"Every great dream begins with a dreamer." – Harriet Tubman
Dear Rotary Friends,
Greetings and a warm welcome! Cheers to a new year! We are alive, capable, and driven by the invigorating spirit of service.
What are your goals for this year? What vision do you have for yourself and for our club? How do you define success, and how can our Rotary fellowship support you in achieving it? Let’s aim high and be audacious in our ambitions—Rotary provides a powerful platform to bring those aspirations to life!
Reflecting on the past year, I am incredibly proud of our volunteer activities, each inspired by a dream. Thank you to everyone who led our volunteer and fundraising initiatives, and to all who generously gave their time and financial support. Your dedication has made a significant impact, and I encourage you to read Jenn’s inspiring recaps from December below.
One unforgettable December highlight for me was captured in a beautiful video by Grace Wu Simco. It shows a young child in a homeless shelter on December 25th, embracing our Paul Salvatore with all his might. The pure joy and warmth of that hug were priceless—a moment that epitomizes the power of kindness and the profound impact of our service. Such moments remind me of the true essence of our mission.
I also want to extend special thanks to Rob Brown for leading our Student Award Program and running the special ceremony this week. Additionally, I appreciate Steve Sabel, our President-Elect, for leading the lunch meeting detailed below. It's efforts like these that keep our club thriving.
Looking Ahead- Mark Your Calendars for These "Club Firsts":
Thursday, January 30, 5-7 PM: Join us for a special Camaraderie for a Cause event to benefit Main St. and support those battling breast cancer in our community. We'll honor the Mr. Bucks Countycontestants, including our own Rich Fekate and Bill Wise, at Ardana. Please register below so the owner can prepare hors d'oeuvres for attendees.
Saturday, February 8, 2-6 PM: Our first Camaraderie and Culture trip takes us to the Barnes Foundation for a special "behind the scenes" docent tour. Bus transportation will be available. More details to come!
Sunday, March 2, 2025, 2-3:30 PM: Join our first book club meeting! We’re reading New Beginnings, Annabelle’s Story by Charlotte Parker Caminos. The author, a fellow Rotarian, will then be our guest speaker at the March 19th lunch meeting on the topic: “Everyone Has a Book in Them.”
Friday, April 11, 2025:Hope on the Vine, our largest fundraiser of the year, plays a crucial role in supporting our community, raising funds that enabled over 46 impactful donations last year. We’re partnering with another community organization, growing this critical event, for the first time ever this year. Please consider how you can support the preparations for this important event and let us know your ideas.
Next Meeting:
Wednesday, January 15 | 12:15 PM | American Legion: Carol Ferguson will present an update on Rotary’s efforts to end Polio and a special Community Youth Summit at Bucks County Community College that’s in the works, slated for April 30th. The meal will be another healthy Mediterranean fare (Italian this time) buffet, courtesy of Joe Garvey—please RSVP below!
Thank you once again for making the Rotary Club of Newtown such an exceptional community. Your dedication and inspiration truly uplift us all. Please join me in recognizing our corporate sponsors listed at the bottom of this email; their generous support is integral to nearly everything we accomplish.
As we step into the new year, may we DREAM BIG and commit to serving even more.
With gratitude and anticipation for the incredible year ahead,
Warm regards,
Debra Porter
President and proud member of the Newtown Rotary Club, District 7430
Lunch Meetings will be held the first three Wednesdays of each month from 12:15-1:30PM at the American Legion building. A Lunch Buffet catered by Joe Garvey will be served at a cost of $16 per person.
Camaraderie for a Cause events will be held the fourth Thursday of each month from 5:00-7:00PM. Locations and causes will vary but the donation of $10 remains the same
Our January schedule is as follows:
1/8: Lunch Meeting @ American Legion - Healthy Fare - Mediterranean
1/15: Lunch Meeting @ American Legion - Healthy Fare - Italian Coast
1/22: Lunch Meeting @ American Legion - Healthy Fare - Spanish Coast
1/30: Camaraderie for a Cause @ Ardana - Main Street
We appreciate the feedback that helped inform this change and look forward to getting into a rhythm! Thank you.
Food Packing for Homeless Shelter - 12/24
Join us in making a tangible difference in the lives of those in need. Together, we’ll pack ready-to-go meals for residents of a local homeless shelter, ensuring they have food for the holiday during challenging times. Whether you’re assembling sandwiches, portioning snacks, packing lunch bags or adding a personal touch with notes of encouragement, your efforts will directly impact the community.We will meet at the American Legion building from 9:00-11:00am.
Celebrate the holiday spirit by joining us to serve meals and joy to those in need on Christmas Day and the Homeless Shelter in Levittown from 10:00am - 2:00pm. At this special holiday party, we’ll dish out warm, festive meals while sharing smiles and meaningful connections with shelter residents. Beyond the food, it’s an opportunity to spread kindness, brighten someone’s day, and bring a sense of community to the holiday season.
Together with Joe Garvey of Joey G's, we'll create a celebration that nourishes both the body and the soul—because everyone deserves a little holiday cheer.
Please join us at the American Legion building at 12:15pm on Wednesday, 1/8 for our Weekly Lunch Meeting. During this meeting, we will celebrate our "Students of the Month"for their achievements, leadership, and embodiment of Rotary’s ideal of "Service Above Self." We’ll hear from the award recipients, and their parents and other family members are invited to attend.
Our presenter, Carol Ferguson, will address our members regarding the current state of Polio in our county, state and world at large and what we can to to support the Rotary International End Polio efforts. Carol is a Polio survivor herself.
Rotarians Traveling and Representing Newtown Rotary!
