RadioRotary: Recent Episodes
Jonah Triebwasser
In RadioRotary’s weekly 30 minute interviews, two entertaining professional radio hosts, Sarah O’Connell and Jonah Triebwasser, chat with Rotarians and non-Rotarians, people who live by Rotary’s motto, “Service above Self.” Guests are humanitarians who work on many levels in programs that address such important issues as poverty, education, health, the environment, and employment and vocations. Each interview provides timely information that focuses on improving the quality of life for everyone, both here and abroad. Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser interview Dr. Lisa Curcio and Ellen Henneberryabout Lighting the Village Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser interviews Christa Hines about the great work of Hudson River Housing.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser interviews Rotarian Greg Kroner about Rotary's fight against Alzheimer's disease.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser interview Rotarian Dr. Carol Nelson about Rotary's fight against Malaria.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser interview Rotarian Erika Murphy about the great work of the Rhinebeck Rotary club.
RadioRotary brings their fourth Rotary Convention show from Calgary, Canada. They will interview Rotarians from around the world about great service projects that help humanity.
Starying next week, our show will be called "At Your Service.' Same co-hosts, same format, same theme music, just a new name!
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser interview Rotarians Beau O'Loendorf, Carrie Hernandez and Todd Bowen about the fun and excitement of Rotary in the Hudson Valley.
RadioRotary brings their third Rotary Convention show from Calgary, Canada. They will interview Rotarians from around the world about great service projects that help humanity.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser interview Mike Fanelli of the MARC Foundation aboutthe fight against addiction.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser interviews Josh Loiza about Rotary's fight against modern slavery.
RadioRotary brings their second Rotary Convention show from Calgary, Canada. They will interview Rotarians from around the world about great service projects that help humanity.
RadioRotary brings their first Rotary Convention show from Calgary, Canada. They will interview Rotarians from around the world about great service projects that help humanity.
RadioRotary co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser interview Rotarians Doris and Ken Obremski about Rotary's fight against Post traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD.)
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talkwith Andrew O'Grady about the great work of Mental Health America of Dutchess County.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Rotarian Ron Klieverik about the great work of the Goshen Rotary Club.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Krista Jones about the great work of Sparrow's Nest.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Rotary Youth Exchange volunteers and students from around the world..
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Cara Mia Bacchiochi about the amazing Hope on a Mission.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Ericka Von Selews and Rich Shuster about the return of the Vassar Warner Home.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Joyce Schonmann about Remembering Gary, a Day for Hope.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Marci Clark about the People for People fund.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Rotarian Wendy Maitland about Rhinebeck Rotary's Spirit of Service Award.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with members of the Red Hook Rotary Club about their Apple Blossom Day festival and their 70th annivserary community cookbook.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Rotarian Kevin Treutler about Kingston Rotary’s Epic Day of Service.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser will be talking with Rotarian Carl Dowden and Rosemary Joyce about the annual blessing of the animals.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Rotarian Norman Miller about his experiences with bobsleds and spies and his new book, Ice Spy.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Rotarian Tony Marmo and the YMCA’s Heidi Kirschner about the Y’s Bow Ties and Blue Jeans Gala!
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser chat with Krista Jones about helping cancer patients and their families through Sparrow's Nest.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Lila and Andrew Meade about the Vassar Haiti Art Project.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Dora Celestino about the great work of the Council on Addiction Prevention and Education of Dutchess County.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser chat with Rotarian David Green about Rotary's Epic Day of Service!
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser chat with Carol Pandak about Rotary's Conquest of Polio.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser chat with Rotarian Geraldine Kelly about New Paltz Rotary's 60th Anniversary.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser will be talking with Hyde Park Rotarians about their comedy night dinner.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser will be talking with Rotarian Tony Marmo and Diana Edards about the Fun and Service of Rotary, nd the membership events happening in March.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Rotarian Todd Bowen and Gene Noone about Dutchess County's St. Patrick's Day Parade.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with members of the Red Hook Rotary Club about their 70th Anniversary and Community Cookbook.
To submit a recipe, go to:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1I_-cpO5tjWb72rmaOp_MfJMAkKYjbsPOWvDPM41Vfz4/edit
To order a cookbook, go to:
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/red-hook-rotary-clubs-community-cookbook-fundraiser
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser chat with CaraMia Bacchiochi about helping the homeless with the great work of Hope on a Mission
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Rotarians Jim Elliott and Tinamaie Hernandez about the Diveheart SCUBA diving program for the disabled.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Valerie Carlisle about the charity work of Grannies Respond.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Carolyn Taylor about the Global Focus on Cancer.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser will be talking with Rotarians Ashley Lemke and Michelle DelValle about New Year's Eve Millbrook.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Keith O'Hanlon about bringing Santa to the Pleasant Valley Rotary tip a truck food drive.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser will talk with Samuel Laganaro and Sandi Swan about the great work of New Horizons Resources.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Roger Cassidy and Cheryle Berry about the amazing Aquabox, providing clean water to the world.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Rotary District Governor Leo Kaytes, District Governor Elect Beau O'Loendorf, and District Governor Nominee Carrie Hernandez about the great work of Rotary in the Hudson Valley.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Felicia Kalen and Barry Lewis about the great work of Region Food Bank of the Hudson Valley and their fight against food insecurity.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with members of the United States Marines about their Toys for Tots program.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Nyhisha Gibbs and Mary Dynes about the great work of Dutchess Outreach and their coat drive.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Darcy McCourt about the great work of Rebuilding Together.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser interview Rotary's Citizen of the Year Todd Baright and Rotarians Carl Dowden and Jen Van Voorhis.
Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser interview Rotarian Carole Tjoa about Rotary's Conquest of Polio.
Co-hosts Kathy and Dave Kruger interview Rotarian Tony Marmo and others about the uocoming Italian FEstival.
Co-host Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser interview Rotarian Dillon Copeland of Together for Youth about Foster Care.
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Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Anquinette Hayles about the great work of The Greystone Programs.
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Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser chat with Rotarian Shawn Slevin about water safety and the Swim Strong program.
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Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Rotarians Doug Sturomski and Tony Marmo about Rotary's Commitment to Peace.
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Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser chat with Rotarian Deirdre DiCara about the great work of FISH, FRIENDS IN SERVICE TO HUMANITY in helping the homeless and the hungry.
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Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser will be talking with Danielle Mollica and Lori Cassia-Decker about the great work of Angels of Light..
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Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Nolly Climes and Marsi Clark about the great work of the People for People Fund.
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Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser will be talking with Rotary International President Stepahine Urchick about the Magic of Rotary.
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Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser will be talking about the great work of The Hudson Valley Clubhouse.
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Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser chat with Meg Boyce and Tina Eckert of the Alzheimer's Association about the walk to end Alzheimer's.
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Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser will be talking with Kevin Mullaney about the great work of the MARC Foundation.
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Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser interview William Beale, Director of Emergency Management, Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response, about what to do in an emergency.
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Co host Kathy and Dave Kruger talk to Cliff Weigelt of Peckhan Industures about Service to the Community
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Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser will be talking with Roger and Lisa about Roger's Run for AMC Awareness.
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Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser chat with Rotarian Dana Kuhns about the Changing Face of Scouting
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Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Rotarin Susan Sullivan Bisceglia about the services offered by Hospice.
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Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Laurie Levine about preventing opiod abuse.
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Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Dr. Kathy Mills and Social Worker Barrie Becker about the great work of Astor Services.
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Co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser chat with members of the Kingston Rotary Club about their great public events this Summer.
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RadioRotary co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser chat with Rotarian Susan Simon and Mary Rotella about the benefits of dance.
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RadioRotary co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser will be talking with Rotarians Jim Elliott and Tinamarie Hernandez, about their Dive Heart organization and Scuba therapy.
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RadioRotary co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser will be talking with Krista Jones about helping cancer patients through Sparrow's Nest.
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Our RadioRotary microphnes travel to the Locavore Market and Cafe in Red Hook, To learn about Apple Blossom Day.
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RadioRotary co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser will be talk with Rotarian Carl Dowden and Rosemary Joyce abdou the blessing of the animals.
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RadioRotary co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Rotarian Susan Simon, Beth Jones and Beth Bengtson about the Working for Women organization.
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RadioRotary co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Rotarian Steve Laubach about the activities of the Highland Rotary Club
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RadioRotary co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser chat with Alyssa Carrion of Mental Health America of Dutchess County about their Vet to Vet program.
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RadioRotary co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser interview Rotarian Todd Bowen, president of the Wappingers Falls Rotary Club and recipient of Dutchess County's 40 Under 40 recognition, about the importance of Rotary for younger members.
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RadioRotary co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser interview Kristin Dionne about the Rotary-founded Green Chimneys school and farm.
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RadioRotary co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Emily Williams of Literacy Connections.
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RadioRotary co-hosts Dave and Kathy Kruger interview members of the Millbrook Rotary club about their service projects.
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RadioRotary co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser interview Rotarian Thomas Gehagen about planning for your financial future.
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RadioRotary co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser interview Rotarian BJ Mikkleson about Rotary's humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.
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RadioRotary co -hosts Dave and Kathy Kruger interview Mike Ballass about fighting drug addiction.
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RadiOrtary co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser interview Eliza Bozenski about autism and the Anderson Center.
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RadioRotary co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Andrew O'Grady and Linwood Burke about the great work of Mental Health America.
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RadioRotary co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Leanne Lawson and Claudia Abbott-Barish about the great work of the Mediation Center of Dutchess County.
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RadioRotary co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with Dawn Breeze about the great vocational work with youth of Place Corps.
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RadioRotary co-hosts Kathy Kruger and Jonah Triebwasser talk with popular local author Tony Musso about his new book “Madams Mobsters and Murders.”
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In the heart of Dutchess County, Habitat for Humanity is transforming lives and landscapes. Through the tireless efforts of individuals like Rotarians Todd Bowen, the Senior Project Manager, and Jessica Muccio, the Director of Development, this organization is making the dream of homeownership a reality for families in need. With over 40 homes built for first-time owners and more than 250 repairs completed to help existing homeowners maintain their residences, Habitat for Humanity is addressing the critical need for safe and affordable housing.
Dutchess County faces a significant challenge, with 6,000 families lacking suitable housing. “Our goal is to bridge the gap between need and availability,” says Jessica Muccio. “Every family deserves a safe place to call home, and every hand helps us come closer to making that a reality for our neighbors.”
The projects led by Habitat for Humanity are funded through a mix of corporate partnerships, individual contributions, and ReStore outlets. These stores sell donated home goods and furniture, with proceeds going directly into building new homes. “It’s the cycle of giving that sustains our projects,” Muccio explains. “When you shop or donate at a ReStore, you’re not just clearing out your space; you’re helping to build a home.”
Volunteers are crucial to Habitat for Humanity’s mission. From construction sites to the ReStores, people from all walks of life come together to lend a hand. Todd Bowen, overseeing the construction projects, emphasizes the value of this community effort. “Seeing volunteers work side by side with future homeowners is incredibly rewarding. Our builds are about more than just houses; they’re about community, hard work, and shared dreams,” he shares.
Bowen’s role involves meticulous planning and coordination to ensure that homes are not only built but are tailored to the needs of each family. “Every family is different, and so is every home we build. From laying the foundation to selecting the siding, it’s a collaborative process that makes each house unique,” Bowen remarks.
The success of Habitat for Humanity in Dutchess County is a testament to the power of community and the enduring belief that everyone deserves a decent place to live. Through the dedication of individuals like Todd Bowen and Jessica Muccio, and the support of volunteers and donors, Habitat for Humanity is building more than homes; it’s building hope.
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In a world where the shadow of homelessness looms large for many, Hudson River Housing emerges as a beacon of hope. Led by the passionate Christa Hines, Hudson River Housing dedicates itself to combating homelessness and housing insecurity. Serving approximately 3,000 individuals annually, their mission extends across Dutchess County, focusing on providing not just a roof over heads but a foundation for a brighter future.
Hudson River Housing’s endeavors span a broad spectrum, from emergency shelters accommodating an unprecedented number of individuals nightly to transitional housing and affordable apartments. Amidst rising economic pressures and the lingering aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization witnesses an escalating need for its services, a testament to the ongoing housing crisis that grips the community.
But Hudson River Housing’s impact doesn’t end with providing shelter. They stand at the forefront of developing affordable housing projects, fostering opportunities for homeownership, and tailoring services to meet the diverse needs of veterans, seniors, and youth. In Pine Plains, for example, they are working on a project to create 36 affordable apartments, demonstrating their commitment to expanding their reach and addressing the housing shortage.
However, the journey to creating a world where everyone has access to safe and affordable housing is fraught with challenges. The stigma surrounding low-income housing and the “not in my backyard” mentality persist as barriers. Yet, Christa Hines and her team remain undeterred, fueled by compassion and the belief in the dignity of every individual they serve.
As we reflect on the critical work of Hudson River Housing, it’s evident that the path to overcoming homelessness is paved with collective action, understanding, and unwavering support for organizations like these. They remind us that behind every statistic is a story, a life yearning for stability, and a place to call home. In supporting Hudson River Housing, we embrace the opportunity to be part of a solution that not only transforms lives but strengthens the very fabric of our community.
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Dive Heart, a unique initiative founded 22 years ago, has been changing lives through the power of adaptive scuba and scuba therapy. This nonprofit organization, spearheaded by Rotarians Jim Elliott and Tina Marie Hernandez, focuses on empowering children, veterans, and others with disabilities. By offering them an opportunity to experience the weightlessness of underwater environments, Dive Heart helps improve their confidence, independence, and self-esteem.
The transformative effect of adaptive scuba diving is profound. For individuals who have spent much of their lives confined to wheelchairs or limited by their disabilities, the experience of standing upright underwater is nothing short of miraculous. Dive Heart doesn’t just offer a temporary escape; it facilitates a shift in perception, enabling participants to see themselves as divers, adventurers, capable of achieving more than they or others might have thought possible.
Beyond the individual benefits, Dive Heart is committed to advancing research and education in the field of adaptive scuba diving. Collaborating with university medical centers worldwide, the organization is exploring the therapeutic benefits of scuba diving, particularly in deep warm water pools. Their ambition is to build the world’s deepest warm water therapy pool in the Chicagoland area, a project estimated to cost between $130 to $150 million. This facility will not only serve as a therapeutic space but also as a center for research, training, and rehabilitation, inviting students, therapists, and professionals to learn and innovate in the realm of adaptive diving.
The initiative is rooted in a deep belief in the transformative power of diving. From aiding pain management and PTSD symptoms to providing a unique form of therapy for individuals with autism, the potential health benefits are vast. Dive Heart’s approach is inclusive, offering programs in pools for those who might not be ready or able to dive in open water. Importantly, these pool programs are offered at no charge, emphasizing the organization’s commitment to accessibility and empowerment.
Dive Heart’s vision extends beyond the individual, aiming to inspire communities and foster a sense of purpose among people of all abilities. By highlighting the stories of participants and volunteers, Dive Heart showcases the profound impact of seeing beyond disabilities to the possibilities that lie within each person. Their work is a testament to the power of community, innovation, and the belief that everyone deserves to experience the joy and freedom of diving into new challenges.
For those interested in supporting Dive Heart’s mission or learning more about their programs, visit www.diveheart.org. Whether it’s through participating in a dive, volunteering, or contributing to their ambitious pool project, there are numerous ways to get involved and help make a difference in the lives of many.
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In the spirit of giving and community service, Keith O’Hanlon, known for his striking resemblance to Santa Claus, has been making waves across local communities by offering his time as Santa to support food pantries and veterans. His journey into becoming Santa began in 2015 when he was asked to play Santa Claus for a veterans’ Christmas party organized by Angela Flesland. Despite initial hesitations, Keith felt a calling, a destiny to embrace the role, especially after his first interaction with a child at the event, which left a profound impact on him.
Keith’s commitment goes beyond just appearances; he requests donations of non-perishable food items or checks written to the Pleasant Valley Ecumenical Food Pantry as his appearance fee. This initiative has seen him supporting not just veterans but also local food pantries that have been under increased strain since the COVID-19 pandemic, doubling their food distribution efforts to meet the growing need within the community.
Apart from his solo efforts, Keith has enlisted the help of friends who have volunteered to become Mrs. Claus and elves, further enriching the experience for children and adults alike. These volunteers, who also invest their own resources into their costumes, assist Keith in understanding the latest toys and wishes from children, ensuring every child’s request is met with a knowing nod from Santa.
Keith’s unique approach to playing Santa extends to his mode of transportation – a 1970 M35A2 military deuce and a half truck, affectionately named Lucy Deucy, which he uses to deliver the collected food donations. This, along with his Victorian and European-inspired Santa suit, sets him apart from the traditional Coca-Cola image of Santa, aligning more closely with the historical and cultural depictions of Saint Nicholas.
Beyond his Santa duties, Keith is a retired Marine, emphasizing the lifelong commitment and service ethos of the Marines. His work as Santa is an extension of his service, offering joy, hope, and assistance to those in need during the holiday season. Keith’s story is not just about playing a role; it’s about embodying the spirit of giving and community service, making him a true embodiment of Santa Claus.
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In a recent humanitarian effort, Rotarians in Zambia, assisted by various organizations, accomplished the remarkable feat of delivering 8.5 tons of medical equipment and supplies to Machili, Zambia. The focus of this substantial aid was primarily on improving maternal and dental health care in the region. This initiative was particularly crucial given Zambia’s high rates of dental issues and maternal mortality. The project, which was significantly funded through a global grant, cost around $350,000, although the initial budget was set at $49,000.
One of the key organizations involved in this project was Project Cure, known for its commitment to providing medical supplies to needy areas. Their contribution and continuous efforts can be supported through online donations.
Further details of the project were discussed by Rotarian Stephen Caine on Radio Rotary. He elaborated on the challenging journey of shipping the medical equipment to a refurbished health center in rural Zambia. The Bernhills-Baltimore Lake Rotary Club played a pivotal role in raising the necessary funds for this mission. Despite facing delays and the potential for scams, the equipment was successfully shipped in a 40-foot container from Savannah, Georgia, to Zambia. The project saw contributions from various individuals and organizations, including a notable donation of $5,000 from a 90-year-old man.
Stephen Caine, a retired military officer and active Rotarian, was instrumental in coordinating the delivery of medical supplies to Zambia. The Rotary Club, which meets at Boston Spa Town Hall on Monday nights, continues to be a beacon of service and support in various community and international projects.
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Radio Rotary recently featured an inspiring segment on Rotary’s humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. BJ Mickelson, a dedicated Rotarian, took center stage in discussing his remarkable contributions to aiding Ukrainian refugees. Initially, BJ successfully raised between $2,500 and $3,000, which he used to distribute essential supplies in Germany to those fleeing the conflict in Ukraine.
Demonstrating an unwavering commitment, BJ later ramped up his efforts by raising an impressive $28,000. He not only made informative presentations in the Hudson Valley about the situation but also personally traveled to Ukraine as part of the relief initiatives. This hands-on approach in the conflict zone included delivering critical medical supplies and securing housing for internally displaced persons, underscoring the dire needs of those affected by the conflict.
BJ spoke about the historic and culturally rich town of Lviv in Ukraine, which he highlighted for its significance. Beyond his immediate relief efforts, BJ plans to continue supporting Ukraine, particularly with a focus on helping children during Christmas. This year, his mission involves a unique approach – using his Santa Claus persona to raise funds.
The initiative aims to provide Ukrainian children with Ukrainian language Paddington Bear books during the holiday season. These books, priced at $15 each, are more than just gifts; they are symbols of hope and comfort to the young recipients. The proceeds from this initiative are dedicated to this cause, with BJ’s Rotary club, Highland, playing an active role. The effort is part of a broader mission encapsulated on the website www.hudsonvalleyhelpsrefugees.org, which serves as a platform for donations and spreading awareness.
This heartwarming story not only highlights the relentless spirit of Rotarians in bringing aid and solace but also sheds light on the wider impact of conflict on communities, especially children. As BJ continues his commendable work, he also harbors hopes for peace and the eventual return of Crimea to Ukraine.
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In a recent edition of Radio Rotary, the focus was on the admirable work of Toys for Tots, a program dedicated to bringing joy to children during the holiday season. The show featured insights from Sergeant Samuel Lewis, Mike Binns, and Randy Turner, who play key roles in the Hudson Valley Toys for Tots and Ulster County Toys for Tots programs.
Toys for Tots, a program initiated by the Marine Corps Reserve, began with a simple yet profound goal: to provide gifts to children who might otherwise go without during Christmas. It has grown into a nationwide campaign, with the mission of ensuring that every child receives at least one toy during the holiday season. The program’s logo, designed by Walt Disney himself, symbolizes the initiative’s enduring commitment to bringing happiness to children.
The success of Toys for Tots is largely driven by community involvement. From the donations of new, unwrapped toys to monetary contributions, every effort counts in making a significant impact. Local radio support, particularly from stations like WBPM and WGHQ, has been instrumental in spreading awareness and rallying community support.
An important aspect of the program is its local focus. Donations made in a county stay within that county, ensuring that the benefits are felt close to home. The program has evolved to include a literacy component, providing books to children in low-income neighborhoods to promote education and break the cycle of poverty.
Volunteers play a crucial role in the success of Toys for Tots. From assisting with in-person registration to sorting and distributing toys, community members can contribute in various ways. The program’s reach and effectiveness are a testament to the collective effort of dedicated individuals and the generous support of the community.
Toys for Tots is more than just a holiday charity; it’s a beacon of hope and joy for children and families in need. Its commitment to bringing smiles to children’s faces during the holiday season and its ongoing efforts to promote literacy highlight the program’s broader impact on the community.
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In the latest episode of Radio Rotary, we spoke with Alex Geller of the Red Hook Library on the importance and evolving role of local libraries in the community. The Red Hook Library, a notable institution, is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. Established in 1898, it has been a cornerstone of the community, adapting to the changing needs of its patrons over the years.
The library, housed in an architecturally unique octagonal building built in 1865, is more than just a place for books. It has transformed into a hub of community activity, offering diverse programs and services. The addition of a children’s library and community room has expanded its offerings, making it a more inclusive space for all age groups.
Today, libraries are more relevant than ever. With the advent of the internet and digital media, libraries have evolved to meet the digital needs of their communities. They offer a range of services from internet access and computer literacy assistance to online resources and educational programs. Libraries also provide a social infrastructure, offering a sense of community and connection, especially vital during times of isolation like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Red Hook Library, for instance, hosts language classes including Spanish and American Sign Language, and offers English as a Second Language classes. They also provide unique services like homebound book deliveries, ensuring that everyone in the community has access to their resources.
The library’s role in fostering early childhood literacy is highlighted through programs like reading a thousand books before kindergarten. This initiative not only promotes literacy but also encourages parental involvement in their children’s education.
In conclusion, local libraries like Red Hook continue to be essential community resources. They adapt to meet the changing needs of their patrons, providing not just books, but also technological assistance, educational programs, and a sense of community. The celebration of Red Hook Library’s 125th anniversary is a testament to its enduring value and impact in the community.
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Radio Rotary recently featured a discussion with Jennifer Donahue and Rotarian Helen Ronsky about the contemporary focus of the Girl Scouts. The conversation highlighted the organization’s evolution, particularly in addressing mental health awareness and community service. In today’s digital and social media-driven world, the Girl Scouts play a crucial role in providing support, resources, and an empowering environment for young girls. The guests emphasized the organization’s commitment to developing leadership skills and fostering confidence in girls from a young age.
The Girl Scouts in the Hudson Valley region offer a diverse range of programs, including those in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and robotics. This variety caters to the different interests of girls and aims to equip them with skills applicable to various aspects of life. The programming is girl-led, allowing members to choose activities that resonate with their interests, a key factor in boosting their mental health and self-confidence.
Furthermore, the Girl Scouts are heavily focused on mental health, partnering with the National Alliance for Mental Health to introduce new patches around this theme. The goal is to teach resilience, and readiness, and give more strength to girls, considering the alarming statistics around mental health issues among young people.
The organization’s website, girlscoutshh.org, offers comprehensive information on the Girl Scouts in the Hudson Valley, including ways to get involved and learn more about their programs. This platform serves as a resource for those interested in contributing to or benefiting from the organization’s initiatives.
This episode of Radio Rotary not only highlighted the progressive activities of the Girl Scouts but also emphasized the importance of modern, holistic programming in nurturing and empowering young women. The Girl Scouts’ focus on mental health, leadership development, and STEM education positions them as a vital organization in today’s society, shaping future leaders and confident individuals.
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In a recent episode of Radio Rotary, an inspiring showcase of community support and service, listeners were introduced to the remarkable work of Dutchess Outreach. This organization stands as a beacon of hope in Dutchess County, offering an array of essential services to those most in need. From providing hot meals and running a food pantry to organizing a significant coat drive, Duchess Outreach embodies the spirit of community assistance and compassion. We delved into the organization’s various programs and celebrated the dedicated individuals who have been at the forefront of these efforts.
A key feature of Dutchess Outreach’s work is the coat drive, which Mary Dines has successfully run for 20 years. The drive focuses on collecting new or gently used coats for those in need, a vital service during the colder months. With Dines retiring, Robin Tannenbaum is set to take over this critical program.
