The club just recently received the certificate above recognizing The Rotary Club of Nipomo for our contribution to Polio Plus campaign. The Polio Plus campaign is held within the The Rotary Foundation.
Continuing that tradition, Bill Pucciarelli, is once again doing a Super Bowl drawing for Polio Plus based on the score between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Tom Brady) and the Kansas Chiefs (Patrick Mahomes). Bill has all the details, pucciarelli49@gmail.com.
The Bad...
Dear Club Presidents and District Staff,
I just received the following important communication from RI General Secretary John Hewko about COVID. Please note the line that reads, "The Board advises regional leaders, district governors, club presidents and others to hold meetings virtually through the end of the Rotary year." This is the clearest language yet from RI about Club and District meetings. All District meetings and events will be held virtually through the end of this Rotary year (June 30, 2021). Per this communication, your Club meetings should also be held virtually through the end of the Rotary year.
I know this is disappointing but it is also necessary to ensure the safety of our members and our communities. Here is the text of the email from John Hewko (I've highlighted the paragraph pertaining to clubs):
My fellow Rotary members,
We all know that the coronavirus pandemic is still raging in many parts of the world, and extensive public health measures and travel restrictions are in place.
As an organization that is at the forefront of eradicating polio and fighting other preventable diseases, we have clear responsibilities in mitigating the threat of COVID-19.
Out of an abundance of caution — and in keeping with our commitment to protect the health of our members, our employees, and our families — the RI Board of Directors decided not to fund any expenses (travel or otherwise) for in-person meetings for Rotary leaders for the rest of this Rotary year, other than for the president, president-elect, and trustee chair. This decision applies to directors, trustees, regional leaders, district governors, assistant governors, and other leaders. The Board also agreed to conduct all of its meetings and RI committee meetings virtually for the rest of the year; and we will also be holding the 2021 RI Convention virtually.
I know this news will be disappointing to many of you. However, the board felt that we needed to adopt a uniform and clear policy.
As a humanitarian organization we must act responsibly to protect our members and the communities we serve, and the risks of the pandemic are still real and widespread. The Board advises regional leaders, district governors, club presidents and others to hold meetings virtually through the end of the Rotary year.
This is a rapidly evolving public health crisis, and I’m sure that you’ll have many questions about the RI Board decision, so please consult the COVID-19 webpage on Rotary.org for further information or contact your RI staff liaison.
We all have an important role to play in the months ahead as we continue to do all we can to overcome COVID-19.
I want to thank you all for your Rotary service, and I look forward to the day when we can gather safely again in person.
Please be safe and take care of each other.
Sincerely,
John Hewko
Rotary General Secretary
Thank you and stay safe,
Deb
Deborah Linden, District Governor
Rotary District 5240
The Opportunity...
Call for Rotary Volunteers at San Luis Obispo County COVID-19 Vaccination Sites
Overview:
The San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department is administering the COVID-19 vaccine program throughout San Luis Obispo County. There are currently three vaccination clinics: Paso Robles (Paso Robles Event Center), San Luis Obispo (currently Sierra Way, moving to Cuesta College in February), and Arroyo Grande (AG High School). The clinics are open Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, but these days/hours may expand in the future once more vaccines become available.
Need for Volunteers:
Trained medical professionals are administering the vaccines at the clinics; however, there are many other important support positions associated with the effort, including runners, greeters, screeners, etc. These support positions are currently being filled by County employees, which is putting a strain on their workforce. The County is inviting our dedicated Rotarian volunteers to fill these support roles. Right now, about 35 support people each day are needed to staff all three vaccinations clinics (working all-day shifts) so the need for volunteers is significant.
Volunteer Parameters:
Volunteers should be over 18 years old, in good health, and willing to commit to full day shifts, at least initially. Half-day shifts may be feasible in the future. Ideally, the County would like a cadre of volunteers who can work one full day shift each week. However, if you are not able to commit to a regular schedule, you can still volunteer, and you will be offered shifts to work. Lunch is provided during each full day shift.
Process to Register as a Volunteer:
If you would like to sign up to volunteer, please follow the process outlined below to join the County of San Luis Obispo Medical Reserve Corps. You do NOT need to be a medical professional or have any special training to volunteer. The County will pay for your Live Scan and once you are approved, your will be contacted by County staff to offer you volunteer shifts at the vaccination clinics (or related volunteer efforts). Please also feel free to share this information with your employees, friends, and family members who may like to volunteer as well.
