After Gail Ford from the Family & Children’s Services Foundation spoke to the Railway City Rotary Club earlier this year about the unmet needs of some children and teens in our community, Sandra Westaway decided to take action. She soon got to work in forming a coalition of the Railway City, St. Thomas and Aylmer Rotary Clubs and the St. Thomas Interact and RCRC Kids’ Division to create a project to provide these children backpacks and move-in bins filled with necessary supplies. To aid its work, the Coalition was successful in its application for a $10,000 grant from the Community Foundation to produce “kids’ kits” for 260 children.

 

In addition to being a member of the RCRC, Sandra is Board Chair of Inn Out of the Cold whose mission is to support the needs of its “GUESTS dealing with homelessness and life’s issues,” including mental health and addiction issues. The Inn operates out of the basement of Central United Church seven nights (6 p.m. to 8 a.m.) a week from November to April and provides food, clothing and compassion. Between 8 and 30 “truly homeless” people are sheltered per night and 50 guests fed. Last year, there were 283 guests, 74 of them women.

 

But poverty is too big an issue for Inn Out of the Cold to handle by itself. As there is little government funding to support individuals in need, many local community initiatives are necessary. The Mayors’ Poverty Action Group (hosted by MPP Jeff Yurek) and the Poverty Action Coalition (hosted by the Health Unit) are just two examples. Sandra closed with two success stories in which individuals had been helped to turn their lives around, and a quote from Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

 

HAPPY FINS - Donations of $5 to The Rotary Foundation – Annual Programs Fund – credited to the donor in celebration of something good in our lives. This practice was started in this club in 1985 to raise funds for polio eradication at the suggestion of Darwen Lowe, a member of the club.

 

Malcolm Rust (1) – To thank our speaker, Sandra, who took the lead in the grant-winning project. Sandra says that the Club will have an opportunity to help fill the bins later this year. A list will be emailed by Nancy when it is known what is needed.

 

Trudy Kanellis (2) – Thanks to Bill Horn for helping with the delivery of dictionaries this morning to Southwold Public School; thanks to the Interactors and Rotarians Adriana Balderas and Davey Moffatt who were marshals at the Railway City Road Races in Port Stanley on Sunday, and who later supported the Central Elgin volunteer firefighters at their breakfast in Union (see photo at left).
Bill Horn (1) – Had a great time presenting the dictionaries with Trudy this morning.
Wade Coombs (1) – He was at the Railway City Road Races on Sunday and was happy to find Trudy and the Interactors there as well as a significant number of Rotarians from the Railway City Rotary Club.
Jennifer Babcock (3) – For winning the 50/50; for being able to apply the Four-West Test in turning down a job offer; and for Sandra’s talk today.
Gerry Janssen (2) – For our guests and our speaker’s talk today; for what would have been his Dad’s birthday.

 

President-Elect Gerry Janssen was in the chair in the absence of President Trish who, with husband Stew, continues to vacation in the British Isles, missing yet another superb summer day back home. The travellers will return in time for next week’s meeting when Ian Chantler from the Railway City Rotary Club will speak about social media; a Food Trailer meeting will follow. October 4 is a Club Assembly and Board Meeting and on October 11 there will be no meeting.

 

Past President Nancy read an invitation from Ian inviting club members to the October 4 meeting of the RCRC which meets at 5:30 p.m. at the Roadhouse, 837 Talbot Street, St. Thomas. Ambassadors from the Free Reading program will be there to talk about this online literacy program. Fellowship time begins at 5:10 p.m. Nancy plans to attend and you may too if you RSVP to Ian at ichantler@railwaycityrotary.club. Available spots are filling quickly.