Steve Sabel and his wife, Iris, represented our Newtown Rotary Club while on vacation in the Grand Caymans! Mark Craig was also in Savannah and linked our clubs together through a picture of their sign. Rotary's reach is everywhere! Please continue to represent us when you travel and share your pics with us!
Rotarians At Work Again!!!
Breakfast with Santa - 12/7
Newtown Rotary was proud to participate in the annual “Breakfast with Santa” event at the Washington Crossing Inn on December 7th. For more than 30 years, the greater Newtown community has launched the holiday season by making the season brighter for Council Rock families. Each family enjoyed a delicious pancake breakfast, a visit from the amazing Santa and an age-appropriate gift to take home. This is such a wonderful tradition and we are honored to have been part of it. Thank you to all who participated and helps spread some holiday cheer into our community!
Rotarians Are Still Working!!!
Holiday Parade - 12/8
The Newtown Rotary Club was proud to participate in the McCaffrey’s holiday parade on December 8th! We love our community and support it in so many ways! Special thanks to Matt McCullough who chaired our float decorating committee, Joanne Peterson who made sure everything was perfect the day of the parade and Donna McCormick-Miller for her amazing snow machine that delighted parade goers both big and small! Thanks to all of our wonderful volunteers who helped decorate and work the parade. Go Rotary! PS: special thanks to Rick’s Tree Service for hauling us all around our our lovely Interact ladies who worked their magic on the truck!
Rotarians Continue Making a Difference!!!
Literacy Program - 12/13
The Newtown Rotary Club is proud to support literacy in our local schools. In this case, our grant provided financial support to purchase a copy of a book written by Kristin Smedley for each first grade classroom in the Council Rock School District. The book is titled "What I Can Be Is Up To Me." It's a story about real people succeeding without sight. Our first stop was to visit first grade students at Maureen W. Welsh Elementary School, where Kristin's children attended elementary school. Special thanks to Rotarians Charlie Quattrone, Donna McCormick-Miller and Susan Schino for their leadership to make this happen and thanks to Kristin for writing such a wonderful book. It's clear that the children enjoyed this book and many more in our school district will as well!
Rotarians Won't Stop Working!!!
Wreaths Across America - 12/14
The Newtown Rotary Club cherishes the annual tradition of laying wreaths upon the graves of our veterans each year as part of “Wreaths Across America”. It is a tremendous honor to help prepare for and participate in the ceremony. We are humbled by the enormity of the sacrifice our veterans have made for our freedoms. Thank you to all of our Rotarians who helped this weekend and we thank all of our veterans for their service. Special thanks to Donna McCormick-Miller for your leadership to get us organized for this very meaningful service project.
Rotarians Must Be Exhausted!!!
Angel Tree Gifts - 12/14
The Angel Gifts are on their way! The Newtown Rotary Club participated in sorting, transporting and delivering over 1600 gifts to families in our community to help make their holiday season a little brighter. This has been an annual tradition for the past 30+ years and we are proud to be a part of it. Special thanks to Rotarian Paul Salvatore for his passion and leadership for this initiative. We could never do it without you!
Rotarians Never Stop Making a Difference!!!
Holiday Dessert Party at the Homeless Shelter - 12/17
Thank you to our fellow Rotarians who attended a "Dessert Party" at the Levittown Homeless Shelter. During this special holiday event, delicious ice cream sundaes were served for dessert with ice cream provided by Rotarian Shari Donahue and her husband, Tom, owners of the Zebra Striped Whale. After dessert, the group mixed and mingled while waiting for a visit from the big man himself, Santa! It was a wonderful event and has become a lovely tradition for our club to give back to our community and spread some holiday cheer.
Rotarians Are Celebrating!!!
Weekly Lunch Meeting (Holiday Party) - 12/18
We held our last official meeting of 2024 on December 18th and we went out with a bang! We were treated to a special buffet courtesy of Joey G and the Goodnoe Elementary School "Select Choir" serenaded us with some lovely holiday tunes. What an amazing group of young people they are and so talented! The highlight of the meeting was a visit from Santa himself who proved to be quite a "ham" in front of the camera! The man has social skills! We take this time to reflect on our wonderful Club and the great work we do for our community, country and world. It's also time to reflect on the wonderful relationships we've built with one another as we strive for "Service Above Self." Thank you so much and may your holiday season be truly blessed!
The Goodnoe Elementary School Select Choir!
Our Amazing Club with Santa!
Rotarians Never Stop Giving!!!
Camaraderie for a Cause - 12/19
On December 19th, the Newtown Rotary Club held a "Camaraderie for a Cause" at the Temperance House to benefit the Bucks County Sherriff's Office K9 Unit. These K9s, Emma and Zeke, work in law enforcement alongside Deputy Sheriffs Brewerton and Walton. Emma is used for explosive detection and patrol purposes throughout Bucks County, PA. Zeke is used for explosive detection, and eventually move on to search and rescue. We had such a wonderful night with the highlight being a visit from Zeke himself along with his BFF Christina! We created quite a stir in the Temp, that's for sure as we had 31 in our party and raised $395! Thanks to Kathy at the Temperance House for hosting a lovely evening.
The Newtown Rotary Club is proud to give back to our community, country and world to help make a difference in people's lives as we put "Service Above Self".
Our Newtown Rotary Club!!!
Who wouldn't want to join a Club full of this fun loving group!!??
Photo by Rotarian Brandon Valeri-Bruchini, Mediaology
Community & Volunteer Opportunities
In this section, you will find opportunities to volunteer outside of our own Rotary events.
In doing so, we expand our "Rotary Reach" into our community! Please sign up or even just attend these events if you can.
Order Rotary Apparel
Click Here to add to your "Rotary Wardrobe" and show your Rotary pride!
. 
.png)
