Rotary Informer

Petoskey Rotary Noon Club NEWSLETTER

July 8, 2020

Welcome to the Rotary Club of Petoskey via the world wide web and our second In-House Meeting in months! Liz Ahrens, President officiated the meeting. If you did not get the chance to attend, you can watch it from this:  Recording

Pledge/Anthem:  We recited the Pledge of Allegiance

4-Way Test:  Joe Blachy

Invocation:  Lisa Hammond

Lord of the Universe, you have given most of mankind a strong desire to do good, to be honest, to serve others, and to faithfully fulfill their obligations to their neighbors.

Help us, as Rotarians and humans, to do good.

Help us, as Rotarians and humans, to be honest and ethical in all our dealings.

Help us, as Rotarians and humans, to serve others.

And help us, as Rotarians and humans, to faithfully fulfill our obligations as neighbors to our community, our nation, and the world.

Amen

Calendar Winners:  Read off by Bob Metzger

Calendar Winners July 8, 2020

Visiting Rotarians:  Pat Chase, Sulphur Springs, TX; Patricia Wimmer, Rochester, MN

Guests:  None

Life Events: 

Rotary Care List:  None

Birthdays: 

Lisa Hammond

Howard Richards

Sharon Schappacher

Bill Topham

Anniversaries: 

Tom McHale – 2 Years

Kent Cartwright – 17 Years

Dianne Litzenburger – 30 Years

Jim Beno – 35 Years

CLUB ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Anonymous Donor:  We have a donor who reached Major Donor status ($10,000)

Boo Litzenburger:  A significant new Little Traverse Conservancy nature preserve will be gifted and named for Boo and Dianne Litzenburger. The purchase of the property by the family is in memory of Seberon “Boo” Litzenburger. Those wishing to contribute in Boo’s memory may do so by contributing to the Little Traverse Conservancy.

Stone Funeral Home Link

PROGRAM

Today we were joined by David 'DJ' Jones, executive director of Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation. 

The Community Foundation's mission is to improve the quality of life for all people in Emmet County, which it does primarily through grantmaking to local nonprofits. Donations made to the Community Foundation are pooled into various charitable funds, and in turn granted back out to the community. It currently holds about $43 million in assets, receiving $2-3 million in donations each year and granting out roughly same amount each year as well.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit our community, the Community Foundation used one of its existing funds--the Essential Needs Fund--to collect donations for COVID-19 relief and recovery. Rotary Club of Petoskey generously gave $5,000 to this fund.

Our donation has been put to good use! Since mid-March the Community Foundation has issued forty COVID-19-related grants totaling $181,500. Those forty grants have been made to local nonprofits for one of two purposes: (1) for nonprofits to provide direct support to individuals and families facing hardship due to COVID-19 (provide food, utility/rent assistance, healthcare, etc.) or (2) for nonprofits to cover their own operating expenses during this turbulent and unstable time. Many nonprofits have lost a great deal of revenue, due to their inability to host fundraisers, conduct programs, operate a resale store, etc.

DJ then briefly touched on work that the Community Foundation is doing to support more workforce housing in this area. For example, in partnership with Frey Foundation they are funding a 'housing coordinator' position whose primary focus over the next three years will be to make connections, funnel resources, conduct research, etc. to advance the supply of workforce housing in our community.

Next week's program:  Casey Haggerty from Food Corps

Parting Shots:  Howard Richards was absent today so we had no parting shots. Boo Hoo!