Dutchess Outreach, preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary next year, relies on a combination of federal grants, private grants, and donations to support its food and clothing programs. The organization also provides financial life planning and housing assistance, addressing broader needs within the community.
The organization’s website, dutchessoutreach.org, offers more information on their services and ways to get involved. They are located at 29 North Hamilton Street in Poughkeepsie. The coat drive, a significant part of their work, has been instrumental in receiving donated brand-new coats for distribution.
Dutchess Outreach serves as a powerful reminder of the impact that dedicated organizations and individuals can have on their communities. As Dutchess Outreach approaches its 50th anniversary, its commitment to providing essential services like nutritious food, clothing, and life-planning assistance continues to make a profound difference in the lives of many. The collaborative spirit showcased by the coat drive, supported by various community partners, underscores the strength and unity found in collective efforts. Radio Rotary, through such features, not only informs but also inspires its listeners to recognize and contribute to the invaluable work done by organizations like Dutchess Outreach in their own communities.
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We focus on World Polio Day, the dedicated efforts of Rotary International and its partners in the fight against polio were brought to light. Despite the remarkable progress made, polio continues to exist in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and sporadic cases are reported worldwide. Rotary’s commitment to eradicating polio dates back to 1979, with the launch of the Polio Plus program in 1985 and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988, in collaboration with organizations like the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the CDC.
In the 1980s, the world witnessed a thousand new cases of polio each week. Now, thanks to concerted global efforts, there’s been a 99.9% reduction in polio cases. Polio, a highly infectious disease that primarily affects children under five, can cause crippling effects on the central nervous system. The importance of vaccination in preventing polio’s spread cannot be overstated, and it’s crucial for both adults and children.
World Polio Day serves as a reminder of the progress made and the actions still required to completely eradicate this disease. Rotarians play a significant role, not only through donations to the Polio Plus program but also by participating in national immunization days. These involve administering oral polio vaccines to children, an activity that requires no medical background as guidance is provided by healthcare workers.
Carol Tjoa, a Rotarian, discussed Rotary’s endeavors to overcome resistance to immunizations and the necessity of continued support and donations. Notably, the Gates Foundation generously matches every dollar raised by Rotarians 2 to 1.
The Rotary Club of North Rockland, of which Carol is a member, actively participates in these efforts and hosts events like the World Polio Day event on October 24th. Being a Rotarian offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the global eradication of polio, promoting health, and disease prevention, and enhancing lives around the world.
Additionally, the Rotary Foundation’s commitment extends beyond polio eradication. They focus on surveillance programs and plan to continue their mission of promoting peace and fellowship through various programs even after polio is eradicated.
The involvement of organizations like the Rotary Club highlights the importance of community and global efforts in tackling major health issues. The eradication of polio stands as a testament to what can be achieved through collective action and perseverance. For more information or to join in these efforts, visiting the Rotary Club’s website is encouraged.
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The Red Hook Rotary Club, known for its active community engagement, honored Brent Kovalchik as its Citizen of the Year. For over two decades, the club has recognized individuals who have made significant contributions to the community.Kovalchik, a former Deputy Mayor of the Village of Red Hook, has been instrumental in the installation of a central sewer system. This initiative is crucial for the village’s restaurants and ensures the safety of drinking water, marking a major improvement in the local infrastructure.
This event is one of many initiatives by the Red Hook Rotary Club and Red Hook Rotary Foundation, which also support scholarships, vocational scholarships, and various community projects. Rotary, as an international organization, extends its influence and power far beyond local communities, and those interested can learn more on the Red Hook Rotary site or rotary.org.
In addition to his work in local government, Brent Kovalchik is now engaging with other organizations, such as the local historical society, taking a more leisurely approach than in his previous roles.
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The Italian Festival in Kingston, New York, is a vibrant celebration of Italian culture. Organized by the Italian American Foundation, the festival on the picturesque Kingston waterfront in Ulster County aims to celebrate and preserve Italian heritage, featuring an array of Italian food vendors offering everything from sausage and peppers, meatballs, pizza, and calzones, to mac and cheese, cannoli, espresso, and fried dough. In addition to the Italian delicacies, the festival will cater to diverse tastes with food trucks serving Jamaican, Mexican, and other cuisines. Local restaurants like Mariners Harbor and Savona’s Pizza also join the festivities.
The festival is not just be about food; there’s an impressive lineup of entertainment and fun activities. Visitors enjoyed performances by opera singer Andrew Holben, the jazz quartet Leonisa Ardizon, the flamenco Italiano band Vince Chiarelli, and a tribute to the Rat Pack by Michael Dell. The headliner for the event was Louis Prima Jr. and the Witnesses, ensuring an upbeat and lively atmosphere. Additionally, a second stage featured artists from O Positive, showcasing a variety of music genres including Portuguese and Brazilian folk, West African, Mexican folk, and jazz.
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In a recent episode of Radio Rotary, a heartwarming story unfolded about Sparrows Nest, a charity providing meals to families grappling with serious illnesses. Founded by Krista Jones, the organization emerged from a deeply personal experience. A decade ago, Krista was moved by her friend’s struggle with stage 4 colon cancer, particularly the challenge of maintaining proper nutrition. This led her to start cooking meals for her friend and her family, offering much-needed relief during a difficult time.
Following her friend’s passing, Krista felt compelled to expand her efforts. The charity, named Sparrows Nest in memory of a song played at her friend’s funeral, symbolizes the care and protection she aimed to provide. What started in Krista’s home kitchen soon outgrew its bounds, requiring a larger space to accommodate the increasing number of families in need.
Currently, Sparrows Nest serves around 430 people weekly, with an ambitious goal to double this number. Their varied menu ensures that families receive different meals each day, fostering a sense of food security. The organization, detailed at sparrowsnestcharity.org, encourages involvement and provides information on how to receive assistance or volunteer.
Sparrows Nest’s reach extends beyond just the patients; it also supports caregivers who need strength to care for their loved ones. This holistic approach to care has made the charity an essential pillar in the community. The organization is actively seeking volunteers for various roles, including meal delivery drivers and those willing to help with homemade cards and goody bags.
In addition to their regular services, Sparrows Nest is expanding to a larger facility. This move will not only enhance their capacity to serve cancer patients but will also allow them to assist individuals with other types of illnesses in the future. They aim to serve up to a thousand people a day in the new facility. Fundraising efforts for this expansion include a capital campaign and a live auction.
Radio Rotary, sponsored by various local businesses and Rotary Clubs, provides a platform for stories like that of Sparrows Nest, emphasizing the importance of community initiatives and the impact of individual actions. Through such stories, the show highlights the power of compassion and the difference it can make in the lives of those facing life’s toughest challenges.
Listen to the recording: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/nnry9l7ksFb
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Radio Rotary recently featured Meg Boyce and Tina Eckert from the Alzheimer’s Association Hudson Valley Chapter, highlighting the critical issue of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia, impairs a person’s ability to perform daily activities due to physical changes in the brain. These changes include the buildup of sticky plaques, the presence of tau protein, and overall neurodegeneration, often impacting short-term memory first.
Tina Eckert plays a pivotal role in organizing the Walk to End Alzheimer’s events, crucial fundraisers for Alzheimer’s research and support programs. The upcoming walk, scheduled on the Walkway over the Hudson on October 14th, invites participants to register at duchessulsterwalk.org. The event is vital for raising funds for Alzheimer’s research and support, with the Red Hook Rotary Club and other Rotary clubs actively participating. Notably, the Alzheimer’s Dementia Rotarian Action Group, a national team, has impressively raised over $500,000 since 2019.
The program also sheds light on the 10 warning signs of Alzheimer’s and its history, including the story of the first diagnosed case. Recent advancements in research, including new treatments that slow the disease’s progression, were discussed. However, challenges like access to PET scans and Medicare coverage limitations were acknowledged.
The episode emphasized the importance of mental health awareness, encouraging listeners to seek help for conditions like anxiety and depression. Furthermore, it concluded with a discussion on modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer’s, such as diet, exercise, and sleep, reinforcing the importance of lifestyle choices in disease prevention.
The Walkway Over the Hudson event stands as a beacon of hope and support for those affected by Alzheimer’s, representing a unified effort to combat this challenging disease. The program encouraged listeners to participate in this event, emphasizing the power of community involvement in making a difference.
Learn More: www.dutchessulsterwalk.org
Listen to the recording: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/radio-rotary/episodes/Join-the-Fight-Against-Alzheimers-at-the-Walkway-Over-the-Hudson-Event-e2d4j7e
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In a recent episode of Radio Rotary, a significant focus was on the commendable efforts of Rotarians Roberto Bonner and Fanfan Joseph in supporting nursing education in Haiti. This initiative, which emerged following the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti, has led to the establishment of a vital nursing program. Both Bonner, the president of the Pleasant Valley Rotary Club, and Joseph, a past president of the Carpathian Rotary Club in Haiti, have been instrumental in this project.
The nursing program, a comprehensive four-year course, includes a variety of classes and practical training. It equips nurses in Haiti with skills beyond typical nursing tasks, enabling them to perform functions such as taking vital signs, prescribing medications, and even suturing wounds. This expanded role is particularly crucial given Haiti’s high need for medical professionals due to past disasters like earthquakes and hurricanes.
The program’s success is evident in its outcomes. It has already seen the graduation of one class of 16 students, with an upcoming graduation in December for 18 more students. Graduates from this school are well-prepared to assist in disaster situations, a critical need in Haiti. The school’s accreditation by the health ministry and the requirement for students to pass a national exam for their authorization license ensure the quality and credibility of the education provided.
The Pleasant Valley Rotary Club’s financial support for the nursing school in Haiti underscores Rotary’s commitment to service and global health initiatives. The nursing school, offering various departments like economy, tourism, computer science, and more, has a website and contact number for those interested in supporting or learning more about their impactful work.
This episode of Radio Rotary not only celebrated the achievements of the nursing school in Haiti but also emphasized the broader network of support and sponsorship from various organizations and Rotary clubs, showcasing a community united in its efforts to make a positive global impact.
Learn More: univ.laferriere.com
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Pleasant Valley Weekend, an eagerly awaited annual event in September, promises a host of activities and attractions for the community. Held in Pleasant Valley, this vibrant celebration will take place from September 8th to 10th at Katy Field, located behind the Town Hall on Route 44. The event is free to attend, though some activities and the purchase of beer may incur charges.
A key highlight of the weekend is the car show organized by the Pleasant Valley Rotary Club. The show, featuring classic cars from the 1920s onwards, will be held in the Katy Field parking lot. For those interested in showcasing their classic cars, registration is available at pleasantvalleyweekend2023.com, with a $10 registration fee. This event promises a fun and nostalgic journey through automotive history, complemented by food vendors and music.
The Pleasant Valley Rotary Beer Pavilion will be a central attraction, offering beer, wine coolers, ciders, and hard cider. This Pavilion symbolizes the spirit of community celebration in Pleasant Valley. Additionally, the event will include a variety of vendors and exhibitions, offering an array of goods and services to visitors.
For families and children, there are numerous free activities planned throughout the weekend. From line dancing to live bands, the weekend is packed with entertainment. The event will also feature a parade on Sunday, September 10th, starting at 1 p.m., adding to the festive atmosphere with various groups and music bands participating.
Pleasant Valley Weekend is more than just a celebration; it’s a community gathering that brings together people from all walks of life to enjoy, engage, and experience the essence of Pleasant Valley. With its array of activities, food, music, and the classic car show, the event promises something for everyone, making it a not-to-miss occasion in the community calendar.
For More Information Visit www.pleasantvalleyweekend2023.com
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The recent film “Join or Die,” focusing on civic engagement in American democracy, offers a powerful exploration of the current state of community involvement in the United States. Drawing inspiration from Benjamin Franklin’s historical “Join or Die” flag, the film delves into the deep polarization affecting the nation and the urgent need for renewed investment in civic engagement and local communities.
Based on Robert D. Putnam’s influential book “Bowling Alone,” which chronicles the decline in group participation and its societal impacts, “Join or Die” aims to motivate viewers to become actively involved in their communities. The film highlights the importance of young people joining groups and community organizations, exemplified by the story of Paul Harris, the founder of the Rotary Club, who initiated the movement in his 20s.
Additionally, the film discusses the decline in various forms of community participation, from attending public meetings to religious services. It points to factors like increased TV consumption and technology usage as possible reasons for this trend, with the COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbating the situation. Despite these challenges, the film provides hopeful examples and strategies for revitalizing community life.
The film’s significance extends to its diverse range of perspectives, featuring interviews with notable figures such as Hillary Clinton and Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. It also includes insights from Rotarian Agatha Bacilar and director/producer Rebecca Davis. Bacilar, inspired by Pete Davis’s book “Dedicated,” emphasizes the importance of commitment to local communities.
“Join or Die” is not just a film but an invitation to action. It urges viewers to engage in their communities and join organizations. The film is scheduled for screening on August 30th in Red Hook, followed by a Q&A session with the producers, offering an excellent opportunity for viewers to delve deeper into the themes of the movie.
Furthermore, the film’s promotion ties in with broader societal concerns, like mental health awareness, urging individuals to seek help for conditions like anxiety and depression. It is a reflection of a growing recognition of the interconnectedness of personal well-being and community health.
“Join or Die” stands as a poignant reminder of the power of community and the vital role each individual plays in shaping the fabric of American democracy. Its message is clear: engagement and commitment can transform communities and, by extension, the nation.
Visit www.upstatefilms.org
For Podcast
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Victoria Marsella (“Tori”), vice-president of the MARC Foundation, visited Radio Rotary to tell about the Foundation’s programs for providing financial support to efforts to prevent drug and alcohol misuse and to support recovery from addiction. The MARC Foundation originated as a support for MARC residential treatment houses, which are now a part of Mental Health America of Dutchess County (MHA). While continuing support for the houses, the Foundation has expanded its mission and now helps fund many local organizations and individuals dealing with drug or alcohol misuse. For example, the Foundation offers transition financial help for persons who have completed their treatment and are returning to normal life. With MHA, the Foundation has built a Drug Overdose Memorial on the Dutchess Rail Trail, a place that offers several ways to remember victims of drug misuse. Each year on International Drug Overdose Awareness Day (August 31) the Foundation invites organizations and individuals to participate in a candlelight vigil at the Memorial.The Foundation raises money for support from annual events such as a golf outing and a bowling tournament.
Learn more
MARC foundation: https://www.marc-foundation.org/
Mental Health America of Dutchess Country (MHA): https://mhadutchess.org/
International Drug Overdose Awareness Day: https://www.dea.gov/ioad - :~:text=August 31 is recognized as, end overdose and related harms.
Hope on a Mission: https://www.hopeonamission.org/
Council on Addiction Prevention and Education (CAPE): https://capedc.org/
CATEGORIES
Addiction Recovery
Education
Events
Financial Aid
Service Organizations
WORDS TO LIST: Drug overdose, Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug misuse
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Radio Rotary interview Todd Bowen, president of Wappingers Rotary and, at 21, the youngest club president ever in District 7210. Bowen, originally from Pine Plains, got his start in Rotary when his family moved to Wappingers Falls, putting Bowen into Roy C. Ketcham High School, where he joined one other male student and 28 young women in the school’s Interact Club, a Rotary-sponsored service organization Bowen was recruited to be Interact’s secretary, which led in the following years for him to become president of the club (twice). He spearheaded the group’s raising $1,000 to finance a ShelterBox. By the end of his second year leading the club, it had grown to 140 members. While attending Mount St. Mary College in Newburgh, Bowen joined Wappingers Rotary in 2018 Today he works at the charitable organization Habitat for Humanity while maintaining important roles in the club’s Housing Support project, the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), and trying to start a Rotary Satellite club. Bowen is also active at the District Level, currently as Executive Secretary of District 7210.
Learn more
Rotary Club of Wappingers Falls: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/2259
Habitat for Humanity of Dutchess County:https://habitatdutchess.org/
Rotary Interact: https://www.rotary.org/en/get-involved/interact-clubs
ShelterBox USA: https://www.shelterboxusa.org/
Rotary Satellite Clubs: //clubrunner.blob.core.windows.net/00000050026/en-ca/files/sitepage/membership/satellite-club-guide/Guide-to-Satelite-Clubs.pdf
CATEGORIES
Housing Assistance
Rotary Club Projects
Youth
WORDS TO LIST:
District 7210, Rotary Club of Wappingers Falls, Rotary Officers, Satellite Clubs
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New Paltz Rotarians Robert Rich and Pascal Guirma, along with Pacal’s brother
Vlctor, return to RadioRotary to report on the progress of Friends of Guirgho in
improving the school and other facilities in the Burkina Faso village of Guirgho, a rural
settlement about 60 km from the capital of Burkina Faso. Burkino Faso (formerly
Upper Volta), the ancestral home of the Guirma brothers, is a landlocked nation in
West Africa. When France controlled this part of West Africa. French Jesuits started a
boarding school, but few natives would attend. Finally the Emperor had his second
son, known as Bila Victor, sent to the school, signaling it was safe to attend. One of
Bila Victor’s sons, Frédéric Guirma, educated at the school, became the first
ambassador from Upper Volta to the United States and later the ambassador to the
United Nations. Two of his sons, Victor and Pascal, remained connected to the
ancestral village of Guirgho. Visiting the village they saw the need for a better school
and for other modern improvements. Rotarians from New Paltz pitched in to help .
The Friends replaced ancient desks with modern ones and added latrines to the
school. One of their most complicated projects was bringing computers to the school,
since there was no electricity until they introduced solar power.
Learn more
Friends of Guirgho: mailto:https://www.friendsofguirgho.org/
New Paltz Rotary Club: mailto:https://www.newpaltzrotary.org/
Burkina Faso: mailto:https://www.britannica.com/place/Burkina-Faso
Ambassador Frédéric Guirma: mailto:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frédéric_Guirma
CATEGORIES
International Programs
Rotary Club Projects
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Mental Health America of Dutchess County (MHA) provides many services to the residents of Dutchess County, ranging from the Mobile Crisis Center, sober supported housing, and care management. One of the most wide-reaching group of programs are for veterans. Alyssa Carrion, the Director of Veterans Programs is the guest of Radio Rotary, who describes the several programs MHA offers to vets. Vet2Vet provides emotional support and assistance in obtaining benefits.
Another program deals with housing, employment, and reintegration. The Veterans Employment Training and Transitions Program mainly helps veterans with obtaining employment. Because so many veterans suffer from Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), MHA provides suicide prevention along with programs of different forms of therapy. MHA programs also link to other veterans’ services. All MHA programs for veterans are free.
Learn more:
MHA of Dutchess County: https://mhadutchess.org/
Vet To Vets United: https://www.vetstovetsunited.org/
New York State Veterans’ Services; https://veterans.ny.gov/
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: https://www.va.gov/
CATEGORIES
Housing Assistance
Mental Health
Support Groups
Veterans
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Radio Rotary interviews the District 7210 Governor (DG); for Rotary year 2023-24, Walden Rotarian Peter Sullivan. In addition to the 58 regular Rotary clubs that DG Sullivan shepherds (including the international eClub and the service-oriented Passport club), District 7210 is home to three satellite clubs, small groups sponsored by a Rotary club that plan to grow into regular clubs, and two Rotaract clubs. DG Sullivan discusses how the District focuses on different causes throughout the year, warm clothing in the fall, food security in the winter, and a special Day of Service, when all clubs conduct service projects on the same day, in the spring.
Learn more:
Rotary District 7210: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/
District 7210 Mental Health Initiative: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/page/wellness-initiative
Walden Rotary Club: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/clubinfo/walden
Walden Rotary’s satellite club: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/stories/satellite-club-established-in-ellenville-rondout-valley
Rhinebeck Rotary’s satellite club: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/stories/rhinebeck-rotary-grows-with-addition-of-satellite-club
Greenville Rotary’s satellite club: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/stories/greenville-satellite-club-meeting-10-27-at-6-30-p.m.
Rotary.org Clubfinder: https://my.rotary.org/en/club-search
CATEGORIES
Hudson Valley
Rotary District 7210
Rotary International
WORDS TO LINK: Rotary District 7210, Rotary International, Service Organizations
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RadioRotary interviews Branka Bryan, Executive Director of Grace Smith House, a shelter in Dutchess Country for women (and some men) confronted with domestic violence. Grace Smith House started in 1981 and now serves over 2,500 victims each year. In October-- Domestic Violence Awareness Month-- a project designed to dramatize the effects of domestic violence once again is in local galleries in Poughkeepsie and Rhinebeck. The Grace Smith House Clothesline Project is a powerful visual display of t-shirts created by survivors of domestic violence, or their loved ones. Each shirt is decorated to represent a particular victim's experience. The t-shirts are on display at local art galleries. The Purple Ribbon Project in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month is for students and staff at Bard College and Dutchess Community College to tie a purple ribbon onto a tree branch. Each ribbon represents support for survivors of domestic violence. Along with the ribbons, lawn signs showcase domestic violence statistics and Grace Smith House resources
Learn more
Grace Smith House: mailto:https://www.gracesmithhouse.org/
Domestic Violence Services, Dutchess County: mailto:https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Community-Family-Services/Domestic-Violence.htm
National Domestic Violence Awareness Month: https://nationaltoday.com/national-domestic-violence-awareness-month/
CATEGORIES
Domestic Violence
Support Groups
Women
WORDS: Domestic Violence, Shelters
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Mathew Swerdloff and his wife Elise Gold created the Maya Gold Foundation in honor of their daughter Maya who committed suicide at the age of 15, but the Foundation is involved with more than suicide prevention. After a trip to India, Maya became involved in efforts to stop human trafficking in Nepal. Today the Foundation has developed a close relation with groups in Nepal. The program also features Hannah Stillhouse, now a college student who has both gone with one of the groups of 16 teenagers the Foundation takes to work in Nepal, but back in the U.S. has led one of the Foundation’s Youth Action Teams who work to help teenagers improve mental health.
Learn more:
Maya Gold Foundation: http://www.mayagoldfoundation.org/
Youth Action Teams: https://www.mayagoldfoundation.org/who-we-are/youth-action-team
Teen Mental Health First Aid: https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/population-focused-modules/teens/
CATEGORIES
Education
Human Trafficking
International Programs
Mental Health
Support Groups
Youth
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/radiorotary/support
In an exclusive interview, direct from Scotland, Rotary International President Gordon R. McInally chats with RadioRotary about his plans for the coming year.
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Millbrook Rotarian Courtney Tsahalis, Director of the Millbrook Library, visits Radio Rotary to talk about how the modern library is much more than books to lend. Although this refers to such services as Internet access, audio and video resources, books online, and even physical objects to lend, in the case of Millbrook Library there are community services beyond those. In partnership with Millbrook Rotary, the library houses a community refrigerator where those in need of perishable foods can take from what is available. The library also houses frequent programs of all kinds including regular music events as well as children’s story times and more.
Learn more
Millbrook Library: https://millbrooklibrary.org/
Millbrook Library on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MillbrookLibrary/
Mid-Hudson Library System: https://midhudson.org/
CATEGORIES
Arts & Letters
Education
Rotary Club Projects
WORDS: Libraries, Millbrook, Community Refrigerators,
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Radio Rotary welcomes Lily Schaub and Jill Rodriquez, who describe the In Flight program that aids persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In Flight, Inc. empowers their clients to support a meaningful quality of life, which can range from developing basic skills to living in a group home (or independently) or to finding satisfying employment. In Flight achieves its mission through residential services for adults and one-on-one skill-building, including for children living at home. The I-Sail program provides training that can lead to employment opportunities. Clients and supporters come together in August for the Cornhole for a Cause fundraiser, which includes music, food trucks, raffles, and other entertainment.
Learn more:
In Flight: https://www.inflightinc.org/
COM-HAB: https://www.inflightinc.org/community-habilitation/
I-SAIL: https://www.inflightinc.org/isail-flights-success-academy-independent-living/
Hudson Valley Service Providers: https://www.hvspllc.org/
New York State Office of Developmental Disabilities: https://opwdd.ny.gov/
Developmental Disabilities: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/developmentaldisabilities/facts.html
CATEGORIES
Developmentally Disabled
Events
Service Organizations
Vocational
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/radiorotary/support
Rotarian Christopher Parkinson (Bow, NH, Rotary Club, Past District Governor District 7870, 2007-08) joins Radio Rotary to describe the 7870 District’s 22-year involvement with improving conditions in Honduras, one of the poorest nations in the Western Hemisphere. The project began when a major hurricane destroyed much of Honduras in 1999. The mission from District 7870 that year revealed the serious problems that faced that Central American nation and led to more than 30 subsequent missions to build schools, improve sanitation and water sources, and provide medical assistance.
