Newberg Noon Rotary Club Newsletter for June 26, 2019

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Newberg Noon Rotary Club Newsletter for June 26, 2019

GREETER today was always-smiling Angel Aguilar….doing very well for a novice in the position!

Where is our INSPIRATIONAL 2018-2019 Club President, Om? OH!…There she is…not really “backing” out…but rather showing off with pride her shirt with her special “Be The INSPIRATION” logo on the back. Dr. Stan Kern led us in the PLEDGE….

Guests: Destiny Johnston [host/Shannon B.]; Zora Stephens [host: Matt Stephens]; Brandy Penner [host: Shannon B.]; Susan Brown [host: Michael Pollock]; Gabi Quinteros & Chloe Wilkinson [both are Client Relationship Assistants for Om…and have happily helped with the Auction and other Rotary stuff for their boss]; Jameson [host Aaron Lewis].

Visiting Newberg Early Bird Rotarians: Ken Austin III, & Kari Fahrenkopf [last meeting of her Rotary Club President year!].

City of Newberg announcement: Last Survey/Action Plan…a NewBERG Community Vision..take it today at: http://bit.ly/anewberg3

Jeff Lane/Pancake Breakfast…SELL! – SELL! – SELL! The $$ we get from pre-event sales all goes into OUR club’s coffers!

We need your HELP! Please click on the link below to sign up to help at our Rotary Pancake Breakfast: Saturday, July 27th and Sunday, July 28th at Memorial Park. https://signupschedule.com/noonrotary

Please send your best wishes to fellow Rotarian Curt Walker who was recently ill. Curt is now in good spirits and doing fine. Every year, Curt volunteers to be the Pancake Ticket Sales Chair. We can help Curt during his recuperation by purchasing or selling Rotary Pancake Breakfast tickets!

Please email Curt at cdw_901@yahoo.com to request the number of Adult and Child tickets. Adult Tickets: $7.00 each; Child Ticket (Ages 5-10): $4.00 each

AND……Denise Bacon is now home from her brief stay at the “large gray hotel” in SW Portland—Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. Please send your good wishes for Denise’s speedy recovery to: Denise at denisebacon@aol.com.

Om was recognized/thanked for her 5 years in Newberg Noon Rotary…

Spike Sumner…said all major Pancake Breakfast sponsors are taken care of…but now we need to sell table sponsorships!

AND…then Spike proudly received his 35 year Rotary membership certificate from Pres. Om.

and all-smiles Deborah Cather-Seymour for her 25 years in Rotary!

…Om gives Geoff Gilmore his 10 year Rotary Certificate….

…..and Karl Hughes gets his 10 year Rotary certificate…

Today’s DUCK MANAGER Patrick Bancke collected $195 toward Polio Eradication…to be sent to The Rotary Foundation [TRF] a.s.a.p. to be credited in this fiscal Rotary Year.

Early Bird Rotarian Ken Austin III said a few words about A-dec’s involvement with the Rota-Dent program and presented to Spike Sumner a check for $60K to our Foundation! He said the contribution amount is tied to sales, and sales have picked up! That’s the way it works, folks! Thanks, Fellow Rotarian, Ken!

Outgoing Club President Om provided each table with a summary of “Highlight Accomplishments” during her year handling the Noon Rotary Club’s gavel. She covered the points in detail with a slide show:

Club Operations: 2018-2019 Budget continues with strong fund balances; $4364.95/Pancake Breakfast; $1,4523.22/July-May 3rd Week Polio/Duck contributions; $88,000/45th Annual Auction; $60,000/Rota-Dent.

Beneficiaries: $46,000/Newberg & St. Paul H.S. scholarships; 2 RYLA candidates; Mt. View M.S. Resource Room; NHS Interactors coordinated Health & School supplies to girls’ school in Uganda; Tree planting in Newberg; Mental Wellness Week; Nepal EMT Training; Scouts Troop 9265; Peace Builders; etc.

Club Strengths: 7 new Rotarians & 1 new Friend of Rotary; Memorandum of Understanding with Early Bird Rotary; District 5100’s strongest Interact Club [28 members] and world’s first Peace Building Interact Club; each Senior Interactor wore a special BLUE SASH at graduation; Looking at ROTARACT community or school-based for Newberg; FUN & BONDING within club w/ EXCELLENT TEAMWORK.