Who to Contact with Questions:
If you have questions about Rotary members volunteering for this effort, please contact Jim Salio at jsalio@msn.com
Join the County of San Luis Obispo
Medical Reserve
1. Register to Volunteer on California Disaster Healthcare Volunteers
Complete a profile on the California Disaster Healthcare Volunteers (DHV) site: www.healthcarevolunteers.ca.gov
Make sure to choose "San Luis Obispo County Medical Reserve Corps" as your Unit Affiliation
2. Live Scan (Medical Volunteers with active license can skip this step.)
After we receive your paperwork, we will contact you to schedule a Live Scan.
3. Final Paperwork
Once you have emailed your certificate/completed your Live Scan, we will email you the volunteer onboarding paperwork to sign. Complete this paperwork and send it back to the Volunteer Coordination Team at slomrc@gmail.com.
4. You are a qualified MRC Volunteer!
Access the MRC Manual online at www.slocounty.ca.gov/MRC
If you are interested in volunteering, please let Jim Harrison at sbwlff@charter.net or Ed Harris at movieln2@gmail.com. The county indicated we control when we sign up to volunteer, giving us the opportunity to sign up at the same time together. You can also work with another Rotary member to volunteer for two consecutive four shifts, covering one eight hour shift.
Time marches on! It is President Ed Harris's 30th meeting.
John Brantingham mused that the definition of PUT is to place something where you want it to be. And the definition of PUTT is the same.....
Kenneth lead us in prayer.
Walter Con lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance
Roger Ridley regaled us with some very historical facts.
Bill Puccirelli had some interesting facts with his Rotary Minute.
The first 2 years the Rotary Clubs purpose was
(1) Friendship
(2) Business reciprocity
Jim Harrison celebrated another grand childs birthday
Kelly bragged about the beautiful plaque created and presented to her from Kat Stowell for her year of service to the club as President
George Dubois bragged about Felix's 6th birthday
Harry Walls bragged it was his 17th year as a member of the Nipomo Rotary Club!
Jim Lewis bragged that "he is here!"
Roger Ridley bragged to the fact that he got carded for the first time in years.
Announcements
Mario announced the Teft Street Cleanup but please note due to inclement weather that has been changed to a later date
Kelly Ricker announced it was time for the Four Way Test Essays and she needs volunteers to read them.
Guest speaker Jim Lewis returns with a in-depth presentation on Polio Past Present Future.
The fact filled morning is made even more poignant due to Jim having had polio himself as a child. He is a passionate promotor on the eradication of this virulent virus.
We learned about polio history and the Rotary involvement in putting an end to this terrible disease.
He let os know during the course of the talk that even after treatment the survivors need help with such things as surgery, wheel chairs, training, education.
The first meeting of 2021 and President Ed Harris's 28th meeting.
Ed Brantingham started the meeting with the amusing quip "No need to make a New Year resolution because he knows that it goes in one year and out the other"
Invocation was lead by Kenneth.
Lou Gomez lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Roger ( play ball!) Ridley filled our heads with great historical facts. Starting almost a thousand years ago from 1066 with the inauguration of King Harold up to Elvis Presley on on his 7th and final appearance on the Ed sullivan show.
Rotary Minute by none other than Mr. Bill Puccireeli who spoke about the very first Rotary meeting with just 4 men in attendance.
Their first project was a public restroom in City Hall.
They started with no dues only 50 cent fines.
Brags:
Members were quite braggadocios today!
Logan turns 7 years old according to Roger
Kat Stowell has started a new business
Harry Walls spent Christmas with a large number of family members.
Mary Mylans granddaughter just circled the earth one more time.
Mario Iglesias has two sons and both are now Lt. Colonels!
Jim Harris has a granddaughter that is starting college.
Bruce Beaudoin had a great brag but sadly I wrote to slow to record it.
Walter had a brag also.
Bill had us sing Happy Birthday to Mary Mylan
Announcements;
none nada zip
Speaker;
Rich Van Houten gave us a presentation on his organization " Shower the People".
It is a mobile shower trailer taken to different locations so homeless can take a shower.
Not only a refreshing warm shower but a pair of underpants and socks.