Learn more:
Amigos de Honduras (Friends of Honduras): https://rotary7870.org/page/amigos-de-honduras-district-mission
Pure Water for the World: https://www.purewaterfortheworld.org/
Rotary District 7870: https://rotary7870.org/
Rotary Club of Bow, NH: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/1612
CATEGORIES
Disaster Relief
Health
Humanitarian Service
International Programs
WORDS TO LIST: Honduras, Clean water, Sanitation, Rotary projects
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Radio Rotary welcomes Rotarian Paul Ramunni (and one of his more than 500 accordions) to the program. A few years ago, Mr. Ramunni learned of the connection between musical instruments, especially accordions and concertinas (smaller instruments sometimes called “squeezeboxes”), to the Holocaust. Concentration camp prisoners who played instruments were often used in propaganda bands. He began to collect historic accordions, having learned to play the accordion as a youth. His collection is now displayed in the old railway station in North Canaan, Connecticut, at the New England Accordion Connection and Museum, which also sells instruments and related items. Mr. Ramunni has many wonderful stories of how accordion music in the museum has had a profound effect on some visitors, many recounted in his book Accordion Stories from the Heart. On the show, he also plays a lovely rendition of “Arrrivederci Roma.”
Learn more:
New England Accordion Connection & Museum: https://newenglandaccordionconnectionandmuseumcompany.com/
Accordion Stories from the Heart: https://www.amazon.com/Accordion-Stories-Heart-collection-extraordinary/dp/0976176610
CMTQ Guide to Accordion Museum: https://www.ctmq.org/new-england-accordion-museum/
The Accordion in History: https://www.earlymusicamerica.org/web-articles/according-the-accordion-its-historical-due/
CATEGORIES
Arts & Letters
Museums
WORDS TO LIST: Accordions, Specialty Museums, Connecticut Attractions
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/radiorotary/support
Michelle Martinetti, the founder and CEO of River Valley Arts Center in Wappingers Falls, visits Radio Rotary to tell about the multiple studio spaces for
arts and community programs that constitute the Arts Center. Renters and community organizations provide classes and workshops in music, performing
arts, visual arts, yoga, kintsugi, photography, culinary arts, language arts, robotics, STEM, and more that are based in the single building that previously
was the education building for the United Methodist Church. A commercial kitchen is also available. In the works is also a remake of the church’s former
sanctuary into a hall with a stage that will become an event space.
Learn more:
River Valley Arts Center: https://rivervalleyartscenter.com/
CATEGORIES
Arts & Letters
Business Assistance
Education
Events
WORDS TO LIST: meeting rooms, event spaces
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Radio Rotary welcomes Ruthanne Becker, Senior Vice President of the Mental Health Association of Westchester, to discuss the Coordinated Behavioral Health Services (CBHS), a partnership of nine not-for-profit agencies that provide behavioral health and developmental disability services throughout seven counties in the lower Hudson Valley, helping more than 60,000 individuals annually. The mission of CBHS is to support its members’ efforts to provide effective behavioral health services to the Medicaid, Medicare, and uninsured population. The telephone number (845) 615-9312 will reach trained counselors who can direct a person with mental health issues to the agency that will provide help.
Learn more:
Coordinated Behavioral Health Services: https://www.cbhsinc.org/
Mental Health Association of Westchester: https://www.mhawestchester.org/
CATEGORIES
Addiction Recovery
Housing Assistance
Mental Health
Service Organizartions
WORDS TO LIST: Coordinated Behavioral Health Center, Mental Health, Addiction, Mental Health Association of Westchester
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/radiorotary/support
Our guest was Past District Governor Tony Marmo. May 2023 was a big month for Rotary District 7210. First were a series of Membership meetings on May 15-18. Each night there was a free dinner at a restaurant in the eight-county, free not only for a person interested in learning more about Rotary but also free for the Rotarian bringing that person to the dinner. Each dinner was held in a restaurant located in a different part of the District-- DiamondMills in Saugerties, Shadows on the Hudson in Poughkeepsie, Growler and Gill in Nanuet, and Clemson Brothers Brewery in New Paltz. The goal in increasing the number of members in the 55 clubs in the district. Then on May 20, more then 500 Rotary clubs in 5 states will participate in the Day of Service, community activities such as blood drives (Kingston)m starting a community refrigerator (Millbrook), or community clean-up (Red Hook). Most clubs will also join with other community organization for the Day of Service.
Learn more:
RotaryDistrict 7210: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/
RotaryDay of Service 2023: https://rotarydayofservice.org/
DianaEdwards, Regional Membership Chair: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-edwards-8803a345/
Kingston(NY) Rotary Club: https://www.kingstonnyrotary.org/
CATEGORIES
Events
RotaryDistrict 7210
RotaryMembership
WORDSTO LIST: Rotary International; RotaryDistrict 7210; Rotary Membership
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Live from Locavore in Red Hook, this Radio Rotary showfeatures the annual Apple Blossom Day, the Mother’s Day weekend street festivalthat starts the spring-summer season in Red Hook and Tivoli with hundreds offood and craft vendors and live music by local bands. President-Elect AdrianeMonterre, chair of Apple Blossom Day 2023,describes the array of entertainers,food trucks, community organizations, and vendors as well as the new-this-yearStudent Talent Show. The event and parking are both free. Some of the boothsalso contribute to CLYNK, described on the program by current Red Hook RotaryPresident Jennifervan Voorhis. CLYNK collects bottles that return a deposit and funnels the savingsto Red Hook Rotary, which uses the income to help support community projects. Theprogram also features Red Hook’s long participation in Rotary’s InternationalYouth Exchange and scholarships funded by the Red Hook Rotary EducationFoundation.
Learn more:
RedHook Rotary Club: http://www.redhookrotaryclub.org/
RedHook Rotary on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RedHookRotaryClub/
District7210 Youth Exchange (YEX): https://rotarydistrict7210.org/sitepage/youth-exchange-district-7210-long-term/welcome
Rotary Youth Exchanges: https://www.rotary.org/en/our-programs/youth-exchanges
CLYNK:https://www.clynk.com/
RedHook Rotary Education Foundation: https://www.redhookeducationfoundation.com/
CATEGORIES
Education
Events
InternationalExchanges
RotaryClub Close-ups
RotaryDistrict 7210
Youth
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For this program, CommunityEducator Dora Celestino, for CAPE (the Council on Addiction Prevention &Education in Dutchess County) returnsto Radio Rotary along with Preventiin Coordinator MaryAlice Kovatch, for the Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Council ofOrange County, join Radio Rotary to talk about a new program, Team Teen, alsoknown as Teen Intervene. The purpose of the program is to delay the start ofaddiction or to reduce the use of the addicting substance. Teens at risk areidentified and provided help along with their families through guidedconversations with trained therapists. All forms of addiction are considered,with vaping and marijuana use currently on the rise.
Learn More:
CAPE(Council on Addiction Prevention & Education: https://capedc.org/
Alcoholism& Drug Abuse Council of Orange County: http://www.adacinfo.com/
Team Teen (TeenIntervene): http://www.adacinfo.com/programs-services/teen-intervene/
CATEGORIES
AddictionRecovery
Education
MentalHealth
ServiceOrganizations
Words for Search: Addiction Prevention and Recovery
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Radio Rotaryinterviews Brett Bernardini, a former Rotarian and now the Executive Directorof the The Stissing Center, a place for arts located in a restored 1915building, the largest structure in Pine Plains, New York. Although Pine Plains is set amid the farmcountry of Dutchess County, the Stissing Center and some high-class restaurantsand other businesses are making it one of the cultural attractions of the ruralcounty. The main hall, upstairs, has been revivedinto a beautiful, rustic-chic performance space with an accessible glassentryway, flexible floor plans, and rebuilt proscenium stage. The lower level, TheCellar at The Center, isan intimate second performance and gathering space.Performances include play-readings at Local Produce (local playwrights),chamber music, jazz, and dance.
Learn More:
The StissingCenter: https://www.thestissingcenter.org/
Local Produce: https://www.thestissingcenter.org/local-produce
CATEGORIES
Arts &Letters
Events
Words for Search: Pine Plains, Chamber Music, Jazz,Dance, Play Readings
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Radio Rotary is visited by El Dorado Hills, CA, Rotarian Bill Tobin, Rotary Relations Manager for ShelterBox USA, ShelterBox started with Rotarians from theHelston-Lizard club in the United Kingdom. In 2000, these Rotarians observed the many disasters reported in the news and developed the idea of providing a basic tool kit to help family’s recover. The idea, promoted by Rotarians around the world, grew into the nonprofit that is often the first to arrive at anatural disaster or war scene. Because it was recognized that shelter from the elements was a priority, tents were provided.
Originally a large storage box, weight kept to 100 pounds so it could be carried by an individual, was packed with tools, water purifiers, lighting,blankets, and other necessities. Recently solar power has become part of the toolkit. Tent (and supplies) in a box became ShelterBox. Today there are manyspecialized versions of the ShelterBox, adjusted to the needs of the specific disaster victims.
Learn More:
ShelterBox USA:https://www.shelterboxusa.org/
ShelterBoxDisaster Relief https://shelterbox.org/
YosemiteAdventure Trek: https://www.shelterboxusa.org/adventurers-trek-yosemite/
El Dorado HillsRotary: https://www.edhrotary.org/
Rotary Club ofHelston-Lizard: https://www.rotary-ribi.org/clubs/homepage.php?ClubID=1608
CATEGORIES
Disaster Relief
InternationalPrograms
Words for Search: ShelterBox, disaster relief
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Fishkill Rotarian Vicki Kessler joins co-hosts Jonah Triebwasser and Sara Claitor- O’Conner to present the Rotary Day of Service, an idea developed by Robert Friend of the Madison (CT) Rotary Club, who previously had created the Million Mask Project for Rotary Clubs to donate face masks during the covid epidemic.
On one day each year (May 20 in 2023) all the Rotary clubs that are participating will perform an act of community service. Participants this year include Rotarians from more than 500 Rotary clubs and 14,000 Rotarians across 5 states and 3 countries, from Connecticut to Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and New York in the United States, plus the countries of Bermuda and Brazil—Bermuda because it is joins part of New York State in Rotary District
7230, and Brazil as one of the countries with members in the Eclub of District 7210.
Learn More:
Rotary 2023 Date of Service: https://rotarydayofservice.org/
Rotary District 7210: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/
Fishkill Rotary: https://www.fishkillrotary.org/
Robert Friend: https://rotarynepets.org/page/robert-friend-2024
CATEGORIES
Events
Rotary Club Projects
Words for Search: Rotary, Day of Service
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WappingersFalls Rotarians Steve Crew and Sue Bennett visit Radio Rotary to promote theannual festival, A Cup of The Valley, co-sponsored by the Rotary Club ofPoughkeepsie South, Harney & Sons Fine Teas, and Greenwood Lake RoastersCraft Coffee. Attendees can sample fine teas and coffees along with pastriesand other local delicacies and also purchase these products to bring home.There is also live music and other entertainment. A Cup of the Valley is one ofthe main fundraisers for the scholarships and meal support that the clubprovides. A second fundraiser for the club is the annual golf tournament at thePowelton Club, one of the oldest golf clubs in the nation.
Learn More:
A Cup of TheValley: https://acupofthevalley.com/
A Cup of theValley on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cupofthevalley/?hl=en
WappingersFalls Rotary: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/2259
WappingersFalls Rotary on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Wappingersfallsrotary/
PoughkeepsieSouth Rotary on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/poughkeepsiesouth.rotaryclub/
Harney &Sons Fine Teas on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=rotaryclub of wappingers falls
Greenwood LakeRoasters Craft Coffee: https://www.gwlrcc.com/
Powelton Club: https://www.powelton.com/
CATEGORIES
Events
Rotary Club Close-ups
Words for Search: Tea, Coffee, Golf
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Radio Rotaryhosts Mike Carber of the MARC Foundation Board of Directors to learn aboutprograms funded by the Foundation and its coming fundraising events. The MARC Foundation,which grew out of the MARC Agency (now a part of Mental Health of America ofDutchess Country), funds programs and organizations that support addictionprevention and recovery, including addiction to alcohol or other drugs or to characterdefects such as gambling. Recently this support has included developing anoverdose memorial, providing scholarships for addiction therapy, and helpingsubstance abusers transition to a drug-free life. Money for this support israised at the Annual Luncheon and by the Tom Gannon/Cliff Andrews Day of Golf,as well as from contributions to the overdose memorial and donations from thepublic. A new fundraising event this year is a bowling tournament. Learn thedetails of these events from the radio show or from the MARC Foundationwebsite, http://www.marc-foundation.org/.
Learn More:
MARCFoundation: http://www.marc-foundation.org/
Mental HealthAmerica of Dutchess County: https://mhadutchess.org/
Dutchess CountySubstance Misuse Prevention and Treatment, https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/County-Executive/Breaking-Through.htm
CATEGORIES
AddictionRecovery
Dutchess County
Mental Health
Support Groups
Words for Search: Addiction, Overdose, Substance Misuse,Memorials
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From Greystone Programs Tracilyn Vaticano,Assistant Executive Director and Samara Enders, Director of Philanthropy, reportto Radio Rotary about the charity’s annual Leap for Autism and other aspects ofGreystone’s work with autistic individuals. Since 1979 Greystone Programs has providedessential community-based and residential services and life-enrichingopportunities to more than 600 children, adults, and families who deal withautism in Dutchess, Orange, and Ulster counties of New York State. One annualfundraiser is a tandem skydive at Skydive the Ranch in Garrison, NY, an eventthat brings 60 to 70 donors along with Greystone staff to parachute fromairplanes in support of Greystone Programs—the seventh annual Leap for Autism.In a tandem skydive and trained diver manages the parachute for both divers,who descend connected from a single chute.
Learn more:
GreystonePrograms: https://www.greystoneprograms.org/
Skydivethe Ranch: https://skydivetheranch.com/
NYSOffice for People with Developmental Disabilities: https://opwdd.ny.gov/
AutismSpectrum Disorder: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/facts.html
CATEGORIES
DevelopmentallyDisabled
Education
Events
MentalHealth
ServiceOrganizations
Wordsto List: Autism,Charities
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RadioRotaryinterviews Laura Lane, Poughkeepsie program coordinator for Literacy Connectionsof the Hudson Valley. Literacy Connections uses a state-approved tutoring programwith trained volunteers to help adults gain reading skills and to tutor immigrantswho have poor or no English. Theservices of Literary Connections are free; the organization is supported bydonations from individuals, foundations, and government agencies. Althoughthe program works all year long, the highlight of the year comes with the annualSpelling Bee at Marist College, a competition for high-school students andadults; sponsors for the Spelling Bee contribute to the funds that has kept theprogram going more than 45 years. Functional illiteracy is more than justinability to read words--literacyis the ability to understand, evaluate,use, and engage with written texts in ways enabling a person to participate insociety, achieve that person’s goals, and develop his or her knowledge andpotential. It includes the skills neededto fill out forms and read instructions, not just to read or write andunderstand a sentence.
Learn more
Literary Connections of the Hudson Valley:mailto:http://www.literacyconnections.org/
National Spelling Bee: mailto:http://spellingbee.com/
Illiteracy in the United States:
https://ortongillinghamonlinetutor.com/illiteracy-statistics-in-the-united-states/
English as a Second Language: https://educationusa.state.gov/your-5-steps-us-study/research-your-options/english-language/what-are-english-language-programs
CATEGORIES
Arts& Letters
Education
Events
Literacy
ServiceOrganizations
Wordsto List: Reading, Literacy,Illiteracy
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Rotarian Jim Elliott (Downers Grove, Illinois) took the lesson he had learned in a college course in scuba {Self-Controlled Underwater Breathing Apparatus) to found what has become a worldwide. volunteer-driven organization focused on building confidence and independence in disabled children, adults and veterans. The program, Diveheart, provides this help by teaching disabled persons scuba diving and scuba therapy. Through Diveheart, persons with disabilities who struggle with life on land have discovered that the forgiving, weightless wonder of the water column provides the perfect gravity-free environment. Underwater, everyone is equal. The cooperation of local Rotary clubs has enabled Diveheart to travel to Malaysia, Australia, and the United Kingdom, among other locations. Learn about Diveheart from the Radio-Rotary interview with Mr. Elliott.
Learn more:
Diveheart: https://www.diveheart.org/
Diveheart on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=Diveheart
Downers Grove Rotary: https://dgrotary.org/
Downers Grove Rotary on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DGRotary/
Categories
Words to List: Persons with disabilities, SCUBA,
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Andrew O’Grady, CEO of Mental Health America of Dutchess County (MHA) visits Radio Rotary to introduce “Mental Health First Aid,” an eight-hour course that that teaches ways to identify, understand, and respond to signs of a mental health or substance use problem. Similar to physical First Aid and CPR, Mental Health First Aid helps a trainee assist someone in a mental health or substance use crisis. MHA, among the sponsors of the First Aid course, is a nonprofit devoted to community-based services for dealing with mental-health problems. Its many programs include care management, mobile crisis aid, community residences for persons experiencing substance misuse, veterans’ services, mental-health backup for police, supported housing, several varieties of support groups, and workshops and educational programs. MHA has aided more than 6,000 persons solve their mental-health problems in the past twelve years.
Learn more:
Mental Health America of Dutchess County: https://mhadutchess.org/
Mental Health First Aid: https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/
National Council for Mental Wellbeing: https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/
Categories
Addiction Recovery
Education
Mental Health
Service Organizations
Support Groups
Veterans
Words to List: Mental health
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Radio Rotary welcomes Rotarians Boe Loendorf (Cairo Durham Rotary) and Elena Mosley (Hudson Rotary), part of the eight-member Committee for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in Rotary District 7210. The members of this committee are fanning out through District 7210, helping Rotary Clubs increase their commitment to DEI. Rotary was once an international club whose members were primarily wealthy male businessmen or government leaders, which might still describe Rotary in some nations. But in the United States, Rotary has been growing more diverse to reflect the local community. No longer does Rotary include primarily professionals—people of all vocations are welcome. Since 1987, when Rotary clubs in the United States began to admit women as members, the clubs in this country have become more devoted to service without abandoning fellowship. Clubs actively change their meeting schedules and practices to attract younger members and members of all community groups. From this program you can learn about some of the ways to make DEI happen.
Learn more:
What is DEI? https://www.inclusionhub.com/articles/what-is-dei
DEI in District 7210: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/page/dei-home
Hudson Rotary Club: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/clubinfo/hudson-2
Cairo Durham Rotary Club: http://www.cdrotaryclub.org/
CATEGORIES
New Generations
Rotary District 7210
Rotary Membership
Vocational
Words to List:
DEI, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Rotary
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Hyde Park Rotarians Richard Mattocks, 2022-23 club president, and John Vanderlee are interviewed on Radio Rotary about their club’s activities, focusing mainly on a comedy night at Coppola’s Hyde Park restaurant to support Rotary’s Polio Plus program, which is making great strides toward eradicating polio completely throughout the world. The comedy night program will feature two well-known stand-up comedians, Kendra Cunningham and Katina Corrao. Dinner is at Coppola’s is included. Proceeds of the event will benefit Polio Plus and also other activities of Hyde Park Rotary such as scholarships, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), and “Little Libraries.” The “Little Libraries” are available day and night—residents can take a book and/or leave a book for others to read,
Learn more:
Hyde Park Rotary: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/clubinfo/hyde-park
Hyde Park Rotary on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RotaryHydeParkNY/
Kendra Cunningham: https://www.kendracunningham.com/
Katina Corrao: https://www.katinacorrao.com/
PolioPlus: https://www.rotary.org/en/our-causes/ending-polio
Coppola’s Restaurant: https://www.coppolas.net/coppola-s-of-hyde-park
CATEGORIES
Events
Global Polio Initiative
PolioPlus
Rotary Club Projects
Words to List: Polio, Polio Eradication, End Polio Now, Hyde Park Rotary, Kendra Cunningham, Katina Corrao
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Rotarians Steven Caine and Laura Lee (Burnt Bills Ballston Lake Rotary) visit Radio Rotary to tell about their efforts to help bring medical facilities to Muchila Center, an isolated village in Zambia—the nearest hospital is two hours away.
In addition to assistance from the Rotary clubs of Kusinta and Lusaka, the new clinic uses equipment supplied by Project C.U.R.E. Much needed dental facilities and transportation are also part of the nonprofit Muchila Access Project, which will serve over 43,000 persons in the Muchila region. Burnt Hills Ballston Lake Rotary is working on a Rotary Foundation Global Grant directed primarily toward providing maternal and child health and disease prevention and treatment, including dental health. As many as 1 in 13 women die from maternal related causes in regions like Muchila, compared to 1 in 4,000 in developed countries, and about 80% of the population in the region suffers from oral disease.
Learn more:
Burnt Hills/Ballston Lake Rotary: https://bhblrotary.org/
Rotary Club of Lusaka (Zambia): https://lusakarotary.org/
Rotary Club of Kusinta (Zambia) on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KusintaRocks/
Muchila Access Project: https://www.muchilaaccess.org/
Project C.U.R.E.: https://projectcure.org/
CATEGORIES
Health
International Programs
Rotary Club Projects
Rotary Foundation
Words to List:
Zambia, maternal and child health, disease prevention and treatment, Rotary Foundation Global Grants
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CAPE is the Council on Addiction Prevention & Education in Dutchess County. For this program, Dora Celestino, Community Educator, returns to Radio Rotary to talk about how CAPE uses education about the harm caused by substance misuse disorder—including addiction to tobacco, alcohol, prescription drugs, or street drugs— as a way to prevent such misuse. Duchess County currently experiences more overdose deaths than any other county in New York State, mainly due to the synthetic drug fentanyl. While fentanyl may be taken deliberately, it is also used as an additive to other drugs, so persons may be exposed without expecting it. CAPE teaches children, often younger than 13,to avoid buying drugs over the internet. Another frequent misuse of drugs is taking a prescription medicine by raiding a medicine cabinet. But the most common form of drug misuse among children is vaping, nicotine delivered with an electronic device as a substitute for cigarettes. CAPE is also showing a movie about a family after their 19-year-old dies from drug misuse (Life After You at the Millerton Moviehouse)
Learn more:
CAPE (Council on Addiction Prevention & Education: https://capedc.org/
U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, One Pill Can Kill: https://www.dea.gov/onepill
Dutchess County Addiction Prevention Services: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/County-Executive/38732.htm
Trailer for Life After You: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUic3dmeHU4
CATEGORIES
Addiction Recovery
Education
Mental Health
Service Organizations
Words to List:
Addiction, Opiates, Fentanyl, Substance Misuse Disorder, Vaping
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Millbrook Rotary is 50 years old and celebrating the anniversary Radio Rotary welcomes Millbrook Rotarians past-district-governor Cindie Kish and charter member David Brinkerhoff to describe the history and activities of the Millbrook club. In 1973 a group of about 25 men—at the time only men were admitted to rotary—began meeting in the Cottonwood Inn and soon petitioned Rotary International and were granted status as the Rotary Club of Central Dutchess with an official territory extending from Pine Plains in the north, LaGrange and Pawling in the south, and Pleasant Valley in the west. As time went on groups from that club spun off the Hyde Park, Rhinebeck, Pleasant Valley, and LaGrange Rotaries, leading the Central Dutchess club to change its name to Millbrook Rotary. A major change occurred when women were admitted to Rotary starting in 1987. The 50thAnniversary will be celebrated at the Links in Unionvale, guest speaker Cara Mia Bacchiochi, founder of Hope on a Mission, one of the many organization that Millbrook Rotary partners with in community service.
Learn more:
Rotary Club of Millbrook: https://millbrookrotary.org/
Millbrook Rotary Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/129723737055248
Millbrook Rotary Business Directory: https://www.millbrookrotarydirectory.com/
Rotary District 7210: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/
Hope on a Mission: https://www.hopeonamission.org/
CATEGORIES
Humanitarian Service
Rotary Club Close-ups
Service Organizations
WORDS TO LIST: Millbrook NY, Millbrook Rotary. Rotary Clubs
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Radio Rotary interviews Steve Gessner, Chairman of the Pleasant Valley Ecumenical Food Pantry. This is a local community food pantry sponsored by the four local churches in the hamlet of Pleasant Valley, NY. We serve the hungry and needy families in the district surrounding my local community. The Pleasant Valley Food Pantry is an agency the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley, purchasing most of the food it distributes from the Food Bank at a discount. It distributes free food and items of person hygiene to about four hundred persons during a ninety-minute window each Wednesday. Families can choose the foods or supplied they want from a menu, although all get a package of fresh produce and bread along with their order. While 80% of the food distributed is from the Food Bank, the remainder is donated by individuals and groups such as the Pleasant Valley Rotary Club, which runs a food drive to fill a bus or truck with donations several times each year. The food pantry is an entirely volunteer effort with fifty or more local residents volunteering each week.
Learn more:
Pleasant Valley Ecumenical Food Pantry: https://www.nyconnects.ny.gov/services/pleasant-valley-ecumenical-food-pantry-sofa34725
Food Bank of the Hudson Valley: https://foodbankofhudsonvalley.org/
Pleasant Valley Rotary Club: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/clubinfo/pleasant-valley
CATEGORIES
Nutrition
Rotary Club Projects
WORDS TO LIST: Food Pantries, Food Banks, Hunger,
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Sarah O’Connell-Claitor and Kathy Kruger learn the latest development of the Vassar-Haiti Project (VHP) from Lila Meade, Executive Director of Vassar-Haiti Project (VHP), and Laury Senecal, Vassar senior who is president of the Vassar Rotaract Club and co-president of Student Executive Board. For twenty-one years, VJP the has improved the lives of Haitians in the remote mountaintop Haitian village of Chermaitre and its surroundings. Today Chermaitre and the surrounding area is served by a 200-student school, a clinic that treats 3,000 patients annually, solar-power system to bring electricity to the clinic. and a system bringing clean water to the community. A new project is adult education, teaching illiterate patients to read. Education, health, community economic improvement, and clean water are all Rotary goals as well, and 14 Rotary Clubs from District 7210 as well as three others from other districts, have been one of the main supports of VHP, along with annual sales of works by Haitian artists.
