Cashiers/Check-in: Todd Johnson & Melissa McDonald
Admin Support: Need Volunteer
Greeters: Todd Johnson & Brett Frevert
Speaker Host: James Mackiewicz
Speaker: Feroz Mohmand
New Location Alert:
Ground Floor
Trinity Episcopal Cathedral
113 N 18th St, Omaha, NE 68102
Kindly access the Red Door on Capitol Avenue (between 17th and 18th St). Ample street and garage parking options are at your disposal. It's worth noting that the parking garage east of the Cathedral (Double Tree Hotel), as per information from Sgt At Arms Okley and Dean Vanessa, currently has a malfunctioning arm, resulting in free parking for the time being.
12/13/23 Menu: Apricot Glazed Salmon, California Blend Veggies, Rice Pilaf, Salad, and Dinner Rolls
Lunch price: $12 for members, $17 for visiting Rotarians and guests. Best Rotary lunch & best lunch price in all of Metro Omaha Rotary clubs
Feroz Mohmand rose from being a refugee within his home country of Afghanistan to become press coordinator for Afghanistan’s president, Hamid Karzai. He was also a liaison officer between embassies, NATO, and the international media. His spouse Gharghashta “G” Katawazai and their family became refugees after he uncovered a plot against American diplomats and military officers. Today, military officers knowledgeable of this plot believe Mohmand’s actions saved American lives.
After a long and difficult journey, the Mohmand family relocated to Nebraska.
Recently, Chris Tooker introduced newest member Melissa McDonald. Melissa was born in Baytown, TX, and later moved to Mill Valley, CA, where her father pursued the ministry and attended seminary. She graduated from Tamalpais High School before embarking on her career. A few years after Melissa left to pursue her professional journey, her family was called to Nebraska as home missionaries, and they currently reside in Kearney, NE, along with her sister and nephew.
Famously, Melissa once declared, "I will wait to ya’ll move again as I am never moving to Nebraska." However, 15 years later, she finds herself in Nebraska and thoroughly enjoying it. Six years ago, she moved to Omaha to be closer to her family from the D.C. area and has never looked back. Melissa resides downtown with her partner, Eric, and is a devoted dog mom to a Shorkie (Lex) and a Frenchie (Lola). She is also honored to be a part of Eric's three children's lives: Boston (11), Ashlyne (16), and Madi (20), keeping busy with volleyball and school activities.
Melissa commenced her career in the Air Force straight out of high school, following the tradition of the men in her family who had served. Trained as a surgical technologist, she pursued her business degree at night. During this time, Melissa discovered her passion for healthcare and helping patients with their healing stories. She was stationed at MacDill Air Force Base, with an overseas assignment to Camp Doha in the Middle East after 9/11.
After her military service, Melissa settled in the D.C. area to finish her degree and explore career opportunities. After graduating Summa Cum Laude from Strayer University with a Bachelor of Science degree in International Business, she was inducted into the National Honor and Scholarship Society Member, Alpha Chi.
Earl Knauss got a lesson in food waste when he received a neighbor’s gift of three bushels of red peppers that had been cast aside by a farm because they were misshapen. “I discovered that odd-shaped, blemished, and imperfect vegetables were dumped or destroyed,” says Knauss, of the Rotary Club of Hamburg in western New York state. He asked the farm’s owner for more of the unsalable produce and collected 18-gallon totes of vegetables that he sent to food pantries. The Farm to Family project has since expanded to include three farms, and the Hamburg club formally adopted it in 2018. From May to December, Rotary members and friends work alongside Knauss delivering vegetables to about 3,000 families. In 2022, they provided more than 100,000 pounds of vegetables to 23 distribution sites. Among them is the Resurrection Life Food Pantry in Cheektowaga, where pantry director Kim Reynolds says the site would not have many fresh vegetables without the program. “Our clients rely on Farm to Family to fill that gap,” she says.
PERU
Much of the milk produced in Peru never leaves the farm: It’s consumed directly by farming families, fed to calves, and used to make artisanal cheeses. The Rotary E-Club of Fusión Latina Distrito 4465 teamed up with the nonprofit CEDEPAS Norte to help subsistence farmers in the country’s northern highlands. Last year the club delivered stainless steel presses and molds to open two cheese production facilities. A global grant of more than $50,000 helped pay for the equipment, training, management, and marketing. “So far there are 21 new employees and 63 families served, and 25 pregnant cows were gifted” through the Peruvian government program Agroideas, says Club President Fernando Barrera, who lives in Trujillo.