If needed they also provide feminine hygiene products
President Ed Harris's 23 meeting started with John Brantingham stating " the president admits everyone wants to live forever but nobody wants to get old."
Kenneth gave the invocation.
Jerry lead us in our pledge of allegiance to the flag.
Roger Ridley was there to give us "THIS DAY IN HISTORY"
He regaled us with Historic facts starting in 1804 with Napoleon clear up to 1998 with bill Gates donating a million immunizations.
Bill Puccurelli talked about Rotary geography.
Brags:
Ron Willis bragged about his sons birthday
Mary Mylan bragged about a large family gathering in a rented house for their annual Thanksgiving gathering.
Roger bragged that one of his grandsons celebrated his 17th birthday.
ANNOUNCEMENTS :
none
Our guest Speaker was Ron Traner a volunteer from High Cap and he gave us in depth information on what it takes to successfully enroll for Medicare.
18 brave souls made their way to their computer screen for President Ed Harris's 24th meeting.
John Brantinham gave his always fun introduction .
Kenneth lead the invocation.
Time for another "Conversation with Harry" and who should be this weeks interviewee? Well, none other than our very own Ed Harris!
Golf, is a great intreat of Ed's and we got to hear some of the interesting times he has had on the golf course. He also participates in two Rotary Golf Clubs. The Monterey Bay Fellowship being one and the other US/Canada Golfing fellowship of Rotary.
Brags:
Harry Walls about the social at the Dana Abobe
Announcements:
George alerted us to the Space station schedule
It was announced that our club received a check from the County for $5,649.00 for the service our club performed at the Edward's barn for running the local Voters Service Center.
Judy announced with the pandemic we won't be having our annual Childrens Christmas Party.
Speaker
Brendan Kelso spoke about his Childrens books particularly "Shakespeare For Kid's"
With over 40,000 books sold he has made an impressive contribution to the education of children.
I hear I forget
I see and I remember
I do and I understand
Confucius
Benefits of his drama program include:
Empathy
Creativity
Social Skills/Team Building
Comprehension
Education
Self Awareness
Confidence building
Presentation Skills
Enunciation Improvisation
"Nothing comes of Nothing"
It was an interesting talk about a valuable service.
Ed Harris's 19th meeting as this years President began with John Brantingham introducing Ed.
Ed gives a hearty welcome to our guests.
Odell Lee lead us in the invocation.
Roger (play ball!) Ridley lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance
Roger's "Moment in History" took us from 1650 with the birth of William the 3rd to 1939 with the first Air conditioning for Automobiles.
BRAGS:
Walter bragged about Ed's continuing his technological prowess so our meeting can continue via Zoom until it is safe to meet in person once again.
Harry bragged about the work done for the Election
Roger has a "new mug" of Harry's left behind in haste as he departed from long four days at Edward's Barn.
Announcements:
Our Guest Aaron Melon encouraged our club members to once again give to his "NIPOMO NOEL" project on December 3, 2020 from 5pm to 9 pm.
Kat Stowell said help was needed pulling turkey for the community dinner on November 15. Please lend a hand if you are available.
Ed Harris reminded us that it is time to start turning in your Raffle Tickets.
A big Thanks! to Bill Pucirelli for his coordination of the four day Voter Service Center. His cool demeanor pulled us through days of tension and some challenges.
Another thank you to Judy for once again making sure volunteers were well fed on Election day at dinner time.
Bob Sander was mentioned not just for his time given but that of his wife and neighbors. Bob was responsible for 50 man hours at the Voters Service Center and the sale of a number of Raffle tickets. Way to go Bob!
Thank you to George Dubois for accompanying Bill to safely deliver ballots after polls closed.
Nipomo Food Basket is looking for food.
If you are moved to donate you can take your items to the MAC building in Trilogy located on Trilogy Parkway on either Friday 11/13/20 or 11/16/20.
Items most coveted would include peanut butter, cereal, canned vegetables, frozen turkeys and cold hard cash.
They will be open to accept your generosity from 10 am till 2 pm.
Mario Iglesias gave us a brief update on the work trying to improve the center dividers along Tefft. The struggle is real.
Great speakers from CENTRAL COAST VETERANS HELPING VETERANS.
