P.O. Box 48358, Bentall Centre
Vancouver, BC V7X 1A1
admin@rotaryvancouver.org
www.rotaryvancouver.org
Vol. 103 No. 33
Gerry Glazier, President
Gabby Dickert, Secretary
UPCOMING MEETINGS MARCH 9, 2021
Jack Zaleski, Chair, RCV Hearing Foundation Current hearing projects
The RCV Hearing Foundation takes on our club's biggest initiatives targeting the maintenance and support of institutions and societies engaged in research and treatment of deafness and hearing disabilities and to provide assistance for hearing related causes. Some of the donations made in 2020 were to the BC Family Hearing Resource Centre ($17,500), the Hearing Foundation of Canada ($10,000), and the St. Paul's Hospital Foundation ($120,000).
Jack will provide an update on projects and on-going work of the RCV Hearing Foundation despite facing the challenges of COVID interfering with fundraising efforts.
UPCOMING MEETING MARCH 16, 2021
We are looking for suggestions for speakers. If you know of anyone, from anywhere in the world, who you feel would be able to speak about a subject of interest to our Club, please step up. Send your speaker suggestions to speakers@rotaryvancouver.org.
The on-line meeting format has opened the opportunity to join people globally, as we saw with the Exchange Student alumni who hailed from Amsterdam, Mexico, Germany, and elsewhere. Let's take advantage and connect!
!!
UPCOMING MEETING MARCH 23, 2021
Scott Ansell, VP, Sun Peak Metals
The challenges facing gold mining exploration and development in Africa with particular reference to Ethiopia where Scott recently had to evacuate their mining camp due to the conflicts in the area.
Gabby Dickert, Secretary, hosted the meeting via ZOOM & introduced guests.
Miya Otake played O Canada on the harp via taped video.
President’s Announcements:
Welcome to our guests, new and returning, as well as our own members who have taken the time out of their busy lives to be with us today. Thank you for joining us.
We have received an invitation from the RC of Tsawwassen to attend this week’s meeting on Thursday March 4th at 6:30 p.m. They will be hosting guest speaker Jennifer Jones who is the RI President Nominee for 2022-23. Everyone was sent an email with the details to register.
Confirming that the 2021 RI Convention will be a virtual event due to COVID restrictions. RI is in the process of refunding registration fees, etc. for those who registered to attend. Details about the 2021 Virtual Convention will be coming soon.
All members are encouraged to register for the 2021 District 5040 Conference, June 4th-5th. Cost is only $79 per person. If you haven’t received the info email from Andrea Johnson, contact Carolyn.
Secretary's announcements:
reminders of upcoming events/meetings (see above)
birthdays, member club anniversaries, wedding anniversaries (see above)
Member moments and special announcements:
Kamil Kanji, UBC Rotaractor and 1st year student in Political Science and International Relations, has been asked to chair the inaugural RI Interact Advisory Council. There are approximately 350 thousand students around the world in Interact. They have historically had very little representation on the global scene. Working with zone teams (Americas, Africa, Europe, Asia) they developed a proposal for RI where they would have a voice and platform for support and trainings. RI responded positively to the proposal and the Interact Advisory Council has been established with Kamil being the chair for the 2021-22 term.
John Bathurst, youth service committee co-chair, reminded us that little revenue is coming in this year from fundraisers. The youth committee needs to access unrestricted funds from time to time. They have noted that on-line auctions have been held at other clubs with some success so would like to try one with our club. They are looking at April 6th, and would really like people to come to the table with items for auction. Gabby’s joke compendium a place to start, John will be the first bidder :o)
Joan Posivy added that the idea is to have some fun while raising funds. For those who didn't read the email that she recently sent to everyone, they are looking for more experience type things, e.g., cooking class, Air B&B or timeshare, movie studio tour, expertise (lawyer who can draft a will, masseuse to provide some relief), etc., etc. Things that are typically not accessible to the general public. Emphasis being on fun.
