"The measure of a society is how it treats its weakest members." Mahatma Gandhi
Dear Friends,
Greetings and happy Friday!
I hope you’ve enjoyed a wonderful week. At Monday's breakfast meeting, those in attendance learned about the sobering and urgent issue of teen suicide. The discussion highlighted the concern for the mental health of our youth. Our speaker, Amanda Soler, Founder, SolFul Living, shared alarming statistics and personal stories that underscored the importance of early intervention, support systems, and community awareness. The meeting served as a powerful reminder of our collective responsibility to address this crisis head-on, offering hope and resources to those who need it most.
Looking ahead to next week, expect a very special Newtown Rotary Club dinner at Relic on Tuesday, August 13th. The topic will be: Hidden Hardships: Unveiling Our Community's Silent Struggles. Please join us for an eye-opening presentation about Bucks County’s hidden hardships. You will learn about poverty in our county and why our ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) neighbors struggle to access services, as well as some of the innovative programs that are helping to fill gaps. This will be an opportunity to gain valuable insights to help us take actionable steps towards creating a stronger, healthier community for all. We are limited to only 50 seats, so do sign up below ASAP if you are interested.
Marissa Christie, our speaker for the evening, is passionate about creating real, lasting change for people and communities. She is currently President & CEO at United Way of Bucks County, a nonprofit focused on access to quality education, financial stability, and good health. Since becoming CEO in December 2016, she initiated some of the most ambitious and successful programs in the organization’s 70-year history. She also doubled the organization’s operating budget and impact. She serves on many advisory councils and boards and is currently on the executive committees of the Bucks-Mont Collaborative and United Way of Pennsylvania.
Marissa’s most recent awards include being named one of Philadelphia Business Journal’s “Women of Distinction” and one of Happenings Media’s “Happening Women.” She was named Children First’s Advocate of the Year for her work in early childhood education and was the inaugural winner of Bucks County Community College’s MLK Dream Builder Humanitarian Award. She is a frequent keynote speaker on trends impacting the nonprofit sector.
And now…
Please Meet Another of Your Board Members!
As promised, in this and the coming issues, I’m excited to feature personal stories and insights from our dedicated board members. Each of them brings unique experiences, talents, and passions to our club. Their contributions help drive our mission and make a positive impact in our community. We hope these profiles give you a deeper understanding of the individuals who guide our club’s efforts and inspire you to engage with our initiatives.
Meet Joe Adelmann, Vice President of the NextGen Board, An Inspiring Journey to the Newtown Rotary Club
1. Personal Journey and Role:
I discussed getting involved with a volunteer organization with my wife and because her uncle is the president of the Pottsville Rotary, she suggested Rotary. When I contacted the main club, they referred me to NextGen, which was great because of age and schedule fit. I am the Vice President of NextGen and am responsible for onboarding new members.
2. Impact and Achievements:
The NextGen Happy hour event was the most rewarding experience from a planning and coordination standpoint and will soon be outdone by the State Street Fundraiser. The Angel Tree gift collection volunteer event was the most rewarding from an impact on the community perspective because I was imagining how special these gifts were making Christmas for the families involved.
3. Challenges and Future Goals:
I hope NextGen will continue to expand membership so that we can organize more events and have a larger impact on the community. I would like NextGen to have a regular schedule of fundraising and volunteer events, such as happy hours and Good Stuff Thrift collections, like the main club’s schedule. And I cannot ask for more from the main club in terms of support and inclusion.
4. Community Engagement and Reflections:
I am very excited about NextGen’s upcoming State Street Fundraiser. This will be the first one I participated in, and I love the concept of sponsors offering family friendly games. It will take a lot of effort, but I think we will all be proud of the finished product. I hope to get some of my coworkers out to the Fundraiser and future Rotary events and my company involved as a sponsor.
5. Hobbies and Personal Interests:
I am very active, running or working out daily and in the future, I would love to see Rotary put on a physical activity, such as the 5K event. I have tried to take an active role in NextGen and it being a smaller group means I have been able to take on more responsibility and have a larger impact.
6. Wildcard: Something that few people know.
My wife and I love to travel and have a YouTube channel, BucketlistDuo, (it's more my wife’s doing). We have been less active with it since the arrival of our daughter (might change to Trio) but hope to go on a trip in 2025 that we can make into videos.
Thank you for your dedication to our community and to our amazing organization, the Newtown Rotary Club!
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