Learn more:
The Vassar Haiti Project: http://www.thehaitiproject.org/
The Rotary Foundation Global Grants: https://my.rotary.org/en/take-action/apply-grants/global-grants
Rotaract: https://www.rotary.org/en/get-involved/rotaract-clubs
Rotary District 7210: mailto:https://rotarydistrict7210.org/
CATEGORIES
Education
Health
International Programs
Rotary Club Projects
Rotary Foundation
Water Projects
WORDS TO LIST: Haiti, Rotary projects
--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
The Sparrow’s Nest charity that provides meals to the families of persons experiencing cancer is planning a big expansion, Krista Jones returns to RadioRotary with news of a $50,000 grant from Astra-Zenica and a vision of the charity’s future. When a good friend developed stage-4 colon cancer, Ms. Jones recognized that cancer affects the whole family and began to provide daily meals for her friend’s family. Today, with mostly volunteer help, her Sparrow’s Nest charity provides two free meals a day for some 300 cancer-affected families in the mid-Hudson with children under 18. Ms. Jones still manages to do all the cooking herself, but Sparrow’s Nest has moved from Ms. Jones’ kitchen to a professional kitchen and office in a commercial space. The hope is to obtain a new site where vegetables and perhaps chickens can be raised to provide even healthier local food to its clients. Donations, including those through several annual events such as a 5-k walk, are needed to make the dream of a small farm for the charity come true/
Learn more:
Sparrow’s Nest: http://sparrowsnestcharity.org/
Sparrow’s Nest Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/oursparrowsnest/
Nutrition and Cancer Treatment: https://www.cancer.org/treatment/survivorship-during-and-after-treatment/staying-active/nutrition.html
CATEGORIES
Health
Nutrition
Service Organization
Volunteers
WORDS TO LIST:
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Cara Mia Bacchiochireturnsto RadioRotary to describe progress of Hope on a Mission, her continuing ministry to homeless Poughkeepsie women (and men), many also addicted to drugs or alcohol. Seven years ago, as she was once-again in jail, Cara Mia vowed to help street women, aware of their needs because she had been one. When she was out of jail, she borrowed a car, filled the trunk with bottles of water and parked at the corner of Main and South Clinton, one of the most traveled locations for street women and addicts in Poughkeepsie, handing out water to those who past. Since then every Saturday evening, sometimes in rain or snow, her the street ministry Hope on a Mission (HOAM) has served from that corner. Bacchiochi and volunteers, many from local Rotary clubs, distribute food, clothing, and personal care items, restoring dignity to the homeless and addicted. Those who are ready to change their lives are escorted to Dutchess County’s Stabilization Center or to Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital (formerly St. Francis) for treatment. Since that first visit, Hope on a Mission has added a Saturday breakfast and dinners on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, a 20-passenger bus bringing help where it is needed, and a partnership in a thrift shop.
Learn more:
Hope on a Mission Website: https://www.hopeonamission.org/
Hope on a Mission HOAM Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/hoampk/
Cara Mia Bacchiochi on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carabacci
Stabilization Center: https://people-usa.org/program/crisis-stabilization-center/
Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital Chemical Dependency: https://www.midhudsonregional.org/alcohol-drug-dependency
CATEGORIES
Addiction Recovery
Dutchess County
Homelessness
Service Organizations
WORDS TO LINK: homelessness, addiction, drug dependency, recovery
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Toys for Tots in the Hudson Valley is updated in this program where cohosts Sarah O’Connell-Claitor and Jonah Triebwasser interview Mike Binns (Ulster County Coordinator), Marine sergeant Felipe Cabrera, and PAMAL radio host Randy Turner (who is also engineer for the Radio Rotary team). Toys for Tots was started by the Marines in Los Angeles 1947 to provide toys for children in need—distributing 5,000 toys in that first year. Walt Disney designed the familiar logo. Every holiday season since it has continued to be one of the charities that everyone loves, providing presents for children who might otherwise go without holiday gifts. Local businesses, such as Adams Fairacre Farms and have provided bins for collecting brand-new, unwrapped toys. Cash can be donated online at the website to buy toys, also.
Learn more:
Hudson Valley Toys for Tots: https://hudson-valley.toysfortots.org/local-coordinator-sites/lco-sites/default.aspx?nPageID=100&nPreviewInd=200&nRedirectInd=3
Toys for Tots on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ToysForTotsHudsonValley/
Marine Reserve Corps at Stewart Air Base: https://www.marforres.marines.mil/Major-Subordinate-Commands/4th-Marine-Aircraft-Wing/Marine-Aircraft-Group-49/ssstewart/
WBPM (92.9): https://www.929wbpm.com/
National Toys for Tots campaign: https://www.toysfortots.org/
CATEGORIES
Children
Hudson Valley
Service Organizations
WORDS TO LINK: Toys, Children, Charities
--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary welcomes District 7210 Membership Chair and Past District Governor (2020-21) Highland Rotarian Tony Marmo who describes some of the many benefits of becoming a Rotarian. He personally likes the way that Rotary not only aids local community organizations but also has a global reach. With over 200 nations that have active Rotary clubs, Rotarians around the world can find partners to promote such goals as peace, literacy, clean water, maternal health, and disease prevention (notably the work toward eradicating polio). Rotary was founded in 1905 by four professionals who met weekly for lunch to plan community improvements. Today’s Rotarians have expanded their reach by including meetings for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and also by working with satellite clubs, with the high school and college adjuncts (Interact and Rotaract), and with online e-clubs.
Learn more:
Rotary Club Locator: https://my.rotary.org/en/club-search
Highland (NY) Rotary Club: https://highlandrotaryclub.com/
Millbrook Rotary Club: https://millbrookrotary.org/
Pleasant Valley Rotary Club: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/clubinfo/pleasant-valley
Red Hook Rotary Club: https://www.redhookrotaryclub.org/
CATEGORIES
Rotary District 7210
Rotary International
Service Organizations
WORDS TO LINK: Rotary, Rotary membership
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Rhinebeck Rotarians Joe Phelan, current president, and Michelle Andrick, fundraising chair, visit Radio Rotary to describe the club’s Shop ‘n Sip promotion for Small Business Saturday. A donation of $25 in advance of the event permits one to pick up a shopping bag loaded with coupons for discounts at local businesses. The “sip” portion refers to an agreement with local restaurants, wine shops, and beer stores to provide shoppers with a sip of their products. Money raised by this event will help fund the projects of the Rhinebeck Club, including a cooperative one with the Church of the Messiah to settle an Afghan refugee family in the area. Another project is the Community Service Committee, a group of Rhinebeck Rotarians who help senior citizen and others with household repairs and upgrades.
Learn more:
Rhinebeck Rotary Club: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/2252
Small Business Saturday: https://www.sba.gov/about-sba/organization/sba-initiatives/small-business-saturday
Rhinebeck Shops: https://enjoyrhinebeck.com/directory/shop/
CATEGORIES
Business Assistance
Events
Housing Assistance
Rotary Club Projects
WORDS TO LINK: Shopping, Small Business Saturday, Rhinebeck Rotary
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RadioRotary interviews Christa Hines, CEO of Hudson River Housing, a vital service primarily in Dutchess County (but with a few facilities in nearby counties). For the past 40 years Hudson River Housing has worked to solve the housing problems of those who my face housing choices that would be more than 30% of their income, providing more than 1,500 units of affordable housing as well as a homeless shelter for those with no housing at all. Since the pandemic brought many new, relatively wealthy families out of the city or suburbs, the need for affordable housing in the region has increased—and Hudson River Housing has helped in several ways, not just with acquiring or building new units. Some of their programs include employment services, a drop-in center for youth, housing options for veterans, and senior housing services.
Learn more:
Hudson River Housing: https://hudsonriverhousing.org/
Poughkeepsie Housing Authority: http://www.poughkeepsiehousingauthority.org/
Housing and Homelessness in Mid-Hudson: https://mhvcommunityprofiles.org/housing/homeless-persons
CATEGORIES
Dutchess County
Homelessness
Housing Assistance
Service Organizations
WORDS TO LINK: Housing, Homelessness
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Ron Ferris, Sales and Marketing Manager at Mid-Hudson Works, re-visits Radio Rotary with more information about this unique Poughkeepsie nonprofit that provides skills, training, and paying work for veterans and persons with disabilities. Mid-Hudson Works, in a 53,000-square-foot brick building on Washington Street in Poughkeepsie helps veterans along with others prepare for such work as packing or assembling, skills useful in the many distribution centers of the Mid-Hudson region. And then gives them on-the-job training. Local or even national businesses use the services provided and the workers have paying jobs. The enterprise is about to celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2023.
Learn more:
Mid-Hudson Works: https://midhudsonworks.org/
MHA Veterans Programs: https://mhadutchess.org/services/vet2vet/
Dutchess Country Veterans’ Services: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Veteran-Services/Veterans-Services.htm
Think Dutchess (Dutchess Alliance for Business): https://thinkdutchess.com/
CATEGORIES
Business Assistance
Developmentally Disabled
Service Organizations
Veterans
WORDS TO LINK: Veterans, Training, Employment Opportunities
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
On the day before World Polio Day 2022 North Rockland Rotarian and 7210 Past District Governor (2006-07) Carole Tjoa, currently the District PolioPlus Chair, once again joins Radio Rotary to update the progress on polio eradication. In 1985 in the Philippines Rotary became the first to use the vaccines to eradicate polio. In 1988 Rotary began a worldwide eradication program, working with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the U.S. CDC, joined by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2007. This team has eliminated wild polio in all but two nations (Pakistan and Afghanistan), but the United States has recently experienced a resurgence of a type of polio in Rockland County, NY, with some spillover to adjacent regions. One person was partly paralyzed by the disease. Health authorities quickly moved to provide vaccination against the type of polio that surfaced here, brought by a visitor or immigrant from another part of the world.
Learn more:
Global Polio Eradication Initiative: https://polioeradication.org/
PolioPlus: https://www.endpolio.org/
Carole Tjoa: https://www.rocklandtimes.com/2017/03/23/unsung-hero-carole-tjoa-rotary-club-of-north-rockland/
North Rockland Rotary Club: https://northrocklandrotary.org/
CATEGORIES
Global Polio Initiative
Health
International Programs
PolioPlus
WORDS TO LINK: polio
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Radio Rotary once again comes live from the Taste Budd’s Café in Red Hook. On this program Carl Dowden, Chairman of the Red Hook Rotary Foundation, introduces Amy Smith, Red Hook Rotary’s Citizen of the Year for 2022. Smith is Director of Programs and Youth Services at Red Hook Public Library, but also is engaged with Red Hook Village in several other ways. She worked with Rotary and the Town of Red Hook on installing WiFi at the Red Hook Recreation Park for use during the covid pandemic. Smith also tutors English as A Second Language, and she is a member of both the Dutchess County Youth Board and the Think Differently Planning Committee, activities that earned her the Citizen award. Also on the program Red Hook Rotary President Jennifer Van Voorhis describes the Klick program for recycling and Red Hook Youth-Exchange (YEX) coordinator Christine Chale outlines two types of international youth exchange.
Learn more:
Red Hook Rotary Club: https://www.redhookrotaryclub.org/
Red Hook Rotary on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RedHookRotary/
Amy Smith on Daily Catch: https://www.thedailycatch.org/articles/rotary-club-names-red-hook-librarian-amy-smith-citizen-of-the-year/?fbclid=IwAR0MIGtLfcVo7KGlOzH4A0R0nocexkEjHPe12JCK0WCcdWKJpVMsUMp5C5w
Red Hook Public Library: https://redhooklibrary.org/
District 7210 Youth Exchange: http://yex7210.org/
CATEGORIES
Environment
Events
International Exchanges
Literacy
Rotary Club Projects
Youth
WORDS TO LINK: Awards; Red Hook, NY; Youth Exchanges; Recycling
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Radio Rotary interviews both Broomall (PA) Rotarian Paul Quintavalla and Pleasant Valley (NY) Rotarian Kathy Kruger (producer of Radio Rotary) about their experiences helping teams of Rotary physicians and nurses treat children—and some adults—for the birth defect known as cleft lip or cleft palate in locations around the world where the local economy does not offer the option of surgery, including Venezuela and the Philippines. Teams of physicians, nurses, and volunteer stay in one location for two weeks, using surgery to correct these disfiguring and often unhealthy conditions that frequently cause ostracism and rejection. Children who have never been able to smile or in some cases are unable to eat properly can have their condition easily repaired.
Learn more:
Rotaplast: https://rotaplast.org/
Cleft Lip and Palate: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/birthdefects/cleftlip.html
Treatment for Cleft Lip or Palate: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cleft-lip-and-palate/treatment/
Broomall Rotary Club: https://broomallrotary.com/
CATEGORIES
Children
Health
Humanitarian Service
International Programs
WORDS TO LINK: Cleft lip; cleft palate; surgery; Rotaplast; Rotarian International
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
On Columbus Day weekend you can expect the annual Italian Festival at the Kingston waterfront, known as the Roundout, sponsored by the Ulster County Italian American Foundation. Festival Chair Anthony Tampone and Highland Rotarian Tony Marmo join Radio Rotary to describe this year’s fun-filled festival, which takes place on October 9 from 11:00 a.m. ‘til 8:00 p.m. The Festival celebrates the Italian heritage of Ulster, Dutchess, and Orange counties with food and music from Italy. The event and parking are free, with shuttle buses from three locations in Kingston to the Roundout. There is music from local bands and singers all day (and also a world-famous accordionist), culminating with the big band of Louis Prima, Jr. Activities for children include face painting, Venetian masks, Italian cartoons, and a children’s parade. Italian culture is recognized with photo opportunities with famous Italian art, language lessons, pasta-making lessons, and a spaghetti-eating contest. The Festival concludes with fireworks.
Learn more:
2022 Italian Festival: https://ucitalianamericanfoundation.org/events/festival/
Ulster Country Italian American Foundation: http://www.ucitalianamericanfoundation.org/
Roundout at Kingston, NY: http://thekingstonwaterfront.com/
Highland Rotary: https://highlandrotaryclub.com/
CATEGORIES
Events
Hudson Valley
Service Organizations
WORDS TO LINK: Italian American
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Each year Radio Rotary interviews the current District 7210 Governor (DG); for Rotary year 2022-23 the DG is Suffern Rotarian Larry Palant, who in 20 years of Rotary membership has previously handled a number of important assignments, including promoting ShelterBox and leading the Membership Committee. DG Palant discusses how the District focuses on different causes throughout the year, warm clothing in the fall, food security in the winter, and the environment in the spring. A relatively new focus, promoted by Rotary President Jennifer Jones, the first woman to head Rotary International, is DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion). Listen to the show to enjoy a couple of “Rotary Moments” with DG Palant and to learn about how “Imagine Rotary” works as the slogan for the 2022-23 Rotary Year.
Learn more:
Rotary District 7210: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/
Rotary International President Jennifer Jones: https://www.rotary.org/en/2022-23-president-jennifer-jones-eager-advance-rotarys-narrative
Rotary.org Clubfinder: https://my.rotary.org/en/club-search
Suffern Rotary Club: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/2255
ShelterBox: https://www.shelterboxusa.org/
CATEGORIES
Hudson Valley
Rotary District 7210
Rotary International
WORDS TO LINK: Rotary District 7210, Rotary International, Service Organizations, Nutrition, Disaster Relief
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Glenville Rotarian Jimmy Thomas has embarked on a five-month journey to support providing veterans with service dogs, dogs trained to aid in handling a specific medical need. A veteran Army MP himself, Jimmy knows first hand the difference a service dog can make. His dog, Boots, had been trained to prevent seizures and was remarkably successful, with Thomas going from a couple of seizures a month before Boots to a single episode in the five years that Boots was with him. Trained Service Dogs are very expensive, so Thomas is raising money from sponsors of his canoe trip from Glenville to Key West and bike ride back to his destination, the Veterans Administration in Albany, NY, with the money raised going to help veterans. Glenville Rotary has arranged for Rotary Clubs along the route to support, feed, and house Thomas, although sometimes he will need to camp in a tent.
Learn more:
Doggie Paddle for Veterans: https://doggiepaddle.org/
Glenville Rotary Club: https://www.glenvillerotary.org/
America’s Vet Dogs: https://www.vetdogs.org/AV/getaservicedog/AV/DogPrograms/getaservicedog.aspx
CATEGORIES
Rotary Club Projects
Veterans
WORDS TO LINK: service dogs, veterans, doggie paddle
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
The Radio Rotary team visited Millbrook Rotary at the Millbrook Café to broadcast a show about the Food of Life/Comida de Vida food pantry run by Amenia’s St. Thomas Episcopal Church. Interviewees included AJ Stack, who is not only Rector of the Church but also the current president of Millbrook Rotary; Jim Wright, co-warden and facility manager of the church who was among the founders of Food of Life in 2009; co-warden Samantha Lucas; and newly hired manager of the pantry, Danny Hutnick. Radio Rotary co-host Sarah O’Connell-Claitor, a member of Millbrook Rotary and a parishioner of St. Thomas, was able to add her own observations. The Food of Life pantry started in the church, grew and moved to the parish house, grew more and moved to the parking lot, where today there is a new building that houses the operation. Next door is The Giving Garden, started in 2014, which supplies most of the fresh vegetables dispensed by the pantry, which currently helps feed 300 families each week.
Learn more:
Food of Life/ Comida de Vida:https://stthomasamenia.com/comida-de-vida-food-of-life-pantry/
St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Amenia Union: https://stthomasamenia.com/
Millbrook Rotary: https://millbrookrotary.org/
Millbrook Café: https://themillbrookcafe.com/
CATEGORIES
Nutrition
Service Organizations
WORDS TO LINK: food pantries, community gardens
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
The chair for the 2022 edition of the Pleasant Valley Weekend in 2022, Terri McCormick, and the publicity director, Cindi White Halupke, visit Radio Rotary to describe the event. The traditional activities at Cady Field (behind the Town Hall) and in the hamlet will include such favorites as Pleasant Rotary’s Beer & Wine Tent, several kinds of popular music, typical carnival foods and more, bonce houses, the Lions Club bicycle ride, a parade on Sunday, and the race of plastic ducks down nearby Wappingers Creek In addition, Friday will feature a car show, Saturday ends with fireworks, and there will be thirteen booths providing information on local organizations such as the Pleasant Valley Free Library and Mental Health America of Dutchess County.
Learn more:
Pleasant Valley Weekend 2022: https://www.pvweekends.com/
Pleasant Valley Rotary Club: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/clubinfo/pleasant-valley
Pleasant Valley Rotary on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/136229353135240/
Pleasant Valley Lions Club on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Pleasant-Valley-Lions-Club-NY-606476433167428/
CATEGORIES
Children
Dutchess County
Events
Words for Search:
Dutchess County, Pleasant Valley (NY)
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Mental Health America of Dutchess County (MHA) provides a wide range of services to veterans, families, children, and those who, because of poverty, need help from local nonprofits or government-sponsored services. MHA’s CEO, Andrew O’Grady, returns to Radio Rotary to describe several of the programs that MHA has in place to provide community-based solutions to mental-health problems. The 250 workers at MHA are not all therapists—although some are—but they are all able to meet with those in need, direct them to sources of assistance, and follow up for as long as necessary. MHA partnerships with local businesses lead to employment opportunities. A newly donated building will enable MHA to set up a one-stop-shop for veteran’s services. Apartments and community residences can help with housing. MHA services are free or very inexpensive for its clients.
Learn more:
Mental Health America of Dutchess County (MHA): https://mhadutchess.org/
Veterans Services in Dutchess County: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Veteran-Services/Veterans-Services.htm
Home and Community-Based Services: https://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/American-Indian-Alaska-Native/AIAN/LTSS-TA-Center/info/hcbs
CATEGORIES
Addiction Recovery
Dutchess County
Housing Assistance
Mental Health
Service Organizations
Veterans
WORDS TO LINK: mental health assistance, substance misuse assistance, veteran services, housing, community-based assistance
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Jessica Madden, Director of Crisis Services at Mental Health America of Dutchess County (MHA) visits Radio Rotary to describe the revamped Mobile Crisis Center, previously run by the county but now operated by MHA under the supervision of Ms. Madden. In addition to mental health issues, the Mobile Crisis Center also helps persons affected by substance misuse. Typically, intervention is triggered by a phone call to 988 (the national mental health and suicide lifeline) or to MHA, usually not initiated by the individual needing assistance. A worker at Crisis Services then contacts the individual, bringing police assistance when needed, to de-escalate the situation. The individual will be directed to appropriate social services or supports. Afterward, a worker from the Mobil Crisis Center will keep in touch with the individual daily as needed.
Learn more:
Mobile Crisis Intervention Team: https://mhadutchess.org/services/mobile-crisis-intervention-team/
Mental Health America of Dutchess County (MHA): https://mhadutchess.org/
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/988
CATEGORIES
Addiction Recovery
Mental Health
Service Organization
WORDS TO LINK: mental health assistance, substance misuse assistance, mobile crisis center
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Poughkeepsie-Arlington Rotarian Darcy McCourt, Executive Director of Rebuilding Together in Dutchess County, is the guest on this week’s Radio-Rotary program. Rebuilding Together grew out of an annual event called “Christmas in April,” for which volunteers on one day in April would repair homes of low-income senior citizens. The name was changed to “Rebuilding Together” to reflect its transition to a year-round program. The mission, however, remains the same, although expanded: to make critical repairs for safety in private homes of those who cannot afford to pay for similar work. Rebuilding Together Dutchess County provides critical repairs, accessibility modifications, and energy efficiency improvements for seniors, persons living with disability, families with children, and active or retired members of the armed services. These services are provided at no cost to the homeowner. The work is done by local volunteers while much of the funding comes from grants or from local businesses.
Learn more:
Rebuilding Together. Dutchess County: https://www.rebuildingtogetherdutchess.org/
Rebuilding Together (national network): https://rebuildingtogether.org/
CATEGORIES
Aging
Dutchess Country
Housing Assistance
Service Organizations
Veterans
WORDS TO LINK: Home repair assistance, home safety, independent living
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Sabrina Jaar Marzouka, Commissioner of the Dutchess Country Department of Community and Family Services, and Ashely Tilton, case manager for foster care for Dutchess County, visit Radio Rotary to explain how foster care provides a safe environment for children newborn up to age eighteen who are unable to live with their birth families. The goal of using foster care is to provide a temporary refuge; if a permanent arrangement is needed, adoption is the answer. Ms. Tilton has a pool of foster parents who have been through background checks and a ten-week training. She works to match a child who has been identified by Child Protective Services with an appropriate foster family from this foster-parent pool. The ultimate goal is to reunite the child with biological parents.
Learn more:
Dutchess Country Department of Community and Family Services: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Community-Family-Services/Community-and-Family-Services.htm
Foster Care, Dutchess County Family Services: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Community-Family-Services/Foster-Care.htm
Child Protective Services in Dutchess County: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Community-Family-Services/Child-Protective-Services-CPS.htm
Dutchess Foster Care Agencies: https://affcny.org/foster-care-agencies-dutchess-county-ny/
CATEGORIES
Children
Dutchess County
WORDS TO LINK: Foster Care, Dutchess County, Family Services
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Greater Newburgh Rotarian Doug Hovey, founder and CEO of Independent Living Inc. and Independent Home Care, visits Radio Rotary to talk about his 501(c)3 that aids persons with any type of disability to live independently. Although the first thing that you might think of is adapting a home for wheelchair living (they do that), Independent Living, Inc. also helps those with mental illness, substance abuse, deafness, and age-related disabilities. Doug Hovey became paralyzed below the waist 42 years ago and has worked since to help others with disabilities. Even the staff at Independent Living all have disabilities of one kind or another. Listen to this Radio Rotary show to hear a remarkable story about a remarkable Rotarian.
Learn more:
Independent Living, Inc.: https://myindependentliving.org/
Greater Newburgh Rotary Club: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/2235
Fair Pay for Home Care: https://fairpayforhomecareworkers.org/
CATEGORIES
Addiction Recovery
Aging
Developmentally Disabled
Housing Assistance
Mental Health
Quality of Life
Service Organizations
WORDS TO LINK: Independent Living, Home Care, Accessible Housing, Therapy Sources, Substance Abuse, Wheelchair Access
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Tony Musso, freelance journalist and weekly columnist at the Poughkeepsie Journal, joins the Radio Rotary team for a discussion of his latest book, Mothball Fleet on the Hudson: The Post-World War II National Defense Reserve. Many residents and visitors crossing the Hudson on the Bear Mountain Bridge in the 1950s or 1960s have seen the flotilla of warships lined up along the river and wondered what they were there for. Musso, the principal chronicler of Hudson Valley historical sites, tells the story in his new book. Many listeners are likely to be familiar with his earlier 3-volume series, “Hidden Treasures of the Hudson Valley,” his regular “Dateline” columns in Gannett newspapers, his tours of historic sites, and his frequent appearances as a speaker on historical topics. Most of these will be discussed in this wide-ranging interview.