“Thank you for ‘Being the Inspiration’. It is an honor and a privilege to serve you all. Yours in Rotary, Om Sukheenai, President 2018-2019.”

Today’s program: David McNamee, Ph.D./Newberg “CHAOS – Servant Leadership in Afghanistan”

…Newberg Early Bird Fellow Rotarian Dr. McNamee’s opening statement about CHAOS led us right into his fascinating accounts…with supportive photos… of his Executive Leadership Training/Development efforts in Afghanistan.…Quoting Dr. Dave,

  • Cut-off in mid-sentence, confused and a little stunned, I watched as my carefully planned seminar appeared to unravel. Several of my participants were having a disagreement about something. Others nodded their heads in agreement; a few clearly had other thoughts. I wondered, “Had I said something offensive?”

    Turning to my translator, I asked her to give me the gist of the animated dialog going on between my participants. “It’s not you,” she said. “They love what you’re teaching them about servant leadership. But they are struggling with how to make it work in all their different situations. They don’t understand how to connect the theory with their reality.”

    This past month I took my first trip to Afghanistan. I had been invited to present seminars on servant leadership to several groups. One group—a last minute addition to the schedule—consisted of 40 women who headed various departments and organizations within the Afghan government. What had originally been set to be a short half-day seminar had morphed at the last minute into a 3-day event. While my other workshops were presented to English-speaking groups, this presentation had to be presented in Dari, the variety of Persian spoken in Afghanistan. Subtle concepts like servant leadership required careful translation.

    The rest of Dr. McNamee’s seminar can be followed at: DMcnamee@foundationsforleaders.com Passion – a Key to Success/Servant Leadership and Gender Equality This material is the crux of his presentation to us today. Dr. Dave provides professional…and personal…. insight into the challenges…and successes…of “leadership” on multiple levels….personal, professional, societal, etc. A visit to his website is “worth the trip”!

    Thanks to Dr. Dave McNamee for such an insightful look at this often-overlooked subject!

    REMINDER: No meeting next week….as we take pause to celebrate Our Nation’s BIRTHDAY!

    AND….meetings through July will be at Friendsview…NOT the CCC! As summer camp programs for kids will take over the facility!

    Our July 10 meeting will be the start of our new Rotary Year…with President Corey Z. at the helm! For scheduled programs go to the Club’s website and check out the calendar.

    NOW…with the solid guidance of Rotary’s Four Way Test of the things we think say or do….

    First – Is it the TRUTH?

    Second – Is it FAIR to all concerned?

    Third – Will it BUILD GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

    Fourth – Is it BENEFICIAL too all concerned?

    REMEMBER….

    “Being INSPIRATIONAL…ROTARY CONNECTS the WORLD!”

    Respectfully submitted,

    Rick Kaufman

    Newsletter Editor

    And a little humor to brighten your day….

    The Best Way To Pray

    A priest, a minister and a guru sat discussing the best positions for prayer, while a telephone repairman worked nearby…..
    “Kneeling is definitely the best way to pray,” the priest said;
    “No,” said the minister. “I get the best results standing with my hands outstretched to Heaven.”
    “You’re both wrong,” the guru said. “The most effective prayer position is lying down on the floor.”
    The repairman could contain himself no longer. “Hey, fellas,” he interrupted. “The best prayin’ I ever did was when I was hangin’ upside down from a telephone pole.”

     

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

Newberg Noon Rotary Club Newsletter for June 19, 2019

Newberg Noon Rotary Club Newsletter for June 19, 2019

Hang one to your hats, fellow Rotarians….as this is CELEBRATION TIME! More photos than usual…taking special notice of all the SMILING FACES and HAPPY PEOPLE! THANKS, AUGGIE!

What a PARTY! What a VENUE! What a GATHERING! What an OCCASION! Outgoing Club President, Om, resplendent in a very colorful Thai dress, let us know how much she enjoyed her year “at the helm” of our Rotary Club…but that it was a TEAM EFFORT…..and that it was now time to publicly thank those who contributed the extra efforts to make her year as Club President, successful.

Our annual “INSTALLATION DINNER”…or “Changing of the guard”…or “transitional party”….or whatever you want to call it….as it has different “names” depending on the local decisions of each Rotary Club globally.

