Our Rotary Club meeting on December 17th will be held off-site at the St. Vrain Valley Schools Innovation Center. 33 Quail Road. Longmont, CO. Lunch will be provided. Please use the link below to RSVP for the meeting and lunch.
Our noon meetings are in-person and a buffet meal is provided. Lunch is served at 12pm. The actual meeting starts at 12:30 and ends at 1:30 pm.
We also have a Satellite group that meets in the evenings. See website for details.
Jackie Fetter is honored to be part of the Longmont Rotary family. Originally from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Jackie grew up balancing farm life—working with cattle, hogs, and crops like soybeans—and city work. A massage therapist and yoga instructor, she later pursued environmental studies, shifting during the pandemic to focus on eco-therapy projects, connecting people with nature, gardening, and nutrition.
Jackie earned her undergraduate degree in environmental sociology, studying the relationship between people and nature, and is now pursuing a master’s degree in public policy, administration, and water resource management. Her work in public sociology earned her “Top Scholar” recognition, a prestigious honor given to just three students among 275 first-year graduate students.
Well done, Jackie, and welcome to Longmont Rotary!
Jack Carlton, Outreach Coordinator & Trainer for Paragon Service Dogs, along with Heather McLaughlin from Client Services and Shandy, a service dog in training, shared insights into the world of service dogs for individuals with disabilities. Shandy is being trained to assist clients with hearing loss.
Service dogs for the deaf were not introduced until the early 1970s. Paragon, formerly known as Hearing Dog, Inc., has evolved to reflect its broader mission of serving diverse communities while maintaining a focus on hearing service dogs. This transformation allows for more dog placements, tailored training programs that leverage each dog's unique abilities, and an expanded impact across communities.
Jack highlighted PAWS’abilities, a unique prison puppy-raising program in partnership with the Wyoming Medium Correctional Institute, where inmates help train future service dogs.
Since its founding, Paragon has partnered with over 1,400 hearing-impaired individuals and custom-trained dogs across the U.S., Canada, and internationally, while also supporting similar programs in Norway, Japan, and Australia. This evolution strengthens the organization’s foundation and enhances long-term sustainability through greater volunteer engagement and expanded services. You can learn more about Paragon Service Dogs, and volunteer opportunities by visiting their website.
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Jackie Fetter is honored to be part of the Longmont Rotary family. Originally from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Jackie grew up balancing farm life—working with cattle, hogs, and crops like soybeans—and city work. A massage therapist and yoga instructor, she later pursued environmental studies, shifting during the pandemic to focus on eco-therapy projects, connecting people with nature, gardening, and nutrition.
BRING AN UNWRAPPED NEW TOY TO UPCOMING CLUB MEETINGS.