They explained the four facets to the veteran community:
* VETERANS TREATMENT COURT MENTORS
*VETERAN CARE PROGRAM
*VETERAN HOME REPAIR
*VETERAN VISITATION
*VETERANS GRANTS AND LOANS
They presented us with the history and overview.
An explanation of how a veteran can get in the court program
If this interests you or any one you know you can help by Volunteering and or donating cash.
This meeting is President Ed Harris's 18th of his term.
John Brantingham assured us that our President WOULD NOT pose the question to our guest speaker " if you were to arrest a mime would you remind him that he had the right to stay silent/".
Odell Lee introduced our quest speaker.
Ken said a prayer of thanks and asked for guidance and blessings.
The pledge of Allegiance was given.
Odell gave an update on guest speakers and has the schedule filled till spring but asked if any one has ideas for future speakers please contact him.
Braggs:
George has been married a long time!
Collette's granddaughter had a birthday.
Ron celebrated his 35th wedding anniversary
John Brantingham.s brother and his family have recovered from the Covid-19 corona virus.
Lee Baggett is able to restart his business after a 7 month shut down due to covid-19 concerns. Happy Trails!
Ken White is home and recovering from his recent surgery.
Cathy Catchu had another birthday.
Announcements:
Mr. Puccirelli lead us in a Happy Birthday song for Cathy Catchu.
Bill also gave us a brief update on the upcoming election process.
Kat Stowell gave an update on ThankGiving and will keep us posted as plans are finalized.
Ed Harris reminded us of the upcoming District Conference with will be virtual this year on 11/5/20. There will be a $25.00 registration fee.
Speaker Danny Miller from the Deputy Sheriff's office gave us a very informative talk on homelessness in San Luis Opisbo County.
He apprised us of the difficulties of dealing with the problem's associated with this condition due to California laws.
We were informed about the resources available to the homeless population through Prado and with mental health experts.
It is a challenging issue that isn't going to be easily resolved.
Zooming into his 17th meeting as President, Ed Harris stationed at Quintessa Coffee Roasters in Oceano conducted the weekly Rotary gathering.
John introduced Ed and then Ken Shadle guided our thoughts to the divine and asked for blessings from above.
Roger Ridley gave us interesting tidbits with his presentation of TODAY IN HISTORY
Starting in 1492 with Columbus sailing the ocean blue up to 1980 and the Phillies winning the World Series baseball game.
Speaking of history Mr. Bill Puccirelli told of the story of Rotary Club in Havana Cuba. Starting in 1916 with the establishment of the first club and by 1957 there were 60 clubs on the Island.
Sadly none exist there today as Rotary International dissolved the membership of the Island residents because they did not agree with the form of government established after the Revolution.
Time for some Braggs!
Peggy Hess bragged that the first meeting with her estate planning attorney was complementary. So she gave a little to Rotary in return.
Jim Harrison announced his granddaughter just gave birth. Apparently this isn't his first one as it sounds like he has enough grand children to start his own Rotary Club
Ed Harrison thanked Kelly for helping him Zoom the meeting from Quintessa Coffee Roasters.
Announcements
The demise of Bill Bettancourt's wife has been greatly exaggerated. Last reported she is alive and well.
Jim Harrison reported on the BBQ trailer.
Thanks Giving is fast approaching and decisions need to be made on plans for helping.
Kat discussed BBQing all the turkeys in lieu of oven baked this year.
We were encouraged to continue selling Raffle tickets.
This years virtual conference will be virtual. Some interesting speakers are lined up so be sure to register.
Our guest speakers were the owner and head Roaster from Quintessa Coffee in Oceano.
Owner Daniel explained his passion for coffee and walked us through the whole process with an occasional asset from Jack the roaster to make a great cup from procurement of the beans to the roasting process to cupping to selling the beans. An excellent product and an asset to our community. The business emphasis is on wholesale production but they are open to the public for a great cup of aromatic coffee or a bag of beans for home use.
Sargent of Arms, John Brantingham, kicked off the Zoom meeting. Ken Shadle provided the invocation and John Brantingham led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Roger Ridley provided This Day in History.from Brevard, North Carolina. President Ed noted the passing of Hall of Fame, Bob Gibson, a pitcher with the St. Louis Cardinals. Bill Pucciarelli provided the Rotary minute explaining the integration and application of International service to Rotarians. There was only one brag, Roger Ridley bragged that he had seen seven waterfalls on his cross country trip, including Niagara Falls and Idaho Falls. Bill Pucciarelli said we still need volunteers for four hour shifts for the Voter Center at Election time.
