Pledge: President Gerri Lewis
Prayer: Ken Roche
Song: Rick Beck
Brents Card Game Winner: Rick Beck
Sergeants Report: Joe Arcari
Raffle Winners: Charlie Renshaw, Bill O'Shaughnessy, Gerri Lewis
Happy Bucks: Rick was happy to win the card game, bucks for the New Year, bucks for 2016 being over, Rev. Ed's daughter just turned 19, Bill O. was happy to win the raffle for the first time this year.
Announcements:
Meals on Wheels: Gerri and Rick
Treasurer Pat talked about the upcoming wine tasting and the importance of getting new sponsors to replenish sponsors that drop out. If you have a lead, send it to Pat and he will do the work of getting them onboard.
Rotary in the news - great job by Jan getting publicity in Harbor News and Shoreline Times! Also, we are on the inside cover of the Lions phone book.
Outreach meeting following the regular meeting.
Program: Claire Bellerjeau executive director of Shoreline Soup Kitchen and Pantry filled in for Patty Dowling who could not make it. The Soup Kitchen was founded in 1989 at the First Baptist Church in Essex. Volunteerism is the cornerstone of the organization that includes 8 meal sites and are open every day. 450 meals are distributed each week at each location. The pantries provide food for 3 meals a day to anyone who comes in - no questions asked. About 1 million meals a year are provided. Claire talked about ALICE, a term given to the working poor. They have jobs, usually more than one but still don't make enough to make ends meet. They are above the government designation of poverty level but they still struggle to survive. The statistics are sobering, 34% of Westbrook residents and 25% of Old Saybrook residents are below the ALICE threshold. The need is growing, 11% more meals were served in 2016 than 2015. There is no federal support and SSKP is staffed completely by volunteers. 30% of the food is donated, 45% comes from the food bank and 25% has to be purchased from wholesalers. If you are interested in being a volunteer, there are training classes every 2nd Tuesday of each month at the Grace Episcopal Church in Old Saybrook. Rev. Ed commented that he has been a volunteer for 45 years and the problem of poverty is getting worse not better - we need to address this as a society so that this organization won't be needed.
President Gerri presents a check for $1500 to Claire Bellerjeau following the meeting.
President Gerri presents a check for $2000 to Rev. Ed Cornell for Heat & Eat following the meeting.
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