63 volunteers came together for the benefit of others in our community - Thank You to each and every one!

 

On August 6, 2022 we held the 9th annual collection event for FODAC (Friends of Disabled Adults and Children) and it was an overwhelming success by any standard!  63 volunteers consisting of Rotarians, Rotaractors, Lions, family and friends from North Atlanta (15 vols), Emory Druid Hills (8 vols), Brookhaven (6 vols), Dunwoody (11 vols), Stone Mountain (1 vol), Tucker (1vol), South DeKalb (2vols), and Atlanta Metro (5vols) Rotary Clubs,  along side (11vols) Atlanta Metro and Atlanta Rotaractors, and North DeKalb and Atlanta Arirang Lions (2 vols) gathered for breakfast and organized into 14 teams on the patio of the 57th Fighter Squadron Restaurant in Chamblee.  Volunteers provided 2 box trucks, 4 high roof vans, 3 regular vans, 5 pickup trucks and 5 trailers, along with several SUVs to make 44 home medical equipment pickups from donors in downtown Atlanta to Roswell, to Milton, to Lawrenceville to Stone Mountain. 

 

Rotaractors from Atlanta Metro and Atlanta Rotaract Clubs - Thank you for all that you did!

 

This year a hot breakfast, snacks, sandwiches and drinks were prepared and provided by volunteers from the Emory Druid Hills Rotary Club and Atlanta Metro Rotaract Club.  Many thanks to all the volunteers, in particular PP Manoj Barot (Emory Druid Hills Rotary) and PP Natalie Barot (Atlanta Metro Rotaract) for organizing these efforts and volunteers.  What a fantastic upgrade of support for all the volunteers on this hot day in August. You kept us hydrated and nourished!

 

    

Emory Druid Hills (EDH) Rotarians and Metro Atlanta Rotaractors enjoying fellowship at breakfast

 

FODAC CEO and Stone Mountain Rotary PP Chris Brand and North Atlanta Rotary PP Nathan Aberson

 

After event coordinator and North Atlanta Rotary (NAR) Club Past President Ralph Sims divided us into our respective groups and gave us our maps of pick up locations, we disbursed into the community to collect an estimated $410,000 worth of medical equipment and supplies!  The largest haul yet for this one-day collection event for the benefit of FODAC. 

 

     

Rotarians Manoj Barot (EDH PP) and Ismail Ghanchi (EDH Service Chair) and FODAC Event Coordinator Ralph Sims (NAR PP)

 

 

Rotary and Rotaract volunteers cleaning up after the big day, and we're still smiling!

 

Many thanks go to our event coordinator Ralph Sims for his tireless efforts to organize us and all of the volunteers who worked so hard on this very hot day, and to the community members who so generously donated items to FODAC for refurbishment and reconditioning before being distributed back out to those in need, most often at no cost to the recipient.  Several motorized scooters, hospital beds, electric and manual wheel chairs, walkers, canes, and various medical supplies were among the items collected in all of the donated vans, trucks and trailers. 

 

 

Volunteers, family and Rotarians working together for FODAC.  Kay and NAR President Mike Emanuele 2nd & 3rd from left

 

 

Masarrat Husain and Dick Michell, North Atlanta Rotarians

 

Thank you donors for your generosity!

 

   

Metro Atlanta Rotaract President Amit Jain, North Atlanta Rotary PP Barbara Bush and Metro Atlanta Rotaract PP Natalie Barot

 

Thank you to the 57th Fighter Squadron Restaurant for use of their patio for breakfast and their back parking lot for our staging and collection areas.  It truly took a village, and we are grateful to everyone who participated, and to the support from the donors in our communities from downtown Atlanta to Roswell, to Milton, to Lawrenceville to Stone Mountain.  They are truly a generous lot helping those who are in need of the medical equipment and supplies they donated.

 

THANK YOU!

 

  

North Atlanta Rotary PP Jon Yaeger and Stacy Michell

 

 

Thank you donors!

 

 

Thank you volunteers!

 

 

Bill Smith, Brookhaven Rotary Club

 

 

volunteers unloading donated medical equipment

 

Rotaractors and Rotarians having fun while doing community service!