Rotarian face masks are still available, $10 a piece. Contact Gabby or Carolyn to order.
Program:
Rene Abi-Rached and Stephanie Lawton, co-chairs of the community service committee (CSC) provided an extensive update highlighting the projects they have recently supported.
The objective of the CSC is:
To help the poor and under privileged, disadvantaged and disabled children, minorities and new Canadian through financial and hands on assistance in the Greater Vancouver Area with the emphasis on projects that assist people in improving their lives rather than simply dispensing assistance.
The key strategies of the CSC are:
Projects that help people change the course of their lives for the better:
Helping the poor and the under privileged.
Helping the battered and the sexually abused women.
Helping the disadvantaged and the disabled children.
Supporting projects that assists in preventing suicides.
Supporting projects that assist the seniors in our communities.
Helping Minorities and new Canadian citizens through financial and hands on assistance.
Our support involvement covers projects in the Greater Vancouver area.
We select projects that assist people in improving their lives rather than simply dispensing assistance.
We select projects that help raise the profile of Rotary and our Club.
Undertake projects where our participation will have a significant impact on many people as opposed to just one or two.
Seek projects that have ongoing impact as opposed to one-time donations.
Focus on choosing projects with a hands-on component.
Build fellowship into project work.
Sources of funding for CSC are:
Vancouver Rotary Club Foundation Funds
Gaming Funds
District Funds
Member or Organization Donations
Koerner Foundation
Monthly committee meetings generally cover:
Summary of funds distributed/allocated & remaining available
Review of ongoing projects
Consideration of any new project requests received either directly from recipient organizations or from committee members
The long list of supported projects include:
Children’s Heart Network (CHN). The CHN is a non-profit organization that collaborates closely with the Children’s Heart Centre at BC Children’s Hospital. Through education and support, the CHN works to enhance the lives of children, youth and families affected by congenital heart disease.
Funds were provided to support the Children’s Heart Network online Hearts of Gold meetings.
Britannia School Auditorium Screen. Britannia school is located in the heart of the downtown eastside. Their auditorium screen is 30 years old and no longer working properly. Due to COVID restrictions, the auditorium is used heavily to accommodate students and the screen is vital for teaching. In addition, the auditorium is a community resource for events, etc.
Funds were provided to help pay for a new screen (donation has been matched by Britannia School).
Food on the Corner (FOC). Every Saturday providing lunch of hot soup, sandwiches and coffee to the homeless and needy on the eastside. Our club has a long history with FOC. We purchased and fitted a replacement vehicle for the group a number of years ago, and more recently funded a step on the rear of the vehicle for easier access.
Volunteers from our club work once a month, the third Saturday of the month, serving lunch.
Door is Open (DIO). A small group of university students started DIO in an effort to demonstrate solidarity with the poor and to provide support to those living in the downtown eastside. The organization has steadily grown and is now a dedicated force welcoming guests with all kinds of ethnical backgrounds and religious affiliations. Our club has supported DIO on various projects over a number of years now, from art supplies for women’s programming, to additional refrigeration and food storage units, to safety equipment.
Funds were provided to purchase and install a welded security mesh fence and secure gates.
Adopt a School Program, Vancouver School Board. With school closures due to COVID, families were unable to access in-school food programs and resources, e.g., computers and in-person teaching. A void was created whereby students’ education was being severely impacted.
Funds were provided to support Norquay Elementary and Britannia Secondary for food hampers, computers, and internet access to help needy families during COVID.
Britannia School boys’ basketball team. The team has worked hard and been quite successful, reaching the provincial championships last year. Sport is an excellent way to support youth at risk due to various challenging factors – environmental, financial, etc.
Funds were provided for team uniforms the boys could wear with pride.
