President Frank Perez welcomed everyone to the Centerville Rotary Club Zoom meeting and led the Pledge of Allegiance. Brian Hayes led us in prayer.

 

Chuck King noted he sent an email to club members to vote for next year’s officers and received 39 YES votes which is a majority, so all officers were elected. Thanks for your leadership and willingness to take on these important roles in our club!

 

President Frank provided these announcements:

 

 

 

 

Arnie shared the new year will start with some good programs including two women who just came back from an exchange in Finland, someone who administered polio vaccines and an update from the Centerville-Washington Park District.

 

Our Happy Dollars for this quarter are going to the Kaplani School – please be generous with your Happy Dollars for this good cause. You can send your check to the club mailbox:  Centerville Rotary Club, PO Box 41431, Centerville, OH 45458

 

Boyd Preston was our Sergeant at Arms today, collecting for a worthy cause.

 

 

Chuck King introduced speaker Dr. Steven Gill, who has served as pastor and counselor. Served at YMCA for many years where he partnered with churches, addressed childhood obesity, and started the Journey of Freedom program. In 2008, Steve was presented the Change Agent award from YMCA. He retired in 2012, and returned as pastor where he could address heroine addiction. He and his wife, Elaine have 3 grown children and 6 grandchildren.

 

Steve noted St Paul UMC is located in historic Huffman District, which is an extreme poverty area. Resembles the Hillbilly Elegy community. He described the church as a strategic community outreach center.

Steve retired from YMCA to do something to address drug addiction.

100,000 used syringes were recycled in one year and he was seeing a dramatic increase in overdoses. He asked to come into St. Paul church since it is in the heart of the mess and he wanted to try to help.

 

Steve said the first time he walked into their breakfast serving, he saw someone in line selling heroine in the church. He was not sure what to do, but decided to let the guy see him watching him. He then walked out of the church. Steve talked to staff afterwards and decided they needed to stop that activity.

 

Most of the people they serve don’t have a home to go to. People come in filthy, so they set up place to wash hands on sidewalk.

 

The local grocery store blew up and the owner was not well insured so no ability to rebuild. Dollar General is the only available food source and the next closest grocery requires several bus trips. So the church runs a large pantry to assist people in this food desert.

 

They use food as a hook to start building relationships. He has a recovering addict working with him, who is certified to counsel. They help people get ID, sign up for medicaid, get counseling, and appropriate medication.

 

Steve noted they have a great team of volunteers who have created a safe place for EVERYBODY. In past 6 years, Steve has seen the community transform into a healthier community with many other services coming to their site to assist many needs. The church has become a one-stop site for people who don’t trust the government, Appalachian people who have faced plight, and while focused on family, they have no resources to make a movement into a better life. The church also serves children by tutoring as many don’t have access to Internet. Thirteen UD students come to their site to work one on one with kids.

 

Steve noted they are a teaching parish - people are people, together we can get things done that might not have been thought possible.

 

They write grants and are in the process of establishing non-profit for counseling side. COVID hit and they had to change how to serve meals - no access to outside groups that helped before COVID.

 

They are able to get free food from Gordon Foods. Life Enrichment Center shut down, but kitchen was rented out by Miami Valley Career Technology Center as a teaching kitchen. Food is prepared there by students (150 meals twice/week), and sent to St Paul, where it is warmed up/plated and distributed on the street. They have served 8,000 meals since February.

 

He found the people who come, are respectful, wear masks and are extremely grateful for the food. They continue trying to change the neighborhood, bringing people together to get things done.

 

Elaine King said it chokes her up to hear all they have been able to do. She volunteers for the Choice Pantry where people get to choose what they want. It is one of the few food pantries with frozen meat. She said it is a great privilege to be able to help.

 

Steve said they love the fact that they bring people together from different backgrounds. Quality food, helps form quality relational experiences.

 

President Frank thanked Steve for the great work they are doing and led the group in reciting the 4-Way Test.