During the previous week's Rotary meeting, we sang God Bless America without the usual piano accompaniment by Jim Scott-Miller, who recently passed away. We deeply missed him. Additionally, Jim's daughter Anne Roberts, along with her family and siblings, visited the Rotary and expressed their gratitude for the support provided by the Rotarians during this difficult time of Jim's passing.
The Honor Roll Committee is currently busy with preparations and fundraising for the 97th Honor Roll, which is scheduled for April 30, 2024. As the event was conducted virtually for the last three years, the preparations required are massive. The middle schools that participate in the annual Honor Roll had a popular request that it be held in person again. Many Rotarians have already pledged to support the 97th Honor Roll event, and their pledges are listed below in the order they were received:
Hal Daub, John and Viv Ewing, Bill and Gretchen Harvey, Den Skinner, Larry Guenther, John Mock, John Marburger, Todd Johnson, Heather Legge, Tobi Mathouser, Dawn Gonzalez, Michelle Trawick, Susan Koesters, Jim Suttle, Tom Gouttierre, Brad Burklund, Jim Stewart, Dianne Desler, Lisa Tonjes Moritz, Brett Frevert, Fr. Lloyd Gnirk, Paul Cohen, LeRoy Swedlund, Fletcher Reel, Jim Murphy, Omaha Downtown Rotary Foundation, Okley Gibbs, Camille Metoyer-Moten, and Bob Keefer
If you have not yet submitted your pledge, please email Yolanda at director@omaharotary.org or click the amount to donate: $125$250$500$1,000. Your donation is fully tax-deductible.
On November 29, 2023, the Rotary Club of Omaha faced the challenge of relocating its meetings due to the ongoing construction at Field Club. The Swing Room at Field Club, our temporary room at Field Club, had become too cramped for our growing group. With aspirations to expand our membership, it was imperative to secure a more spacious and comfortable meeting venue.
Fortunately, Rotarian Vanessa Clark, the Dean of the Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, graciously extended an offer to utilize their ground-floor meeting room along Capitol Avenue. A heartfelt thank you goes to Rotarian Vanessa Clark for her generosity in providing a temporary home for our Rotary meetings.
The seamless transition to the cathedral's meeting space was facilitated by our dedicated Sergeant at Arms, Okley Gibbs, who played a pivotal role in coordinating the move. While we temporarily convene at the Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, we eagerly anticipate our return to Field Club once the renovation is completed, and the ballroom is ready for our use. The expected completion date for the renovation is set for September 2024.
The Rotary Club of Omaha has been honored with the esteemed Rotary International Citation for the Rotary Year 2022-2023, during the tenure of President Sean Connolly. This recognition was presented at the culminating Rotary District 5650 Conference. Our club surpassed the expectations set by RI, particularly in the domains of Developing and implementing sustainable service projects, Contributions to The Rotary Foundation, Membership Engagement initiatives, and Raising awareness of Rotary within the community. Congratulations to all our dedicated Rotarians!
Rotarians are making a difference at Stephen Center. CLICK HERE to sign up.
Stephen Center partners with the community, families, and individuals to overcome homelessness, addiction, and poverty. Stephen Center has served the homeless and low-income in Omaha since 1984 through its three programs: Emergency Shelter, HERO Program, and Transitional Living Program. The Omaha Downtown Rotary partners with Stephens Center in serving hot meals to its residents.
Pictured here at L to R: Steve McCollister, Scott Kinnaird, Colleen Brennan, Mike Mancuso, and Fletcher Reel
Connecting with fellow Rotarians is made easy with club service. Plus, you get attendance credit. It's a great deal! If you are a new Rotarian, it counts toward your Red Badge requirements. You may sign up as Greeter, Virtual Greeter, Check-in/Registration, Navigator, and Invocator. Click hereto sign up.
Pictured here are recent greeters Jill Slupe with her niece Future Rotarian Ava.
Jim Cavanaugh
Paul Cohen Sean Connolly
Hal Daub
Gene DeBoer Dianne Desler
John Ewing
Viv Ewing
Brett Frevert
Dawn Gonzales
Okley Gibbs
Larry Guenther
Dee Haj Bill Harvey
Gretchen Harvey
Yolanda Hoffman
Bob Keefer
Susan Koesters
John Marburger
Steve McCollister
Camille Metoyer-Moten
Lloyd Meyer
Jim Murphy
Jim Scott-Miller
Mike Schlickbernd
Jim Stewart
Michelle Trawick
Aileen Warren
FEROZ MOHMAND
PERU
Connecting with fellow Rotarians is made easy with club service. Plus, you get attendance credit. It's a great deal! If you are a new Rotarian, it counts toward your Red Badge requirements. You may sign up as Greeter, Virtual Greeter, Check-in/Registration, Navigator, and Invocator. 
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