Learn more:
Tony Musso’s Website: https://mussobooks.com/
Hidden Treasures of the Hudson Valley: https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Treasures-Hudson-Valley-Anthony/dp/061554892X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=C3AZF4C85RJA&keywords=hidden+treasures+of+the+hudson+valley&qid=1659630967&s=books&sprefix=hidden+treatures+of+the+hudson+valey%2Cstripbooks%2C65&sr=1-1
United States Navy Reserve Fleets: https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/United_States_Navy_reserve_fleets
CATEGORIES
History
Hudson Valley
Travel
WORDS TO LINK: Mothball Fleet, National Defense Reserve, Hudson Valley Historical Sites, History of Hudson Valley
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Once again Radio Rotary reports from the annual Rotary Convention, this year in Houston, TX, where Dave and Kathy Kruger interviewed representatives of organizations that work with Rotary to make a difference in the world. Stephen Popper, president and CEO of Meals of Hope, tells about how that organization partners with Rotary clubs to pack five different nutritious meals for food pantries to disperse. Razia Jan relates the story of how she, as an Afghan native living in Massachusetts, came to found two free schools to educated girls and women in Afghanistan, still thriving despite the Taliban government. Gemma Sisia used her Rotary connections to found the School of St. Jude, which educates nearly 2,000 impoverished Africans annually as well as supplying volunteer teachers for Tanzanian government school. President and CEO of Mediators Beyond Borders, Prabha Sankaranarayan leads Mediators Beyond Borders International, an official Service Partner of Rotary International that has been working for peace since 1910. The fifteen international Service Partner—organizations such as ShelterBox and Habitat for Humanity—work closely with Rotary but also maintain separate chartable operations.
Learn more:
Houston Rotary Convention: https://convention.rotary.org/en/houston
Meals of Hope: https://mealsofhope.org/
Razia’s Ray of Hope: https://raziasrayofhope.org/
School of St. Jude: https://www.schoolofstjude.org/
Mediators Beyond Boarders International: https://mediatorsbeyondborders.org/
Service Partners of Rotary International: https://my.rotary.org/en/learning-reference/about-rotary/partners
CATEGORIES
Education
International Programs
Nutrition
Peace
Rotary International
Service Organizations
Women
WORDS TO LINK: Women’s Education, Food Programs, Mediation, Africa, Afghanistan, Schools
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Once again Radio Rotary brought its microphones to the annual Rotary Convention, this year in Houston, TX, where Dave and Kathy Kruger interviewed several representatives of organizations that are making a difference in the world. Tim Nelson, CEO of Hope for Justice, described the work that nonprofit is doing to end human trafficking and various forms of slavery around the world—a mission also of the Rotary Action Group (RAG) Against Slavery. Rich Lalley spoke about Operation Warm, which provides winter coats and shoes for children in need. Michelle Wilson represented the Rotary Action Group LBGT+. Jenny Andrews, Executive Director of Malaria Partners International, described this program models on Rotary’s polio eradication effort (and like PolioPlus, blessed with matching grants from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation). Stay tuned to Radio Rotary for more great interviews in a follow-up program from the Convention.
Learn more:
Houston Rotary Convention: https://convention.rotary.org/en/houston
Hope for Justice: https://hopeforjustice.org/
Rotary Action Group Against Slavery: https://ragas.online/
Operation Warm: https://www.operationwarm.org/
Rotary LBGT+ Fellowship: https://rotarylgbt.org/
Malaria Partners International: https://www.malariapartnersinternational.org/
CATEGORIES
Children
Health
International Programs
Rotary International
Service Organizations
Support Groups
WORDS TO LINK: Slavery; Trafficking; Aid for Children; LBGT; Malaria
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Lisa Loughran from Red Hook, NY, visits Radio Rotary’s microphone to tell about the story behind the annual Red Hook event, Roger’s Run for AMC Awareness. This is a community-wide set of runs and walks that had its inspiration in the discovery vis ultrasound that Loughran’s son would be born with a congenital condition, arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, usually called AMC. This condition affects joints and muscle throughout the body. Roger Loughran was born with his limbs extended—the joints had “frozen” in position. Loughran, a runner and cyclist, originated the run-walk event to raise money for AMSI, where she had discovered other parents of children with AMC, parents whose stories gave her hope. Indeed, twelve years and much physical therapy later, Roger Loughran plays basketball and football. He is well known throughout the Red Hook community. Roger’s Run has involved that community every June in a group project to support research into AMC and its treatment.
Learn more:
Roger’s Run 4 AMC: https://www.rogersrun4amc.com/
AMCSI (Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita Support Inc); https://www.amcsupport.org/
AMC Support on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AMCSUPPORT/
CATEGORIES
Events
Health
Support Groups
Service Organizations
WORDS TO LINK: Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita, AMC, Red Hook, NY, Runs and Walks
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Upcycling is taking something that might be discarded as trash and turning it into something more valuable. Unshattered is a charitable organization that helps women in recovery from addition stay sober as they upcycle donated textiles and leathers into beautiful handbags and other products. Radio Rotary’s guest for this program is Kelly Lyndgaard, who six years ago left her work as an engineer and physicist for IBM to found Unshattered. Located in Hopewell Junction in Dutchess County, Unshattered partners with major manufacturers who donate their surplus textiles and leathers. The women workers, all of whom came from recovery community housing, design and sew the materials into handbags, leather tote bags, wallets, and more. The program is unusually effective—in the six years of its existence, none of the women have relapsed into active addiction. Listen to the program to learn about the three secrets built into each product and much more.
Learn more:
Unshattered: https://unshattered.org/
Work and Recovery: https://sjwjobs.org/blog/7-reasons-why-work-is-important-to-addiction-recovery/
Unshattered Products on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnshatteredNY/shop/?ref_code=search_hcm_cta&ref_surface=global_search
CATEGORIES
Addiction Recovery
Service Organizations
WORDS TO LINK: Upcycle, Recovery Programs, Handbags, Leather Products, Unshattered
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Elizabeth Spira, CEO of the Community Action Partnership of Dutchess Country (CAP), visits Radio Rotary to describe the many programs that CAP offers to assist low-income residents with food, housing, energy needs, prescription medicine costs, and more. Community Action agencies originated as part of President Lyndon Johnson’s “War on Poverty,” which began in 1964, and are an example of a federal program the works at the country or regional level. For those in need, CAP supplied 3 days of food (3 meals a day) at 4 locations in Dutchess County. For energy needs, not only is there financial help in buying fuel, but a weatherization offer that dramatically reduces fuel needs. The employment program helps seekers “Dress for Success” and prepare resumes. Case workers help sort out the problems people face and find solutions to them. There is much more in this fascinating interview.
Learn more:
Community Action Partnership for Dutchess Country: https://www.dutchesscap.org/
History of Community Action: https://www.ncap.info/about/history/history-of-community-action.html
CATEGORIES
Aging
Business Assistance
Dutchess County
Financial Aid
Housing Assistance
Nutrition
Service Organizations
WORDS TO LINK: Community Action; Food Pantries; Housing Assistance; Energy Assistance; Employment Assistance; Senior Assistance; Medicine; Weatherization
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Radio Rotary co-host Jonah Triebwasser and producer Kathy Kruger interview two Red Hook Rotary Interactors about their project of raising a puppy for the Bluepath Service Dogs, an organization that supplied trained service dogs that work with autistic children ages 5 to 12. The sisters, who both are active in service projects for in Interact and the Girl Scouts, also volunteer for the local food pantry as well as being part of the school yearbook team and play alto saxophone in the jazz band. They often “puppy sit” for Bluepath service dogs during times when the dog’s owners are on trips or otherwise unavailable, but their main project has been raising a dog for the program, teaching the puppy to be sociable and follow commands. The adult dogs help their owners reduce stress. protect them during times their autism might endanger them and offer a way to more independent living.
Learn more:
Bluepath Service Dogs: https://www.bluepathservicedogs.org/
Interact Clubs: https://www.rotary.org/en/get-involved/interact-clubs
Red Hook Rotary: https://www.redhookrotaryclub.org/
ShelterBox USA: https://www.shelterboxusa.org/
Aquabox: https://www.aquabox.org/
CATEGORIES
Developmentally Disabled
Service Organizations
WORDS TO LINK: Red Hook, NY, Interact, Girl Scouts, service dogs, autism
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
The Radio Rotary team interviews a half dozen members of the cast of Romeo and Juliet (Or Dating Game Gone Wrong), directed by Emily Haupt, a production of Red Hook’s Linden Avenue Middle School’s. The concept is that a frame story based on television’s Dating Game leads into Shakespeare’s tale of star-crossed lovers. The show was presented on June 4 and 5 in the new, professional auditorium at Red Hook High School. While some of the actors are new to live performances, others, although still in middle school, have been acting for years in camp productions and elsewhere. By double-casting some of the roles, the performance utilized the skills of abut twenty actors as well as other students working behind the scenes.
Learn more:
L.A.M.S. Romeo and Juliet: https://www.facebook.com/groups/344497695706336/search/?q=Romeo
Linden Avenue Middle School: https://www.redhookcentralschools.org/domain/152
Red Hook Central School District on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/redhookcsd/
Red Hook Rotary: https://www.redhookrotaryclub.org/
CATEGORIES
Education
Events
Youth
WORDS TO LINK: Red Hook, NY, student productions, Romeo and Juliet
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Ron Ferris, Operations Manager at Mid-Hudson Works in Poughkeepsie, visits Radio Rotary to describe how this unique 75-year-old nonprofit helps veterans and persons with disabilities find work in the Hudson Valley. In 1947 as World War II veterans, many still in their early 20s or even younger, returned home and needed work, IBM (then International Business Machines) started a program to train these veterans, many of whom had never held a job outside the armed services. Today this work continues in a huge brick building on Washington Street in Poughkeepsie, a place that hires, trains, and places today’s veterans along with others who may need training for such work as packing or assembling, skills useful in the many distribution centers of the Mid-Hudson region. Paying work also takes place within the building, providing a useful aid for local businesses.
Learn more:
Mid-Hudson Works: https://midhudsonworks.org/
Mental Health America of Dutchess Country: https://mhadutchess.org/
MHA Veterans Programs: https://mhadutchess.org/services/vet2vet/
Dutchess Country Veterans’ Services: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Veteran-Services/Veterans-Services.htm
Think Dutchess (Dutchess Alliance for Business): https://thinkdutchess.com/
CATEGORIES
Business Assistance
Developmentally Disabled
Service Organizations
Veterans
WORDS TO LINK: Veterans, Training, Employment Opportunities
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Poughkeepsie Arlington Rotarian Bernard Handel proposed in 2020 that his club undertake improvement of parks in the city of Poughkeepsie, The Rotary Club met with the city Parks and Recreation Department, which suggested that the club start with Spratt Park, which features a pool and trails, a children’s playground, and a former dog park—all in poor condition or nonfunctional. The following year, the club obtained a grant from The Rotary Foundation and District 7210 to help fund the restoration. The club also found sponsors who could help, including the Jewish Federation of Dutchess County and insurer Marshall & Sterling. By 2022 work was already showing many improvements, with a ribbon-cutting opening of the restored park on May 13. Poughkeepsie Arlington President Darcy McCourt and Membership Chair Adam Belok visit Radio Rotary to describe the many improvements in the park.
Learn more:
Poughkeepsie Arlington Rotary: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/clubinfo/poughkeepsie-arlington
Poughkeepsie Arlington Rotary on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/poughkeepsie.arlington.rotary.club
Poughkeepsie Parks and Recreation: https://www.cityofpoughkeepsie.com/221/Parks-Recreation
CATEGORIES
Community Planning
Events
Rotary Club Projects
WORDS TO LINK: Parks, City of Poughkeepsie
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
In a rare all-live show, Radio Rotary’s co-hosts visit Red Hook Rotary’s meeting in Taste Budd’s Café to learn about some of the club’s activities. Dave Wright is heading the 2022 Apple Blossom Day, the street festival that starts the spring-summer season in Red Hook and Tivoli with hundreds of food and craft vendors and live music by local bands. Linda Greenblatt is the club’s chair for Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), the week-long leadership training program for high-school sophomores. Tom Lynch is the advisor for the Red Hook High School Interact club, a junior edition of Rotary with similar goals of community service. Chris Chale not only handles the International Youth Exchange f(YEX) or the club, but also is the YEX Chair for District 7210. YEX in District 7210 sends high school juniors or seniors to select nations where English is not the primary language and brings students from those countries to local Rotary clubs where the student spends an entire school year living with local families. There are several other club activities, including CLYNK, described on the program by current Red Hook Rotary President Jennifer van Voorhis. CLYNK locally is a service of Hannaford grocery, which collects bottles that return a deposit and funnels the savings to Red Hook Rotary, which uses the income to help support community projects.
Learn more:
Red Hook Rotary Club: http://www.redhookrotaryclub.org/
Red Hook Rotary on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RedHookRotaryClub/
RYLA: https://www.rotary.org/en/our-programs/rotary-youth-leadership-awards
Interact: https://admissionsight.com/interact-club/
District 7210 Youth Exchange (YEX): http://yex7210.org/
Rotary Youth Exchanges: https://www.rotary.org/en/our-programs/youth-exchanges
CATEGORIES
Events
International Exchanges
Rotary Club Close-ups
Rotary District 7210
Youth
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Hour Children connects incarcerated mothers with their children, who stay for a few days with volunteer families living near correctional facilities while they visit their jailed mothers. Radio Rotary welcomes back Dr. Alethea Taylor, executive director of Hour Children, along with Kate Paletta, an Hour Children volunteer for the past 18 years. Ms. Paletta cares for children of the incarcerated mother for a few days so that the children can visit their mothers at nearby Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women. Bedford Hills provides a parenting center for the visits. The visiting children interact also with Kate’s four children, often forming lasting relationships. The Hour Children program raises money and brings host families, children, and mothers together at an annual Mother’s Day luncheon.
Learn More:
Hour Children: https://hourchildren.org/
Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women: https://prisoninsight.com/correctional-facilities/state/new-york/bedford-hills-correctional-facility/
Recidivism in Women’s Prisons: https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2019/07/19/reentry/
CATEGORIES
Children
Education
Humanitarian Service
Service Organizations
Women
Words for Search: Prison programs, Children, Women’s programs, Recidivism, Parenting Centers
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Dr. Sarah Litvin, Director of the Reher Center for Immigrant Culture and History and Dr. Sarah Gardner, Curator of the museum, join another Sarah (co-host Sarah O’Connell-Claitor) and co-host Jonah Triebwasser for a program updating the story of the Reher Center, a unique asset of the Kingston, NY, waterfront (the Roundout). The Reher Center is housed in the former Reher Bakery, a Kingston institution run by the Reher family for 80 years. During the restrictions of the covid pandemic, the Center used the down time to upgrade the facilities, including a new gallery that is opening with an exhibit highlighting the role immigrants have played in making Kingston a center of sewing and other aspects of the garment industry. In addition to the exhibit, the Center will host special programs on women in the garment industry and workshops in sewing and embroidery.
Learn more:
Reher Center: https://www.rehercenter.org/
Reher Center on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReherBakery/
Ulster Immigrant Defense Network: https://ulsterimmigrantdefensenetwork.org/
The Kingston Waterfront (Roundout): https://www.thekingstonwaterfront.com/
The Garment Industry in Kingston: https://hudsonvalleyone.com/2021/09/17/the-local-garment-industry-once-employed-thousands/
CATEGORIES
Arts & Letters
Events
Museums
Words for Search
Kingston, NY; immigrant experience
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Greater Newburgh Rotarian Bob McCurdy visits Radio Rotary to explain how a fundraiser, or “fun-raiser,” for his Rotary Club also aids many different local nonprofits. The Hoops and Swish event, scheduled in 2022 for Saturday, April 30, from 9:00 a.m. until noon at the Newburgh Free Academy gym, was initiated by Newburgh Rotary in 2016, but in the past couple of years has been suspended because of the covid pandemic. The idea is simple: each participant is given two minutes to make as many baskets as possible—typically from 15 to a high of about 50. Each basket earns money for the sponsoring institution, with Newburgh Rotary collecting 20% of the total for providing the venue and for workers keeping track of baskets. Teams of local nonprofits can use the event to raise money for themselves, or corporate sponsors can choose to benefit a charity of their choice. Learn More:
Hoops and Swish 2022: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/2235/page/hoops-swish-fun-raiser
Greater Newburgh Rotary Club: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/2235
Greater Newburgh Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/GreaterNewburghRotary/
CATEGORIES
Events
Rotary Club Projects
Words for Search: Newburgh Fee Academy, basketball fundraiser, Newburgh
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Red Hook Rotarian BJ Mikkelsen visits Radio Rotary to tell a fascinating tale of how he became involved with the Ukrainian refugee disaster. Mr. Mikkelsen had been invited to help a friend in Berlin, Germany, celebrate his birthday. When Mr. Mikkelsen arrived in Berlin, the Russian invasion of Ukraine was a week old, and the plight of the Ukrainian refugees streaming west was already recognized as a major world disaster. Here in the U.S. and around the world, special arrangements were quickly being made to provide help, including a special Rotary International disaster fund. In Berlin, Mr. Mikkelsen, his friend, and his friend’s wife, a nurse, learned that the center of relief efforts was the principal Ukrainian church, one of the oldest churches in Berlin. The Mikkelsen group bought a large supply of groceries and another of medical materials which the church shipped by truck via back roads to Lviv in Ukraine. Listen to the program for much more of this interesting account of how the Ukrainians are being helped and also learn how Mr. Mikkelsen can help you donate to the Ukrainian cause. Learn More:
St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church: https://www.berlin.de/en/attractions-and-sights/3559961-3104052-st-nicholas-church.en.html
Donate to Aid Ukraine through Rotary: https://www.rotary.org/en/rotary-foundation-creates-channel-direct-humanitarian-support-ukraine-region#:~:text=In%20response%20to%20the%20deepening,as%20the%20main%20avenue%20for
Highland Rotary Club: https://highlandrotaryclub.com/
CATEGORIES
Disaster Relief
Humanitarian Service
Words for Search: Ukraine, Disaster relief, Refugees
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
For an international program, the Radio Rotary hosts, Jonah Triebwasser and Kathy Kruger, interview Roger Cassidy and David Hood from the Wirkswirth Rotary in England along with Tim Lynch of the Red Hook (NY) Rotary concerning Aquabox, a source of water filters and other emergency supplies that was formed in 1992 by the Wirkswirth Rotary Club. Aquabox now operates as an independent charity associated with Rotary International. The box of equipment for providing safe, clean water come in various configurations, from a one-family box of two filters and other disaster supplies to community filters than can produce 6 liters of potable water a minute. The current disaster in Ukraine has been receiving Aquabox filters delivered by the British Ukrainian Society.
Learn More:
Aquabox: https://www.aquabox.org/
Wirkswirth Rotary Club: https://www.rotary-ribi.org/clubs/homepage.php?ClubID=1334
Red Hook Rotary Club: https://www.redhookrotaryclub.org/
British Ukrainian Society: https://www.britishukrainiansociety.org/
CATEGORIES
Disaster Relief
Health
International Programs
Service Organization
Water Projects
Words for Search: Aquabox, water filter, disaster relief
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
For this show Radio Rotary was joined by Jan Miller, current president of Millbrook Rotary (Sarah O’Connell-Claitor’s club), and Mona Staaf-Gunther, past president of Millbrook Rotary, who is spearheading the 2021-22 edition of the “Millbrook Rotary Business Directory,” a publication that not only provides vital services for Central and North-Central Dutchess County but also is the source of funds to help support local nonprofits and other ways of doing good in the world. Because of the effects of the pandemic, improving the food supply locally has been a particular focus, with the Directory income helping support at least six local food pantries. Funding is also provided for other Rotary goals, such as the Youth Exchange (YEX) that brings high-school students from around the world to Millbrook for a school year and also sends Millbrook students to foreign lands. The advertising in the Directory that pays for this outreach, feature in some 5,000 free copies of a full-color book, is also a guide for locals and tourists to the many services available in Dutchess Country.
Learn More:
Millbrook Rotary Club: https://millbrookrotary.org/
Millbrook Rotary Business Directory: https://www.millbrookrotarydirectory.com/#/
Food for Life, Amenia: https://stthomasamenia.com/visit-the-food-pantry/
Food for Folks and More: https://www.lyallmemorial.org/about3
District 7210 Youth Exchange: http://yex7210.org/
CATEGORIES
Business Assistance
International Exchanges
Nutrition
Rotary Club Close-ups
Words for Search: Millbrook Rotary, Millbrook Busines Directory, Food Pantries, International Youth Exchanges
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Mike Carber of the MARC Foundation Board of Directors visits Radio Rotary to describe some of the programs funded by the Foundation and to announce some of its fundraising events. The main focus of the MARC Foundation in the spring of 2022 is a new Overdose Awareness Garden, developed in partnership with Mental Health America of Dutchess County, Gold’s Gym (LaGrange), and Dutchess County. The Garden, which opens on June 9, is a treelined memorial along the Dutchess Rail Trail that allows persons commemorating a person who has died as a result of substance misuse to place a memorial lock on a chain-link fence. Also, anyone can purchase an inscribed brick that will be used for the plaza. Signs and QR codes in a Kiosk direct the visitor to various sources of help for substance use disorder. On May 12, a luncheon at Chambord in Hopewell Junction will honor the person who inspired the Overdose Awareness Garden as well as raise money for the several different programs funded by the MARC Foundation.
Learn More:
MARC Foundation: http://www.marc-foundation.org/
Mental Health America of Dutchess County: https://mhadutchess.org/
Dutchess County Substance Misuse Prevention and Treatment, https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/County-Executive/Breaking-Through.htm
Dutchess Rail Trail: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Parks/Dutchess-Rail-Trail.htm
CATEGORIES
Addiction Recovery
Dutchess County
Mental Health
Support Groups
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Hour Children is a remarkable group of programs that, among other assistance, connects incarcerated mothers with their children. Its name acknowledges the key hours that impact the life of a child with an incarcerated mother – the hour of her arrest, the hour of their visit, and the hour of their reunification. In this show, RadioRotary welcomes Dr. Alethea Taylor, executive director of Hour Children, and her friend Laura, who is the house manager of one of the five Hour Children communal residences that provide a supportive environment for women starting the reentry process and reuniting with their children. The guests describe how
Hour Children assists women incarcerated at Bedford Hills and Taconic Correctional Facilities, both located in Bedford Hills, New York, and the Rose M. Singer Center located in New York City, with facilities for parenting education and even a nursery for mothers who give birth behind bars. Listen for the many other services from Hour Children.
Learn More:
Hour Children: https://hourchildren.org/
Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women: https://prisoninsight.com/correctional-facilities/state/new-york/bedford-hills-correctional-facility/
Rose M Singer Center at Riker’s Island: https://www.cobanyc.org/rose-m-singer-center
CATEGORIES
Children
Education
Humanitarian Service
Service Organizations
Women
Words for Search: Prison programs, Children, Women’s programs
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Dr. Toni-Marie Ciarfella, Deputy Commissioner for Special Needs of Dutchess County, comes to RadioRotary’s microphone with news of the county’s several programs available for people with special needs. The campaign, which includes local businesses as well as the county, is called Think Differently.Related to it are the awards and events dealing with employment, called Think Jobs, and an educational program run by Dutchess Community College called Think Ahead.Some fifteen local agencies, such a New Horizons, ARC, the Anderson Center for Autism, and the Down Syndrome Association of the Hudson Valley are part of the effort, which was started by Country Executive Marcus Molinaro in 2015. The Anderson Center is central to the program, which focuses much of its energy on making the county a place where those on the autism spectrum can be comfortable.
Learn More:
Think Differently: https://www.thinkdifferently.net/
Think Jobs: https://thinkdutchess.com/about-us/careers/
Think Ahead:
https://www.sunydutchess.edu/academics/academicsupport/opportunityprograms/think_ahead.html
Anderson Center for Autism: https://www.andersoncenterforautism.org/
Dutchess Country Department of Children and Family Services: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Community-Family-Services/Community-and-Family-Services.htm
CATEGORIES
Developmentally Disabled
Dutchess County
Mental Health
Quality of Life
Words for Search: autism, mental health, social services, Dutchess Country
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
You may have heard of the Astor Home for Children in Rhinebeck, NY, but that is only the original part of what has become since 1966 a wide-ranging service for mental health and education that is a major humanitarian force in the Hudson Valley and the Bronx. Sponsored by the Archdiocese of New York, Astor Services is now an essential part of many of the programs for children and young persons, including Head Start, Health Homes, Home Based Crisis Intervention, Probation Based Services, and much more. Learn about the wide reach of Astor Services in English and Spanish from this RadioRotary interview with Kim Stella, Assistant Executive Director for Care Management and Prevention at Astor Services.
