together, they will bring us information on the partnership that the Lincoln Community Foundation has with the Aspen Institute called Weave to foster community trust, belonging and connection. 

Our new district governor, Gretchen Bren, will address our club during our lunch meeting this coming Wednesday.  She will be filling us in on her life in Rotary and on her goals for her year in office.  Please plan to join us in person or on zoom.  We want everyone to hear what she has to say!

Many thanks to our guest speaker on Wednesday, July 19, Dee Saari (between Chuck and Barry) .  She gave a very informative talk about the Nebraska Transition College, its reason for existence, its goals and the great work it is doing for many families in our area. 

Maggie Stuckey-Ross, the Director of Lincoln Parks and Recreation gave a very informative talk about our parks department and the many, many things they take care of for our city.  Who knew they are responsible for the 168 parks in Lincoln, 97 playgrounds, 5 golf courses and 5 dog runs, as well as the 83000+ street trees? Much of their work designed to protect our fine city from flooding.  Exhausting to even think about!  Thank you so much for sharing, Maggie!

Lincoln East Rotary Club is proud to be a sponsor of Lincoln Welcoming Week, September 10-19, 2026!  

There will be numerous events throughout the city and across the state to celebrate the rich cultural diversity in our communities!  Don't forget to plan to attend one.

https://welcominglnk.org/welcoming-week/#:~:text=Join%20us%20every%20September%20for,our%20community's%20rich%20cultural%20diversity.

The SumFun Picnic, a Lincoln Parks and Recreation Adaptive Camp for ages 6-21, was hosted by Lincoln East Rotary Club with a picnic lunch on Friday, July 17. The event has been a special program to Lincoln East Rotary, which celebrated the 40th year hosting the event.  Campers and their families gather on the last day of camp to share special memories and lunch together.

Many thanks to Lincoln East Rotarian Dennis Duckworth and his wife Marsha who have faithfully led this event for many years.

https://www.lincoln.ne.gov/City/Departments/Parks-and-Recreation/Programs/Summer-Camps/Adaptive-Recreation-Camps

The Rotary Foundation transforms your gifts into service projects that change lives both close to home and around the world.

• $395.1 million was raised by Rotarians for the Foundation
• 92% of funds are spent on program awards and operators
• Causes include; Peace building and conflict prevention, Disease prevention and treatment, Water, sanitation and hygiene, Maternal and child health, Basic education and literacy and Community economic development.
• The Rotary Foundation annual funds are shared; 50% to District Designated Funds, 50% to the World Fund

Thank you to Dr. Chuck Erickson for sharing the foundation details and his passion for the Rotary Foundation.

More information is available at: https://www.rotary.org/en/who-we-are/the-rotary-foundation

Thank you to Rev. Katherine Ebling-Frazier for sharing with Lincoln East Rotary about ConnectioN Point!  This United Methodist community center serves the Clinton Neighborhood and “seeks to provide a place of peace where all belong, all matter and all serve one another.   In a world that tells us to choose fear over love, we choose connection…”

The center provides many valuable opportunities including;

• Food Pantry
• Career Closet
• Lunch Church
• Kids Summer Snacks and Play
• English Class
• Sue's Ceramics
• Narcotics Anonymous
• Hartley/Culler LPS Family Literacy
• Raitmo y Raiz Dance Group
• Fostering Across Racial Lines
• Vietnamese Community Center and more!

Congratulations to Cora on receiving the Lincoln East Rotary Scholarship!

For twenty years, Lincoln East Rotary Club has awarded scholarships to Lancaster County high school graduating seniors who plan to go to college in Nebraska.  Students are selected for the award based on several factors including; good academic performance, being a leader in their school, community service and financial need.  Letters of recommendation are considered during the evaluation of students' applications.  The goal of the Rotarians is to help students cover the costs of their education for the next academic year.  

The students receiving scholarships demonstrate the Rotary Motto:  “Service Above Self, Humanitarian Service and High Ethical Standards.”  Lincoln East Rotary Club has supported the Scholarship program for twenty years and looks forward to continuing to help deserving students in the future. We want to thank Committee Chair Lillie Larsen for her time and care spent on this important LER program!  

We were excited to celebrate with our scholarship recipient, Cora, along with her father at our Rotary meeting.   We enjoyed hearing about her upcoming studies at Creighton University and wish her all of the best in her future endeavors!

