New features to Zoom meetings are being discovered as we learn to adapt to our new virtual world. I was very excited to discover a toggle to allow closed captioning of meetings is available. Closed captioning will be featured in our Zoom meetings going forward. We hope this will allow accessibility and better participation for those who are hard of hearing!
A few letters have come in from recipients of our Valentine's Day Gift Cards program. Needless to say, being a part of this should give everyone some warm fuzzies (that's what my mom called that happy feeling you get on the inside, but I'm not sure if that's a real thing or just something my mom said). Anyways, enjoy.
The following was sent to Mel at Mel's Charities:
Dear Tom,
This is just a quick note to tell you how grateful I am to receive the recent donation from the Thiensville- Mequon Rotary Club on behalf of Mel's Charities.
I am not sure you would have any idea what a lifesaver receiving this was for my daughter and I, and so I wanted to share a personal story with you.
These last few months have been financially challenging, this has been for a variety of reasons. However, I am certain my situation is much better than many others right now, so I do not mean to complain in any way. I just have had a bit of a rough "go of it" in recent months.
To help alleviate some of the extra debt I took on in this last year, a few weeks ago I took on a part time independent contractor job doing grocery delivery on the weekends. My daughter can accompany me, and we have fun with it. She is building some great skills with it too, so it is a big win for us to have an opportunity to make a little extra money right now while working together. It takes a while to get the hang of it though and so the earnings have been slow going, but I know they will get there soon.
With that being said, we came home Sunday after a long weekend of doing grocery delivery. I was exhausted and was nervously thinking to myself exactly how I was going to make it until the end of the week (payday). I had used all my gas doing the grocery delivery and had a couple medical appointments for my daughter coming up during the week. My bills were paid but I did not have much money left for groceries. I was worried that I might have to ask someone for help and was not sure who to ask.
I then went to sort through my mail expecting there to be a heap of medical bills, etc. to sort through. You can imagine my shock when I came across the Valentine's card from you. I could not believe it! It truly felt like a prayer that I had not said out loud was answered. It was an absolute lifesaver at exactly the time I most needed it.
I was so moved by the message in the card. I really try to set a good example for my daughter regarding work ethic and instill in her a passion to work hard no matter the task.
I just wanted you to know how very much this gift helped us bridge the gap and keep going. Thank you so very much! My promise to you is that I will give every bit I can back to Mel's, and let people know what a positive impact Mel's Charities and Thiensville-Mequon Rotary makes in our community. Thank you.
Tuesday's virtual meeting featured Kristin Gies as our guest presenter. Kristin is the Executive Director for the Mequon Nature Preserve, a great resource in Southwestern Mequon.
Kristin received an AS in Landscape Horticulture from MATC; a BS in Botany from Concordia University; and a MS in Environmental Science from Concordia University, and since 2007, as the director of the Mequon Nature Preserve, Kristin is living her dream – giving back to the community she grew up in and a career that she is passionate about. With Kristin’s leadership, MNP offers a series of educational programs to students K5-college and have helped over 10,000 low income children annually experience the outdoors and learn about nature ‘up close and personal’ – free of charge. It is rewarding to be able to go into work every day knowing that you are helping children who have never experienced the world without concrete learn about nature and all its wonders.
Kristin is married to Michael Gies and has two children, Gavin and Adia.
There are a lot of exciting changes coming to the Mequon Nature Preserve, and everyone is encouraged to appreciate this gem in our city.
Thank you to Kristin for joining us on Tuesday. It truly was a pleasure to have her great energy at our meeting. Feel free to check out their website.
Rotary International (RI) District 6270 is pleased to announce the selection of Alaina Eckert, Sussex, WI, as its Global Grant Scholarship applicant for 2021-2022.
Ms. Eckert is a graduate of Sussex Hamilton H.S. and of The University of Wisconsin—Madison. She has already begun a dual degree, Master of Science/Master of International Nature Conservation, in a cooperative program of the Georg-August Universität in Göttingen, Germany, and Lincoln University in Lincoln, New Zealand.
The practical approach of the program is to preserve the integrity of nature, in combination with the assessment of risk management and conservation strategy, and offers an invaluable experience in the education of international conservation. The four-semester program offers new perspectives to maintaining biodiversity and ecosystems that allow local communities to be resilient to future ecological changes, maintain economic stability and growth, use adaptive conservation management strategies for both the betterment of the community and the ecosystem, and preserve critical ecological systems. Thus, Ms. Eckert’s program of studies aligns with RI’s “Community Economic Development” Area of Focus, and it anticipates close alignment with RI’s newest Area of Focus, “Protecting the Environment,” which becomes effective on July 1, 2021.
The amount of the Global Grant Scholarship is U.S. $30,000. RI District 6270 is providing $15,000 of that amount, and The Rotary Foundation is matching it with another $15,000. The Rotary Foundation, RI districts, and Rotary clubs invest in our future leaders and philanthropists by funding scholarships for graduate study through the Global Grant Scholarship program. Information about Rotary’s other scholarship programs can be accessed at: https://www.rotary.org/en/our-programs/scholarships.