Learn More:
Astor Services for Children & Families: https://www.astorservices.org/
Astor Home for Children: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astor_Home_for_Children
History of Astor Services: https://www.astorservices.org/about/history/#:~:text=Astor%20Services%20for%20Children%20%26%20Families%20%E2%80%94%20originally%20the%20Astor%20Home%20for,reduce%20the%20need%20for%20psychiatric
CATEGORIES
Addiction Recovery
Children
Developmentally Disabled
Education
Mental Health
Service Organizations
Youth
Words for Search: mental health, social services, Head Start, service organizations, crisis intervention
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Brian Doyle, CEO for Family Services, returns to RadioRotary with the latest news from his organization, the lynchpin of social services in in Dutchess, Orange, and Ulster counties. The Behavioral Health Centers in urban locations from Beacon to Kingston are undergoing an expansion in hours and staff, which includes psychiatrists, therapists, nurses, and social workers. The program also has an outreach to the Dutchess Country Jail that provides transition help for inmates on their release. Staff members are embedded with the Poughkeepsie police and district attorney’s office. Another area of recent expansion involves cooperation with the gun violence reduction program SNUG, a program that focuses on youth at high risk for involvement with gun violence between the ages of 14 and 24. Today the Family Partnership Center in Poughkeepsie works closely with some 20 different social service organizations.
Learn More:
Family Services: http://www.familyservicesny.org/
Family Services Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FamilyServicesHV
Behavioral Health Centers: https://familyservicesny.org/program-areas/behavioral-health-centers/
SNUG: https://www.nyconnects.ny.gov/services/snug-violence-prevention-37
CATEGORIES
Humanitarian Service
Mental Health
Service Organizations
Youth
Words for Search: behavioral health, gun violence, social services
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Samara Enders, Director of Philanthropy at Greystone Programs, is interviewed by co-host Sarah McConnell-Claitor and Jonah Triebwasser about the annual Leap for Autism and other aspects of Greystone’s work with developmentally disabled individuals. Greystone Programs is a privately-run non-profit organization that provides essential services and life-enriching opportunities to more than 600 children, adults, and families with autism and other developmental disabilities. The organization operates 17 group homes in Dutchess, Orange, and Ulster counties of New York State as well as providing after-school and school-break programs. While part of their funding is from government sources, the nonprofit relies on private donations as well. Their annual fundraiser is a skydive at Skydive the Ranch in Garrison, NY, an event that brings 60 to 70 donors to jump from airplanes in support of Greystone—the sixth annual Leap for Autism.
Learn more:
Greystone Programs: https://www.greystoneprograms.org/
Skydive the Ranch: https://skydivetheranch.com/
NYS Office for People with Developmental Disabilities: https://opwdd.ny.gov/
Autism Spectrum Disorder: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/facts.html
CATEGORIES
Developmentally Disabled
Education
Events
Mental Health
Service Organizations
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Melissa McCoy, the Chief Advancement Officer of Abilities First, Zooms into RadioRotary to describe this organization that provides schools for children and group homes for adults with developmental disabilities. The name Abilities First is meant to signify that the organization values what people can do, what they can learn, and what they accomplish rather than their limitations or disabilities. They provide a continuum of care with no fees for the services. The staff and volunteers work with children who have many different disabilities, and at age 21 individuals in the program transition to adult care. Most of the children travel to the schools from home although some board at the school. Services are available to residents in the six mid-Hudson counties, from Putnam and Orange through Green and Columbia, although the schools are mostly in Dutchess County.
Learn more:
Abilities First: https://www.abilitiesfirstny.org/
Abilities First on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AbilitiesFirstInc/
NYS Office for People with Developmental Disabilities: https://opwdd.ny.gov/
Dutchess Country Department of Behavior and Community Health: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/DBCH/dbch.htm
CATEGORIES
Developmentally Disabled
Education
Mental Health
Service Organizations
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary welcomes Jessica Ames, Outreach & Events Director for Angel Flights East, to the program. Angel Flights East provides free air transportation for medical needs to children, individuals, or families all over the Northeast region of the United State—fourteen states, Maine through Virginia through Ohio. Nearly all of the flights are in general-aviation aircraft with at least four seats, including some corporate jets used for longer flights when available. All of the pilots are volunteers. It was started in 1993 after the founder, who had provided free air transportation for victims of Hurricane Katrina, joined with other pilots to continue help for those needing transport from their homes to medical facilities or between hospitals. Since then, the volunteer pilots have made about 900 flights annually. This service is not the same as an air ambulance—passengers must be fit enough to enter and leave a small plane and to sit upright for the duration of the flight, which can sometimes be several hours. There are similar volunteer organizations throughout the United States.
Learn more:
Angel Flight East: https://angelflighteast.org/
Air Care Alliance Directory: https://www.aircarealliance.org/getting-assistance/directory-of-groups/
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA): https://www.aopa.org/
CATEGORIES
Health
Humanitarian Service
Service Organizations
Volunteers
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Downers Grove, IL, Rotarian Jim Elliott, founder of Dive Heart, and Tinamarie Hernandez, Executive Director of the Diveheart Foundation, visit RadioRotary to describe the work Dive Heart does in providing the experience of SCUBA (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) to persons with disabilities, including veterans with PSD. The experience of floating free underwater is especially important to those who have lost the use of their limbs, but it has also been shown to benefit persons with all kinds of differences, such as autism, cerebral palsy, ALS, traumatic brain injury, or ADHD. Dive Heart provides trained instructors to work with individuals across the United States, and also provides training in how to use SCUBA with persons with disabilities. The SCUBA experience has been shown to build confidence and self-esteem, changing perspectives and even providing relief from pain.
Learn more:
Diveheart Foundation: https://www.diveheart.org/
Downers Grove Rotary Club: https://downersgrove.clubexpress.com/
SCUBA Therapy: https://www.neurologyinsights.com/2021/03/04/have-you-considered-scuba-therapy-for-your-patients/
CATEGORIES
Developmentally Disabled
Mental Health
Service Organizations
Veterans (new category)
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Highland (NY) Rotarian and past District 7210 Governor (2020-21) Tony Marmo is now the District Membership Chair. He joined Jonah Triebwasser and Kathy Kruger on RadioRotary to discuss the value of Rotary membership and his plans to increase membership in the District.Rotarians are more diverse and often younger than the older white males that once were typical of Rotarians. Today, with varied types of clubs and flexibility in meetings\ arrangements, Rotary remains an important force for doing good in the world. PDG Marmo describes several ways to increase membership, although the basic first step is that each current Rotarian needs to invite community-minded friends to join.
Learn more:
Rotary District 7210: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/
Highland Rotary Club: https://highlandrotaryclub.com/
District 7210 Membership Information: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/page/membership
CATEGORIES
Rotary District 7210
Rotary Membership
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Southern Ulster Rotarians Will Ferrell (club president) and Paul Daniels (vice president) visit RadioRotary via Zoom to discuss the community and international projects that the club supports. Southern Dutchess was originally named “Plattekill Rotary,” but with members from nearby towns in Ulster Country and even some from nearby Orange Country, the current name seems more appropriate. The good work that Southern Dutchess Rotarians do goes from the very local, such as providing donuts and hot chocolate at the annual Plattekill tree lighting, to the International, including helping fund improvements in a village in Guatemala. Much of their emphasis is on youth: a basketball and volleyball program for elementary school, providing summer camps for needy children, and sending local students abroad on Rotary Youth Exchange. Southern Dutchess Rotary is also proud to be a ShelterBox Hero, annually supporting Shelterbox disaster relief.
Learn more:
Southern Ulster Rotary Club: https://www.southernulsterrotary.org/
Konojel Project in Guatemala:https://www.voluntouring.org/2018/07/28/volunteer-konojel-guatemala/
Camp Robbins on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ycamprobbins/
Rotary Youth Exchange (YEX): https://www.rotary.org/en/our-programs/youth-exchanges
ShelterBox USA: https://www.shelterboxusa.org/
CATEGORIES
Children
Disaster Relief
Events
International Exchanges
Rotary Club Close-ups
Youth
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Mental Health America of Dutchess County (MHA) is a wide-ranging nonprofit that deals with many parts of mental health and well-being. This RadioRotary interview with David Campanaro, Division Director of Addiction Services at MHA and Joseph Ventimiglia, Clinical Supervisor and Director of the Chemical Dependency Crisis Center, focuses on alcoholism and other addictions. The MHA Crisis Center is often the first stop for a person with a substance use disorder who is seeking help with recovery. After withdrawal at the Crisis Center, the addict stays for a few days (sometime longer) as the professionals there locate a suitable treatment program. Bolger House, Florence Manor, and Dowling House are community residences run by MHA where those with substance abuse disorder can experience long-term recovery. MHA also provides therapy as needed in their Sober Supported Housing apartments.
Learn more:
Mental Health America of Dutchess County: https://mhadutchess.org/
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Executive Director Christine Hein of People’s Place Thrift Store and Food Pantry (along with many other program) visits RadioRotary, detailing the 24 human service programs run by People’s Place in Ulster County. The heart of these programs are the food pantry, the thrift store, the Community Café, and the Wellness Empowerment Center, all in Kingston, NY (but serving anyone in need at no cost). The food pantry provides over a million meals a year. The Community Café serves a continental breakfast and lunch every weekday. The Wellness Empowerment Center has workshops and classes in everything from cooking to yoga and meditation. Although donations are always welcome, much of the income is from sales at the thrift store. The annual Project Santa distributes toys, books, clothing, and snacks to children in need.
Learn more:
People’s Place: https://www.peoplesplace.org/
People’s Place Community Café: https://www.peoplesplacecafe.org/
People’s Place on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PeoplesPlaceUC/
Ulster County Food Pantries: https://www.ulstercorps.org/agencies/food-pantries/
CATEGORIES
Children
Education
Events
Nutrition
Service Organizations
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Krista Jones of Sparrow’s Nest, the charity that provides meals to the families of persons experiencing cancer, returns to RadioRotary with an update and a vision of the charity’s future. When a good friend developed stage-4 colon cancer, Ms. Jones recognized that cancer affects the whole family and began to provide daily meals for her friend’s family. Today, with mostly volunteer help, her Sparrow’s Nest charity provides two free meals a day for some 300 cancer-affected families in the mid-Hudson with children under 18. Ms. Jones still manages to do all the cooking herself, but Sparrow’s Nest has moved from Ms. Jones’ kitchen to a professional kitchen and office in a commercial space. The hope is to obtain a new site where vegetables and perhaps chickens can be raised to provide even healthier local food to its clients. Donations, including those through several annual events such as a 5-k walk, are needed to make the dream of a small farm for the charity come true/
Learn more:
Sparrow’s Nest: http://sparrowsnestcharity.org/
Sparrow’s Nest Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/oursparrowsnest/
Nutrition and Cancer Treatment: https://www.cancer.org/treatment/survivorship-during-and-after-treatment/staying-active/nutrition.html
CATEGORIES
Health
Nutrition
Service Organization
Volunteers
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
The story of Toys for Tots in the Hudson Valley is provided in this radio program by Mike Binns (Ulster County Coordinator), Marine sergeant Maryabelo Ganal, Marine Corporal George Matthews, and PAMAL radio host Randy Turner (who is also part of the RadioRotary team). Toys for Tots was started in 1947 to provide toys for children in need—distributing 5,000 toys in that first year. Every holiday season since it has continued to be one of the great charities that everyone loves, providing presents for children who might otherwise go without holiday gifts. Local businesses, such as Adams Fairacre Farms and have provided bins for collecting toys and volunteers to provide cash for more and to help the local Marine Corps Reserve deliver the toys.
Learn more:
Hudson Valley Toys for Tots: https://hudson-valley.toysfortots.org/local-coordinator-sites/lco-sites/default.aspx?nPageID=100&nPreviewInd=200&nRedirectInd=3
Toys for Tots on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ToysForTotsHudsonValley/
Marine Reserve Corps at Stewart Air Base: https://www.marforres.marines.mil/Major-Subordinate-Commands/4th-Marine-Aircraft-Wing/Marine-Aircraft-Group-49/ssstewart/
WBPM (92.9): https://www.929wbpm.com/
National Toys for Tots campaign: https://www.toysfortots.org/
CATEGORIES
Children
Hudson Valley
Service Organizations
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Clean-Power-Fellow Brynn Fuller-Becker visits RadioRotary from Brooklyn via Zoom to describe to work that New Yorkers for Clean Power (NYCP) is doing to make the state a leader in renewable energy. The state has a goal of transitioning away from fossil fuels, coal mainly but also natural gas, and replacing those energy sources with wind, solar, hydroelectric, and possibly nuclear power. Some more exotic power sources may also come on line, such as tidal or geothermal power. One of the necessities of this plan is to improve the grid used to distribute power around the state. In the effort to reach net-zero carbon, in addition to the power sources and a green grid, we need to use batteries better, including those in electric vehicles.
Learn more:
New Yorkers for Clean Power: https://nyforcleanpower.org/
New York State’s Energy Profile: https://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=NY
Renewable Energy: https://www.nrdc.org/stories/renewable-energy-clean-facts
Global Climate Change: https://climate.nasa.gov/news/?page=0&per_page=40ℴ=publish_date+desc%2C+created_at+desc&search=&category=19%2C98
CATEGORIES
Environment
Health
Quality of Life
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Tobacco contains nicotine, a more powerful addictive substance than marijuana, opium, or cocaine. Furthermore, today’s cigarettes contain many harmful chemicals in addition to tobacco. Before 1964 there was a general understanding that cigarettes are not good for health (“coffin nails” was one nickname), and in 1964 the US surgeon general’s report made this official, although a high percentage of Americans continued to smoke. Six years after the surgeon general’s report, a community in Massachusetts proposed a day without smoking, which soon grew into the Great American Smokeout, celebrated by many giving up the cigarette habit on the third Thursday in November. Dora Celestino from the Council on Addiction Prevention and Education (CAPE) visits RadioRotary for this show outlining the dangers of cigarettes, and progress since the 1970s. CAPE is better known for its work in high schools educating students about drug and alcohol addiction, but it also helps fight nicotine addiction.
Learn more:
Great American Smokeout: https://www.cancer.org/healthy/stay-away-from-tobacco/great-american-smokeout.html
CAPE (Council on Addiction Prevention & Education of Dutchess County): https://capedc.org/
New York State Smokers’ Quitline: https://www.health.ny.gov/publications/3485.pdf
CATEGORIES
Addiction Recovery
Events
Health
Service Organizations
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary welcomes Kingston Rotarian Gwen McCann, secretary of the Board of the Hudson Valley Foundation for Youth Health, which supports nonprofit organizations in five mid-Hudson counties, northern Dutchess and Columbia, Greene, Ulster, and Delaware counties. The Hudson Valley Foundation for Youth Health has since 1994 awarded over $3 million to some 1,500 community organizations committed to supporting programs that address parenting; alcohol and substance abuse; mental and emotional health; domestic violence; quality education; and other basic health issues. The money distributed is mostly from the income on a $2.6 million endowment from a former Health Maintenance Organization, which used its cash remaining in 1992 when it went out of business to set up the charitable organization. The foundation also receives and distributes donations from the public.
Learn more:
Hudson Valley Foundation for Youth Health: https://www.hvfyh.org/
Hudson Valley Foundation for Youth Health on Facebook: Hudson Valley Foundation for Youth Health
Rotary Club of Kingston: https://www.kingstonnyrotary.org/
CATEGORIES
Financial Aid
Service Organizations
Youth
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Nyhisha Gibbs, Manager of Volunteers for Dutchess Outreach, and Coat Drive Volunteer Manager Mary Dynes visit RadioRotary to report on the various ways that Dutchess Outreach helps feed the community and to promote their annual winter coat drive. Dutchess Outreach is best known for running the daily Lunch Box, which supplies nutritious food for both lunch and dinner. Because of Covid-19, currently the meals are provided in boxes, distributed outside in front of the Family Partnership Center. Dutchess Outreach is also the prime mover in an annual coat and warm clothing drive. Clothing is donated around the country at Guardian Self Storage units and Red Cap Cleaners and at the Rotary Clubs of Pleasant Valley and Millbrook. On specific days in November (check the Websites below), the clothing is distributed at various locations around the county, free to all in need.
Learn more:
Dutchess Outreach: https://dutchessoutreach.org/
Family Partnership Center: https://familyservicesny.org/hslide/family-partnership-center/
Guardian Self-Storage: https://guardianselfstorage.com/
Red Cap Cleaners: https://www.redcapcleaners.com/locations.htm
Pleasant Valley Rotary: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/clubinfo/pleasant-valley
Millbrook Rotary: https://millbrookrotary.org/
CATEGORIES
Events
Humanitarian Service
Nutrition
Service Organizations
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Fred Widman, president of the Rotary E-club of District 7210, joins Jonah Triebwasser and Sarah O’Connell-Claitor on RadioRotary to talk about the formation and present situation of the first-ever international E-club, which has its home base in the Hudson Valley but includes members from around the world, currently including Sweden, Brazil, Nigeria, India, and Turkey. The club has regular Zoom meetings with guest speakers online one Saturday each month, but members can also attend their local Rotary club meetings when they have a chance. Also, members participate in service projects run by the local clubs or can do individual service and report back on their hours. The club began in 2010 when Ana Johnsen met a Rotarian from Nigeria and they conceived the idea of an international club, which Ana and her husband Knute Johnsen established. The club raises money primarily through a raffle for restaurant meals in high-class restaurants around the world, using the proceeds for such projects as purchase of oxygen generators for India, important during the Covid-19 pandemic, or participation in a global Foundation grant for a hospital in Brazil.
Learn more:
Rotary E-Club of District 7210: https://eclub7210.clubexpress.com/ or https://www.rotarydistrict7210.org/clubInfo/rotary-eclub-7210
District 7210: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/
About Rotary E-clubs: https://clubrunner.blob.core.windows.net/00000008529/en-ca/files/sitepage/about-e-clubs/e-club-guide/eclub_guide_en.pdf
CATEGORIES
International Programs
Rotary Club Close-ups
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
North Rockland Rotarian and 7210 Past District Governor (2006-07) Carole Tjoa, currently the District PolioPlus Chair, once again joins RadioRotary to update the progress on polio eradication. After polio in 1979, was completely eliminated from the U.S. by the Salk and Sabin vaccines, Rotary used the vaccines to eradicated polio in the Philippines, then in 1985 carried the program to South America, Asia, and Africa, the continents where wild polio was infecting some 35,000 annually. Rotary was joined with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the U.S. CDC in 1988, joined by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation starting in 2007. Foundation. The immunization program has eliminated the wild polio virus from everywhere but Pakistan and Afghanistan, which continue to have fewer than 200 cases annually between them. Listen, and learn more, both about polio and the remarkable life of Mrs. Tjoa, who came from Hong Kong to the U.S. on a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship and has since received degrees from Oxford in England and Columbia in New York. She joined Rotary in 1988 soon after it first admitted women.
Learn more:
Global Polio Eradication Initiative: https://polioeradication.org/
PolioPlus: https://www.endpolio.org/
Carole Tjoa: https://www.rocklandtimes.com/2017/03/23/unsung-hero-carole-tjoa-rotary-club-of-north-rockland/
Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarships: https://www.pfw.edu/dotAsset/eeaeb34f-0487-4999-9082-0c680d268ce6.pdf
North Rockland Rotary Club: https://northrocklandrotary.org/
CATEGORIES
Global Polio Initiative
Health
International Programs
PolioPlus
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
CAPE is the Council on Addiction Prevention & Education in Dutchess County. For this program, Dora Celestino, Community Educator, and Christina Goebel, Senior Peer Engagement Specialist from CAPE visit RadioRotary to talk about how CAPE works with schools and teenagers to educate them about the harm caused by this common form of substance use disorder—including addiction to alcohol, other drugs, gambling, or sex— and how it can be prevented. CAPE also works with persons recovering the disorder including supplying recovery coaches. One of the tools that CAPE uses is the Victim Impact Panel, a program presented by persons affected by the disorder, including family members. Such a Panel is often mandated for persons who have been arrested for driving while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. Listen to the program to learn the warning signs of substance use disorder.
Learn more:
CAPE (Council on Addiction Prevention & Education: https://capedc.org/
Dutchess County Addiction Prevention Services: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/County-Executive/38732.htm
MARC Foundation: http://www.marc-foundation.org/
CATEGORIES
Addiction Recovery
Education
Mental Health
Words to List:
Addiction, Opiates, Substance Use Disorder
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
As Columbus Day approaches, so does the 14thAnnual Italian Festival in Kingston, sponsored by the Ulster County Italian American Foundation. Festival Chair Anna Brett and Highland Rotarian Tony Marmo join Jonah Triebwasser and Kathy Kruger for a fun-filled program on the fun-filled festival, which takes place beside the Roundout Creek in T.R. Gallo Park at the lower end of Broadway in Kingston, NY. The Festival celebrates the Italian heritage of Ulster Country with foods and music that came to American from Italy along with the many immigrants to Ulster County. The event and parking are free, but many vendors at the Festival sell pizza, Italian desserts, other foods. There is music from local bands and singers all day (and also a world-famous accordionist), a puppet show, a spaghetti-eating contest, activities for children, and even a fire-breather. Community heroes are recognized, including the Festival’s Signore and Signora.
Learn more:
Ulster Country Italian American Foundation: http://www.ucitalianamericanfoundation.org/
Kingston, NY, Waterfront: http://thekingstonwaterfront.com/
American Italian Heritage Museum in Albany: http://www.americanitalianmuseum.org/
Highland Rotary: https://highlandrotaryclub.com/
CATEGORIES
Events
Hudson Valley
Service Organizations
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary welcomes Mary French, director (and founder) of The Dictionary Project, a nonprofit that provides dictionaries, primarily to children in third grade. Inspired by the example of Annie Plummer, who began giving dictionaries to schools near her home in Georgia in 1992, Mary French of Charleston, South Carolina, and her husband started The Dictionary Project in 1995. Four years later the Project had provided dictionaries to all the schools in South Carolina and was helping get dictionaries to those in need of them worldwide. Among its other dictionary-related activities, it—along with a number of other sources—provides a “Word of the Day” for improving vocabulary. The Dictionary Project partners with service clubs, such as Rotaries, in delivering dictionaries to school children. It offers nine different English-language dictionaries, including three from Merriam-Webster, as well as other types such as foreign-language dictionaries.
Learn more:
The Dictionary Project: https://www.dictionaryproject.org/
Merriam-Webster: https://www.merriam-webster.com/
Word of the Day: https://www.dictionary.com/e/word-of-the-day/
Pleasant Valley Rotary: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/clubinfo/pleasant-valley
CATEGORIES
Arts & Letters
Children
Education
Literacy
Rotary Club Projects
Words for Search:
Dictionaries, Education, Literacy
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Jill Bubel, Trauma Injury Prevention Coordinator at Vassar Hospital, visits RadioRotary to promote the 2021 Fall Prevention Week, which begins with a picnic at Poughkeepsie’s Bowdoin Park. sponsored by the Dutchess Country Office for the Aging. The event includes a balance class based on cognitive restructuring, Tai Chi, information about making homes safer, and more, including the introduction of Bingo-cise, which combines competitive Bingo with light exercise. Some 34,000 persons die each year as a result of falls, most of which could be prevented by steps such as providing safe homes, checking with a doctor or pharmacist on drug interactions, and exercising to keep the legs strong.
Learn more:
Dutchess Office for the Aging Events: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Calendar-Page.htm?&myselectedDeptid=214
Nuvance Health Fall Awareness: https://www.nuvancehealth.org/services-and-treatments/surgical-services/injury-prevention/fall-awareness
Association for Community Living: https://aclnys.org/
Fall Prevention from National Institute on Aging: mailto:https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/prevent-falls-and-fractures
Rebuilding Together Dutchess County: http://www.rebuildingtogetherdutchess.org/
Rhinebeck Rotary: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/2252
CATEGORIES
Aging
Events
Health
Quality of Life
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Pleasant Valley Rotarian Dave Kruger, a member of the RadioRotary team, shows up to talk about the bicentennial celebration of the Town of Pleasant Valley. The Town had been a part of the Town of Clinton until 1821, when it was split off. The Bicentennial celebration. September 17 through 19, is an expansion of the annual Pleasant Valley Days and it will include such favorites from that event as Rotary’s Beer & Wine Tent, the country music, the typical carnival foods and rides, the bicycle ride, the parade, and the annual race of plastic ducks down nearby Wappingers Creek, with the winner bringing a $500 prize to the backer of the lucky duck. In addition, Friday will feature a car show, the fireworks on Saturday will be extended, and there will be ongoing demonstrations as well as new traveling amusements.
Learn more:
Pleasant Valley Bicentennial Days: https://www.pvbicentennialdays.com/
Pleasant Valley Rotary: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/50045/clubinfo/pleasant-valley
CATEGORIES
Children
Dutchess County
Events
History
Words for Search:
Dutchess County, Pleasant Valley (NY)
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Rotarians Jim Halderman (Golden, CO, Rotary) and George Kun (Columbus, OH, Rotary) visit RadioRotary to promote the September 18, 2021, event, Shaping Peace Through the Art of Music, an International online concert in support of the United Nations’ International Day of Peace, which is on September 20 this year. The concert can be heard worldwide with a reservation from the site “shapingpeacethroughmusic.org. which is free, although there is a $100 VIP version also available on the site. The concert features cellist and conductor Karim Wasfi (shown in photo), founder of the Peace Through Global Arts Foundation.
