DG Karen's November Message
November is Rotary Foundation Month!
DG Karen with Thie Convery
November 27th, 2010
Hello Fellow Rotarians of District 7090
"November is Rotary Foundation Month. It all began in 1917 when then RI President Arch Klumph announced the acceptance of endowments for doing good in the world -- The Rotary Foundation was born!" says Foundation Trustee Chair Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammar.
As the month of November fast draws to a close, I reflect upon our many District celebrations this month in recognition of our giving to The Rotary Foundation.
To kick off November as Foundation month, under the leadership of District Foundation Director PDG Art Wing, we held our Foundation dinner in Salvatore's Gardens Restaurant in Depew, New York on the 5th of November, 2010. We were reminded of the many ways that we can contribute to our Rotary Foundation, both individually as Rotarians, and as clubs with special thanks throughout the evening for the ongoing support of our District 7090 Rotarians.
We are all mindful of the many needs addressed through The Rotary Foundation; however I have copied the following excerpt from Rotary.org for your consideration of:
Top five reasons to support The Rotary Foundation
By Antoinette Tuscano
Rotary International News -- 12 November 2010
By contributing to the Foundation, you advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty.
There are as many reasons to support The Rotary Foundation as there are ways to do good in the world.
By contributing to the Foundation , you help support the Foundation's six areas of focus, which help to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty. By giving US$100 a year through the Every Rotarian, Every Year (EREY) initiative, you become a Rotary Foundation Sustaining Member. Contributions to EREY are the primary source of funding for Foundation programs.
Here are a few ways your contributions are making change possible.
5. Fighting hunger
In Romania, orphans and sick children have eggs, milk, and meat because of a Foundation grant that benefits local farmers. The farmers are able to buy everything from animal feed to packaging materials. There is one stipulation: They must donate a portion of their products to children's hospitals, schools, and orphanages.
In Alaska, USA, the Rotary Club of Anchorage East is also fighting hunger by distributing food to low-income families through a mobile food pantry.
Projects such as these help address the areas of focus of maternal and child health as well as economic and community development.
4. Reducing child mortality
The Rotary clubs of Jaela-Kandana, Western Province, Sri Lanka, and Madras Northwest, Tamil Nadu, India, are helping to reduce child mortality by providing improved sanitation facilities for 15 families in a small community in Sri Lanka. With a Rotary Foundation Matching Grant , the clubs have built 14 toilets, helping to prevent diarrhea and other diseases related to poor sanitation.
According to the World Health Organization, 1.8 million children die of diarrhea every year, making it the second leading cause of death among children under five. Proper sanitation can reduce the rate of child mortality in many communities by up to a third. Water and sanitation is the third area of focus.
3. Promoting peace and conflict resolution
Watching civil war tear apart his homeland of Côte d'Ivoire instilled in Rotary Peace Fellow Kouame Remi Oussou a passion to resolve conflict. He is now working for the United Nations Development Programme in the Central African Republic, a country that weathered periodic internal fighting before a comprehensive peace accord took effect in 2007. Read more about Oussou.
Rotary Peace Fellows are leaders in promoting national and international cooperation, peace, and conflict resolution. Help support the Rotary Peace Centers . Peace and conflict prevention/resolution is the first area of focus. Read about four Rotary Peace Fellows and their visions for peace .
2. Basic education and literacy
Education helps rebuild lives, whether it's in small rural towns or in war-torn countries. For example, a literacy project sponsored by U.S. Rotarians in conjunction with the International Reading Association (IRA) is helping Sudanese refugees rebuild their communities by equipping them to teach future generations.
The Southern Sudan Teacher Training Initiative provides refugees of the country's decades-long civil war, who are known as the Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan, with teacher training materials, guidance, and support to help them teach students in kindergarten through eighth grade. "People returning from refugee camps to rebuild their lives in Duk County are hungry for books and school supplies," says John Dau, a Lost Boy, humanitarian, and founder of the John Dau Foundation. Read more about the project .
1. Eradicating polio
Around the world, Rotarians are taking millions of steps in walkathons, diving into icy ocean waters, and participating in other fundraisers to help Rotary fulfill its promise to rid the world of polio. Si Burgher, of the Rotary Club of Bloomfield, Indiana, USA, raised almost $1,600 by having his shaggy eyebrows shaved.
Rotary launched its PolioPlus program in 1985. Since then, eradicating polio has been the organization's top priority. End Polio Now and help fulfill its promise.
In closing, I thank you for your service in Rotary. END POLIO NOW!