I feel inspired by the labor that other clubs are doing around the world. For example, the Central Cayman Islands club is doing a great job by encouraging their youth with music programs, science fairs, reading and literacy programs, and free libraries. They are fixing trails and up keeping bus shelters. Fellow Rotarians around the world are the spark that ignites their communities into action.
I am excited and encouraged by the response and enthusiasm I had received from our members as we prepare our service projects for the year 2020-2021. There are many areas of interest, including our areas of focus. For example, we could support our local schools by providing materials and food for the students to take home, dictionaries, books, and coats for kids. We could assist parents, with technology issues, to learn basic new skills to support their children with the school’s work.
We could encourage and engage high school students in choosing and applying for grants in careers that are in high demand, such as computer coding. For example, we could partner with Google, which recently announced giving 100,000 scholarships for online certificates in data analytics, project management, and UX.
Google said that they would consider anyone who finishes these courses as equivalent to having a bachelor’s degree, and a candidate for hiring immediately to work remotely.
We could provide assistance and relief for first responders working daily at combating the current COVID-19 pandemic. We could support the mission of local organizations as theGray Houseby donating groceries and funds to assist them in feeding their clients.
We are people of action, and I know that this year, although a particularly challenging one, we will impact our community.
Please, join us this Friday, August 6th at 12:30 pm in our weekly virtual meeting.
Nancy Creed, the president of the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce (SRCC) is our speaker this week.
Nancy will share with us what is the SRCC is doing to assist all businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the latest legislative news from Beacon Hill.
Jennifer Jones was nominated to be President of Rotary International for the year 22/23.
This could be a historic moment in Rotary as she, if elected would be the first women President.
Thank You!
Because of your commitment to the Rotary Foundation, our district is one of the top 3 districts for total Rotary Foundation giving in Rotary Zone 32. Our district reached a total of $515,814.
This figure includes donations to: the Annual Fund, Polio Plus, the Endowment, the Disaster Response Fund and Global Grants.
What other districts are in our zone? Our zone is comprised of districts in Southern Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Bermuda. Plus a few clubs in Quebec are thrown in to make us a cross border zone.
Polio Update
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) abruptly halted all mass vaccination campaigns in March, worried they could inadvertently spread the novel coronavirus.
The move further imperiled the troubled 3-decade drive to wipe out polio.
But now, armed with new data and perspective, GPEI and the countries it supports are resuming vaccination campaigns. Burkina Faso was first out of the gate in early July; Pakistan last week. Polio cases are surging in many countries, and models paint a “pretty bleak picture” if campaigns don’t restart soon, says Michel Zaffran, who heads the effort at the World Health Organization (WHO). For now, countries will only be responding to outbreaks; preventive campaigns remain on hold.
Vaccinators get temperature checks before getting to work in Karachi, Pakistan, on July 20th.
We Did It!
Our District and the Amherst Rotary Club recently applied for a Disaster Response Grant. The grant was recently approved by the Rotary Foundation to purchase a Zoll ZVent MRI Compatible Portable Ventilator for Cooley-Dickinson Hospital, in Northampton. The ventilator features a full range of ventilation options, making this portable ventilator not only easy to use but also MRI-conditional, providing patients with high-quality ventilation all the way to the MRI suite. Many thanks go to DRFC Prasad Menon and Amherst Rotarian Georgia Moore for their hard work in getting this grant approved.
Rotary disaster response grants support relief and recovery efforts in areas affected by natural disasters within the past six months. Qualified districts in affected areas may apply for grants of up to $25,000, based on the availability of funds. Grant funds can be used to provide basic items such as water, food, medicine, and clothing.
Do you have some news or information that might be of interest to fellow Rotarians?*
If so, please email Samalid Hogan at smhogan413@gmail.com by TUESDAY of each week for inclusion in Friday's bulletin.
Our weekly Bulletin goes out to more than 70 local leaders every week and is a wonderful way to spread your message. *All submissions are subject to approval.
Rotary Club of Springfield - Meeting Fridays-12:15 PM
Service Above Self
Fridays at 12:30 PM
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
1150 West Columbus Ave.,
MassMutual Room
Springfield, MA 01105 United States of America
Until further notice, our club meets online using Zoom. Our meeting ID and Password are viewable to Rotarians within our Rotary District. For other access, please contact President John Perez: john.perez@consiliumopis.com
