President Sofie Ameloot welcomed everyone to the Centerville Rotary Club and led reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance. Brian Hayes provided the prayer. Brad Thorp led singing of Happy Birthday to member Bob Daley, who turned 92 today.
Today’s quote provided by Don Overly: "Happiness is a state of mind. It's just according to the way you look at things." Walt Disney
Today’s announcements:
- Welcome today’s guest, Arnie Biondo’s son, Peter.
- Thanks to today’s greeters, Jim Harris and Mike Weir.
- Thanks to Kelly McDonald for filling in for President Ameloot while she was gone. She had a good visit with family and is happy to be back.
- We received thank you notes for our donations to the Guatemala Literacy project
- We still have 5 open seats for the April 26 Out of the Pocket fundraiser. Let Sofie know if you can attend. We want to fill the table.
- Please join the ad hoc Public Image committee - let Kelly know if you can help
- Golf Outing is May 9, still need golfers, sponsors, baskets and volunteers. Print off a sponsor form HERE
- Apr 25 District Gala at WPAF Museum, Sign up on District website
- March 18, 5:30-7 pm combo social/Rotary Women Connect at Heavier than Air Brewing. Focaccia pizzas and beer tasing, wine and non-alcoholic beverages will be available. It is open to the public and an option to learn more about Rotary.
- Brian Hayes reminded all to check your email and pay your bill if you haven’t already
- Rotary Board meeting is Monday, 5:30 pm at the Joyce Young Center.
Ron Hollenbeck shared a thank you from Operation Warm, which we also hope to show during the Golf Outing. View the video
HERE. He was also featured on an Operation Warm Blog
HERE.
Ron noted Operation Warm was first started in 1999 and reached the 1 million coats distributed in 2013. They are now up to 6 million and last year was the first year they distributed 1 million in a calendar year. Our club started participating in 2013.
Happy Bucks this quarter will go for Rotary District 5300 Fire Relief (LA area).
Jim Stuart was our Sergeant at Arms with assistance by Brian Hayes.
Happy Bucks were generously given for:
- Bob D for the great birthday wishes and song.
- Sivaji S for Bob’s birthday
- Mike W was happy his table was 100% today
- Raj G was happy
- Brad T announced he and Chris are grandparents again, David Bradley was born to his son, Isaac and daughter-in-law
- Lee H gave an update on Blue Ball, a town in Warren County. The name comes from a tavern built in 1820, Red Lion (est 1817) is just up the road and was also named after a tavern.
- Ron H gave thanks for the ongoing support from our club for Operation Warm
- Chuck K for Bob’s birthday and noted there is also a Blue Ball, PA
- Boyd P for Bob’s birthday and he missed a couple of meetings
- Harvey S for Bob’s birthday, who is now the oldest club member
- Dale B for Bob’s birthday
- Mark F announced during this 10th anniversary year for his company, they have been voted Best of Home Care Provider
- Jim H gave thanks to Ron for leading the Operation Warm efforts
- Pat T announced one of his kids got engaged
- Elda GG for Bob’s birthday and Operation Warm
- Brad H for Pat’s shirt, and said he spoke to Incarnation 6-8th graders about Youth Exchange, and had lots of interest.
- Arnie B was happy the “real” President is back and he participated in a fundraiser for Bruner Literacy Center and wants them to speak at a future club meeting
- Wayne D for Bob’s birthday, the Optimists asked him to speak, and Go Flyers
- Gina S for taking her daughter’s puppy to dog park for first time and is doing her first presentation on Indie Publishing 101
- Lisa GM for Bob’s birthday
- Sofie A was happy to be back and gave thanks to everyone who kept the club going in her absence, and for Bob’s birthday
- Jeff S for a good visit to the Cayman islands, for Carol sending him a text while sitting on his bench at Bill Yeck Park, and to encourage others to buy a bench
- Carol K thanked Jeff for the great bench location and for Bob’s birthday
- Crissy A for for Bob’s birthday and today’s speaker
Our speaker today was Leslie Cayot with Helping Hands of Dayton.
Leslie Cayot is the founder of Helping Hands of Dayton, who assist families of children in critical care, during the first 12 hours of the child’s overnight stay in a hospital. She started the organization in 2008 and it is a non-profit.
Her son is the reason they started the organization. He is a Freshman at Sinclair now, but was was 8 years old in this
VIDEO.
So far they have helped 15,000 families by providing Care Kits. They deliver 250 kits every quarter to Dayton Children’s Hospital. They give families the basic necessities needed so they can stay at the hospital to care for their child. The kit includes a handmade get well card from a local school child. They have an 8-member Board to help pay it forward.
Leslie’s story: In January 2006, when her son was just 30 days old, he was rushed to Dayton Children’s. Their twin daughters were in day care at the time and brought home a cold. The baby had raspy cough which put him in respiratory distress. Leslie said they learned how life can turn on a dime. They didn’t want to leave him, even to go home to get a toothbrush.
A year later they discovered an organization out of state that helps families of children in critical care. Leslie wanted to be able to help others who find themselves in her situation. She talked to the nursing staff at Dayton Children’s who helped develop the kit contents. The first year they partnered with Dayton Mothers of Twins Club, but did so well, they went off on their own.
Many people came forward to help set up the organization, establish website, logo, etc. They continue to receive donations of finances and services.
Mission: To provide basic necessities in the form of a Care Kit to help families through the first 12 hours of an overnight hospital stay.
Care Kits contain:
Toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant
Pen & paper
Hand lotion
Shampoo, conditioner
Voucher for meal at the hospital
Packet of tissues
Get well card from school aged child
They ask local schools and art teachers to provide children's art for inclusion in the kits. Kits go to the family of any child in pediatric or neonatal ICU, and is not income dependent.
They currently provide kits for Kettering Medical Center, Miami Valley Hospital and Dayton Children’s Hospital and hope to expand to Cincinnati Children’s this year.
There are 2800 families each year with children in ICU, and their organization meets about half of the need right now. Their support comes from fundraising, grants, and people donating items and services
How can you help?
Donations
Assemble care kits (do 200-300 at a time); takes 10-15 people, 2-3 hours to complete
Product drive (travel size items)
Younger children artwork for care kits
They also welcome corporate sponsors. Their annual budget is $13,500 per year to operate. Website & Director’s insurance are most of expenses. One care kit costs ~$12. $10 of that is the food voucher.
They conduct a golf outing on Memorial Day, which raises around $2500 annually.
President Ameloot thanked Leslie for sharing about their good work, led reciting of the 4-Way Test and wished all a good week.
.png)
