Greetings fellow Rotarians! Today’s speaker was Fred Kenney, the local coordinator for the Feed My Starving Children service project.  Feed My Starving Children is a national non-profit organization that packages and distributes non-perishable food packets to people in developing nations. Since 1987, it has assisted people in 70 different nations.  The bulk of the work involves packaging the food and getting it ready to be shipped out.  This work is mostly done by volunteers who participate in packaging events across the country throughout the year.  Every Fall, Feed My Starving Children hosts a packaging event here in Essex.  For the past several years, many of our members have volunteered to work at this local event.  The packaging process is fast and furious, but each year, our Club’s efforts result in hundreds of packages being put together that help feed large numbers of people across the globe.  This is just another example of the great hands on work that our Club provides to our community.  For more information about Feed My Starving Children, please visit its website at: https://www.fmsc.org/

 

 

            Even though the weather might suggest that winter is coming and that it is time to fortify Castle Black, we are actually a few months away from our Club’s largest fundraiser. By now, you all should have seen the list of potential sponsors that members need to contact.  It is important that we get as many hole and cart sponsors as possible, so if you haven’t done so already, please contact your assigned sponsors.  If you have any questions on which sponsors need to be contacted, or if you have any thoughts on potential sponsors who are not on the list, please contact sponsor coordinator, Lois Parmelee or committee chair, Dave Johnson. We will also be looking for Rotarians to serve as volunteers at the actual event.  A sign-up sheet for volunteer spots will be circulated soon.

 

 

            Essex High School is playing host to the Vermont All-State Music Festival from May 9^th through May 12^th. Young musicians and singers from across the state will be coming to our community to take part in this event.  The organizers are looking for local families who are willing to provide lodging and transportation to and from Essex High School during the festival.  Please contact Dave Johnson if you are interested in serving as a host family.

 

 

            The next opportunities to cover shifts at the Food Shelf will be on Monday, May 14^th from 5:30 to 7:30; Thursday, May 24^th from 3:30 to 6:30; Monday, June 11^th from 5:30 to 7:30; and Thursday, June 21^st from 3:30 to 6:30. Please let Sharon Dettenrieder know if you are able to fill any of these shifts.

 

Upcoming Meeting Schedule:  Wednesday, April 18, 2018 – Per the website, our program is to be determined.

 

For the complete list of upcoming speakers and information about the Club, please go to our website at www.essexrotary.org   Be sure to also follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/EssexVermontRotary , on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/essexvermontrotary/ and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/essex_rotary

 

 

       Yours in Rotary,

 

Jason Ruwet