Donate to our Club's Charity through Amazon Smile – If you order items from Amazon.com, even if not very often, you can help Westbrook Gorham Rotary Club Charities.  Go to http://smile.amazon.com/. Search for our Charity and select it. You may need to login to your Amazon account before being able to finalize your selection.   Then, when you shop Amazon.com (always starting from http://smile.amazon.com/) a portion of every purchase will be donated to our charity.

 

CLYNK for Literacy – Ongoing - Keep those cans and bottles coming! Drop off your filled CLYNK bag at any Hannaford. Thanks to those who have contributed bottles so far to help purchase books that we will donate for each speaker.  If you need more CLYNK bags, they will be available at our next meeting. 

Accept the Foundation Challenge Match- The match challenge for donations made to the Rotary Foundation has been renewed for 2016-2017. The club will match any donation to the Rotary Foundation, dollar for dollar up to $100 in that member’s name.  For folks who newly sign up for Rotary Direct (automatic monthly payments from credit card or bank account) the club will add a one-time $25 donation to the Foundation.  If you have not yet made a donation in the 2016-2017 Rotary year, please consider accepting this challenge!! To donate on line, go to https://my.rotary.org/en/rotary-foundation

 

On Thursday January 27, several Westbrook-Gorham Rotarians attended an open house at 907 Main St in Westbrook, the location of new transitional housing for youth moving from Longcreek back into the community. The open house was held in collaboration with the Downtown Westbrook Coalition.

 

During the open house, Police Chief Janine Rogers and Sergeant Tim Morell said a few words, as did Bruce Dyer and Emmy Brown from Longcreek. Bruce praised Westbrook's support of young people by saying: "Westbrook circles around its youth", making it a great place to open this Project. Two of the young men who may live and work at this location performed a self-written song and a rap. Silent auction items were provided by Fajita Grill, Frog & Turtle, Westbrook House of Pizza, Portland Pie, among several other downtown businesses. The organization continues to raise funds needed to fully open, with about $50,000 raised towards a goal of $125,000.

 

The Transformation Project’s mission is to provide community-based opportunities for young Maine offenders to discover their potential and purpose for their lives, with a vision of seeing lives transformed and communities restored. DJ's Cafe and event center will be opening on the first floor of this location later this year.  DJ's Cafe is named after a young man in whom Ken and others saw great potential. He was bright and articulate, both in public speaking and in writing.  Unfortunately, he was shot to death shortly after his release from Longcreek.

 

For more information, see the story in the American Journal last week: http://news.keepmecurrent.com/youth-re-entry-housing-to-open-in-march-the-transformation-project-will-hold-an-open-house-for-the-public-next-week/

 

Ken Hawley, President of The Transformation Project will be our speaker on January 31.

 

Jean Carlos and Angel have now been in Maine for three weeks.  They are finally scheduled for surgeries at Maine Med on February 2^nd and 3^rd. While they have been waiting, some local folks who speak Spanish have been getting them out around the area, although our cold weather has presented a bit of a challenge. They’ve been out walking around the Mall and up to LL Bean, among other retail establishments.  They have enjoyed eating at Tu Casa, Burger King, Country Buffet and Great Wall Buffet. They have also attended church in Westbrook. 

 

We are extremely grateful to Elvira Perez and her husband Pete Provencher; and to the Alvarez family, Anna, Saul and Jessica. They have opened their hearts and their homes to make the children and their mothers welcome. For more pictures, see the Gift of Life page of our website.

 

Jean Carlos, Maricruz, Angel and Itzy

Bill Chadwick just got back from Guatemala where he delivered the first of three trauma bags that he was able to purchase with our ROTARY DISTRICT GRANT.  Chief Andy Turcotte leveraged Bill’s work in Guatemala with his emergency medical vendors and actually was able to obtain three bags for the price of one!

 

The first bag went to a remote jungle village and now represents the best medical equipment for eight hundred people in Cuatro Cayos, Izabal, and Chiquimulilla Guatemala.   Bill was able to sponsor a training clinic featuring the director of Surgery from Mayo Clinic in Minneapolis, Dr. Donald Van Nimwegen.  The locals were trained in how to use all of the gear in the bags.  It was a very productive trip.

 

In four weeks, three Rotarians from our Club will return to do an International Clubs Project with the Los Amates Rotary Club of Rio Dulce Guatemala.  They will have eight members on site to help us construct 12 Eco-Stoves.  Westbrook is paying for six, and Los Amates is paying for six Check out the stoves on… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdXsyb2JruI 

 

 

 

Warren the Moose has been visiting some warmer parts of the country this winter.

 

Recently he has been seen in New Orleans and Ft Lauderdale, and he is learning to fly, courtesy of Jet Blue.  We’ve also learned that Warren is huge Pats fan!!  We're told that he is looking forward to Super Bowl LI.  Go Pats!!

 

 

  

 

Deadline approaching. If you were planning a donation and have not yet had a chance to write that check, please do so before our next board meeting on February 7.  With the approval of Paul's wife Pat Emery, we will be working with My Place Teen Center to identify a way we can use these donations, with additional funds provided by the club, to best help MPTC and provide a fitting tribute to Paul.