Shannon did her usual “Buck-masterful” job of organizing this shindig! Table arrangements were handsomely ELEGANT! With Leslie Zook of Flourish Events & Design responsible for the beautiful table settings! The wine reception gave an opportunity to be sociable prior to dinner.

The facilities at FURIOSO WINERY/VINEYARDS were TERRIFIC! Amazing architecture….including peeks through the floors at the wine barrel storage beneath our feet…and the VIEWS of the Willamette Valley and beyond were/are INCREDIBLE!

A slight breeze off the Red Hills of Dundee kept the air freshened…..and…we were treated to an interesting history as to how this lovely place came about…by the winery’s Jack Matney…check out Furioso’s website for a fascinating in-depth history…from an hour east of Rome…to the Red Hills of Dundee, Oregon!

Before we partook of another great meal, FELLOWSHIP was the order of business….with everyone enjoying chatting on many subjects, not the least of which were the great setting and magnificent views from the winery!

Our favorite caterers, Bon Appetit, did their usual splendid job of providing us with delicious sustenance! Thanks to Wendy Meinhardt and Francie Gilmer for yet another fantastic meal…of lemon roasted chicken with Rosemary au jus and other savory yummies!

The gathered throng enjoying fellowship and the delicious dinner with select “house” wines!

And….FURIOSO’s house wines were DELICIOSO!

Part of the “MAGIC” that is Rotary, is the changing of leadership annually….which provides a regular “freshening” of the perspective of each club’s personality and goals….locally, regionally and internationally. The annual party to celebrate this leadership “re-birth” provides the opportunity to do a quick review of the club’s accomplishments…recent as well as historically…and to publicly affirm the Club’s commitment to “Service Above Self” as it moves forward into each new Rotary Year.

Certainly out-going President Om has been a shining example of “Be The Inspiration”….the 2018 – 2019 Rotary International President’s motto. And she acknowledged a TRUTH embodied within Rotary….that the accomplishments…both large and small…are a TEAM EFFORT! Naturally INSPIRATIONAL, Om did an EXEMPLARY job as Club President! As part of that TEAM EFFORT she acknowledged the special efforts of those who were so instrumental in “making things happen” during her year as Club President….the success of Newberg High School’s Interact Club under the INSPIRED guidance of Judy Robinson…not the least of which included that group of students being the FIRST IN THE WORLD being named as a PEACE FELLOW Club!

Then there was recognition for another successful AUCTION under the leadership of Leah Griffith….who will soon be leaving us to join the Seaside Rotary Club following her well-earned retirement from years of public service as Newberg’s LIBRARIAN! 100% attendance for the year…and Leah also received the Club’s “Service Above Self” award!

Auggie Gonzales led yet another successful DENTAL CARE TEAM to Guatemala….and Dr. Eric Bergquam took his DENTAL TEAM to Nepal

….backing up Patrick’s EMT efforts there as well. Mike Caruso spoke of the importance of Paul Harris Fellowships [PHF] and The Rotary Foundation…giving a brief history of same….and presented another PHF to Dr. Eric.

Rotarians of the Year…Julie and Walter Want!

Club Secretary extraordinaire!….Paula Radich.

What a pair to draw to…the party’s organizer, Shannon, and Om getting her 5 year certificate!

Proud Mama and excited daughter/Interactor……Paris…..with the beautiful vineyard as backdrop!

Kim Abraham, Rookie of the Year award recipient…and new Membership Director…taking over from Shannon Buckmaster.

Becky Ankeny, receiving her 100 % Attendance Recognition certificate….

Corey Z. also got one!

Auggie G. proudly showing off his 100% Attendance Recognition certicicate….

…Obviously enjoying retirement, thanking Om, Jim McMaster also receives his 100% Attendance Recognition.

…with a special gift for Om, Corey Zeilsdorf congratulates the now-Immediate-Past-President and takes over as Club President for Rotary Year 2019-2020….announcing that the new Rotary International President’s [Mark Maloney & wife Gay, from Decatur, Alabama] Motto is...“Rotary Connects the World”….

