This week at Rotary we heard from Kyle McWilliam-Lopez , the Executive Director for the Northeastern Chapter of the American Red Cross of Massachusetts. Kyle has a background in disaster recovery, regional economic development, public-private partnerships, and business development. Kyle’s passion for public service led him to serve in both AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps where he gained invaluable experience in community development and cross-cultural communication.
The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. There are four chapters in Massachusetts split up geographically. The organization is best known for disaster relief and blood donations.
The American Red Cross selects annual goals, and this year in Salem it is home fire safety and free smoke alarm installations found in the Sound the Alarm program. Businesses and individuals can help by donating to the chapter and by getting the word out to the good people of Salem that smoke alarms can be installed for free through the program. Kyle passed flyers out for the event at Rotary. In Massachusetts, we focus more on building capacity in the Commonwealth so we are prepared for any type of disaster, small and large.
Besides fire safety preparedness programs, the American Red Cross runs youth preparedness programs and community preparedness programs. They respond to all types of disasters, from hurricanes and tornados to the atmospheric river in California. They have over 140 shelters in California along with more than 40 shelters in response to the recent tornados in the South. The most common "small' disaster is the home fire. They help with financial assistance and provide access to whatever resources that each family needs.
The American Red Cross goes beyond disaster assistance. They provide over 40% of the nation's blood supply. It's so important because someone needs a blood transfusion once every two seconds. They also provide services to the Armed Forces. Additionally, they provide resiliency training people dealing with all sorts of issues, such as PTSD. The Red Cross does try to reconnect displaced people with their loved ones.
Anyone can help by partnering with the Red Cross on the Sound the Alarm in Salem program. You can also volunteer and/or fundraise for disasters big and small, sponsor a blood drive, and help Kyle build the Chapter Board of Directors.
There were a couple of updates from committees. Rinus noted that Scholarship Luncheon has moved to June 20. The Auction Committee met after Rotary this week.
Jason won a Dunkin coupon This Week in Baseball. He did get a massive amount of guests to last week's event, though we are still unsure why so many people would follow his directions. Leslie Levesque scheduled an EarlyAct visit to Rotary in May. Jen Close shared the awesomeness of Rotary at Leslie's school. Liz Bradt attended a Citizens Climate Conference to spread the word of Rotary and learn how to best recruit new members.
Eric from Pathways and Leanne from the school department were guests, along with our weekly speaker.
CAlendar winner!
Harold Hollingsworth sold by Jason Consalvo
50:50 Raffle
$380
Mike McLaughlin and Matt Ingram played this week. Nobody won.
ROTARIAN NEWS
Liz Bradt is encouraging everyone to see Peabody Peaker April 6th from 6:30 and 8 at Cinema Salem. They are collecting $5 donations.
Jason Consalvo spoke joyously about a trip to Battleship Cove with the Cub Scouts. He was on a top rack, so he unfortunately avoided a bum in the face. Kids had a great time though.
Club Announcements and events
POLAR PLUNGE
April 15 at 9 am
Winter Island
Signups were passed around this week and will be again next week. There will be contests and judges, along with more than one surprise. There will be a get together at Diane's house afterwards with snacks and beverages.
DISTRICT 7910 CONFERENCE
April 22
Burlington Marriot
On Saturday, April 22, 2023, Rotary Districts 7890, 7910, and 7930 will come together at the Burlington Marriott for a 3 District Conference with Keynote Speaker Evan Burrell. Suggestions:
The Salem Rotary Spring Into Action Dinner and Auction will be held on Thursday, May 11, 2023, at the Historic Hawthorne Hotel at 6 PM. Enjoy cocktails, music, an auction, and dinner that supports our Scholarship Program and Club service, including meal service at Lifebridge, events with foster families on the North Shore, and activities with other local non profits. Please consider sponsoring our premier fundraising event and join us for a fun evening! Most sponsorships include event tickets, and we would be thrilled to spend this evening with you! Everything you need to know can be find right here!
At Rotary, we understand that cultivating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture is essential to realizing our vision of a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change.
We value diversity and celebrate the contributions of people of all backgrounds, across age, ethnicity, race, color, disability, learning style, religion, faith, socioeconomic status, culture, marital status, languages spoken, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity as well as differences in ideas, thoughts, values, and beliefs.
Recognizing that individuals from certain groups have historically experienced barriers to membership, participation, and leadership, we commit to advancing equity in all aspects of Rotary, including in our community partnerships, so that each person has the necessary access to resources, opportunities, networks, and support to thrive.
We believe that all people hold visible and invisible qualities that inherently make them unique, and we strive to create an inclusive culture where each person knows they are valued and belong.
In line with our value of integrity, we are committed to being honest and transparent about where we are in our DEI journey as an organization, and to continuing to learn and do better.
18 Washington Square
Salem, MA 01970 United States of America
NOTE: The fourth Tuesday of the month is an evening meeting, beginning at 5:15.
If you are interested in learning more about Salem Rotary, please email president@salemrotary.com.
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50:50 Raffle
DISTRICT 7910 CONFERENCE