Learn More:
Worldwide Online Concert for Peace: https://rotaryclubofgolden.org/events/shaping-peace-through-the-art-of-music/
Rotarian Action Group for Peace: https://rotaryactiongroupforpeace.org/
Karim Wasfi Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7CG6jnTJ8E
International Day of Peace: https://www.un.org/en/observances/international-day-peace
Rotary Club of Golden, CO: https://rotaryclubofgolden.org/
Rotary Club of Columbus, OH: https://www.columbusrotary.org/
CATEGORIES
Events
Words for Search:
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Brian Doyle, CEO for Family Services, describes for RadioRotary listeners the enormous scope of his organization, which operates in Dutchess, Orange, and Ulster counties. He emphasizes the Behavioral Health Centers in several locations, which promote mental health, and the Center for Victim Safety and Support, which provides 24-hour non-residential, comprehensive services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, scams, and other crimes. The Family Partnership Center in Poughkeepsie, a centerpiece of Family Services, collaborates with some 20 organizations for humanitarian services based largely in a 100-year-old building in downtown Poughkeepsie. All Family Partnership services (except the Behavioral Health Centers) are free. The Partnership Center is very excited that they are adding a branch of the Poughkeepsie Public Library in the building. Because of the building’s age, the Family Partnership is about to undergo considerable repairs and remodeling, including a new roof and new front entrance.
Learn More:
Family Services: http://www.familyservicesny.org/
Family Services Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FamilyServicesHV
Poughkeepsie Public Library District: https://poklib.org/
The Lunch Box: https://dutchessoutreach.org/the-lunch-box/
CATEGORIES
Domestic Violence
Education
Events
Humanitarian Service
Mental Health
Support Groups
Youth
Words for Search:
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Montecito (CA) Rotarian Kerri Murray, president of ShelterBox USA, joins Jonah Triebwasser and Kathy Kruger to talk about how the ShelterBox organization helps survivors of disasters and refugees from conflicts around the world. ShelterBox is a program that provides disaster or conflict relief based on a specially designed tent that can hold an entire family and also the tools, food, solar lighting, cookware, and water filtration needed to support that family for up to half a year—including toys for children. The traditional ShelterBoxes resemble trunk-sized Tupperware boxes that contain everything needed for a family, but sometimes a tent is not the answer, so ShelterBox also provides as needed ShelterKits with tools and supplies for rebuilding and restocking a damaged home or other specific materials such as SchoolBoxes to replace lost lessons. When ShelterBox was started by a group of British Rotarians in 2000 they expected to 8 to 10 families a year, but today more than 200,000 persons facing such disasters as tsunamis, earthquakes, floods, giant storms, and civil wars are being helped. Listen and learn much more.
Learn More:
ShelterBox USA: https://www.shelterboxusa.org/
Stock the Box Campaign: https://www.shelterboxusa.org/stockthebox/
Rotary International and ShelterBox: https://www.rotary.org/en/shelterbox-and-rotary-help-disasters
Montecito Rotary Club: http://www.montecitorotary.org/
CATEGORIES
Disaster Relief
International Programs
Service Organizations
Words for Search:
Disaster Relief, Housing, Refugee Relief
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Andy Imperati, president and CEO of the world famous Dutchess County Fair joins RadioRotary to tell about the events at this year’s fair, which has returned for its 175th season after a one-year break due to Covid 19. In 2021, although masks are suggested for the unvaccinated, proof of vaccination is not required for entry. The many familiar Fair events will be returning, including all the animals on display on Livestock Hill (with this year the addition of the Two-by-Two Zoo); milking the cows twice a day, with children allowed to milk Miss Dutchess, a fiberglass cow; the famous 4H milkshakes; the crafts, food, and garden competitions; museum village with its antique engines; the carnival rides; and the shows in the grandstand. A new feature this year will be Thursday mornings cleared for those with sensory problems—no lights on the rides and no pervasive music.
Learn More:
Dutchess County Fair: https://www.dutchessfair.com/
Dutchess County 4H Fairbook 2021: https://www.dutchessfair.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/FINAL-2021-FAIRBOOK-dutchess-fair.pdf
CATEGORIES
Dutchess County
Events
Words for Search:
County Fairs, Dutchess County, 4H, Grange, antique engines, tractors, horse shows
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Ugandan Climate Crisis activist Vanessa Nakate visits RadioRotary from Africa via Zoom for an essential account of how climate change has become a crisis, and about the need for Climate Justice. Her home nation of Uganda, in East Africa along Lake Victoria, has been ravaged by climate-induced floods in the east and west and climate-induced drought in the north. While major lakes in the western United States are drying up, Lake Victoria has risen to the highest level in 120 years, flooding homes and infrastructure along the shore. The same disasters that are injuring Uganda are occurring across the globe as well as fires in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Africa, which contributes only 3% of the atmospheric gases that are causing the Climate Crisis, is just as endangered as the Western nations, China, and Japan, which produce about half of the carbon dioxide and methane globally. Climate Justice is a movement to equalize the attempts are remediation.
Learn more:
Vanessa Nakate on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vanessa-Nakate-106155294113113
Vanessa Nakate at Rotary Convention 2020: https://rotarynewsonline.org/world-leaders-must-take-africas-climate-crisis-seriously-vanessa-nakate/
UN Climate Change Conference, Glasgow 2021: https://ukcop26.org/
Rise Up: https://www.riseupmovementafrica.org/
CATEGORIES
Environment
Quality of Life
Rotary International
United Nations
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Highland Rotarians Tony Marmo, Steve Laubach, and club-president Dave Lambert visit RadioRotary via Zoom to tell how the club’s principal fundraiser, the annual Ribfest, which started in 2005, has been reconfigured for the Covid-19 era. For a second year, the Highland Rotary Club has decided to replace the Hudson Valley Ribfest at the Ulster County Fairgrounds with a fundraiser that helps local restaurants impacted by Covid, provides a great value for diners, and also raises a little cash for the Rotary Club’s many community grants. Rotary’s Ribfest Restaurant Revival is based upon diners being able to purchase a $30 voucher that is worth $50 at a local restaurant. Event sponsors make up the $20 difference, so the restaurant receives the full cost of the meal—a “win-win” opportunity. Go to the website to participate, August 20-22, 2021.
Learn more:
Hudson Valley Ribfest: https://rrrr.rocks/
Highland NY Rotary Club: http://highlandrotaryclub.com/
Highland Rotary on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/highlandnyrotary/
CATEGORIES
Events
Hudson Valley
Nutrition
Rotary Club Projects
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Behavior specialist Linwood Burke and mental health intensive care manager Lashaveous Dicker, now both aiding police in dealing with situations where strong emotions or mental-health issue are involved, are the workers assigned by Mental Health America of Dutchess County (MHA) to help handle these dicey calls. Mr. Dicker is on every call that Beacon Police make, while Mr. Burke travels with the police detail when mental-health issues are involved, and he also holds community workshops with the police. The MHA staff are in civilian clothes with a vest identifying them as mental-health auxiliaries so that people nervous about the police can relax. The program has been deemed a success, with the MHA staff able to get a troubled perpetrator to drop his knife and to persuade reluctant mentally ill to go to the hospital. Burke and Dicker are trained in techniques to help de-escalate conflicts.
Learn more:
Mental Health America of Dutchess County: https://mhadutchess.org/
Poughkeepsie Police Add Mental Health Worker: https://midhudsonnews.com/2020/08/27/poughkeepsie-police-add-mental-health-worker/
Beacon Police Add Mental Health Worker: https://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/news/local/2021/04/05/beacon-adds-mental-health-specialist-police-department/7084167002/
City of Poughkeepsie Police Department: https://cityofpoughkeepsie.com/police-department/
Beacon, NY, Police Department: https://www.beaconny.gov/index.php/departments/police/
CATEGORIES
Domestic Violence
Homelessness
Mental Health
Service Organizations
Words for Search
Police, mental health, de-escalation
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
A phoenix obtains new life by arising from the ashes of its predecessor according to legend, but the Pleasant Valley Free Library is doing the same in reality. Pleasant Valley Rotarian Dave Kruger, the current vice-president of the library board, returns to RadioRotary to provide the exciting details. Since a fire destroyed the interior of the library in 2018, operations have continued in a former supermarket donated rent-free to the library by Herb Redl Properties. Meanwhile, the Board has raised nearly $3 million to create a new building at the old site, keeping the still standing outer walls and adding new space on the ground floor to make a handicapped-accessible one-story library space from the former two-story 19th-centrury structure. The patron-and-staff usable portion of the building will be double the size of the previous structure—the old 2nd floor will now be devoted to mechanical support. It is anticipated that the new building will be open early in 2022. The RadioRotary program also includes information about the small-but-mighty Pleasant Valley Rotary Club.
Learn more:
Pleasant Valley Free Library: https://pleasantvalleylibrary.org/
Pleasant Valley Library on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pleasantvalleylibrary/
Pleasant Valley (NY) Rotary Club: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/clubinfo/pleasant-valley
Pleasant Valley Rotary on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PleasantValleyRotary.7210/
Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofthePVLibrary/
CATEGORIES
Arts & Letters
Literacy
Rotary Club Close-Ups
Service Organizations
Words for Search
Library; Pleasant Valley, NY
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Laura Lane, the Adult Literacy Connector for Poughkeepsie and Dutchess County, visits RadioRotary to describe the programs treating functional illiteracy in adults that are available from the volunteers of Literary Connections of the Hudson Valley. Functional illiteracy is more than just inability to read words-literacy is the ability to understand, evaluate, use, and engage with written texts in ways enabling a person to participate in society, achieve that person’s goals, and develop his or her knowledge and potential. It includes the skills needed to fill out forms and read instructions, not just to read or write and understand a sentence. The services of Literary Connections are free; the organization is supported by donations from individuals, foundations, and government agencies. Listen to the program to learn about Ms. Lane’s own remarkable story as well as about the many services available to improve reading and writing.
Learn more:
Literacy Connections of the Hudson Valley: http://www.literacyconnections.org/
Literacy Connections of the Hudson Valley on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LiteracyConnections
Adult Literacy Programs: http://www.literacyconnections.org/programs-services/adult-literacy/
Resources for Literacy Connections: http://www.literacyconnections.com/
Functional Illiteracy: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5102880/
CATEGORIES
Education
Hudson Valley
Literacy
Service Organizations
Words for Search
Literacy, Reading, Penmanship, Illiteracy, Functional Illiteracy
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
The 2021-22 Governor for Rotary District 7210, the eight counties of the Mid-Hudson region, Mike Polasek, started his term on July 1, but like all District Governors he had two years of training for the becoming the administrative head of the district. Unlike many other new District Governors, however, he has been part of an active team of District leaders working together to improve the District. Past District Governors Cindie Kish (2019-20) and Tony Marmo (2020-21) developed plans for the activities and events together with DG Polasek, including the District Service Days, which take place each quarter. DG Polasek will lead service days on addiction prevention and recovery, food security, and the environment. This Rotary Year will see the return of many in-person events, starting with RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) and including the return to the Youth Exchange program admissions. Continuing programs include the Million Mask Challenge, End Polio Now, and ShelterBox.
Learn more:
Rotary Districts 7210: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/
Rotary Club of Lagrange: https://lagrangerotaryny.org/
Million Mask Challenge: https://blog.rotary.org/2020/12/30/million-mask-challenge-displays-power-of-rotary-network/
Polio and Rotary: https://www.endpolio.org/
ShelterBox USA: https://www.shelterboxusa.org/
CATEGORIES
Addiction Recovery
Environment
Events
International Programs
Nutrition
PolioPlus
Rotary District 7210
Words for Search
Rotary districts, District 7210, Polio, ShelterBox, RYLA
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Rotary District Governor (DG), Toni Marmo (Highland Rotary), visited RadioRotary and described some of the highlights of his 2020-21 tenure. A District Governor is a well-trained leader, overseeing the 56 clubs in the 8-country district from July 1 to June 30, usually visiting each club in person during that year. Because of Covid-19 restrictions, DG Marmo joined many Zoom meetings, but somehow managed 63 in person visits—most clubs twice, counting online meetings. One Covid-related charitable work during the year was participation in the Million Mask Challenge, with District clubs passing out about 275,000 masks to local community organizations. Another highlight has been the increase in membership after several years of decline, adding a net of about 60 members to the 1,600—DG Marmo has agreed to be the District Membership Chair for 2021-22, continuing his work in this important area. He has not ignored his home club during the year, either. Highland’s big project for years has been Ribfest, but because of Covid restrictions, in 2020 and 2021 the Ribfest has been replaced by Rotary’s Ribfest & Restaurant Revival, helping local restaurants survive the various lockdowns and other problems associated with the pandemic. There is much more of interest in this interview.
Learn more:
Rotary Districts 7210: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/
Highland, NY Rotary Club: https://highlandrotaryclub.com/
Rotary’s Ribfest & Restaurant Revival: https://rrrr.rocks/
Million Mask Challenge: https://blog.rotary.org/2020/12/30/million-mask-challenge-displays-power-of-rotary-network/
CATEGORIES
Business Assistance
Health
Rotary Club Projects
Rotary District 7210
Words for Search
Rotary districts, masks, Ribfest
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Joan Glase, Director of Public Relations and Foundation at The ARC of the Greater Hudson Valley, visits RadioRotary to describe the work ARC does for its 2,000-some clients in Dutchess, Orange, and Sullivan counties. ARC furnishes group homes for 3 to 9 individuals and provides day programs for those individuals and for many who live with their families. Direct Support Professionals not only provide therapy but also help with employment or other concerns. The goal of ARC is to enable people of all abilities to become productive members of society. In addition to the homes and services to individuals living with their families, ARC has two clinics and both a pre-school and a K-12 school. The clinics offer several types of therapy, dental services, podiatry, and medical evaluation. ARC is a nonprofit primarily funded by government, but many services are enhanced by the ARC Foundation, which raises money through donations and events such at two golf tournaments each year.
Learn more:
The ARC, Greater Hudson Valley, NY: https://arcghvny.org/
The ARC, New York: https://www.thearcny.org/
The ARC (of the United States): https://thearc.org/
Educational Learning Experiences at ARC: https://elearc.org/
National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals: https://nadsp.org/
CATEGORIES
Developmentally Disabled
Hudson Valley
Mental Health
Service Organizations
Words for Search
ARC, Group Homes, Developmentally Disabled, Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
One of the important programs of The Rotary Foundation is educating professionals in ways to improve peace between people and nations, a program called Rotary Peace Fellowships. Graduates of the program, Rotary Peace Scholars, use their education in various ways to increase peace—which is not just the absence of violence—in the world. In this program, RadioRotary interviews Peace Scholar Mare-Paule Attema about her fellowship in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, and her work with Indigenous Australians. Born in Rwanda but growing up in Canada, Marie-Paule has used her peace training in Canada as she deals with mental-health issues, primarily with adolescents. A fascinating show about a woman with a fascinating life.
Learn more:
Marie-Paule Attema: https://rotary9640.org/documents/en-ca/37a25b3d-2c6a-4c1f-a1b7-c7e536fb80c2/1
Rotary Peace Fellowships: https://www.rotary.org/en/our-programs/peace-fellowships
The Rotary Foundation: https://www.rotary.org/en/about-rotary/rotary-foundation
Indigenous Australians: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports-data/population-groups/indigenous-australians/overview
CATEGORIES
Education
International Programs
Mental Health
Peace
Rotary Foundation
Words for Search
Peace, Rotary, Peace Fellowships, Rotary Fellowships
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Lisa Loughran, whose son Roger was born with the rare joint-and-muscle disease AMC (arthrogryposis multiplex congenita), visits RadioRotary to tell about the annual event for raising awareness and funds, Roger’s Run. When Roger was born in 2010, he displayed the form of AMC in which the joints are “frozen” in a way that all the limbs are completely extended. The condition, which also causes muscles to atrophy, was diagnosed before birth, leading Mrs. Loughran to seek out the AMC Support Group, which has helped immensely. Local doctors learned more about the disease and have gone beyond ordinary duties as Roger has gone through numerous surgeries. Despite the problems. Roger is active in Red Hook school and sports, inspiring the Red Hook Community. Roger’s Run includes several levels of both virtual and physical runs or just an opportunity to donate to an excellent cause.
Learn more:
Roger’s Run: https://www.rogersrun4amc.com/
Arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC): https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/777/arthrogryposis-multiplex-congenita Arthrogryposis multiplex congenita Support Group, Inc.: https://www.amcsupport.org/
CATEGORIES
Children
Events
Health
Support Groups
Words for Search
Arthrogryposis multiplex congenita. AMC, rare diseases
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Rotarian Joe Berninger from the Rotary e-Club of Ohio Pathways joins RadioRotary to tell about a work that was called “the gold standard of Rotary projects” by past Rotary President Ian Riseley (2017-18)—the Guatemala Literary Project. More than 600 clubs from 80 districts have been working together since 1997 to improve education for underserved students in Guatemala. In that time, nearly 225,500 students have been made more literate—both for reading and in technology-- through sustainable programs that are tested and proven to work.
Learn more:
Guatemala Literacy Project: https://www.guatemalaliteracy.org/
Cooperative for Education: https://coeduc.org/
Literacy Statistics for Guatemala: http://uis.unesco.org/en/country/gt
Rotary E-club of District 6600 Ohio Pathways: Rotary e-Club of Ohio Pathways
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Sarah Litvin, Director of the Reher Center for Immigrant Culture and History, and
Lucia Cherciu, Poet Laureate of Dutchess County, Zoom in to RadioRotary to tell about the re-opening of the Reher Center after Covid-19 closure, and the 9th annual Kingston Multicultural Festival. The Reher Center is housed in the former Reher Bakery, a Kingston institution run by the Reher family for 80 years, and now in addition to the historic building, there are interpretation panels of Kingston history for viewing. The Reher Center has been the originator of the Kingston Multicultural Festival that this year will include poetry in both English and Romanian by Dutchess County Poet Laureate and Dutchess Community College Professor Lucia Cherciu as well as music and international foods. Listen to the RadioRotary interviews to learn more.
Learn more:
Reher Center: https://www.rehercenter.org/
Kingston Multicultural Festival: https://www.kingstonmulticulturalfestival.org/
Dutchess County Poet Laureate: https://www.dailyfreeman.com/lifestyle/lucia-cherciu-named-dutchess-countys-poet-laureate/article_acbbfc5c-948a-11eb-9e38-cbea3d8214c8.html
Poetry by Lucia Cherciu: https://www.amazon.com/Lucia-Cherciu/e/B07T25PNG3?ref_=dbs_p_pbk_r00_abau_000000
Ulster Immigrant Defense Network: https://ulsterimmigrantdefensenetwork.org/
CATEGORIES
Arts & Letters
Events
Museums
Words for Search
Kingston, NY; poetry; immigrant experience
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Crissy Groenewegen, project coordinator of the Northern Dutchess Community Coalition, visits RadioRotary to tell about the Coalition’s work with local institutions in the dozen zip codes of Northern Dutchess, which cover the towns of Red Hook, Rhinebeck, Hyde Park, Millbrook, Amenia, Pine Plains, Dover Plains, and Millerton. The coalition was formed in 2009 by citizens concerned with addiction problems in Northern Dutchess schools and has enlisted local businesses, law enforcement, nonprofits, and schools in its drug-free initiatives. The coalition’s concerns include, but go beyond, alcohol, marijuana, and hard drugs to vaping with electronic cigarettes, which deliver the potent addictive drug nicotine, and other addictions. One of their recent events was a contest for the best slogan to put on masks, with winners such as “Spread Kindness, Not Germs” and “Keep Calm, and Mask On.” The coalition works with CAPE (the Council on Addiction Prevention and Education) and SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions).
Learn more:
Northern Dutchess Community Coalition on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ndutchesscc/
CAPE: https://capedc.org/
SADD: https://www.sadd.org/
CATEGORIES
Addiction Recovery
Dutchess County
Education
Mental Health
Words for Search
Addiction Recovery, Substance Use Disorder, CAPE, SADD
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
MARC Foundation Board President Mike Fanelli and Co-Chair of the Foundation’s annual golf tournament Patty Hogan visit RadioRotary to discuss the origin and mission of the MARC Foundation, as well as two events—a golf tournament that is a major fundraiser for the Foundation and a free picnic to celebrate sobriety. From beginning as a place where alcoholics could sober up in 1977 to today’s community treatment centers of Mental Health America of Dutchess County (the Crisis Center, Bolger House, Florence Manor, Dowling House, sober-supported housing), the Mid-Hudson Addition Treatment Community has helped individuals deal with substance use disorders. Since 1987 the MARC Foundation has funded improvements in these treatment centers; recently the Foundation has also supported prevention and treatment of substance use disorders in various community endeavors in Dutchess County.
Learn more:
The MARC Foundation: http://www.marc-foundation.org/
The Tom Gannon/Cliff Andrews Day of Golf: http://www.marc-foundation.org/day-of-golf.html
Hotline for Help: https://www.dutchessaa.org/
MHA Addiction Recovery Services: https://mhadutchess.org/service/addiction-recovery-services/
CATEGORIES
Addiction Recovery
Events
Service Organizations
Words for Search
Addiction Recovery, Substance Use Disorder, Residential Treatment, Mental Health America of Dutchess Country
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Kingston Rotary’s secretary Alicia Marcinkowski and president-elect Richard Cattabiani visit RadioRotary to tell about the club’s water project in the Philippines and also their annual Cap-to-Cap Run. Kingston Rotarian Rachel Jackson has connections in the Philippine Island and helped the New-York based Rotary club set up a necessary water project in conjunction with the Mandaluyong Rotary Club of Manila. The Kingston and Mandaluyong Clubs are working together toward bringing clean water to a struggling, indigenous tribe in Manilla, the Dumagats. The plan is to use solar-powered devices to operate a pipeline bring water to the Dumagat community and to provide training to Dumagats on how to maintain the equipment. Kingston Rotary, formed by the merger of the Kingston Sunrise and the lunch club, is known for its October event, the Cap-to-Cap 5-k run, which goes from the former Capitol of New York State (during the Revolution) to the temporary capitol used after the Tory forces burned Kingston on October 17, 1777.
Learn more:
Kingston (NY) Rotary Club: https://www.dropbox.com/s/e4dwmorw019nw79/eproof-0578901900.pdf?dl=0
Mandaluyong Rotary Club of Manila:
https://www.rotaryclubofmandaluyong.org/
Dumagat Community: mailto:https://www.unbound.org/childsponsorship/dumagat
CATEGORIES
Events
International Programs
Rotary Club Projects
Water Projects
Words for Search
Philippines, Clean Water, Manila, Kingston, NY
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Rachel Sawner and Tracy Keck of the First Presbyterian Crunch in Pleasant Valley visit RadioRotary to tell the story of the church’s Box of Hope, available 24/7 for anyone who needs it. The solar-powered wooden Box with a tin roof, which Rachel built, contains donated personal care and hygiene products, first-aid kits, bottled water, and even pet food, all free for the taking by anyone. Donations to The Box can be made through the Church or by collection sites at the Pleasant Valley Free Library and at Innate Chiropractic of Wappingers Falls. The items are primarily those not available through SNAP (food-stamp program) or with EBT Cards from NYS. The Box is accessible outside the Church every day all day and night. It supplements the items available from local Food Pantries.
Learn more:
First Presbyterian Church of Pleasant Valley: http://www.pvpresby.com/
First Presbyterian Church of Pleasant Valley on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PVPresbyterian
Innate Chiropractic of Wappingers Falls: https://www.goinnate.com/wappingers-falls-ny-chiropractor/
Pleasant Valley Free Library: https://pleasantvalleylibrary.org/
CATEGORIES
Humanitarian Service
Quality of Life
Words for Search
Charity, Meeting needs, Pleasant Valley
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Executive Director Ericka Von Salews of the Vassar-Warner Home, the only nonprofit senior living residence in Dutchess County, visits RadioRotary co-hosts Jonah Triebwasser and Sarah O’Connell-Claitor for a program describing the services and remarkable story of this historic institution. The beautiful building dates from 1835 when it was built as s boys’ academy, but in 1871 it became a home for senior women. Originally Johnathan Warner operated The Old Ladies Home at the site, but in 1974, with financial help from the Smith Brothers (of cough-drop fame) the building was expanded and merged with the Vassar Home for men. Today the Vassar-Warner home, with some help from the Dutchess County Office for the Aging, is a recognized charity, which allows the home to treat and care for each resident as a member of the family rather than as a customer whose care and services are transactions. Residents do pay rent and board (low-income men and women may have it partly subsidized), and there are two levels of care available—adult homes for those in little need of medical assistance and assisted living for those who may require more help, although Vassar-Warner Home is not a nursing home, the next higher level of care.
