Steve Carr
Sun Lakes Rotary, despite currently meeting through Zoom, had an amazing August and equally memorable July.
On Aug. 4, Dr. Craig Gilbert, Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education with the Chandler Unified School District, updated the club on how his district is dealing with the challenges of getting students back to school. Primarily, districts have to work with information that changes daily, all while acknowledging the need to return students to the classroom safely for students, staff, and administration.
On Aug. 11, Will Humble, Director of the Arizona Department of Health Services and a longtime public-health advocate, updated members about the COVID-19 pandemic with tips for staying healthy. Other August speakers were One Small Step Executive Director Amanda Nosbisch, who updated members about the Clothes Cabin, which provides clothing, hygiene items, shoes, and support services for people in need in the Chandler area.
In July, Elizabeth Vaughn from Neighbors Who Care discussed what has changed for her nonprofit organization, through which community volunteers support the elderly with their desire to live fulfilling lives at home for as long as feasibly possible, during the pandemic. She spoke about the need for volunteers who can support client needs that include shopping, medical appointments, and minor repairs, among others. To help in those efforts, Sun Lakes Rotary presented Elizabeth with an $1,800 check from Sun Lakes Foundation 2000.
The club also heard from four students from Hamilton and Casteel High Schools who attended the first-ever virtual World Affairs Seminar Conference. Their topic was Hunger in a World of Plenty, and the students shared their experience of identifying problems and potential solutions. With maturity and intellect, Emilie Ma and Aditya Mehta from Hamilton and Bryce Askew and Karsten Flake from Casteel enlightened members about the issue and promised to return in a few months to update the members on progress with their programs.
The Sun Lakes Rotary Club named Phyllis Carr as Rotarian of the Month to acknowledge her work on several committees including Speaker Coordination and External Communications.
Sun Lakes Rotary, always finding ways to support and help our community, sent $400 checks to six Chandler-area organizations: AZCEND, Boys and Girls Club of Chandler, Harvest Compassion Center, FANS Across America, Chandler Care Center, and The Clothes Cabin.
Our guiding principles in Rotary are:
1. Is it the truth?
2. Is it fair to ALL concerned?
3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
For more information about club meetings through Zoom, until we can reunite at Palo Verde Country Club, please contact Club Membership Chair Chuck Hawkins at 503-502-7562, [email protected], or visit our website www.sunlakesrotary.com or Facebook page.