Award-wining journalist, writer and social entrepreneur, Maria Karagianis, spoke to Longmont Rotary about the Boston based non-profit organization, Discovering Justice.  Maria was the founding executive director of Discovering Justice, a nationally recognized democracy and justice education organization.  Maria independently created the vision and most of the intellectual capital for Discovering Justice. Its activities include mock trials, plays with professional actors about themes from American constitutional history using courtrooms as theaters, docent-led architectural tours, and a ground-breaking civics curriculum called "Children Discovering Justice,” now taught to thousands of children in the Boston public schools.  Today, Discovering Justice has blossomed into a nonprofit with 14 full- and part-time employees and a $1.2 million budget.  Nice work Maria!  We are lucky to have you as a member of Longmont Rotary!

Photo of Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, shaking the hand of an eighth-grader from the Boston Public Schools.

 

The Longmont Rotary Club lost a great and dear Rotarian this week with the passing of long time club member, Dick Richards.  Joining Rotary in 1969, Dick was active with the Rotary Youth Exchange and instrumental in the Open World program, which provides education in free trade and democracy to delegates from Russia and the Ukraine. Dick was also a Paul Harris Fellow.  We will miss his kind and cheerful presence.  View Obituary here. 

When Virginia was seven she and her parents moved to Seoul, South Korea. Her father was slated to take over the family publishing business, but after three years the family elected to return to the US. 

As an economics major, Virginia began working in the banking/investment industry. When she married her husband Todd, they moved to Hong Kong for eight years where Virginia worked in investment banking and where they began their family of then two kids.  In 2001 they moved to Niwot, Colorado.  Virginia had a growing interest in the non-profit world and went back to college to receive her Masters in Public Administration.  In 2017, Virginia founded the Left Hand Giving Circle, an organization of local women committed to improving our community through philanthropic donations and group volunteer projects.  Thus far that organization has donated $110K to non-profits in St. Vrain Valley.  Virginia currently serves as the Director of Philanthropy at Recovery Cafe.   “Thanks Virginia for sharing your story and we look forward to serving the community with you!!!!”

Darrell Beck presented a cash gift to Margaret, who helps us weekly set up our buffet meals. 

 

Jim Britton reported that we collected 51 pairs of jeans for HOPE (Homeless Outreach Providing Encouragement).  Thank you Jim for taking the lead on this project!!