It is hard to believe that it has been a year since I sat with my fellow Ohio District Governors and made the very difficult decision to cancel All Ohio PETs. I can tell you that it was one of the most disappointing days of my life. Through this year there have been many disappointments. I am not just talking about the personal disappointments. I know clubs are struggling. Some clubs have had to suspend meetings. Many Clubs have been meeting on Zoom. All clubs have lost fundraising projects. Quite a few clubs have lost members. The District has lost over 60 members this year.
Through it all, I am constantly proud of all the things we have accomplished. Clubs have kept up their programs even though fund raising events have been lost or changed. Dr. Apicella and the Foundation Committee raised over $62,000 for the foundation this year. Quite an accomplishment! Thanks to the efforts of Sieglinde Warren and Rich Tirpak, the Bolivar-Zoar Club has renovated itself and is gaining new and younger members. The Lake Club is growing in numbers and strength. Clubs all over our district have been helping those affected by the pandemic by contributing to food pantries, working in food pantries, and seeing that families have warm coats. Several Clubs are celebrating 100 Years of Service this year.
This year Rotary has been the tree that bends in the winds and survives the storm. On June 26, 2021, we will all get together for an in-person District Conference in Boardman, Ohio. We will remember our losses, celebrate our successes, and do a little business. Most of all we will engage in the fellowship that is Rotary. It will be a time for me to thank all of you for your hard work, and to pass the torch to Steve Wilder.
Don’t miss this celebration of Rotary. Keep an eye on the District Web site for more details.
I will soon be sending an email to Club Presidents, Presidents-elect, and Foundation Chairs with information about upcoming2021-22Local Foundation Grants. This current year, 30 Rotary Clubs in our District shared $ 51,750.00 providing funds for their communities (see below).
New Local Foundation Grant requests must be made by May 15th. Available funds are based on donations to Rotary Share three years ago and are split between the World Fund and our District providing Global and Local Grants. Please contact me for more information.
A few years ago, our District supported a Rotary Global Grant to provide a classroom-based library for elementary schools in Cam Lo, Quang Tri, Vietnam, under the oversight of PDG Sieglinde Warren and PDG Nguyen Do of D6600.
With that success, this past year Sieglinde and Do expanded the program to Trieu Phong District, QuangTri Province, Vietnam, with a target of 4131 children at 1st to 3rd grade levels, 2722 children at 4th to 5th grade levels, and 380 education managers, teachers, and librarians.
Now, the District Rotary Foundation Board has agreed to support a new Rotary Global Grant project in Gio Linh district, Quang Tri Province, which will target of 2399 children at 4th and 5th grade levels this year and 3971 children at 1st to 3rd grade levels next year along with approximately 362 education managers, teachers, and librarians.
In rural areas of Vietnam, parents don’t have enough money to feed their children and pay for education, so it is rare to spend money on books. The funding provided to schools does not allow purchase of books for the students. The book is absolutely precious things for children.
These class-room libraries:
create a reading environment: children will be encouraged to read more if they have daily access to meaningful and interesting books.
enrich the curriculum: having a wide range of non-textbooks in the classroom encourages teachers to incorporate diverse fiction and nonfiction books into their teaching.
reinforce language acquisition: classroom library provide a vast resource for diverse activities that reinforce language acquisition.
encourage independent reading: having books readily available in the classroom supports independent reading, personal exploration.
increase vocabulary: by reading a variety of texts, students’ vocabulary increases, which improve reading comprehension.
allow students to interact with books: a classroom library functions as a gathering place for students to meet and talk about their reactions to books with each other and teachers. These exchanges encourage comprehension and critical thinking.
Thank you Sieglinde for helping our District to make difference in the world.
Have an idea for a Rotary Global Grant? Please contact Dr. Peter Apicella, DRFC (Peter@salemrad.com), or Dr. Meena Patel (durdarshan@sssnet.com). The District has funds available, and we would love to provide guidance.
