Home Page | Rotary Club of Westerly

Welcome to the Rotary Club of Westerly
Celebrating Sixty-Eight Years June 28, 1958-2026

SERVICE ABOVE SELF

We meet In Person

Mondays at 5:30 p.m.

The Frank Olean Center

93 Airport Road
Westerly, RI 02891
United States of America

Phone:

(401) 315-5868

Email:

ra.russo@cox.net

Please call ahead if visiting. Dinners are ordered by Saturday and delivered just before meeting. Contact Jeff at 518.469.6988 or Derin 401.787.5575

District Site

Venue Map

Special night at the Garde Arts Center

Join People for Planet and Democracy at the Garde Arts Center on Tuesday, November 10, 2026 from 5:15–8:30 PM. Derin has invited us to join him at this free event which will highlight the reasons for joining a volunteer organization. It includes the film and an opportunity to promote our club. The Ocean Community Chamber is hosting the first Find Your People: A Community Join Fair. The evening will feature a screening of Join or Die, followed by a community fair designed to help people discover local groups they can join, volunteer with, participate in, and belong to. There community is invited to come in and meet volunteer fire companies, service clubs, civic groups, town boards and committees, hobby and recreation groups, neighborhood organizations, and others helping build stronger communities.

Please contact Derin ASAP if you'd like to join him and represent our club.

Open Meeting 11_2_26

At our regular meeting on November 2, we enjoyed dinner and a report from the Board of Directors. Assistant District Governor Nancy was with us. She brought greetings from District Governor Nicole. She also shared an invite to a special get together with our sister clubs in the area on Wednesday, November 18 at the Elks Club, 60 Belmont Avenue in Wakefield.

President Jeff announced that the membership of Earl Dumas was approved by the board for posting. We will be having a Fireside Chat for him in the near future and looking to induct him in an upcoming meeting if there are no objections.

We recognized the fact that John Hall is celebrating 40 years in Rotary. He was away on vacation so we will mark his anniversary when he returns. President Jeff reminded us that after tonight we will not have a regular meeting again until November 30th.

President Jeff reported that the Board approved donations to Rotary International's float in the Rose Bowl Parade, the Westminster Youth String Ensemble, the Theater Scrapbook, and the Wreaths Across America program. Alan reported on the BrickWalk program. We received a sample which was approved. We expect the first bricks to be shipped shortly. We are in the process of coordinating our contractor and the Westerly Public Works department now and hope to have them installed before first snow falls.

The Pasta Dinner benefiting the Johnnycake Emergency Fuel Assistance Fund is next Monday (9 Nov) night at the Calabrese Club from 5 to 7 pm. Tickets have been distributed and we hope everyone is selling them. Please get your ticket money to Rose ASAP. Tickets can also be purchased at the door.

Doug and Rona will be participating in the Veteran's Day parade on our behalf. Look for them if you are enjoying the parade. The Annual Meeting of the Club will be a special evening. We will be going to the Shelter Harbor Inn for dinner and the meeting. Only order of business that evening will be to elect officers for Rotary Year 2027/2028.

Steve Cofone reminded us that the Annual Football night was going to be hosted by the Rotary Club of the Stoningtons at The Hounds Venue on Route 1 in Stonington. The cost is $30 per person. Please make your reservations early with Steve or Rose. Feel free to invite a friend to witness Rotary in action. This event celebrates the Annual Thanksgiving Football game between Stonington and Westerly High Schools. We will honor both team's Captains and Coaches, hear stories from former players and former coaches.

Chikumbuso

Linda Wilkinson was our guest this past Monday evening. She shared an update on the work taking place at Chikumbuso. Linda was the founder of the project just over twenty years ago. In the years since that fateful day when she felt the call to do something, it has grown and touched the lives of thousands of children, widows, and whole families. Today it serves over 300 students in the K-7th grade school. 150 of those students receive scholarships. The Chikumbuso Project also supports 109 students in college. The project has also helped 300 single mothers get trained in making baskets, handbags and clothing. A number of them have formed micro-businesses and raised themselves out of poverty. One of the latest ministries to emerge is the grandmother outreach program which provides visits and support along with the basic necessities to members of the elder population.

