Micah Fox called the meeting to order and Lee Isley led our prayer and pledge.
Announcements
- Our Christmas Party will be held next week (12/20) here at the Ramada. We will have a “different” buffet and The Alpacas will provide music. Please bring canned food items to help with our district’s food drive. All canned food will be donated to our local Salvation Army. You can also donate canned food on Saturday 12/17 from 10:00-4:00 at Lee Brothers. Sang Ho and the Western Alamance Interact Club have organized the collection.
- No meeting on 12/27
- Rotary Blood Drive 12/29 at the Ramada.
- Our Rotary Board met today and discussed the upcoming Reverse Raffle that will be held in March 2017. More details to come in January. We will also continue our Young Professionals conversation/discussion at our January Club Assembly meeting.
- We will “pass the bucket” today for our weekly lunch server, Doris.
Happy Clams
- Dan Seiler thanked Deva and Sir Speedy for his recent help with a printing request. They were cheaper and faster than Office Depot and provided the “best customer service ever.” Dan also shared his Rotary interaction in Paris over Thanksgiving. He noticed a Rotary pin on a man collecting canned foods outside of a grocery store. Dan met the man and donated food. It was nice to feel a connection to Rotary International!
- Gary Brandt shared good news that his Dad is doing ok after a recent health scare. He received a pacemaker and showed no signs of a heart attack. God is Good!
- Kathleen Peterson thanked the Western Alamance Interact club and ACC’s Rotaract club for their recent help with Elon’s luminary project. 60+ volunteers from Western and 1 from ACC helped set out and collect 300 luminaries throughout Elon.
Member Spotlight – Peter Sargent
- Peter has served as a local Consumer Credit Counselor for the past 23 years. He joined our club in 1998 and has volunteered as Sergeant of Arms.
- Peter is the son of a WW2 veteran who was also a prisoner of war in Germany.
- Best advice he has been given from a parent/mentor: “Don’t $^#* where you eat!”
Member Spotlight up next on January 3rd – Susan Watson
Benevolence Farm – Elly Goetz
Susan Watson is the Director of the Women’s Resource Center and a mother and grandmother of 3. The Women’s Resource Center goal is to empower women to take the next step forward and works to serve those in transition. Transitions include career, self-esteem or relationships.
Susan introduced our speaker, Elly Goetz from Benevolence Farm. Benevolence Farm is a social non-profit that provides housing and employment to women leaving prison. Elly is from Durham and has been back in the NC for about a year and a half. She spent several years out of the country.
Benevolence Farm is located in Graham on 13 acres. The women live and work on the farm. The farm was donated and formed in 2009.
The US has 2.2 million prisoners and 30% of the world’s women prisoners are located in the US. Women prisoners have increased 50% since the 1970s. There are a far less number of programs available to help women transition than those available for men. 3000 prisoners were released in NC over the last 12 months. Two-thirds of them have been re-arrested and one-half have been re-incarcerated.
Benevolence Farm focuses on the following with their residents: career skills, safe housing, improved physical, mental, spiritual and financial health and ties to community support. They also offer prevention programs for local at-risk youth.
If you would like to volunteer to help Benevolence Farm, they need the following: Farm Work Days, food sponsors, transportation, internship programs, educational scholarships, CSA memberships.
Card Drawing
Francois did not draw the winning Ace of Spades card!
The meeting was adjourned and we all stood to recite the Rotary Four-Way Test. Until next week…