President's Message June 6
Posted by Ron Searfoss
on Jun 06, 2016
We were fortunate to have Jane and Brianna Consiglio present to talk to us about VAST – the Valley Against Sex Trafficking.
A mother-daughter team, they had a background in nursing and prelaw when both decided to pursue a master’s degree in counseling. Fortunately, the curriculum involved internships and both interned at VAST as case managers. They were so taken with the mission and work being performed both are pursuing full-time counseling roles there.
What is VAST?
Mission
A grassroots coalition of professionals and community members dedicated to eliminating human sex trafficking in the Lehigh Valley through prevention efforts in awareness, action, and aftercare.
Vision
A community where all people are valued and respected as human beings and a society where sex as commerce is a foreign idea.
Why do they exist?
Human Trafficking is the fastest growing criminal activity in the world and is the 2nd largest criminal activity with drug trafficking being number one.
WHY?
“You can sell a bag of drugs once, but you can sell a person multiple times.”
- Rebecca Posey, Regional Director of Not for Sale.
The people they help in their counseling do not consider themselves victims – they are survivors! A major focus is building trust to help these survivors leave the life.
Trafficking is a growing $32+billion ‘industry’ impacting over 21 million victims including women, men and children across the United States. More than 50% are children and nearly 80% are kidnapped women.
Visit their website www.thevast.org for more information on this devastating and pervasive plague on our society.
Thank you to Jane and Brianna for the education to us and for their dedication to helping the survivors.
Rotary Foundation Annual Fund
Please help us meet our goal, and remember – no gift is too small. Our goal is to qualify Morning Star to repeat as a “100% Participation” Club and average over $100 per member. If you have not already participated, please give your Foundation contribution in any amount to Tom Hartzell or the “$2 a Week” Table by June 9. Thank you.
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Bethlehem Rotary Club Celebrates 100th Year
Congratulations to our parent club in celebrating their 100th Anniversary last Friday evening at a gala event at the Hotel Bethlehem! Over 100 Rotarians, guests and public officials joined in. Best wishes for an even greater next hundred years!
New Club Brewing in the Lehigh Valley
Assistant Governor Janet Kolepp communicated a new Rotary Club is brewing in the Lehigh Valley. Herb Klotz, incoming District Membership Chair, is looking for Rotarians interested in participating with a planning committee exploring creating this club in the Whitehall area (which may include Whitehall, Coplay, Catasauqua and Northampton.) An opportunity to provide input from day one for a new club!
If you are interested or aware of any Rotarian that might be interested in helping please email Herb at herbk@ptd.net or reply to AG Janet. Questions are welcomed! (Participation in the committee will not necessarily lead to membership in the new club.)
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More than 43,000 attendees left the Rotary Convention in Korea inspired to end polio for good, to celebrate The Rotary Foundation's centennial, and to champion changes that will help Rotary appeal to a broader audience.
 On the last day, RI President K.R. Ravindran shared a personal story of his mother’s triumph over polio.
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Joint Golf Tournament today!
We'll provide an update next week. Thanks to all who are supporting this event!
This Week’s Meeting
Please join us this Thursday, June 9th with Laura McHugh, Executive Producer at PBS39.
Laura will share with us all of the fun projects happening now at PBS39.
See you there.
If you would like to learn more about either Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Ron Searfoss at rsearfos@ptd.net or 610-504-1460.
Be a gift to your world!
President Ron
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