As new Club President, Corey Z. gave a delightful/thoughtful acceptance speech…with special thanks to his wife, Reno, and his parents, Dan and Anne Zielsdorf. They have a small farm just outside Newberg where they raise organic blueberries. They just celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary this last weekend. And Corey’s super-supportive wife, Reno, who is an elementary teacher in Sherwood. They have two teenage daughters, one is in middle school and one is in college. They also have a Yorkie named Gus, and live here in Newberg….Corey then swore in his new Club Officers & Directors:

…Besides President Corey , The 2019 – 2020 Club Officers & Directors:

Immediate Past President Om Sukheenai; President-Elect Shannon Buckmaster; Vice President Tony Lelack; Secretary Paula Radich; Treasurer Terry Weldon; Membership Director Kim Abraham; Community Service Paul Jellum; Public Relations Director Lisa Salmons; Vocational Service Director Jim McMaster; International Service Director Laura Tilrico; Youth Service Director Judy Robinson; The Rotary Foundation Director Mike Caruso; Club Service Co-Directors Om Sukheenai & Matt Stephens.

After thanking everyone for coming, President Corey closed the meeting reminding us to follow the Four Way Test of Rotary of the things we think say or do….

First – Is it the TRUTH?

Second – Is it FAIR to all concerned?

Third -Will it BUILD GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

Fourth – Is it BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

AND…for us to each do our own part in helping assure that…..

“ROTARY CONNECTS the WORLD!”

Respectfully submitted,

Rick Kaufman

Newsletter Editor

At CCC, June 26, program is “Servant Leadership in Afghanistan”

and…NO MEETING on July 3!

Newberg Noon Rotary Club Newsletter for June 12, 2019

Newberg Noon Rotary Club Newsletter for June 12, 2019

Today’s GREETER was Dale Welcome.

Happy 4th of July Newberg!

Our “short-timer” President OM opened the meeting today….celebration time....as this is her last month as Club President!

Denise Bacon led us in the Pledge.
Guests today were: Bayo Ware–City of Newberg/Visioning; Jillian Felizarta, Newberg School District; and Doug Root, Ewing Young Distillery.
Non-revenue announcements:
Bayo Ware made another appearance letting us know of the June 18 [Tuesday, 6 – 8 PM] Community Conference to see the “Plan for Newberg’s Future” at the CCC. Questions: call Bayo at 503.537.1240 ext. 8501/ Bayo, or www.newbergoregon.gov/aNewBERG.
Curt Walker had tickets available for adults & youth for the July 27 & 28 Pancake Breakfasts…Making the point that all pre-event sales proceeds go directly to our club.

Wednesday, June 19, Noon Rotary Meeting Cancellation. Wednesday, June 19, Rotary Club Installation Dinner, Furioso Vineyards 6:00 pm. Shannon put in a request for additional help in setting up the Installation Dinner at Furioso Vineyards.

Thursday, June 20, Leah Griffith Retirement Party 4-6 p.m., Newberg Public Library…

Rotary Pancake Breakfast – Saturday & Sunday, July 27 – 28….SIGN UP NOW!

Go to the website to get more information on the following: 2019-2020 Rotary Club Dues; 2019-2020 Rotary Club Meeting Schedule; 2019-2020 Rotary Club Organization Chart; 2019-2020 Rotary Club Directors and Leads; Rotary Club Directory–includes Friends of Rotary and Pictures of All Noon Rotarians; Invitation to participate in Guatemala Trips–Ohio Rotary Club

New Member induction done by Shannon and Om…..welcoming Kathie Byer as our newest Rotarian! We all look forward to Kathy’s Classification Talk to learn more about her!
Becky Ankeny collected $26 for the Duck today…..
Jeff Lane reminded us to sign up on-line for the Pancake Breakfast duty…the fundraiser started in 1966….and then just had to let us know that National German Chocolate Day was started by an American….huh…?…….thanks, Jeff!

Jillian Felizarta, Newberg School District – ELL/Migrant/Dual Language Program Teacher on Special Assignment

Building success for all students
The EL [English Learner] program helps Emergent Bilinguals who need support to be able to access academic content. The Newberg School District serves approximately 250 K-12 students in its EL program at nine schools. Bilingual students are exited from the program upon scoring proficient on the statewide ELPA21 assessment. Student are monitored for 4 years upon exiting.