The club's bylaws have been updated. They are currently posted on the club's website. The club will vote to approve them before the end of October.
Jim Harrison announced that the club is going to help with the Nipomo Thanksgiving dinner to feed the homeless. Kat said the turnout will be muted this year due to the pandemic. The other organizations helping with the Nipomo Thanksgiving dinner are the Golden State Water, the Lions club, the Boy Scouts, 4H and community churches.
The Raffle Tickets for the Multi-club Mega Raffle and Electronic poster are now available. George & Ed Harris are distributing the raffle tickets.
The speaker was Jamie Herbon, the Lady Gaga of Trash. She appeared on Zoom with her cape of trash and a crown donning the green triangle of arrows symbol for Recycle, Reuse and Reduce. Jamie talked to the club about ways we can reduce trash. She provided some facts.
4 1/2 pounds of trash are generated for every person in the United States every day.
Landfill space will run out in 2035.
The amount of plastic spoons, forks & knives in the world could wrap around the world 300 times if placed end to end.
Her message was as a society and individuals, we need to reduce the amount of trash going into landfills, by reusing some items, watch what we purchase and recycle what we can. Her message was we can no longer live in a disposable world. Her recommendations were to use real china and glasses instead of paper plates and cups. Use a real dish towel instead of paper towels. Purchase a silicone lid for refrigerator storage containers rather than use plastic wrap. Bring your own draw string net bag for produce purchased at the grocery store rather than the plastic bags the store provides. Rinse out cans and jars that can be recycled and put them in the blue curbside bin. Plastic containers with the recycle number 1 or 2 can be recycled.
She informed that we can recycle plastic bags and amazon shipping envelopes at Vons. She recommended we put food waste in the food waste buckets provided by South County Sanitation rather than put the food in the land fill. The land fill gets so densely packed that air does not get to the food waste in the land fill and it does not decompose quickly, but fills up space. The food waste from the waste bucket goes into the green waste container that goes out to the curb. Hazardous waste (batteries, paint, etc ) can be dropped off in Nipomo on Saturdays between 11AM - 3PM and at the SLO dump during regular business hours. She mentioned that if there is just a small amount of paint left in a paint can, it can be spread out in an old box and thrown away once dried. The paint is no longer hazardous after it dries.
Jamie provided a recycling information sheet for her presentation.
Wasteful Information
County of San Luis Obispo – Integrated Waste Management Authority
Brochures, can stickers, general information about solid waste & recycling
870 Osos St, San Luis Obispo
805-782-8530
www.iwma.com
Recycling
Bottles & Cans – The locations to recycle California Redemption Value (CRV) containers have been severely cut back. The closest location to Nipomo is AGS recycling, 564 Mesa View Drive, Arroyo Grande (near JJ’s Market)
Reuse
A relatively new small business is helping residents with repairs versus dispose. Repair Café Five Cities supports reuse, repair, and waste prevention. Besides saving repairable items from landfill, our Repair Cafe is an amazing community of fixers and volunteers who are generous with their time and talent.
Upcoming Repair Café - Sunday, October 18, 2020, Time: from 1-5 pm
Location: Grover Beach Community Center, 1230 Trouville Ave.
The following Nipomo pharmacies provide a free disposal program for household over-the-counter and prescription medications, including pills, ointments and lotions.
Community Health Center Pharmacy(kiosk; use envelope for controlled substances) 150 Tejas Place | (805) 270-1821
The meeting convened on Zoom with John Brantingham introducing Ed Harris's 13th meeting. There were three guests, Jim Lewis, District 5240 Polio Plus Chairman, Brett Morey from La Jolla Golden Triangle club and Rose Parade Float Director, Mike Laughlin from Palm Pines Rotary Club and Katherine Hudson from the Cayucos club. Ken Shadle provided the invocation and Ron Willis led the Pledge of Allegiance. Bill Pucciarelli and Bob Sanders had BIG Birthday brags ( Bob - Sept. 9 and Bill - Sept. 27). Odell Lee bragged on his 51st wedding anniversary. Congratulations (or maybe condolences) to Nora!
