We are pleased to share that we have received a new member application. Crystal Brown is the Community Marketing Manager of Subway Development ME & Aroma Joes ME & NH, supporting almost 200 stores. She is a graduate of USM with a BS in Sports Medicine and a graduate of SMCC with an Associate’s degree in Diet Tech.
Connecting with the community is her passion. She has volunteered extensively in the area of health education. One initiative she supported was helping Subway restaurants raise over $25K to put American Heart Association CPR kits in schools across Maine. She also started Healthy Patriots health promotion program in the Gray New Gloucester schools.
Crystal and her husband Jason live in Gray. She loves spending time with her family, exercising, watching movies and just enjoying each other’s company.
As President Kathi mentioned in her email this week, the Board has been updating the club's bylaws to bring them into line with actual practices of the club and with the requirements of Rotary International. The Board has approved the revisions and now we need approval by the membership.
The amended Bylaws were sent out by Kathi on January 8. You may also find a copy at this link: Bylaws-2021-approved-by-BOD.pdf
We need to have a quorum present to approve the amended Bylaws. Our quorum is 1/3 of the membership. Since we presently have 26 members, we need at least 9 people present. Please join us.
Another round of 1 million disposable masks was recently distributed through the Rossi Family Foundation. Ted Rossi, a Rotarian from District 7980 in Connecticut, donated the masks to be distributed to Rotary Clubs throughout New England. The first 1 million mask were delivered to our area and distributed in early October. In that first round, we provided masks to the Gorham Fire Dept, Intercultural Community Center, and several local elder care facilities, among other places.
President Kathi will soon deliver masks to the Westbrook Fire Department for distribution to area organizations who request them, Westbrook Families Feeding Families for distribution with their food donations, and First Baptist Church for their partnership with the church for new Mainers and their outreach to the unhoused in Westbrook. We are proud that our District is involved with this effort and that our club can be part of it.
In honor of Todd Fields, Director of WRVC who spoke to us on January 6, we have donated a book to the Walker Memorial Library - I Am Neil Armstrong by Brad Meltzer. Neil Armstrong's journey to the moon is the focus of the fifteenth picture book in the New York Times bestselling series of biographies about heroes. This fun and friendly “I Am….” biography series of picture books focuses on the traits that made our heroes great--the traits that kids can aspire to in order to live heroically themselves.
All events are via Zoom unless otherwise noted. To register for any of these events or to learn more about them, visit the Calendar on the District Website:
GrowRotary! Open Discussion - Saturday January 23, 2021 10AM-11AM - Expect email from Andy Glazier with the Zoom link prior to this event.
Leadership Opens Opportunities Forum - Monday January 25, 2021 6:30-8PM- Hosted by DGN Claudia Frost in place of annual mid-year leadership dinner. All Rotarians are welcome.
Word Understanding & Peace Event - Tuesday February 23, 2021 6:30-8PM - Hosted by DG Peggy Belanger. More details to follow.
District Conference - Saturday May 16, 2021 9:00AM-12:00PM
The Locker Project - With no school, social distancing and cold weather, there are few volunteer opportunities right now. However, TLP staff is continuing to provide food through pre-packed bags distributed at schools in the area, including Westbrook, during school meal pick-up times. Fresh food continues to be donated by Hannaford, Shaw's, Rosemont Market, Standard Baking, and many others. Staples are being purchased from Good Shepherd Foodbank to fill out the bags. You can help support this work to keep kids fed with your cash donation at: http://mainelockerproject.org/ OR mail a check made out to Locker Project to P.O. Box 3134, Portland, ME 04104
Donate Blood - If you are healthy and able, please consider donating blood. Supplies remain tight so all donations are very welcome. To schedule an appointment go to https://www.redcrossblood.org/ or call 1-800-RED-CROSS
Meals On Wheels - Many of their regular volunteers are older and self-quarantining. If you are healthy and interested in this low contact option, please email volunteer@smaa.org or leave a message at 207-396-6595. A background check may be required before starting. Or consider making a donation to this program https://www.smaaa.org/wellness/meals.html
Matching Gift Rotary Year 2020-2021 - Don't forget the matching gift opportunity to secure a match for $50 donated to your favorite charity in this Rotary year. If you donate $100 to the charity, you will receive a check for $50 to cover our half. If you recently made a donation to a charity that you would like to have matched, and have not already taken advantage of the matching opportunity, please send a note to our Treasurer Aaron Paiton. Please include a receipt or copy of your check. Special Note: why not take advantage of this opportunity today and donate to one of the organizations noted above or another organization supporting folks in need during this crisis?
Matching Gift up to $100 to The Rotary FoundationRotary Year 2020-2021- Just a reminder that you can double your progress towards your next (or first!) Paul Harris Fellow. Make a donation up to $100 and the club will match that donation in your name. Go online to https://www.rotary.org/en/donate or mail your check to The Rotary Foundation (TRF), 14280 Collections Center Dr., Chicago, IL 60693 Note club name and ID #6319 in the memo section.
Children's Books for Pantries - During this time, we will still continue to collect books for our food pantries and other organizations that can get books into the hands of children. Since the need is always greater than the supply, we will distribute them now, when the opportunity arises and will return to regular distribution when we can. If you, a family member, friend or colleague have children or grandchildren who have outgrown their books, we'd love to have them to share with children who will love them. All ages from babies to young teens. We can also always use large print books for older readers. Contact Christine Johnson for pick up.
Can Tabs for Ronald McDonald House - Thank you for continuing to collect can tabs.It's and easy way to help a wonderful organization! Just keep a small plastic bag or small jar in your kitchen, on the counter or in a drawer. As you go to toss your returnable can into your CLYNK bag, simply twist off the tab first.
CLYNK for Literacy - Ongoing - Don't forget to keep filling those bags to help fund the new children's books we ask our speakers to sign for the Baxter and Walker Libraries. Extra bags are always available at our meetings. While we are not meeting, Christine is willing to drop a bag on your doorstep. Thank you for your ongoing support of this fundraiser!
Donate to our Club's Charity through Amazon Smile – Ongoing - 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.
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We are pleased to share that we have received a new member application. Crystal Brown is the Community Marketing Manager of Subway Development ME & Aroma Joes ME & NH, supporting almost 200 stores. She is a graduate of USM with a BS in Sports Medicine and a graduate of SMCC with an Associate’s degree in Diet Tech. 
Another round of 1 million disposable masks was recently distributed through the Rossi Family Foundation. Ted Rossi, a Rotarian from District 7980 in Connecticut, donated the masks to be distributed to Rotary Clubs throughout New England. The first 1 million mask were delivered to our area and distributed in early October. In that first round, we provided masks to the Gorham Fire Dept, Intercultural Community Center, and several local elder care facilities, among other places.
In honor of Todd Fields, Director of WRVC who spoke to us on January 6, we have donated a book to the Walker Memorial Library - I Am Neil Armstrong by Brad Meltzer. Neil Armstrong's journey to the moon is the focus of the fifteenth picture book in the New York Times bestselling series of biographies about heroes. This fun and friendly “I Am….” biography series of picture books focuses on the traits that made our heroes great--the traits that kids can aspire to in order to live heroically themselves.
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