Success for All Students
The district’s goal is for Emergent Bilinguals to perform academically in English and the home language at the same level as their English-only peers. The district is committed to providing Emergent Bilinguals full access to the complete range of school-based programs and support services. It seeks to develop a strong and effective partnership with parents of Emergent Bilinguals and to provide the necessary support for staff to implement the policies and practices necessary for student success.

  • EL – i. e., English Learner;
  • EL Class Period (middle and high school);
  • Sheltered Instruction (Content area teachers K-12);
  • Dual Language – Spanish: Edwards Elementary School and Mountain View Middle School;
  • 351 Students are expected in the 2019 Summer School Program.

Some “bragging” about Jillian’s successes by Dr. Joe…AND celebrating the end of the school year with NO SUIT…but rather a casual/colorful shirt:

Today’s program: An update on the St. Paul Rodeo…by Cindy Schonholtz, General Manager, St. Paul Rodeo,
This internationally famous event was founded in 1935….and…growing over the decades….had 53,151 in attendance in 2018! Rodeo participant athletes and their four-legged counterparts….are world-class…. coming from all over….and considering they compete in professional rodeo events at such venues as Madison Square Garden in New York City, that “ain’t half bad” for a tiny town in NW Oregon! Here are but a few of the planned sights & sounds of the St. Paul Rodeo: Wild West Art Show, BBQ Cook-Off, Auction, Vendors, Carnival, Family Day Kids Activities, Tack Room Saloon, day & night performances. For even more fascinating bits of information, and the 2019 Schedule of Events [July 2 – 6…including FIREWORKS NIGHTLY!] on the St. Paul Rodeo, and contact information, go to their website at www.stpaulrodeo.com
Kevin Smith, President, St. Paul Rodeo Association [no picture available], said but a few words, letting the rest of the “team” do most of the talking. And…..introducing the St. Paul Rodeo court, we have:
Dessa Coleman, Queen, St. Paul Rodeo
Hannah Austin, Princess, St. Paul Rodeo
Caitlin Holmlund, Princess, St. Paul Rodeo
These three lovely, well-spoken, very articulate, young ladies all have plenty of farm/ranch experience in the local area, and are accomplished “barrel-racers”….and having been riding horses virtually all their lives! Their stated career choices indicate solid-grounding in their educations, but also seriousness toward their individual future plans.
Al let us know he is a long-time volunteer at the “Nation’s Greatest 4th of July Rodeo!”
What a SPECTACULAR EVENT!! And so close to US! Thanks for the UPDATE!
As always-inspirational “short-timer” Club President Om closed out the meeting….we are reminded to live by Rotary’s Four Way Test of the things we think say or do…
First – Is it the TRUTH?
Second – Is it FAIR to all concerned?
Third – Will it BUILD GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
Fourth – Is it BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
With those guidelines in mind…go out and…
~ Be The INSPIRATION!” ~
Respectfully submitted,
Rick Kaufman
Newsletter Editor

 

Newberg Noon Rotary Club Newsletter for June 5, 2019

Newberg Noon Rotary Club Newsletter for June 5, 2019

Meeting at Chehalem Cultural Center opened by our ALWAYS INSPIRATIONAL…and very excited to be a “short-timer”…Club President Om.

“PARTY TIME!” was her primary theme today….as she mentioned not only the planned INSTALLATION DINNER…[see invitation below]…but other celebratory “fetes” planned this month in Newberg.

Kathy George led us in the Pledge.

Geoff Gilmore provided a Rotary Moment…as it happened! Quoting Geoff: “Here you go! A fellow Rotarian stated a half hour prior to today’s meeting that we should all be more actively engaging with our new members and guests – not just our friends that we normally associate with at our lunch meetings. I decided I could do better and saw an opportunity a half hour later (today’s meeting) to sit at this table of all women – all but one whom I did not know. I ended up being asked about and discussing our Rotary Murals Project – one of my favorite topics and was pleasantly surprised by this ‘Rotary Moment’. “

LOTS OF GUESTS TODAY! Mary Jane Hendricks, 1st American Title, Early Bird Rotarian…and the rest are part of our program…to be introduced later….below….*

Announcements: Spike reminded us of Pancake Breakfast Sponsorships available…check with Spike or go to the website…Jeff Lane has agreed to take on the position of our Club’s Treasurer for the event…and he let us know that this year we are NOT “obligated” to sell all the tickets given us, but that ALL the pre-event ticket sales proceeds go directly into OUR COFFERS! SO…SELL! SELL! SELL!

