Friendly reminder! We have resumed monthly non-perishable food collections and monetary donations.
We will be collecting food for the needy at our Rotary meeting This week, Thursday April 1st. Share what you can!
If you tune in virtually you can donate by using the Venmo app and sending donations to @DonBlose with a note that the donation is intended for “food for the needy”. Monetary donations help the food band purchase perishable foods like milk, eggs, and bread.
Items in need: canned fruit, canned soups, cereals, peanut butter/jelly, anything with a long shelf life
Are you ready? December often brings 3 to 4 inches of snow! And just last week, I walked my dog wearing a light sweater. December brings many challenges with these changes. And it is not just the short hours of daylight. The excitement and expectations of the holidays bring lots to plan and prepare for and to do! I find I have to write it all down in to-do lists that begin to look like spreadsheets.
So let me add a few items to your to-do list.
Giving Tuesday may be officially over according to the calendar, but it is not too late for you to consider making a donation to the Emmaus Rotary Club Foundation to help with our efforts to ease the food insecurity among the students and families of the East Penn School District or to the Rotary Foundation to support RI's international projects.
This Thursday morning, we will meet both at Brookside Country Club and on Vox Tandem as our Fellowship Committee spread holiday cheer. This virulent virus continues to plague us all and the number of cases was up again today in 43 states. Each Monday, the Executive Committee looks at this decision and we do anticipate that we all might be meeting together again in cyberspace, linked on our screens, in the future. Brookside Country Club has upped its precautions and protocols. At the main entrance, there is now a stand-alone station that automatically scans guests for an elevated temperature. We are also reminded that masks are worn at all times except when eating or drinking, even if guests remain seated at dining tables.
Please RSVP with Tony Moyer if you want reservations to the light display at the LV Zoo on December 9, 2020. (See article below for details.)
Currently, we are o n l y collecting for four causes! Rotarian Ralph Lewis will be accepting canned goods for the Groceries PLUS Food Pantry. Eileen Prokop asks you to bring bars of soap and personal size hand sanitizers for the Angel Network. Community Service has been asked by Turning Point if we can help provide gift cards. And, please consider donating a little something special for door prizes. Do you make a special "to die for" fruit cake? That would make a fun door prize and raise the level of levity.
The daylight hours are short, the number of Covid19 cases is high-- but, hey, I am glad you all are here and ready to spread that good ole fashioned holiday cheer with me. Did you know that between November 1st and January 15 there are approximately 29 holidays observed by 7 of the world's major religions? So, we have lots of opportunities to spread kindness, cheer, and peace.
Our in person meetings continue at Brookside Country Club this Thursday, December 3rd. We hope you will join us. COVID safety measures will of course be implemented.
December 3rd 2020
Club member duties:
Greeter - Mike Waddell
Sign-in Table - Rick Zayaitz
Erey - Bill Erdman
Invocation/ Thought of the Day- Bob Goehler
We are meeting indoors with proper social distancing measures in place. There is no need to RSVP…just show up before 7:30 a.m., enter through the main entrance with your mask on, get signed in, find a seat, chat with friends, and enjoy the meeting.
While we meet in person this week at Brookside Country Club you also have the option to participate by joining us through the Vox Tandem platform. We will see you in person or online this Thursday, at 7:30am.
Please use the link below to join us this Thursday at 7:30am. To join us on the Vox Tandem Virtual Meeting platform.
To enter the virtual meeting, just click this link or copy and paste it into your URL Browser. Please note that you will need Firefox or Google Chrome as your browser to join the meetings.
The following safety guidelines to be followed at Brookside Country Club: UPDATED 11/24/20
Masks can be removed for eating and drinking only but are expected to be worn at all other times, inside or outside. With the case count rising we are going to present to our membership that masks are always expected to be worn while inside and outside in dining areas.
BCC purchased a stand-alone thermometer that will be arriving this week for the foyer. It will be constantly on. Guests simply stand in front of it and it reads your body temperature. It will give you a single beep if someone is good to go, but it will set off a mini alarm if someone tests high. If you test high you need to retry, and if you test high again you are expected to leave the building immediately.
Tables will be set 6 ft apart to observe social distancing and each table will seat only 5 people.
There will be multiple hand sanitizer stations located throughout the Clubhouse. We encourage guests to use hand sanitizer upon arrival and throughout their time at Brookside.
Buffets will now be served by staff of Brookside (gloves will be worn by those serving food.)