Linda said that the contributions made to the project achieved the following results in 2026;

Educated and supported 400 primary and secondary students
Continued the fight against hunger, serving 40,000 healthy lunches annually
Supported 94 college and trade school students; 196 have graduated as of this year
Expanded our Buehler Farm's contribution to food security and healthy lunches
Provided safety and stability to 18 girls in our Safe Haven
Created opportunities for 50 artists to create and sell their handcrafted products
Cared for 18 grandmothers with food, medical assistance, and well check visits

Annual Pasta Dinner to benefit Jonnycake Ctr Fuel Assistance Fund

Former Rotarian Al Almeida

Alcino Almeida, Veteran of the US Air Force and Civil Air Patrol AND former Rotarian, was introduced this evening by Rona Mann at the Westerly Armory's Annual Appreciation Evening. Other honorees included William Bruce Tuckerman (US Navy), Raymond Capalbo (US Marines) and George Greer (RI National Guard). Al served our Club as President 1988 to 1989 and is also a Paul Harris Fellow.

Foundation Showcase 14Nov2026

Annual Football Night 2026

Stonington Rotary Club, Nov2025

This year our annual Football Night dinner for Stonington and Westerly Football Teams will be hosted by Stonington Rotary. The venue will be held on Monday 23 November, 6pm, at The Hounds on Route 1 and dinner will be catered by the Dog Watch Cafe. Cost will be $30 per person. Please advise Steve or Rose if attending by Nov 18.

Other Notes

Meetings will be in person

9 Nov: Pasta Dinner to benefit Jonnycake Ctr's Fuel Assistance Fund

11 Nov: Veterans Day Holiday - Remembrance and Honor

14 Nov: Foundation Showcase 12:00pm, Museum of Work & Culture, Woonsocket

Westerly/Pawcatuck Veterans Day Parade -starts at Pawcatuck Shopping Ctr

16 Nov: NO meeting

18 Nov: Pot Luck Area11 Dinner with DG Nicole at S Kingstown Elks Lodge

60 Belmont Ave, Wakefield, 5:30pm, Contact Jeff with your dish choice

23 Nov: Football Night at The Hounds, 6pm, $30 pp, advise Steve by 18 Nov

30 Nov: David Zapatka, Red Cross & Dir of Photography for US Lighthouse Society

7 Dec: Board meeting 4:30/ Annual Meeting at Shelter Harbor Inn

14 Dec: Nov & Dec Students of the Month

23 Feb: Jan & Feb Students of the Month

3 May: Mar & Apr Students of the Month

Steve, John and Bob leading us in The Rotary Welcome Song written by Rotarian Ed Smalley

Rotarian Bob Boughner is at home in Kalamazoo with Hospice Care. Please keep Bob and Marty in your prayers.

Food Collection Program

Remember those in need and bring canned goods either to meeting or to Avie's Ski/Sport by month's end. These items will be distributed to The Jonnycake Center of Westerly and the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center. Since 18 March 2020, we have assisted local residents with transportation issues by making home deliveries of food and medicine through the Jonnycake Center. To date we have made 366 deliveries.

Club Home - We are meeting at The Frank Olean Center next to Rotary Park, Monday, 5:30pm. Rose will send the sandwich/salad menu on or about Wednesday for the next Monday meeting; respond to ra.russo@cox.net by Sunday Noon. If you don't receive a reply within 24 hours, please contact her again. Please respond whether ordering or not as it will help us to know how many will be attending meeting.

Wishing Well at McQuade's Marketplace

Latest trip to empty the wishing well on 4/7/26 garnered a total of $995.64, bringing total registered since 2009 $16,100.59.

Brick Walk

Also in process is the Brick Walk at Rotary Park. We have partnered with an organization called Bricks R Us. The committee met 15 January 2025 to outline a plan - a brick walk pathway from parking lot to entrance of Children's Garden - about 900 bricks. First phase of installation will begin early November.

Artist Cooperative Gallery

For the Christmas holiday in our near future, the Gallery is looking for donations of art supplies for children - sketchpads, markers, colored pencils, etc. Derin is leading the charge here. Bring your donations to Club meeting or leave at Ted's store.