A moment of silence was held for former member and the second president of the Rotary Club of Nipomo, Phil Henry, Jr. His obituary noted memorials may be sent to the Rotary International Foundation in his memory. Rotary was important in Phil's life.
Jim Lewis provided the club with a brief update on the eradication of Polio. He said there are still cases in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He told us Africa is polio free which is a significant accomplishment because the continent has to report no cases for three years to be certified polio free. Jim Lewis will be back as our speaker to present the entire Polio eradication story after the first of the year. Jim also mentioned how many Rotarians are participating the District Challenge - StepupforRotary.com, which raises money for Polio Plus. Jim thanked the club for it's past contribution to a clinic in India which helps kids with Cerebral Palsy.
Announcements - There will be no meeting Sept. 30. Members wishing to do so can go to Rooster Creek Tavern for dinner on Sept. 30. There is no group room reserved. People will be seated and served at individual tables as they arrive. We need volunteers to staff the Voter Center at the Edwards Barn 10/31 thru 11/3. Contact Bill Pucciarelli at pucciarelli49@gmail.com. The updated club ByLaws have been sent to all the members by secretary, George Dubois. The club will vote to approve the ByLaws after three weeks.
The speaker was Gordon Lu, former owner of the CoffePot restaurant in Morro Bay. Gordon Lu ( Lu Chi Fa )was born in 1942 in Jiangsu Province of China. He grew up there and in Shanghai HongKong and Taiwan. As an orphan, he was shuffled from one house to another; he often was hungry, beaten and forced to beg to survive. In 1969, he immigrated to the United States, and through hard work and perseverance realized the American dream of success.
Gordon told the club that he came to the United States at age 26, landed in Honolulu and realized his visa was only good for 38 days. He quickly tried to enroll in college with little prior education. Somehow he obtained a student visa to stay for four years. He moved to Denver where he applied for permanent residency. He became a US citizen in 1983. He purchased a fast food restaurant in LA near the airport and owned that for less than 10 years. He then moved to Morro Bay and started the CoffeePot restaurant, coffeepotmorrobay.com. He owned the restaurant for 30 years and closed it this March at the start of the pandemic.
Gordon told us how lucky he is. His book 'Double Luck' tells of his life story of struggling as an orphan in China to immigrating to the United States. He said it was required reading by many schools in California and by Cal Poly in the past. He has spoken to many school groups about the tremendous opportunities there are in the United States.
He believes and appreciates that the United States is the land of opportunity, but it takes hard work also. He said at one time he was financially well off, on top of the mountain as he called it, but the past recession and now the pandemic have set him back. He now lives in a 1200 square foot mobile home and is happy and grateful. He gives the profits from his book 'Double Luck' to the Morro Bay Library. He said the community has been good to him while he operated the Coffee Pot Restaurant and he wanted to give back to the community. His donations to the Morro Bay Library total $35,000. The book can be purchased from the coffeepotmorrobay.com website or Amazon. He lived the American Dream and is grateful for all the American has provided for him.
President Ed Harris invocated Wednesday's meeting with a short prayer. Ken Shadle had technical difficulties and was unavailable when the meeting convened. Jim Harrison led us in the pledge of allegiance. Bill Pucciarelli, Cees, Ron Willis, John Brantingham and Roger Ridley all had brags. Roger was tuning in from Cody, Wyoming! Roger puts Rotary right up there with vacation, both are important. We noted Bob Sanders birthday with Bill Pucciarelli singing Happy Birthday to him (not quite the same as Marilyn Monroe).
Roger presented this day in history from Cody, Wyoming. Bill Pucciarelli presented the Rotary minute on the Rose Bowl Parade Rotary Float. The float is a collaboration of Rotary zones in southern California. It does not receive any money Rotary International. It costs about $100-$150,000 to produce and enter a float in the Rose Bowl Parade. The Rose Bowl float is a great public image project for Rotary, as the parade is viewed by 125 million people worldwide.
Announcements - The board meeting is Sept. 22 at 5:00PM. We need to cover approximately 36 four hour shifts at the Voter Center at Edwards Barn on 10/31, 11/1, 11/2 and Election Day, 11/3. Please sign up on line on Rotary Club of Nipomo Clubrunner or contact Bill Pucciarelli at pucciarelli49@gmail.com. Please ask your spouse, significant other, kids, grandkids or other relatives if they will help us. The volunteer has to be a registered voter.
