Weekly Bulletin - July 30, 2015 Meeting

Posted by Richard Garcia 
on Aug 06, 2015
 
Sponsor Karin Gaffney Introduces New Member, Terry Hnatio
 
 
Guest
  • Janice d’Amico,  Speaker
 
Announcements
  • The 2nd annual Gov. Cellucci road race for ALS in Hudson was a good time and a success.
  • Next week is our turn to host Wings & Wheels. This week is the Maynard Club’s week. However, thunderstorms are predicted so look at the W&W website after 3:30 pm to be sure that the event is actually taking place.
  • Razia’s Ray of Hope: We were unable to participate in a global grant for them, because what the school really needs is money to construct a college, which isn’t covered by Rotary Foundation rules for grants. So our club voted to donate $500 toward construction of the college.
  • Hudson Food & Brewfest: This year, instead of signing up for a task, volunteers will choose a time slot, and Nanci will choose the assignment. The event will run from 3-7 pm on August 15th, in 3 shifts.
  • July birthdays: Cyndi (who has now left to live in Florida), and Ron yesterday. Jim gets his information from the data in Clubrunner, so everyone should check his or her profile to make sure it’s complete and up to date.
  • We’ve gotten a letter from a club in Bolivia interested in a “sister club” relationship with us. The club is larger than ours, and no member is older than 40. See Jim or Dan if you’re interested in being involved.
  • New Committee:  Jim wants to form a new Fundraising Committee to plan ahead for our existing fundraisers next year and for other fundraising opportunities.  Anyone interested in chairing this committee should see Jim.
  • Rotary Foundation minute:  For our large international service projects, we’ve leveraged Club donations to receive grants from The Rotary Foundation. Contributions from members to TRF are held for three years earning interest, and then become available to clubs. “Every Rotarian Every Year” is our goal, which is a donation of $25 or more by every member in the Club; Chris has forms for contributions, or contributions can be made online.
  • The next Repair Café in Bolton will be held in October. The idea is gaining in popularity; organizations in Stow and Lancaster are interested in starting repair cafes.
 
New member
 
Dan’s spouse, Terry Hnatio, was inducted into membership in our club. Terry was sponsored by Karin Gaffney. She is interested and active in community service, and will be a fine addition to our club.
 
Happy/sad fines
  • Jim: thought he would be glad that Windows 10 is out, but now his computer is unusable.
  • Natascha: happy to have met our Club’s recent NRHS scholarship winner.
  • Carl: happy to be back after traveling overseas.
  • Laura: at the closing of a vacation house in Wareham, the agents and closing attorney were Rotary members; it was a happy occasion.
  • Chris: the Waltham Rotary club may have a meeting at Minute Man Air Field.
  • Mary Ann: appreciated the cards and thoughts on the occasion of her mother’s passing.
  • Ron: had a huge lobster for his birthday.
  • Mary: happy for Chris’ participation in the Pan Mass Challenge; and her clothes rescued from the fire have finally been delivered from the dry cleaner.
  • Dan: happy about the success of Wings & Wheels this summer.
  • Karin: happy to welcome Terry into membership; and sad that her daughter moved to Denver with her boyfriend.
  • Bob: also extends a welcome to Terry; and notes that the Bolton Fair is coming up August 13-15.
  • Jackie: has birds nesting on her new porch and waiting for them to leave so that they can use the porch.
 
Speaker
 
Our speaker was Janice d’Amico, Program Director for Willis House in Hudson. Willis House takes in families that come to them, usually because of loss of jobs or domestic violence. There’s space for 14 families, with one room each; and the house has one kitchen, and eight bathrooms. Families often arrive with nothing; they are supplied with food, gift cards, clothing, even toothbrushes and toothpaste. They meet with a case manager, who works with them on employment issues—they must get a job, and save 30% of their salary for when they move out.
 
They also work with a housing case manager, to determine what’s affordable. Then, once they do move out, half the rent is paid for one year by the state.  They continue to work with clients for one year after they leave.
 
Willis House is now putting together a computer room in the upstairs attic, for job searches and housing searches. They have six computers. They want to teach computer skills there rather than have residents go to the nearest training facility, in Framingham.
 
They are asking for volunteers who can teach computer skills, and other skills like setting up a checking account. They’re looking for at least 4-5 volunteers, between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm.
 
One of their successes is a woman who got a job at the Rail Trail restaurant in Hudson. Each day she would walk her kids to day care, walk to the restaurant, after her shift walk back to pick up her kids, and then walk her kids back to Willis House. It shows her determination to rise above her circumstances.
 
Question: how do they identify which families to assist? Families must go through the Department of Transitional Assistance. There’s no guarantee of local placement; the criterion is, where’s there a bed? It might be on the Cape, or in Pittsfield.
 
Question: What made you get involved? Janice first worked with Wayside Youth and Family, with DCF. When an opportunity opened up at Willis House, which was in transition to new management, she applied there.