Monday, FEBRUARY 19, 2024

It is time to celebrate the 109th anniversary of the Rotary Club of Youngstown. Meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Doubletree Hotel downtown. Cocktail attire is recommended. The club’s newest Paul Harris Fellow recipients will be recognized. The reservation deadline has passed; no tickets will be sold at the door.

There will NOT be a noon meeting at Wick Park.

The Rev. John-Michael Oliver of the National African American Male Wellness Agency gave an informative presentation on Valentine’s Day. Oliver is the executive director of the Northeast Ohio territory, including Akron, Canton and Cleveland and Youngstown (at National Center for Urban Solutions, 139 E. Boardman St.). 

The agency’s signature event is the annual African American Male Wellness 5K Walk & Run, during which free health screenings also are provided to identify treatable conditions and help Black men to live longer. Other initiatives support fatherhood, financial health, mental health, education, workforce development, and women’s health. Despite the agency’s name, “we help everyone,” the Rev. Oliver said.

Congratulations to Edna Edmonds of the Boys and Girls Club of Youngstown on completing service requirements of new members. She traded her temporary square badge for a prized round badge! Thank you, Edna, for joining RCY.

An important message from District 6650 Governor Rich Tirpak: 

During my club visits, I addressed the hope that our clubs would sponsor a project about and for children.  An opportunity to do just that has presented itself. District 6650 has partnered with the Boardman Rotary Club, the nonprofit Hearing Missions Foundation, and Rotarian Dr. Sheryl Figliano to give the gift of hearing. 

Dr. Figliano will lead a team of professionals and volunteers to Guatemala City, Guatemala from April 7 to 13 to test, fit, and supply hearing aids and batteries to 150 children with severe to profound hearing loss, at a cost of $300 per child.  My hope is that each Club in District 6650 will adopt one or more children and supply them with the gift of hearing! 

Please consider participating as a club and/or as a group of Rotarians. All donations will be used for the hearing benefit of the patients. No money will be used for travel, accommodations, or meals of the professionals or volunteers. 

Make checks payable to The Hearing Missions Foundation and mail them to 126 York Ave., Youngstown, OH 44512. Anyone interested in accompanying the team as a volunteer may contact Dr. Sheryl Figliano (drfigliano@centersforhearingcare.com) or me (RSTIRPAK@NEO.RR.COM) for details.

President-Elects across Ohio – including our own George Nelson — are raising funds for On Our Sleeves, The Movement for Children’s Mental Health. This nonprofit organization is breaking stigmas and helping families talk about mental health with their children. Funds will be used to purchase “kindness kits,” which provide resources for elementary school teachers to address mental health in their classrooms. 

Each $25 kit includes a “kindness curriculum” to help teachers build a more inclusive and welcoming classroom community, a classroom poster, 30 On Our Sleeves pencils, 30 kindness cards to help children write kind notes to each other, and a teacher gift.  Please consider making a donation.

With many new members in the club, it is time for another Fireside Chat. This orientation session will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. March 21 at Prima Cucina, 103 W. Federal St. New and seasoned members will gather to discuss club history, aspects of membership and getting involved. Please register here. Contact Justin Froelich for information at 330-942-0179 or email him at justin@temaroofingservices.com.