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Rotary Star - People of Action

By Marty Peak Helman

The Rotary gods organized a beautiful summer evening for President Bruce Harris’ first (official) time at the gavel, and he rose to the occasion. In fact, the club decided we would keep him – for a year, at any rate.

During that year, our officers (in addition to Bruce) are Tory Paxton, president elect; Nicole Evans, vice president. Rounding out the board are Irene Fowle and Tom Marston as secretaries; Bill Prince and Brian McGrath as treasurers, and directors Alden Wood, Deb Graves, Laurie Zimmerli, Mike Thompson and Past President Jeff Long. A committee sheet was passed around – if you are interested in a committee or think you are on one, please sign (again). Things got a bit loosy-goosy during the pandemic and it’s time once again to take our committees seriously

Assistant Governor Lorraine Faherty was with us for the evening, and so were Jim and Diane Campbell Saunders. Jim is a past Rotarian from Lewiston and Hilton Head; Diane is practically BBH Rotary royalty, and was greeted fondly by old-timers Mike Thompson and Doug Harley, as well as by younger members who are good friends with her grandchildren (!).

In member news, Billy Dodge is in rehab; his cat Polly has acquired a wonderful new home which includes visiting rights for Billy. Stay tuned – Jeff Long will be arranging an apartment cleanout for Billy. Meanwhile, Margi Spratt announced that a celebration of life for Henry Spratt will be held Saturday August 6 on Southport from 4:00 to 6:00 pm; it sounds like a moving feast. Ask Margi for specifics. Mike Thompson awarded Tony Curulla the first (we hope not annual) award for grounding the moose that ran into the barn door. Everyone survived – except maybe the moose – and hey! With everything that’s going on it’s amazing it hasn’t happened sooner. Much uproarious laughter.

Judi White shared that as a club, we collectively donated $15,550 to The Rotary Foundation’s annual giving fund. That’s all money that will help Rotary projects around the world, and some of which will come back to our community in the form of grants. Congratulations to us.

Paul Jarkiewicz stepped in as sergeant at arms, and he quickly proved himself another keeper. Among the sharings:

  • That Rotary is family. Bruce and Marty Helman spoke to this; they were echoed by Jonathan Tindal and Barbara Thornton, inter alia.

  • That nametags are good, and make one feel like a “real” Rotarian! Congratulations to Nancy Adams and Nicole Evans.

  • That the best part of the job of club president is opening the mail to thank-you notes for what we accomplish in the community.

  • That our float in the Windjammers Parade was a winner, regardless of what the judges decided.

The program this week concentrated on our club’s work to fight food insecurity in the Region. Vic Taylor reminded us that this concern was pinpointed in our Visioning/long range planning a few years ago, and that in 2019 the committee realized that it needed to hear from families and elders who are food insecure in the Region to learn what they needed/what was missing. So the first task, completed by Margi Spratt and Cathy Fisher, was to interview users to find out more about their challenges and how they cope when food runs out. One of the realities is that rural poverty includes issues that may be missing from urban poverty – for example, transportation (or lack thereof) can exacerbate food shortages.

Cathy said that the point was to listen to the voices behind the issues, and she anonymously shared some of the comments of our neighbors throughout the region as they make decisions on whether to heat their home or feed their children on any given day. Some of the things that came through loud and clear is the need to open the food pantry more hours (how can a working parent get to the pantry during the business day?); guidance on how to prepare some of the food made available (what is a cook supposed to do with kale?), and availability of more fresh food. Jim Herbold promised to post an executive summary of the findings on our club website.

Judi White told how Rotary realized that there are many, many groups working locally on the issue of food insecurity, and taking a lesson from the work we have done with the Elder Forum, the next step was to invite all the players to come together. She said that over 50 invitations went out, and 30 people came to the first food insecurity forum. Groups at the table included the Lincoln County Gleaners, who go through a field after the farmer has finished and collect additional food. One of the solutions has already presented itself with the Town Fridge, located between Boothbay Town Hall and the post office, where food is available, no locks, no questions. Another solution is the home-made soup that Amy makes and which our club provides to the Food Pantry. In fact, many Rotarians went home from the meeting with gazpacho, prepared as part of this ongoing club project.

Also at the forum was Ericka Berman, who, with her husband, has started a small farm with the intention of giving away the produce. She introduced us to Veggies to Table, which does just that, with the help of volunteers, students, and interns all farming together. Through “sharing tables” at the library and YMCA, among other venues, her farm has given away 31,000 pounds of produce in the past three years, and untold bouquets of flowers. Check it out at www,veggiestotable.org. It’s amazing.

How can Rotarians help? Join the committee along with these dedicated Rotarians, and help pickup, pack, and deliver food. Our club represents a labor pool that can partner with existing groups and make an incredible difference in our community.