The speaker was Sarah DeYoung from San Luis Obispo Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). She told has there are about 225 CASA advocates in the county and they represent about 500 kids a year in SLO county. She said CASA is always looking for volunteers. She said the volunteers at 90% women and 10% men. She said men are needed as volunteers because many of the kids have not had a positive male role model in their lives. She indicated that 80% of the cases they stand up for the kids are neglect or abuse cases to get the kids removed from the home. This is usually because the parents have problems and/or addictions and cannot care for their children. CASA advocates hold the educational rights for the children and represent them with the school district. She indicated that with distance learning it is difficult. The school district is supposed to loan children without a device a chrome book. However the chrome books are over loaned and there is a shortage. She said sometimes lack of WiFi can be a problem.
CASA now trains the volunteers on line via Zoom. They have had three new groups of volunteer this year.
CASA gets their funding from two sources, grants and fundraisers. There is going to a virtual fundraiser Oct. 23, 2020. If you would like to participate go to slocasa.org. CASA usually receives holiday gift cards from shoppers at retailers. However during the pandemic, they are reaching out to the public for $25 Target gift cards. If you would like to contribute, purchase one and contact them at the website to donate it.
Next week's speaker is Gordon Lu from Morro Bay. He will tell his story of being an orphan in China, escaping Communist China and immigrating to the United States.
Today President Ed Harris presided over his 11th meeting of Rotary of Nipomo.
John Brantingham introduced Ed with the quip "remembering college as great because you could write a check for 39 cents and bounce it!'
We had Monzur as a guest again today. Welcome back!
Ken Shadle gave thanks and prayed for strength during these trying time and for our firefighters safety.
Bill Puccirelli lead us in our Pledge of Allegiance.
"Conversations with Harry"
Mr Harry Walls in his continuing series interviewed club member Ken White.
An interesting story of Ken's life from childhood turmoil to successful businessman. A life of love and pain of wine collecting and parenting.
Thank you for sharing Ken!
Brags!
Ken White is a proud dad of a very successful son in the Finance World recently recognized by Forbes magazine as top 40 under 40.
Lou Gomez bragged that her grandson just celebrated his 23 birthday.
Peggy Hesse was proud to announce her sons 39th birthday.
Gerald bragged about none other than President Harris replacing his long cherished mug that was recently broken.
Bruce Beaudoin spoke of his continuing success with his current avocado harvest despite the extreme heat.
Harry bragged That this is a day he always remembers from his working days as it is a day he always got to take off!
Announcements:
George wanted to remind us if we want a donut we need to show up and support the Teffi Street cleanup this coming Saturday 9/12/2020
Ed reminded us the scheduled Board Meeting will be on a new date.
Bill let us know we need to step up and help man the Voter Service Center from 10/31 through 11/3.
Today's guest speaker:
Ken Walthers of Hancock College spoke today on the history and successes on this their 100 Year Anniversary.
He talked by poverty and the high rate of High School dropouts in the area and the college's successful Promise Program to help educate and thereby raise the standard of living of the local population.
They are able to show potential students through tours all the potential opportunities and that What you want to do Hancock is the answer.
Kelly Ricker and Ed Harris presented the Nipomo Food Basket with a check for $2464 on Tuesday, Sept. 1. The funds came from the members that continued to pay the meal costs even though the club is not meeting at the Butterfly Grill. One of the volunteers, Marcia Traversaro, was on hand for the presentation. Marcia is a member of the Pismo Five Cities Rotary club.
The director of the Nipomo Food Basket, Leon Leornas, gave Kelly & Ed a tour of the operation. The Food Basket receives fresh produce from neighborhood gardens and orchards. They also receive donations from Vons, Trader Joes and other grocery stores. They do not distribute any expired food. Their motto is they won’t distribute any food they would not serve to their own mother or grandmother. The Food Basket also purchases food from both the Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo county food banks.
The Nipomo Food Basket is open Mon., Tue., Thur. & Fridays. They make up fresh boxes of produce each day with the produce that is in season and what is donated. They gladly accept donations of Beans, Pasta/Spaghetti, Cans of Tuna/Chicken, Soup, Cans of Vegetables, Tomato Sauce, Cereal, Rice, Coffee, Dairy (Instant Milk), Crackers, Mayonnaise, Peanut Butter and Popcorn.
The Good...