Coffee will also need to be served (no station) and we will have to utilize single use packets such as salt, pepper, creamer, ketchup, and syrup.
It is imperative that if they feel sick or have contracted COVID - 19, you must stay home.
Please contact Lexa, Mike, or Meghan if you have any questions. Please also review the Rotary District Covid-19 Guidelines in this newsletter.
DON"T FORGET! Weekly Door Prize Donations Needed! Be our next meeting's prize sponsor!
It seems like we all like the idea of winning a festive prize at our meetings (in person or online). We have had some very generous and fun donations since incorporating this new aspect to our meetings. Many thanks to all who have donated a prize! It is a nice way to give back to each other. Do you have a hobby or talent you can share with the club? Maybe you love to bake, sew, or garden. Let’s get creative with our door prizes and share a little bit about ourselves in the process! How about we show some love to the local businesses in our community? They have shown us support with raffle donations and sponsorships throughout the years. Consider purchasing a $20.00 gift card from one of the many small businesses in the East Penn Area. As we know every little bit helps. It's also a great way to start a conversation about Rotary and invite business owners and managers to a club meeting.
So if you’d like to sponsor a door prize contact Don Blose, Meghan Reed, Sal Verrastro or Lexa Shallcross.
A big Thank You to Tony Moyer for organizing the trip to the Lehigh Valley Zoo to see the spectacular lighting displays. If you haven't seen the lights, please take the time to do so. It is wonderful for all ages! You can always join our Sargent at Arms who never made it to the event due to the traffic. Thanks to Dee Eng for the photos.
Join your ERC friends at the Lehigh Valley Zoo's Winter Light Spectacular! We have 20 tickets available for $10 each (regular price $15 each). If you're interested, call, text, or email Tony Moyer at 610-295-7691/anmoyer1229@gmail.com. First come, first served! Tony will send your tickets to your home address. Payment can be sent to Tony at 331 N Broad St. Allentown, PA 18104 or Venmo Don Blose using the handle @DonBlose and fill in the comment section to note that it's payment for ERC LV Zoo. Looking forward to a safe, festive, outdoor holiday experience on December 9!
On Saturday December 5th, our Emmaus Rotary participated in Emmaus's Old Fashioned Christmas at the Emmaus Triangle. Nicole and Karen help children write letters to Santa and "mail" them. An awesome time was had by all and what a great way to get into the Christmas Spirit! Thanks to all of our Rotary Elves who helped!
Karen and Nicole from the Community Service Committee are collecting any gift cards and other items you may be willing to donate over this holiday period for needy Lehigh Valley families. Last year many Emmaus Rotarians took on getting gifts for needy local children in our area with Angel Network and Zion's Food Pantry. Zion's Food Pantry are asking for gift cards of a $25 value to either Walmart or Target to help them spread the cheer to local families. Also Turning Point has various items of household needs as they move into new homes. We have also been asked by Miracle League of the Lehigh Valley for $25 gift cards for a drive-by party for the children. Contact Karen or Nicole for more information and for how you can get your donation to the right place!
Please use the following link for the Jefferson Elementary School Angel Network Wish List:
As you all know the Emmaus Rotary leads the establishment of the East Penn Food Coalition along with other community service groups to meet hunger needs in the East Penn School District Community.
We have reached a critical point to fund the East Penn Food Coalition, Feed East Penn Students Program. We currently serve over 200 children a week and need your help to raise money to continue to feed hungry kids in our community.
WE NEED YOUR HELP! We are seeking business, grants, and individual donations to support over $20,000 in need.
You can provide help for our neighbors in need in the following ways:
If you are interested in being part of this group, please let us know. Thanks to all of those who have contributed thus far.
We can all work together to help the families in our own East Penn Community.
Lastly, we also need your help in sharing our mission with your friends, family and colleagues. Here are quick and easy ways to participate in crowd funding.
Share the link on your social media pages. (Share on your own page and in groups you belong to)
Email your contact list.
If you own a business share with your clients via email or social media.
We’ve talked a lot about the Foundation recently and how it is essentially the life blood of how local and international Rotary projects are funded though grants. Cindy Hornaman and Bill Erdman gave an excellent overview of Emmaus Rotary Club and District 7430 District, and International Project Grants.