Becky A. gave fresh kudos to Judy R. [she was not here last week for this!] for her help/dedication to the Scholarship Committee. Thanks, Judy!

Gene Piros handled the DUCK …collecting a total of $54 from several Rotarians present.

NEWS FLASH! Next week’s meeting here at CCC will be an update on the St.Paul Rodeo.

SENIOR MEALS TUESDAY, JULY 2ND – We are in need of volunteers for both shifts Senior Meals Tuesday, July 2nd. Please click on the link below to sign up! https://signupschedule.com/noonrotary

Reminder: Our Club Meeting June 19th is cancelled. Join us for a special Celebration at the ROTARY INSTALLATION DINNER, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, FURIOSO VINEYARDS [8415 NE Worden Hill Rd., Dundee, Oregon.] We will honor Om Sukheenai for an amazing year as Club President and induct Corey Zielsdorf as incoming 2019 – 2020 Club President. Please see attached invitation. Dinner cost $20/person. https://signupschedule.com/noonrotary

*Today’s Program: MV Advancements: Executive Director Kathy Schlotfeldt, MVA Executive Director [and McMinnville Noon Rotarian] started out with a bit of her own “bio”, some of the organization’s history…and her own/personal impetus to “get involved”…

.Kathy grew up on a farm outside of St. Paul, picking berries, hoeing crops and feeding the livestock, along with her brother Wally who experienced disabilities. Wally was deprived of oxygen at birth. It wasn’t until Wally was many months old that her parents realized his development was delayed. He didn’t walk until he was 5 and his vocabulary is limited to about 50 words. One word he does use often is “work”. He lives in a group home in Mt. Angel and has many friends. People with disabilities want what you and I want: a job, a home, friends and to be active in the communities. Many of our friends are people we met at work. Imagine how your life would be different if you never had the opportunity to have a job.

MV Advancements [MVA] empowers and supports 300 adults who experience disabilities in Yamhill, Marion and Polk counties to live, work, and…most importantly…thrive.

We provide service and support for the whole person, not just one aspect of their life.

· In the area of LIVE, we support over 40 individuals in our housing programs, from 24 hour residential to in home services in individual’s homes.

· In the area of WORK, we support over 200 individuals in community employment. Employment includes individual placement jobs at local businesses as well as small group employment with several business partners, including A-dec in Newberg. These jobs pay minimum wage or higher.

· In our COMMUNITY INCLUSION program, we support over 80 individuals to thrive by providing daily access to our community, building skills, volunteering and developing meaningful relationships.

Kathy then introduced Connie Christianson, MVA Business Relations Manager [and Newberg Early Birds Rotarian]…

….who…in turn introduced the following folks with their heart-warming MVA stories:

Marie Gwilliam – Employment Manager, Yamhill County [and McMinnville Sunrise Rotarian]

…..Pel is supported by MVA in residential and employment. Prior to entering services, Pel lost his mother and his home. His friend Denise Murphy was concerned what would happen to Pel when his mom died. Denise thought of calling DHS, but was afraid. She didn’t know if he would end up in a better place. So she was relieved to find out someone had connected Pel to MV Advancements. This change was scary for him. In a little over a year’s time, he had lost his mother, his home, and 3 of his beagles. But he was so excited to go looking at apartments, and take his beagle, Princess, with him! MV Advancements completely changed his life. They helped him land his very first job, moved him into a safe and clean apartment, enrolled him in food stamps, arranged for surgery on his cleft palate, connected him to a dentist, and assisted with funding for hearing aids. Before MV Advancements, he seemed to know everyone in town, but was alone and devoid of close friends. Now he is part of the greater MV Advancements community and has done things he never dreamed of – like, attend sporting events in Portland, fly on a plane, go on a cruise, visit the beach, dance and regularly play basketball with friends. That is living!