World Polio Day

Since launching the PolioPlus program in 1985, Rotary and our partners have made incredible progress toward eradicating polio. We’ve celebrated vaccination milestones, cheered as regions of the world were certified polio-free, and contained wild poliovirus to just two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

But polio anywhere will always be a threat to children everywhere. We made a promise to the children of the world: One day, they won’t have to fear being paralyzed by polio.

This is why it’s so important for Rotary and Rotaract clubs to use World Polio Day on 24 October as an opportunity to raise awareness and funds. Explore the resources below and use them to inform your community about the incredible progress we’ve made toward eradicating this disease.

World Polio Day is only a few weeks away, and we want to know what your club is doing. Whether you’re hosting your own activity or participating in a district or zone event, tell us about it! To eradicate polio, we need everyone’s support.

Together, we end polio.

Peace & Justice

Peace & Justice Committee of Rotary Club of Westerly

Our Vision: We seek to create, locally and globally, a culture of peace in which the inherent worth and dignity of every living being is honored and respected and conflicts are resolved nonviolently.

Our Mission: To create activities, programs and projects focused on creating a culture of peace as well as working with other community groups and organizations engaged in similar endeavors.

Link to Frank Thacker's Daily Peacemaker: www.DailyPeacemaker.com - https://youtu.be/zEoUjaT7Ng8

International Day of Peace Program at the Westerly Library - 21 September 2026

Peace Pole dedication 22Oct2018

at Rotary Park

"Peace is not something you wish for; It's something you make, Something you do, Something you are and Something you give away."

Westerly's Lockbox Program

Posted on Oct 26, 2026

The lockbox above was installed on John Street - it's location must be easy to find and close to the front door for quick access by First Responders. Happily I was working in my garden last week when two officers stopped by to check on my lockbox. All was well there. They told me that they have "rescued" a few lockboxes that were no longer needed so they could be reused at another residence. How very efficient!!! As of 4 November 2026 we have donated 93 Lockboxes to the Police Department who make them available to Westerly residents FREE OF CHARGE.

If you know of someone who is "at risk" and can benefit from having a lockbox installed at their home, please contact the Westerly Police Department at the non-emergency Phone Number 401.596.2022. Our lockboxes are provided to residents, as needed, free of charge. Also, if other groups wish to donate lockboxes to the Westerly Police Department, please purchase them from McQuade's Ace Hardware. We are being awarded special pricing.

Food Collection Program

We began our Food Collection Program during the covid crisis in 2020. Our purpose was to help to keep the Jonnycake Center of Westerly and the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center stocked with canned goods and other non-perishable food products during that difficult time. We even made deliveries to homes when necessary. But, we didn't stop when the crisis was over because there are still folks who need our help. When you are shopping, please keep our neighbors in mind. Watch for sale items and set some aside for the food collection. Bring them down to Avie's Ski/Sport Shop and Ted will get the goods collected to the centers monthly.

18 Mar 2025 marked five years that our Club "had been making food and health item deliveries to area residents who are elderly, infirm, or without transportation. Although the pace has slowed a bit, the need is still great." Rona reports that 363 deliveries have been made since the program began in 2020.

Rotary Foundation

Posted on May 04, 2026

Your generous contributions to The Rotary Foundation are essential to securing and growing Rotary programs throughout the world. Consider making your Every Rotarian, Every Year contribution of $25, $100 or more as early as possible. If you send your contribution directly to Rotary Foundation, please let Rose know. The Rotary Foundation has received the highest rating - FOUR STARS - from Charity Navigator, an independent evaluator of charities in the U.S. - ranked #4 in the top ten best charities list.

The Polio Plus Society of District 7950

Pledge to help Rotary make history by continuing to contribute $100 or more each year until the World Health Organization certifies that polio has been fully eradicated because Until the world is polio-free, every child is at risk. Society members will received a PolioPlus Society membership pin and certificate. Your contribution qualifies for Paul Harris Recognition and Major Donor Credit. To make your tax-deductible donation go to my.rotary.org/donate and click on "Polio Fund". Payment should be made payable to Rotary Foundation and give to Rose for proper handling.

15 Rotarians have already contributed to EREY and 18 to Polio Plus this current year.