Weekly Meeting News - 14 January 2013

 The news report will cover both the 7 January and 14 January meetings due to work/time conflicts.

The Board met on 7 January and voted to hold all charitable giving until after the Chowder CookOff event.

Ron Roberts reported that the CookOff will be held on March 23 from Noon to 3:00pm in the Venice Ballroom.  Date was confirmed prior to 14January meeting.  The Board requests that all members participate fully with attendance day of event and/or inviting friends and family to attend.   It was also decided that there should be three categories of CookOff participants - retail (restaurant), educational institution, and nonprofit - with award winners in each group.  Apparently, not everyone appreciated the fact that the Westerly High School students won first place last year.  So, we must make every effort to help participants with advertising and encouraging customers to come out and vote for their favorite restaurant, school and nonprofit group.  It is hoped that we can get Chariho and Stonington High Schools to compete with Westerly High School.  If you have a connection with the chefs at Clipper Home, Westerly Adult Day Center, Westerly Health Center, WARM, Olean Center, Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center or other similar organization, it would be appreciated if you would contact them and offer an invitation to participate - or give the name to Ron Roberts or Steve Salerno.

A copy of the poster will be found on the center section of the website.

Thank you notes have been received from the YMCA, Jonnycake Center and WARM for the December contributions.

PROPOSED MEMBER:  The Board voted to accept Jeff Frenette into membership.  A Fireside Chat was held on Tuesday afternoon at The Elms' lounge attended by Cal Lord, Bob Elmer, Steve Cofone, Rose Russo and, of course, Jeff.  He will be fomally inducted on 28 January.   

Guests at the 7 January meeting included Jeff Frenette and the Visgilio's, who were visiting from Pennsylvania.

January student of the month visitation has been postponed until February's student visitation.

On 14 January President Cal presented Past President Bob Elmer with his Paul Harris Sapphire Pin in recognition of his second $1,000 level of giving to Rotary Foundation.  Well done, Bob!!!  

Guests at the 14 January meeting included Jeff Frenette and Guest speaker Russ Partridge from the WARM Center.

Russ  begani his talk with a brief history of WARM which had its beginnings with a collaboration of local churches.  They recognized that there was a need in the area for short-term emergency shelter for the suddenly homeless.  They soon realized that the problem wasn't going to go away.  Temporary shelter in churches evolved into a 501(c)(3) organization called WARM which evolved into a 19 bed transitional housing, a two-year program; 17 rental units spread throughout Westerly as part of the Harvest Home Program for homeless families; lunch and dinner program 7 days weekly that served 35,000 meals in 2012; an "Attire for Hire" program that helps folks by providing good used clothing during job search; permanent safe housing for people with disabilities.  Russ said that WARM's mission is to help people to get back on their feet.  He spoke very highly of the cooperative efforts of 40 other agencies who all meet monthly to share issues and solutions.

A startling fact that Russ shared had to do with what people lose when they become homeless - three most important documents: birth certificate, social security card and picture id.  He said that if often takes months to get replacements for these important items.  How do they get lost?  Imagine coming home for work one day and finding that you have been locked out of your home or apartment.  Then when you find a way in, you find that all your possession are gone.  And, it's not your fault - your landlord failed to pay the mortgage, didn't bother to warn you that the bank was about to foreclose - the nighmare begins.  To these folks - WARM is a haven - a port in the storm.