President Sofie Ameloot welcomed everyone to the Centerville Rotary Club and led the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance. Rev. Harvey Smith provided the prayer. Lee Hieronymus led the club in singing “God Bless America”.
Today’s inspirational quote provided by Don Overly: “There is no better compass than compassion” (American poet, Amanda Gorman).
Guests: Deb Lyle and Dana Lynch (colleagues of Jackie D’Aurora); Tim Pittman, Kimberly Zwier & Aaron Couch from 5th/3rd Bank and Emmanuel Chikwa, from local community care company (all 4 guests of Jeff S.) and returning guest, Jake Hensel from our Park District.
Thank you to our greeters today: Chuck King and Pat Turnbull.
One of our newest members, Deanna Murphy, Executive Director of local charity Hannah’s Treasure Chest, received her Paul Harris Fellow certificate.
President Ameloot had several announcements:
- We now have our Centerville Rotary Foundation that is a 501 (c) 3. Thanks to Kelly and his committee’s hard work! There will be 2 groups, one for Education and one for Community Support. This makes it easier now to solicit funds from bigger companies. Please let Sofie know if you would like to help ask the local, larger companies for support.
- Our golf fundraising is now at $4350.00. Of course, we still need more sponsors, golfers and baskets!! Please ask where you do business!
- The club’s public image committee has decided to hire an Intern for Public Image and Media Support. If you know someone that would like to apply let us know. It will be about 4 hours a week at $15.00/hour.
- District Gala is coming up at the end of this month, Friday April 25, 2025, from 5:30 - 10:00PM.
- Our Peace pole will be installed at Grant Park, near our memorial garden, on May 29th.
- Rotary on the Road is April 17th. We will be visiting Hannah’s Treasure Chest. Please sign up for your choice of sandwich.
- No additional committee reports this week.
- Our next service week will be the week of April 19-26 and sign-up forms are on the table and will be for the next couple weeks.
- Highway clean-up will be on the 19th. Two options: 8:00 AM— 12:00 PM or 12:30 PM— 4:30 PM.
- On the 26th we will have a mulching and clean-up project at both Yankee and Oak Grove Parks from 9:00 AM until Noon.
- Club’s next social event will be in mid- May, details to follow.
Happy Bucks this quarter will go for Operation Warm. Sofie thanked the club for their strong support last quarter. We raised $6385 for District 5300 Disaster Relief In LA. Our Sergeant of Arms was Arnie Biondo.
Happy Dollars:
- Deanna Murphy- daughter graduating in 2 weeks and currently interviewing for a job. Also, very happy for club’s strong support of Operation Warm
- Jeff S. – for our guests
- Ron H. – Operation Warm & Guests
- Harvey- Coats and guests
- Elda- guests
- Kelly- for coats & guests. 5th/3rd Bank holds his mortgage and provides very good service
- Rand- guests and weather should be good next week and hopes to play some golf
- Brad H.- guests
- Adam M.- Operation Warm
- Chuck K.- Operation Warm and guests
- Dale B.- Operation Warm
- Lee H. – crop report- harvesting of crops will likely be delayed some this summer as we have had less rain compared to previous years.
- Jim H.- our guests and for AES restoring power to his house quickly last night
- Socks B.- just happy and Operation Warm
- Crissy- guests
- Jackie D.- Guests and Operation Warm
- Gina- all the guests and her daughter is at the Dayton Arts Institute tonight competing in the “Cocktails for Conservation” contest.
- Sofie- happy and for our guests
- Mike Wier- Operation Warm, even though it is almost summer
- Arnie- just happy
- Boyd- Operation Warm and our guests
Today’s speaker was Emily Weitz, Outreach Coordinator for “On Our Sleeves” at Dayton Children’s Hospital.
Emily is a licensed social worker with more than 9 years of experience working with children and families. She leads the program as a content expert, community outreach coordinator and overall champion for children’s mental wellness. Her goal is to give teachers, families and other caregivers the tools to feel empowered to help their children overcome basic life struggles.
- On Our Sleeves is a program of Dayton Children’s Hospital in partnership with the Kids Mental Health Foundation.
- The program is leading healthcare organizations across the country to break stigmas and provide trusted mental health educational resources throughout local communities.
- They also are focused on empowering adults to feel confident and comfortable with discussing mental wellness is part of the upbringing of every child.
- As shown above, there are significant needs in Ohio that early social emotional development (i.e. talking about our feelings & mental well-being) can help address. In the last statewide survey, 31% of youths report feeling sad or helpless almost every day in the past two weeks. This data is from 2019, but recent info indicates things have not changed much.
- Key challenges kids today have in making connections include social media bubbles, overuse of technologies and under emphasis on in person conversations and lingering impact of COVID social isolation.
- Targeting adults also recognizes many did not receive any social emotional learning while they were in school.
- Also, it is important for adults to feel empowered to have normal conversations with children about feelings.
- On Our Sleeves has a Classroom Champions program where they work with 230 schools in the area distributing classroom kits to provide curriculum, activities and books to empower teachers to make social-emotional learning more effective.
- Breaking the stigma in Dayton and the wider Miami Valley community can only happen with support from their partners and donors. With this support, they have been able to reach 12,800 people since 2021 with the message of caring for children’s mental health.
- More information on the materials offered, opportunity to support the program and monthly articles and tips are available at: onoursleeves@childrensdayton.org
Next week’s speaker will be Renee Brouse from Shelter Box USA.
Greeters will be Brian Hayes and Wyatt Thorp
President Ameloot led the group in reciting the 4 Way Test and wished everyone a good week.
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