Juan Carlos Huertas is the Minister of Proclamation & Practice of Justice at First-Plymouth Congregational Church in Lincoln, NE, and a graduate of Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. Before his position at First-Plymouth, Juan Carlos served congregations throughout the state of Louisiana for sixteen years. A native of Puerto Rico, he is passionate about helping congregations get reconnected to their neighborhoods, about a decolonized church, and about worship that expresses the human need for ritual and spiritual community in the messiness of life. 

We celebrate with Abby on her Rotary Peace Fellowship Award to support her Master's in Peace and Conflict Studies in Uppsala, Sweden for the next two years!  Abby says is it has been her dream to complete a specialized program in conflict-prevention since she participated in the US Strategic Command's Deterrence Symposium in college and heard diplomats talk. Her work with Lincoln Literacy students from different parts of the world has only solidified her dream to understand how conflict prevention can be improved.  She believes every person deserves a life filled with peace. 

Best wishes to Abby and we look forward to hearing updates about your journey in the future!

Lincoln East Rotary has helped raise and lower the United States flags for Memorial Day at The Veterans Memorial Garden at Antelope Park for many years.  It's an honor to help prepare for this special holiday.  Lincoln East Rotary has also been a contributor to the restoration of the Veterans Memorial Garden.  Thank you for organizing this event, Duane Tappe!  

A special thank you to Jon Dolliver for sharing the vital work of the Nebraska School Activities Association. It is inspiring to see the breadth of activities and the positive impact the NSAA has on thousands of students throughout Nebraska.

Lincoln attorney Loel Brooks shared his views on the risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI) when he spoke at our meeting on April 22. 

He also shared a timeline of AI development from 2023 through April 21 with references to both Nebraska and the nation. 

Loel and his wife Patty Pansing Brooks provided a demonstration of AI using suggestions from Rotarians at the meeting.

We were proud to award Ryan Hayes with the Paul Harris Fellow recognition award.  

Ryan organized a pancake feed at First-Plymouth Church to raise funds for a girls and boys club in Zambia, where Lincoln East Rotary also partners with the community to eliminate malnutrition and stunting in young children.  The girls and boys club is something the community in Zambia has wanted to provide for their youth.  Ryan raised over $1,000.00 to contribute resources and activities to this important club.  Thank you, Ryan!

https://www.rotary.org/en/history-paul-harris-fellow-recognition

We want to thank Ameer Damanhoury for being our guest speaker!

His philosophy of caring for others shines through in his work and every day life.

https://adblindsdesign.com/our-story/meet-the-owner/

A sincere thank you to Jennifer Creager, Vice President of the Omaha Chamber, for joining us at a recent meeting to share her expertise on regional economic development. The Omaha Chamber represents a diverse coalition of businesses, from local startups to major corporations, all working toward a singular goal: creating the incentives and opportunities necessary to build a thriving Nebraska workforce. Jennifer’s presentation marks an exciting step in our Lincoln East Rotary 2026 initiative to deepen our connection with the business community as well as our new membership goals for 2026!

At the LER meeting on March 11th we will have an induction ceremony for our new members and talk about our club goals for 2026/2027. 

The new members are Turner Jensen and Dr. Lisa Rauner, MD. 

Afterwards Rick Wilson and Milan Wall will lead a discussion with input from club members about our goals. 

Lincoln East Rotary Members served dinner to more than 100 guests at Matt Talbot Kitchen and Outreach on March 11.  This service project was part of Matt Talbot’s ongoing effort to engage community volunteers in their meal program, which serves two free meals a day to Lincoln’s less fortunate residents.  Meals are served at Matt Talbot’s location on North 27th Street near Cornhusker Highway.  Matt Talbot is Lincoln’s only kitchen and services center for individuals and families facing homelessness and poverty.  

Thanks to our Rotary members and several of their family individuals for helping with such a worthwhile endeavor! 

Hasan Khalil, Founder and Executive Director, Lincoln International FC.

Thank you to Hasan for being a champion for Lincoln’s youth and leading with such genuine passion!

Mission of Lincoln International FC

“Community empowerment by bridging the gap between underserved communities and vital resources, focusing on health, education and mentoring through the power of sports and cultural heritage celebrations.”  

We look forward to updates about the continued positive impact of Lincoln International FC!

https://www.lnkinternationalfc.org/