Here are some key points to bring it all into focus:
Global Grants - $128,000 to be allocated, over the next two years, for projects in Uganda, Zambia, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, and the U.S. focusing on maternal/child health, education, water/sanitation, and farming. Emmaus Global Grants on hold due to COVID-19: Zambia - Education from 2019/2020 and Zambia - Water/Science Building 2020-2021
District Grants - $65,353 in 2020-2021 to fund 22 projects in District 7430. (4 Food Programs, 3 Community Development projects, 7 Education and 7 Disease Prevention, as well as 1 international Water project. Emmaus District Grant 2020-2021 totaling $10,000. Emmaus Arts and Innovation Center, construction of toilet facilities
2019-2020 Covid-19 Response Grants. $25,000 funded 19 grants to deliver emergency relief of food and emergency medical supplies. Emmaus Covid-19 Grant of $1,500 provided personal protective equipment to both the Emmaus and Macungie Ambulance Corps.
Surely there are women in our Emmaus and Lehigh Valley communities with an outstanding record of volunteer humanitarian service who have given their time and efforts to advance RI’s Mission to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance understanding, goodwill, and peace, and who are leaders in their chosen field.
Now is your opportunity to nominate a woman from our community who personifies these qualities to receive the Emmaus Rotary Club International Women’s Day Celebration (IWDC) Rotary Award on March 11, 2021. For the fourth year, on behalf of the Emmaus Rotary Club, I am writing to encourage you to submit a nomination by January 24, 2021.
You will find detailed information about the nomination criteria and how to submit a nomination when you click read more below. If you have any questions before this date, please feel free to e-mail me at aruizorbin@aol.com or to call me at my cell #610-392-5134.
On behalf of our Club’s IWDC Committee and on my behalf, I thank you for your support and look forward to receiving your nomination.
Yours in Rotary Service,
Alicia Ruiz-Orbin, Committee Chair International Women’s Day Celebration
NOW is the time to make your decision to become better educated about world-wide Rotary. If you have any wish to maximize your Rotary club membership, especially if you are new to your club, RLI makes it easy. Attend the virtual RLI training session on March 13, 2021. DEADLINE TO REGISTER FRIDAY March 5th.
Any Rotarian, newcomer and “seasoned" members, who attends a day of RLI programs becomes a more valuable, and more dedicated, member of your Rotary club.
Please register NOW for Part I, II, III, and if you have graduated you may register for the Post Graduate Course.
Click the link, on the left hand side under "Upcoming Classes", Find the information for the 7430 – Pottstown RLI and click on "more info", the next screen click "RLI Registration" on bottom right. Enter the security code as shown in the box, and click "Register Now". At this point you will be able to enter your information.
For other information or registration help, please feel free to call or e-mail Len Gieseler, District Chair, at 610-323-2201 or lgieseler2023@gmail.com.
DECEMBER is Disease Prevention and Treatment Month
At Rotary, we believe good health care is everyone’s right. Yet 400 million people in the world can’t afford or don’t have access to basic health care.
Disease results in misery, pain, and poverty for millions of people worldwide. That’s why treating and preventing disease is so important to us. We lead efforts both large and small. We set up temporary clinics, blood donation centers, and training facilities in underserved communities struggling with outbreaks and health care access. We design and build infrastructure that allows doctors, patients, and governments to work together.
Our members combat diseases like malaria, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and polio. Prevention is important, which is why we also focus on health education and bringing people routine hearing, vision, and dental care.
COVID-19 is impacting us all in our personal, professional and Rotary lives. We must base our decisions about Rotary activities on the health and safety of our members and compliance with government and health regulations. Even though we may not be able to conduct the usual weekly in person meetings, many of our clubs are leading or participating in food and other relief programs in their communities. These efforts will likely be continuing through the balance of this Rotary year and into the future.
With this in mind, the following are guidelines for all Rotary District 7430 activities:
All guidelines set forth by the Governor, counties and other authorized persons in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the CDC should be followed.
Should any Rotarian be diagnosed with or have symptoms that they suspect to be consistent with COVID-19, that Rotarian shall:
Not participate in any Rotary event that involves a personal appearance at the event.
Report their diagnoses or symptoms to the Rotarian supervising any program in which they have participated in-person within fourteen (14) days before the diagnoses or occurrence of symptoms.
We also suggest that you adopt guidelines for your clubs that reflect the current health crisis.
Welcome to the Emmaus Rotary Club!
We meet at 7:30 AM on Thursday mornings
at Brookside Country Club, 901 Willow Lane, Macungie, PA 18062
The Emmaus Rotary Club embraces, practices and promotes the Rotary International Core Values of Service, Fellowship, Diversity, Integrity and Leadership.