 

  

Stone Mtn Rotarian and FODAC CEO Chris Brand, Emory Druid Hills Rotarians Chatu Chhabahay, PP and Ismail Ghanchi, Service Chair

 

 

Dunwoody Rotary Club volunteers

 

 

FODAC staff supporting the volunteers and doing a lot of the heavy lifting! Thank you!

 

 

Volunteer Chris Flowers and FODAC staff

 

 

unloading is hard work too!

 

 

Rotarians Rick Otness, Duwoody Club and Bill Smith, Brookhaven Club

 

  

Lions and Rotarians coming together in service

 

 

Rotarians and Rotaractors in service

 

Staging area for drop off at the 57th Fighter Group Restaurant's back parking lot.  Thank you!

 

FODAC is a non-profit organization located in Stone Mountain; it provides a place for collection and refurbishment, and then redistribution of used medical equipment and supplies to members of the local community as well as those in need across the country and internationally.  Their mission:  "With a strong network of volunteers and partners, FODAC provides refurbished equipment and services for adults and children with disabilities to improve their overall quality of life. Over the years, our model to assist individuals with disabilities has remained the same: to provide free or low-cost wheelchairs and other home medical equipment (HME), vehicle and home adaptations and more. Above all, our staff is like a family that works together to make every day a little easier, and a little more affordable, for people in need."   

www.FODAC.org

 

On Saturday, March 26th volunteers from the Rotary Club of North Atlanta and the Chamblee Charter High school Interact Club  came together with volunteers from the broader community to join in the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper's "Sweep the Hooch" cleanup event.  Rotarians and family members, Interactors and community members gathered at two local cleanup sites:  Murphy-Candler Park and Lake site and the Peachtree Greenway site.  With the generous hours of service given, the waterways, trails and parks are more pristine and beautiful for Spring!

 

Volunteers from CCHS Interact Club ready to clean up at Murphy Candler Park & Lake

 

Interactors cleaning up in the park (above) and along the stream bed (below)

 

 

Peachtree Greenway site 

 

Stacy and Cassidy Drew gearing up for the cleanup at Peachtree Greenway.

 

Thank you to our Rotary, family and Interact volunteers for your efforts!  Special thanks to Amanda Stewart for organizing us!

 

These periodic cleanups held all over the greater Atlanta area are organized by the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper.  For more information or to volunteer for future "Sweep the Hooch" events go to Chattahoochee Riverkeeper at:  https://chattahoochee.org

These cleanup efforts are always so needed and very productive.  Please join in the fun next time!

 

 

 

For the past twenty or so years volunteers from the Rotary Club of North Atlanta have provided service for the homeless men downtown at the downtown shelter.  This year was no different.

 

At our recent Club meeting we created 100 goodie bags for the men at the shelter.  Each bag included zip lock bags, pairs of socks, hand warmers, hand wipes, masks, and a note from the Rotary club.  We distributed these goodies at the shelter on Thursday, February 24th when we also deliver 100 dinners and 100 bag lunches we made that day.

 

A couple of our volunteers stayed over night as chaperones for those lucky few homeless that were able to stay indoors this year.  Rotarians Don and Mike were on duty throughout the night.  Other homeless men stay in some 70 tents assembled on the grounds.

 

Club members and guests after packing up the 100 Goodie Bags.  Thank you!

 

Goodie bag contents:  two pairs of socks, two sets of hand warmers, 3 zip lock gallon bags, two black masks, a package of 20 wet ones and a note from the Rotary Club. 

 

Don Millen, our tireless project leader who procured fried chicken, apple sauce, potato salad,

and dessert for dinner and all the makings for lunch -- two sandwiches, fruit, cookies and water.

 

Jim Greco packing up lunch bags

 

Jon Yaeger helping to make 100 lunches

 

Starr Millen and Mary Frances Richardson making 100 dinners

 

Club President Christopher Drew lending a hand packing lunches

 

Our volunteer lunch and dinner crew -- Thank you for your service!

front row: Starr, Mary Frances, Christopher

back row: Don, Jim, Nathan and Mike

(missing from photo Jon and Barbara)