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26Jan21 Aylmer Mennonite Community Services
Malcolm introduced Eddy Rempel, executive director since 2Aug21 of Mennonite Community Services, Aylmer. Eddy owns Rempel Properties, founded Mennonite Heritage Tours, and volunteers at local churches and charities. He was educated as follows: Religious Studies -Steinbach Bible College, Mathematics-U Waterloo, Master Science/Statistics- McMaster U, currently Masters Sociology with focus immigration to rural Ontario- UWO,
Please visit website for Mennonite Community Services(MCS)  https://www.mcson.org/
Eddy presented a very focused slide show. MCS provides resources for Low German Speaking (Plautdietsch) Mennonite immigrants. As seen from the website, MCS has well defined visions, mission, purpose, goals etc. Inclusion is also important, and as Rotarians we can identify with that. Programs include: Quilt Trail (settlement stories), Harvest Bowl (local produce for everyone/food banks, and growing to charitable status), Employment Services (150 employees depend on this), ARC (Aylmer Resource Centre- their store front on Talbot St and Eddy’s office. Legal services, volunteer drivers, direction to proper service, assistance with attaining legal status ), Radio Station DeBrigj 105.9 (soothing music, news, education, religious services, advertising, info about financial management) Thrift Store in plaza on Talbot St (divert from landfill, repurpose, generate revenue, goods for sale at low cost) FESPA (Family Education Support Project Aylmer- English as second language, moms and preschool, transportation, interpretation), Cherry Street (Housing). That is a lot of programs.
MCS partners with the following: East Elgin Family Health team, Elgin Ont Health Team (primary health care for newcomers), Fanshawe College, Service Ontario, Service Canada, YWCA Elgin/St Thomas, Community Action Network (30agencies), MCCO (Mennonite Central Committee Ontario), Local Immigration Partnership St Thomas, PMK (media conference.
MCS ‘s Charity Auction, banquet, and Motorcycle rally fundraisers have been suspended because of COVID.
Malcolm thanked Eddy for his great slide presentation. Discussion: Francophone immigrants are referred to London Ont. Fewer groups are immigrating since COVID (70 last year rather than 100 pre COVID). MCS follows government COVID protocols and believes opposing vaccination is not a valid faith position. The MCS has little connection with the Amish community as they are 18th century oriented and the Mennonite community is more modern. Mennonite immigrants are more likely to be university educated, but the original community is not.
 
Announcements:
Next week will not be a fireside chat but Trish will present her History in Rotary at 12pm by Zoom.
 
Gerry will investigate when the District meets by zoom so we can coordinate their meeting to replace ours on the week the district meets.
 
Barbara was Fine Master and asked a question from the Canadian Rotary magazine.
 
Malcolm- Inn Out of the Cold has morphed to “the Inn” and is now open. Malcolm and Stew went on zoom for the district Town Hall meeting last night.
 
Malcolm and Nancy spoke about the upcoming Event on Discrimination.  February 8, 2022 via Zoom for the general public from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The event will highlight a study undertaken at the University of Western Ontario. The survey gathered experiences of discrimination from participants. The Event is scheduled to present the findings of the survey. Register at: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/unpacking-experiences-of-discrimination-community-forum-tickets-246780084877
Malcolm reminded us that Petrusia H from St. Thomas-Elgin Local Integration Partnership will discuss the results of the survey further with Rotarians at a meeting later in the year.
 
Happy Finns:
Gerry – taking possession of condo in Florida next week so they will be busy prepping to move in. They will return to Canada briefly.
Trish – new hearing aids
Ron – He has no apartments to renovate, so is reading again (Les Miserables 900 pgs- good luck), uses white out while doing difficult crossword puzzles
Malcolm – Eddy’s fine presentation, reading “Apollo Murders” by Chris Hadfield
Barbara – Emily is 32 (nothing we will tell about), son coming, visiting Brother in Kingston, next years convention of RI is in Melbourne Australia
“Saved by” the Bell
 
Web site of the Rotary Club of St Thomas  http://rotarystthomas.org
Upcoming Events
My Rotary Experience
Zoom
Feb 02, 2022 5:30 PM
 
undetermined
Feb 09, 2022 12:00 PM
 
Discover Tour Committe by zoom
Feb 15, 2022 7:00 PM
 
Canadian Mental Health Association
Zoom
Feb 16, 2022 12:00 PM
 
Zoom-Kenya Water & Girl Empowerment RC of London S
Mar 02, 2022 12:00 PM
 
St Thomas Fire Dept Cheif Chris Herridge
Mar 09, 2022 12:00 PM
 
Adriana Balderas - History in Rotary
Mar 16, 2022 12:00 PM
 
Petrusia Hontar - experiences of discrimination
Mar 23, 2022 12:00 PM
 
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