CLUB
PROJECT 2020-21
Alliance
Habitat for Humanity Support
Austintown
Homeless Veterans Program - bus passes & food
Boardman
Challenge Baseball for Disabled
Canfield
Canfield Middle School Special Needs Pantry
Canton
Pack the Bus Food & Clothing for Kids
Canton South
Cross-eyed Mission Cuba
Cortland
Lakeview Food Pantry
Dennison
Dennison Gazebo Restoration
East Canton
US Consitution Education for 4th Graders
East Liverpool
Trees - Downtown E Liverpool Improvement
Girard-Liberty
School Food Pantry Support
Howland Twp
Community Food Pantry Support
Hubbard
Hubbard High School Scholarship
Jackson Township
High School Scholarships
Kinsman
Support for Local Food Pantry
Louisville
Louisville Schools - Feeding Students
Massillon
United Way - Community Rent Assistance - COVID-19
Minerva
Inventory Software Minerva Historical Society
Niles
Dictionary Project
North Canton
Vocational Training Café for Impaired
Orrville
Startzman Clinic Patient Health Monitors
Perry Twp
Assist Food Pantry
Plain Township
Picnic Shelter for Glenwood Park
Poland
Flags for Our Community
Salem
Third Grade Dictionary Project
Steubenville
Health & Wellness Educational Seminar for Community
Struthers
Public Park Golf Course Update
Warren
Dictionary Project
Wooster
Wooster High School Scholarship Program
Youngstown
Food & Hospitality for Underserved in Youngstown
Sincerely,
Peter L. Apicella, M.D., District Rotary Foundation Chair Peter@salemrad.com, 330-207-0500 (cell)
"OPERATION WARM" REMAINS A DISTRICT 6650 FAVORITE!
Rotarians in District 6650 continue to partner with Operation Warm for a 9th year providing coats to children, and adults throughout our District! In spite of the pandemic, our District partners raised $44,205 to purchase 2,503 coats! District partners include the Rotary Clubs of Youngstown, Cortland, Columbiana, Canfield, Brookfield, Orrville, Dover, Austintown, Poland, Girard/Liberty, Plain Twp, and for the 3rd year, Victory Christian Center’s Boardman, Columbiana, Liberty, New Castle and Warren campuses.
Youngstown Rotarian PDG Debbie Esbenshade (2013-14) introduced this project to Division 1(a) clubs in 2012 and since it’s inception, our D6650 campaigns have raised roughly $445,000 and provided 22,500 coats and has been supported by all District Governor’s since Debbie’s year.
Besides the direct benefit to our recipients, Rotary Clubs especially like the fact that all coats stay in our district and directly affect our constituents!
OPERATION WARM PROVIDED IT’S 4 MILLIONTH COAT THIS YEAR!
Brief History Of Operation Warm
Operation Warm began in 1998 when retired business man Dick Sanford, a member of the Rotary Club of Longwood, District 7450, Kennett Square PA, read a newspaper story about children waiting for a school bus on a cold February morning without adequate winter clothing. Moved by the story, Dick went to a local store and purchased every children’s coat they had, and arranged through his Rotary Club to personally give the coats to children in need at the local school. This directly led to a club project the next year, and a District wide project in 2000.
Dick was incredibly moved by the impact the coats had on children and their families, and decided he wanted to do more. So, like happens with many a Rotary Club project (e.g. ShelterBox), he formed a non-profit company (a 501(c)(3) public charity) called Operation Warm and began building the program. Naturally, District 7450 Rotarians were among the early supporters, but in order to grow, support was sought from many partners, including private and corporate foundations, governmental agencies, churches and many caring individuals.
Register Now! 2020-21 Rotary International Convention
Dear Fellow Rotarians:
The Rotary International Convention, scheduled for 12-16 June 2021, in Taipei, Taiwan, will now be a virtual event in response to the ongoing threat of COVID-19. This decision, made by the Rotary Board of Directors, is necessary to protect the health of everyone involved.
A virtual convention is a wonderful way to experience all that Rotary has to offer, from the comfort and convenience of your home.
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