Talitha Koum Society. Providing women and their young children with a home, Talitha Koum addresses homelessness and breaking the cycle of addiction. They offer counselling, life skills, parenting, and employment readiness courses. In the past our club has supported Talitha Koum with their course materials, children’s camps, etc.
Funding was provided most recently to replace old washer machines with new commercial grade machines.
Journey Home Community. Providing interim housing and non-financial support to refugees waiting for the federal government’s decision on Canadian residency. Founded in 2005 they support 8 families at a time in two houses, staying an average of 5 months. Our club has donated funds for furnishings in the houses and support for an outreach program.
Funding was recently provided for the purchase of new mattresses and other needed household items.
Rotary Women’s Association (RWA). Started in 1919 (long before women were allowed to join Rotary) the wives of Rotarians got involved via the RWA providing pyjamas to the patients at the Rotary Clinic for Chest Diseases in West Point Grey. Together with the local Rotary Clubs, the RWA often provided food, clothing, bedding, fuel, and sometimes rent for poor families whose breadwinner was bedridden with TB. In 1921 the RWA (known by another name back then) was officially established. It was a closed organization with only wives and daughters of Rotarians invited to join. Such is not the case now, RWA is open to anyone who’d like to join. Their main focus now is producing layettes for mom’s in need with new babies.
Funding is provided to help purchase supplies needed for the layettes.
Shoe Renu Clinic. An initiative of the now closed Quadra Rotary Club, partnered with Salvation Army, BC Podiatrists Association, Knights of Columbus, and five running shoe stores. Those in need (sometimes more than 800 in a day) are provided with a foot bath, a doctor’s foot inspection, new socks, and a set of refurbished shoes. A team of volunteers helps, including our own Tom Crean. CLICK HERE to view related video.
Funding provided to purchase shoe storage cabinets.
L’Arche Greater Vancouver. A faith-based community for people with developmental disabilities to share life together in six home and two day programs. L’Arche has been in operations for 47 years.
Funding provided recently to purchase and install a chairlift to go up and down the stairs in one of their homes, the Crossing.
Beneath the Surface, Imagi’Nation Productions. A play developed by one of our club’s former members, Jenifer Brousseau, to raise awareness of youth mental health and that “suicide is the choice you cannot take back.” The intended audience is all youth across Canada with a particular focus on the indigenous communities where suicide rates are particularly high.
Funds were provided to help with the development of the production.
Decoda Literacy Foundation. Supporting community-based programs in over 400 communities across BC. Decoda works to increase the literacy and learning skills of children & families, youth at risk, seniors of all backgrounds.
Funding has been provided for acquire books, materials, and other resources for their library.
Jo Dickey Foundation. Assisting children with educational and cultural matters such as admission to museums, concerts and other events that would otherwise have been inaccessible.
Aunt Leah’s Place. Helping young people transitioning out of foster care by providing support and mentorship.
Mothers Matter Centre. With a specific focus on newcomer and indigenous populations, Mothers Matter’s unique delivery model for supporting early childhood education, specifically early literacy, has been able to increase adult literacy rates and therefore the same for their children ensuring they are prepared to enter school appropriately.
University of Victoria Indigenous Student Mini-university. A week long summer camp for indigenous youth entering grades 9-12 providing an on-campus experience filled with academic, physical, creative, cultural, and social activities.
Elizabeth Fry Society Just Kids Program. Canada’s only initiative aimed at mitigating the long-term impacts of parental incarceration through an umbrella of programs, educational initiatives, and research. It includes camps during the spring and summer school breaks for children 6 – 15 years of age. Specially trained counsellors help develop vital coping, leadership, teambuilding, and conflict management skills.
biggest initiatives targeting the maintenance and support of institutions and societies engaged in research and treatment of deafness and hearing disabilities and to provide assistance for hearing related causes. Some of the donations made in 2020 were to the BC Family Hearing Resource Centre ($17,500), the Hearing Foundation of Canada ($10,000), and the St. Paul's Hospital Foundation ($120,000).