Steven Scherer – Employment Manager, Polk & Marion Counties

….Cody worked for many years at our Wood Products division in Amity. He was a hard worker and did great for many years but the work was the same every day and he wasn’t being challenged or learning anything new. Then his attendance started to become sporadic and he often came to work late. It was time for Cody to find a new job. Steven worked with Cody and found out that he was really interested in cars. During job development he visited many possible employers. He visited the auto center at the Walmart in Dallas and at first was not interested in working there. But after observing the work, he agreed to give it a try. He found that he liked the job and his co-workers. One of his dreams was to buy a car. Steven encouraged him to set a goal and work towards it. 342 days after he started his job at Walmart, he bought a pick-up truck, all on his own and drove it to Steven’s office to show him. Since starting at Walmart, Cody has been promoted and is one of the fastest technicians in the department. Cody is now looking to the future and living his best life.

Ed Wanner – Manager of Enclave Operations

….Isaac joined MV Advancements after completing his High School transition program, he was 20 years old. His first day was rough. He was scared and in a panic. Three different times his parents tried to leave, but Isaac chased after them. The fourth time, with dad as the getaway driver, they made it out onto the highway- but Isaac chased after them. He gently but persistently walked over the top of his staff Katie. For 3 hours this went on. All staff were on code red alert. The next day was better. He was calmer that day, and the next was better yet. The staff had rallied, and continued to rally to make sure Isaac had every opportunity to thrive. After getting comfortable with his staff and fellow peers the quest began to support Isaac with participating in his community. Every week the Amity CIS crew worked really hard to get Isaac to touch the steps of the bus. After several months eventually he did. Next was to step onto the bus and eventually he did. Then came sitting on the bus (for a second or two) eventually he did. This was a long and dedicated process. Finally, the momentous day came; Isaac boarded the bus, sat down, scared but determined he rode that MV Advancements bus about a mile before coming back. The MV Advancements team was over the moon. The phones blew up that day letting everyone know of Isaac’s accomplishment. We all cheered, his Mom cried, it was a day to celebrate! One week later Isaac and his staff ventured into McMinnville, the destination was a walking path. The call came in “the ship has landed”. Isaac got off the bus and walked the track with a staff. Now he’s the man about town going out most days with staff on community outings. Shopping at the Dollar Tree is a favorite outing. Isaac is most definitely thriving. From that first touch of the bus steps to the day he rode out the driveway took a total of 5 years! His mother Anna is so grateful that MVA did not give up on Isaac. It was so huge! Anna can’t imagine Isaac’s life without the dedication of MVA and their staff. Isaac and his team proved to all of us that even the smallest of successes should be celebrated and honored. It does make a difference, and we all thrive because of it.

Chris Browne – Chris Browne Insurance, has been on the Board of Directors of MVA for over 20 years. She is so embarrassed that she hired a supported individual just 3 years ago…. but is now….

….effusively proud of a supported employee [and a guest today] Elaine Studebaker….

….Elaine has made such a difference in Chris’ office. When she first started, Elaine worked just a few hours a week on limited tasks. Chris called Elaine in her office one day to talk with her. Elaine thought she was going to get fired. Chris said, no, we want to promote you. Elaine had never been promoted, only fired. After that, Elaine talked with Chris and said she needed a raise. Chris agreed and gave Elaine a raise. She had already calculated the new pay rate on her time sheet. Once when Chris was on vacation, Elaine giggled and told Chris and she and her co-worker played hooky when she was gone. They went to get coffee and they stayed at the coffee shop to drink their coffee. Then they went to the copy shop to pick up some copies for the office. They chatted with people along the way. In the insurance business, this is not playing hooky, it’s doing business! Elaine has become an important part of Chris’ team and she encourages other employers to not wait as long as she did to hire someone. MVA provides the job coaching supports, helping teach the tasks and overseeing the success of the individual at your business. It’s a no-brainer and I wish I would have hired Elaine sooner! Elaine said a few words about her work with Chris….obviously proud/thankful to have the job!

For decades MV Advancements has been doing amazing/productive acts for an often under-served segment of our population! THANK YOU!

President Om closed the meeting…her attitude/actions always inspiring us, urging us to follow…

Rotary’s Four Way Test of the things we think, say or do:

First – Is it the TRUTH?

Second – Is it FAIR to all concerned?

Third – Will it BUILD GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

Fourth – Is it BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

NOW…go out and………

~ Be The Inspiration! ~

Respectfully submitted

Rick Kaufman

Newsletter Editor

Snippets of humor…”If I refuse to take a nap…..is that resisting a rest?” and….A sign in a tavern…..”Prices subject to change, according to customers’ attitudes…” 🙂