Learn more:
Vassar-Warner Home: https://vassarwarner.org/
Adult Care Facilities (NYS): https://profiles.health.ny.gov/acf
Dutchess Country Office for the Aging: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Aging/Office-for-the-Aging.htm
CATEGORIES
Aging
Housing Assistance
Quality of Life
Words for Search
Adult Home, Assisted Living, Respite Care
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Carmel Rotary Club President-Elect Kathleen Valletta and Carmel Rotary Jessica Vanacoro visit RadioRotary to tell about their club’s fundraiser for local charities. The Basketball Challenge. Although the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the location, so that the contest will be outdoors (in the Carmel Shoprite parking lot), in other respects the event will continue as it has for the past fourteen years. Teams support their chosen local charities—a basket by a team member means a small contribution, although those contributions add up (foxed donations also accepted). Ninety percent of the money raised by the team through pledges goes to the specified charity with the remainder, as well as donations from event sponsors, go to the Carmel Club, who will use it also to fund good works. It is a win-win situation and a win-win program.
Learn more:
Carmel Rotary Club: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/2208
Carmel Rotary Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carmelrotaryclubny
Basketball Challenge Sign-Up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090d44aaa722abfd0-carmel
ShelterBox USA: https://www.shelterboxusa.org/
CATEGORIES
Events
Rotary Club Projects
Service Organizations
Words for Search
Fundraising for Nonprofits, Basketball Fundraising
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Radio Rotary Co-Host Jonah Triebwasser and Producer Kathy Kruger chat with Angela Henry, the new Executive Director of the Poughkeepsie Public Schools Foundation (PPSF). PPSF was founded in 2008 to put musical instruments in the hands of students who could not afford to rent them. Over the years the Foundation has raised and distributed over $40,000 for projects as diverse as museum field trips, the creation of school gardens, and college scholarships. In 2021, PPSF hired Ms. Henry, a local educational and nonprofit consultant, as its first paid Executive Director. She is in the process of expanding the programs of PPSF, including the Saturday Morning Lights program for younger students, which brings local talent to introduce learning as varied as yoga and urban engineering (learning about urban streets). PPSF is a nonprofit that raises the money that makes these programs possible. On May 20, 2021, the gala fundraiser feature professional and student performers will be online.
Learn more:
Poughkeepsie Public Schools Foundation: http://ppsfonline.org/
Poughkeepsie Public Schools Foundation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PoughkeepsiePublicSchoolsFoundation
Poughkeepsie City School District: https://www.poughkeepsieschools.org/
CATEGORIES
Education
Events
Support Groups
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Krista Jones, the founder of Sparrow’s Nest, the charity that provides food to the families of persons who have cancer, returns to RadioRotary to tell how the program has fared through the covid pandemic and also to promote the virtual Superhero Challenge. The Superhero Challenge is a healthy way to raise money for the charity by committing to run or walk a specific amount and also committing to donate to the program, which in 2021 was feeding two meals weekly to some 300 persons. Although Ms. Jones has continued to cook for the program, she has had to dismiss the many volunteers who helped prepare the meals before the onset of the covid pandemic, so she does it all herself with one helper. The food is geared to what a family would eat. Generally the person with cancer does not reach out to Sparrow’s Nest—often the oncologist will do that, or sometimes a family member who sees the need. Today Sparrow’s Nest operates from a kitchen in a mall, but Ms. Jones is hoping to move the project to its own farm someday.
Learn more:
Sparrow’s Nest: http://sparrowsnestcharity.org/
Sparrow’s Nest Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/oursparrowsnest/
Sparrow’s Nest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sparrowsnesthv?lang=en
Story of Sparrow’s Nest: https://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/life/2015/06/20/sparrows-nest-cancer-patients-free-meals-service-fathers/28974775/
CATEGORIES
Health
Nutrition
Service Organization
Links to Google? I am not sure what would be helpful here
Cancer, Charities
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary brings to the air two members of the Greater Newburgh Rotary Club, President Elect, Arlette Murrain, and President Andrew Ciccone; they tell listeners about their club’s exciting awards program on March 31, 2021,which will celebrate International Women’s Day and International Women’s History Month. Members of the Newburgh and Orange County communities will be honored for community service, contributions to education and health care, and other humanitarian service. At the same ceremony five who made significant community contributions in the past will be commemorated. Among the honorees from the past will be Bunny Webb, who was the first woman president of Rotary District 7210. The honorees active today include Hyun Chin Kim, Orange County Judge, Karen Mejia, Newburgh Councilwoman, Joan Cusack-McGuirk, CEO Montefiore St Luke’s Cornwall Hospital, Mary McTamaney, Newburgh Historian, and Ruth Smith, Community Service. To join the awards program go to
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88054413758?pwd=RlhiY3lUcGgrQXdvNFRqcm5hR2hJdz09.
Learn more:
Greater Newburgh Rotary Club: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/2235
Greater Newburgh Rotary on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreaterNewburghRotary/
Women’s History Month: https://www.census.gov/newsroom/facts-for-features/2021/womens-history-month.html
International Women’s Day: https://www.un.org/en/observances/womens-day
CATEGORIES
Events
Humanitarian Service
Rotary Club Projects
Women
SUGGESTED WORDS FOR SEARCHES
Women, International Women’s Day, Women’s Awards, Newburgh, Orange County
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Executive Director Lynne Meloccaro of the Dutchess County SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) visits RadioRotary via Zoom to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the organization, thought to be the 2nd-oldest SPCA organization in the United States, formed in 1871, just 5 years after the first in the US, the New York SPCA. Like all SPCA organizations, it is a nonprofit that arranges to have stray animals, mostly cats and dogs, adopted by families. In a new program for Dutchess SPCA, the animals may be placed in foster homes instead of being kept at a central location. Although best known for dealing with strayed animals, Dutchess SPCA also has arrangements with many of the towns in the country to be the animal-control officers for the town. There is much more presented in this hour concerning the good works of Dutchess SPCA.
Learn more:
Dutchess County SPCA: https://dcspca.org/
Dutchess SPCA on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DCSPCA
Animal-Control Officers: https://thebark.com/content/job-what-do-animal-control-officers-really-do
Trap-Neuter-Return Feral Cats: https://www.alleycat.org/resources/why-trap-neuter-return-feral-cats-the-case-for-tnr/
CATEGORIES
Animals
Dutchess County
Service Organizations
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Cara Mia Bacchiochi, recently featured on NBC’s Today Show, returns to RadioRotary to describe new efforts in her continuing ministry to Poughkeepsie women (and men) who are homeless and addicted to drugs or alcohol. For 5½ years she has been at the corner of Main and South Clinton every Saturday morning and evening, sometimes in rain or snow, with the street ministry Hope on a Mission (HOAM). Bacchiochi and volunteers, many from local Rotary clubs, distribute food, clothing, and personal care items, restoring dignity to the homeless and addicted. Now, starting in March 2021, Hope on a Mission is adding a Tuesday night dinner in front of 690 Main Street in Poughkeepsie, a couple of blocks east of the Saturday night event, which also continues. Ms. Bacchiochi has “street cred” herself from life on the street in the 1980s. Periods of sobriety were interrupted by relapses until found herself in 2013 in the same jail cell she had occupied in 1990. While there, she recognized that her purpose in life is to help women with lives like hers. After she was released from jail that last time, she started Hope on a Mission. Check out the website which has opportunities to volunteer or donate—and if you have not seen it before, watch The Today Show interview.
Learn more:
Hope on a Mission Website: https://www.hopeonamission.org/
Hope on a Mission HOAM Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/hoampk/
Cara Mia Bacchiochi on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carabacci
Cara Mia Bacchiochi on The Today Show: https://www.today.com/video/how-1-woman-in-recovery-found-her-mission-to-support-others-100460613922
CATEGORIES
Addiction Recovery
Dutchess County
Homelessness
Service Organizations
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Satara Brown, founder of Rebuilding Our Children and Community, Inc. returns to RadioRotary to tell about her work with the juvenile division of the City of Poughkeepsie police department, especially the pilot Juvenile Intervention Program. Ms. Brown has been heavily involved in helping young persons mature and find better lives for a long time, including (but hardly limited to) founding Rebuilding Our Children and Community, Inc. Ms. Brown also is Director of Communications and Community Engagement for Day One Early Learning Community in Poughkeepsie (which is scheduled to open in 2021) and a board member of the Poughkeepsie Schools Foundation. The new Juvenile Interventions program, open to any youth needed more support, includes weekly meetings and monthly workshops, often in connection with the program’s local partners such as Hudson River Housing, Dutchess Country Probation, Mental Health American of Dutchess County, and many others.
Learn more:
Poughkeepsie Juvenile Intervention Program: https://cityofpoughkeepsie.com/police-department/2021/01/14/police-launch-juvenile-intervention-program/
Satara Brown: https://www.linkedin.com/in/satara-brown-41164365/
Email Juvenile Intervention program: juvenileintervention@cityofpoughkeepsie.com
Rebuilding Our Children and Community: https://roccpk.org/
Police Intervention Programs: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21338003/
CATEGORIES
Addiction Recovery
Children
Housing Assistance
Mental Health
Support groups
Youth
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
On February 6, 2021, the Rotary Passport Club of District 7210 had its first meeting. RadioRotary got on the case immediately, interviewing Passport Club President Samantha Alvareng, who is the guest on this show. Passport clubs are a new way for busy people to become Rotarian, since they typically meet only four times a year, although the District 7210 club is also having a Zoom meeting once a month. The basic idea is that a Passport Rotarian can work on the projects of other clubs and attend their meetings when convenient, but the Passport club is all about service and the District 7210 club already has started some service projects of their own. In some ways the Passports are like any other Rotary club, with officers, a Board, and dues—but the members have a lot of freedom to work on service at their own schedule. Since they do not meet weekly for meals, membership in a Passport club is less expensive than other Rotary clubs—so clubs often have more young members and retired members than usual. If you are interested in learning more or perhaps joining, you can email membership7210@gmail.com. The new club already has 20 members and is engaged in both domestic and international projects.
Learn more:
About Passport Clubs: https://www.rotaryglobalpassport.org/page/about-passport-clubs
Rotary District 7210: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/
Spring Valley Rotary Club: http://www.springvalleyrotaryny.org/
CATEGORIES
New Generations
Rotary International
Service Organizations
Youth
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Rotarian Marissa Williams of the Stow-Munroe Falls (Ohio) Rotary Club, who visited RadioRotary via Zoom for this show, has a longer association with Rotary than her year and a half in her Rotary Club. It started when she was a freshman at Millbrook High School when she joined that school’s Interact Club (sponsored by Millbrook Rotary). During her four years of high school she continued to be active and was president of the club twice. As she approached graduation she was awarded the principal scholarship Millbrook Rotary offers. She continued a life of service in college as part of the Circle K service club, then spent two years in the Peace Corps before settling down in Akron, immediately joining the Rotary Club near her home. At 24, she became part of the future of Rotary.
Learn more:
Stow-Munroe Falls Rotary Club: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/5221
Stow-Munroe Falls Rotary on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RotaryStowMunroeFalls/
Interact Clubs: https://www.rotary.org/en/get-involved/interact-clubs
Millbrook Rotary Club: https://millbrookrotary.org/
Circle K International: https://www.circlek.org/
CATEGORIES
New Generations
Rotary International
Service Organizations
Youth
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Dr. Anil K. Vaidian, Dutchess Country Commissioner of Behavioral and Community Health visits RadioRotary to present the latest information about COVID-19 and the vaccines that prevent it. COVID-19 is the disease caused by a brand-new virus, SARS-CoV-2, so our immune systems are not prepared to deal with it. It is very infectious, so once it began to spread from human to human, a worldwide pandemic occurred. One of the main ways to slow the spread of the disease is to wear a mask with at least two layers of protection whenever you are indoors with other persons. The spread will be stopped when about 80 percent of the population has been vaccinated against the disease. Dr. Vaidian provides on the program detailed advice about both mask wearing and vaccines.
Learn more:
Dutchess County Behavioral and Community Health: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/DBCH/dbch.htm
COVID-19: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html
Vaccines: https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/development-approval-process-cber/vaccine-development-101
Herd Immunity: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/herd-immunity-and-coronavirus/art-20486808
CATEGORIES
Dutchess County
Health
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Millbrook, NY, is home base for the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, although the scientists connected with the Institute may work anywhere that their studies take them. The Millbrook main building, situated on 2,000 acres of study sites and trails, was among the most ecosystem friendly when it was constructed in 1978, but now is out of date and in need of repair and renewal. On this program, Catherine Forbes, Director of Advancement for the Institute, describes what the construction is all about and also some of the Institutes programs. Thirteen principal scientist work from the Institute, each with post-docs and technicians forming their teams as they investigate such topics of local interest as tick-borne diseases or the Hudson River ecology. Among the local benefits of having the Institute nearby are the many programs as each of the scientists (as well as visiting experts) provide free programs on their work. The Institute also provides summer educational programing for younger children and participates in Data Jam, which uses art to explain science.
Learn more:
Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies: https://www.caryinstitute.org/
Cary Institute on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaryInstitute/
The Tick Project: https://www.tickproject.org/
Northeast US Data Jam: https://sites.google.com/view/nes-lter-schoolyard-datajam/home
CATEGORIES
Environment
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Highland Rotarian and District 7210 President (2020-21) Tony Marmo is the guest on this RadioRotary program. His District of 56 Rotary clubs (including the brand-new Passport Rotary Club) is participating in the Million Mask Challenge, a program started by a Connecticut Rotarian that is designed to provide face masks to organizations. Face masks have been called the best way to stop the spread of the covid-19 pandemic, especially important because of slow progress in vaccinations against the disease. As part of this program 37 District Rotary clubs managed to distribute 137,000 face masks (mostly surgical masks, but also some masks for children and N95 masks for health-care workers). These have been given to such organizations as senior-citizen centers, food pantries, fire departments, and more. Tony Marmo, when not engaged in Rotary activities, is president and owner of Normann Staffing, a source of temporary workers and an employment agency in Kingston, NY.
Learn more:
Rotary District 7210: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/
Million Mask Challenge: https://millionmaskchallenge.com/
District 7210 Million Mask Challenge: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/stories/rotary-million-mask-challenge-(take-2-)
District 7210 Passport Club: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/clubinfo/district-7210-passport
Normann Staffing: https://www.normannstaffing.com/
CATEGORIES
Health
Rotary District 7210
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Animal Farm Foundation Manager Nicole Juchem visits RadioRotary via Zoom to tell RadioRotary listeners about a new program from the Animal Farm Foundation geared to easing the social isolation that the covid-19 lock-downs are causing: virtual pet visits. Starting with a visit to the Pets Together website https://petstogether.org/, you can book your virtual pet visit. The website includes a choice of cats and dogs (and even cows and horses) that will visit the lonely human via Zoom—along with the pet’s owner who will be happy to engage in friendly talk. Animal Farm Foundation’s main work is training shelter dogs to become useful service dogs and also to work to improve the public image of dogs taken to be pit bulls. The new Pets Together program is a welcome addition to their mission.
Learn more:
Pets Together: https://petstogether.org/
Animal Farm Foundation: mailto:https://animalfarmfoundation.org/
Service Dogs: mailto:https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/service-dog-training-101/
Myths and Facts about Pit Bulls: mailto:https://www.petfinder.com/pet-adoption/dog-adoption/myths-and-facts-about-pit-bulls/
CATEGORIES
Animals
Mental Health
Support Groups
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Rotary International and the Rotary Foundation have seven areas of focus, among them “Promoting Peace.” One of the main ways this is accomplished is by providing full fellowships for Master’s Degrees in Peace and Conflict Prevention and Resolution. On this show RadioRotary welcomes one of those Peace Fellows, Bianca Neff, founder and CEO of Petra Peacebuillders. Her organization promotes peace in three ways: Training members of organizations working for peace; coaching individuals directly; and providing retreats for stressed out workers in areas of conflict. Most of their work recently has been in war-torn Afghanistan. The interview has much fascinating material about how a peace organization works and about Ms. Neff’s interesting life story.
Learn more:
Petra Peacebuilders: http://www.petrapeacebuilders.org/
Rotary Peace Fellows: https://www.rotary.org/en/our-programs/peace-fellowships
Petra Peacebuilders on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/petra.peacebuilders/
Rotary Areas of Focus: https://www.rotary.org/en/our-causes
CATEGORIES
International Programs
Mental Health
Peace
Rotary Foundation
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary interviews author and journalist Dan Goldberg about his book The Golden 13: How Black Men Won the Right to Wear Navy Gold. Mr. Goldberg, an award-winning writer for Politico, spent eight years researching the story of the first Black officers in the U.S. Navy, working to restore these men to their rightful place in history. World War II was nearing its end in January 1944. The Navy until then had assigned all Black sailors to the Mess Corps, but it was past time for a change. Sixteen Black sailors were chosen to take secret and intense training to become officers. Although all sixteen passed their finals, the U.S. Navy knew that of ordinary officers-in-training, only 75% passed, so they whittled the final list down to thirteen. All thirteen served with distinction in the last days of World War II. Listen to their story as told by the author of this readable and important book.
Learn more:
The Golden 13 by Dan Goldberg: https://smile.amazon.com/Golden-Thirteen-Black-Right-Wear/dp/080702158X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=The+Golden+13&qid=1610137918&s=books&sr=1-1
Dan Goldberg: https://smile.amazon.com/Dan-Goldberg/e/B084B27MD3?ref_=dbs_p_pbk_r00_abau_000000
Golden Thirteen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Thirteen
African-American Experience in the U.S. Navy: https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/diversity/african-americans.html
CATEGORIES
History
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary cohosts discuss the work of the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley with its new director, Sara Gunn. Part of the Food Banks of the Northeast, the Hudson Valley organization normally provides 16 million tons of food each year to local food pantries, senior citizen centers, homeless shelters, and similar organizations throughout the five-counties of the mid-Hudson valley—but because of the pandemic and its related job losses, the Food Bank distributed 22 million tons of food during 2020. The food, stored in a giant warehouse in Cornwell-on-Hudson, NY, comes from donations by local farms and supermarkets or is purchased with funds from community cash donations or a new source of funding from the state called Nourish New York. Learn how you can be a part of filling this basic need by going to the Food Bank website and contributing to the Holiday Hunger Appeal or to an organization such as Feeding America. Or volunteer to help the Food Bank or your local Food Pantry.
Learn more:
Food Bank of the Hudson Valley: https://foodbankofhudsonvalley.org/
Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York: https://regionalfoodbank.net/
Hunger in the United States: https://frac.org/hunger-poverty-america
Feeding America: https://www.feedingamerica.org/
CATEGORIES
Events
Hudson Valley
Nutrition
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary was delighted to have Mary Howard come to the program to tell about Toastmasters International, recently partnered with Rotary. Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of more than 16,200 clubs in 145 countries with more than 364,000 members. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people from diverse backgrounds become more confident speakers, communicators, and leaders. In their alliance, Rotary clubs and Toastmasters clubs are encouraged to interact, so members of either organization can attend meetings or work on service projects. Toastmasters is also developing a leadership program than can be used for Rotarians. Learn more by listening to the interview. Learn more:
Toastmasters International: https://www.toastmasters.org/
Partnership between Toastmasters and Rotary: https://www.rotary.org/en/toastmasters-and-rotary-partner-help-members-grow
CATEGORIES
Rotary International
Service Organizations
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Every holiday season one of the great charities that everyone loves to help is Toys for Tots. In 2020, the year of the pandemic, the Marines are still coming to help children who might otherwise go without holiday presents. Toys for Tots was started in 1947 by Marine Corps Reserve Major Bill Hendricks and his wife Diane to provide toys for children in need—distributing 5,000 toys in that first year. Since then, communities around the nation have provided bins for collecting toys and volunteers to provide cash for more and to help the local Marine Corps Reserve deliver them. In 2020 some of the usual ways of getting the word out to donors have been impacted by Covid restrictions, but with radio, social media, and advertising, the program will operate as usual. The details for this year are provided in this radio program by Tammy Haight (Ulster County Coordinator), Melissa Curtis (former coordinator), and PAMAL radio host Randy Turner (who is also part of the RadioRotary team)m as well as by the RadioRotary cohosts Jonah Triebwasser and Sarah O’Connell-Claitor.
Learn more:
Hudson Valley Toys for Tots: https://hudson-valley.toysfortots.org/local-coordinator-sites/lco-sites/default.aspx?nPageID=100&nPreviewInd=200&nRedirectInd=3
Toys for Tots on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ToysForTotsHudsonValley/
Marine Reserve Corps at Stewart Air Base: https://www.marforres.marines.mil/Major-Subordinate-Commands/4th-Marine-Aircraft-Wing/Marine-Aircraft-Group-49/ssstewart/
WBPM (92.9): https://www.929wbpm.com/
National Toys for Tots campaign: https://www.toysfortots.org/
CATEGORIES
Children
Hudson Valley
Service Organizations
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Amelia Legare saw a red barn at Greig Farm in Red Hook and many possibilities for improving the environment. As a gardening instructor for an elementary school, she started with talking to farm-owner Norman Greig about starting a native-plant garden at the farm but soon a host of ideas for using local ingredients in household items, selling them in bulk to reduce use of plastic, forming a community compost CGA, providing classes on environmental issues (and yoga), and more were not only conceived by implemented. Since the goal was sustainability with zero waste, the barn was converted into a bulk-goods emporium for household products and named “The O Zone,” for a place with zero negative impact on the environment. RadioRotary is delighted to bring new of Lagare’s vision and enterprise to a greater audience. Listen to the program to learn about the many ways The O Zone can improve both the environment and your life.
Learn more:
The O Zone: https://theozonehv.com/
Greig Farm: https://www.greigfarm.com/
Environmental Sustainability: https://www.thebalancesmb.com/what-is-sustainability-3157876
Native Plant Gardening: https://www.wildflower.org/learn/guide-native-plant-gardening
Community Composting: https://ilsr.org/composting/what-is-community-composting/
CATEGORIES
Environment
Quality of Life
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Poughkeepsie South Rotarian Christina Boryk, Executive Director of Dutchess Rebuilding Together (in photo), and Kelly Formoso, Executive Director of Hudson Valley Red Cross, visit RadioRotary through Zoom for this fascinating discussion of home safety measures, especially smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms. Rebuilding Together is in the business of improving homes, both with major renovations (such as a new roof) and general in-home safety measures. Red Cross, which aids people after disasters, in Dutchess County most often helps families recover from house fires. So it made sense in 2016 when the idea of working together was broached that the two organizations would combine to provide free smoke alarms to homeowners and renters. Since then they have installed over a thousand smoke alarms and saved the lives of at least 7 persons. Listen to the details of how this remarkable team began and continues to work together and how you can make your home protected from fire and carbon-monoxide poisoning.
Learn more:
Rebuilding Together (Dutchess County):
http://www.rebuildingtogetherdutchess.org/
Red Cross (Hudson Valley): https://www.redcross.org/local/new-york/eastern-new-york/about-us/locations/mid-hudson-valley.html
Fire Safety: https://www.nsc.org/home-safety/safety-topics/emergency-preparedness/fire
Poughkeepsie South Rotary Club: https://www.rotarydistrict7210.org/clubInfo/poughkeepsie-south
CATEGORIES
Aging
Housing Assistance
Service Organizations
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary is especially delighted to be able to interview Jennifer Jones, who for the Rotary Year 2022-23 will be president of Rotary International (RI), the first woman in the 115-year history of Rotary to achieve that high office. Until a little more than 30 years ago, there were no women officially in Rotary—a club in California that accepted women in 1977 was dropped from RI for this violation of rules. But ten years later the US Supreme Court ruled that Rotary could not reject members on the basis of gender, and US clubs began to admit women. The Canadian courts also recognized that Rotary clubs should be gender neutral and, in 1989, RI agreed, allowing clubs around the world to admit women members. President-nominee Jones, from the Windsor-Roseland Rotary Club (which spans Canada and the US), joined Rotary in 1997 and has been active at club and district levels ever since, becoming a director and a vice-president of RI. In her RadioRotary interview she tells her story and discusses how the Rotary Polio-Plus experience has provided thousands of workers who have been dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. She reveals that RI has officially added protection of the environment to the six areas of focus and speaks of her interest in making the young-persons Rotary, Rotaract, a gateway to the full Rotary experience.
Learn more:
President-Nominee Jennifer E. Jones: https://www.rotary.org/en/jennifer-e-jones-makes-history-becomes-first-woman-named-rotary-president-nominee
Rotary International: https://www.rotary.org/en
History of Women in Rotary: https://www.rotary.org/en/history-women-rotary
Windsor-Roseland Rotary Club: https://www.roselandrotary.com/
CATEGORIES
Environment
Health
PolioPlus
Rotary International
Women
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary interviews Christa Hines, Executive Director of Hudson River Housing, a vital service primarily in Dutchess County (but also with some facilities in Orange and Columbia counties). Hudson River Housing helps solve the housing problems of the Mid-Hudson with temporary, transitional, or permanent housing. As many as 100 individuals who are homeless can be served at the pods housing (formerly used by the Dutchess jail), while Hudson River Housing has a separate facility
Learn more:
Hudson River Housing: https://hudsonriverhousing.org/
Mental Health Association of Dutchess County:
Hope on a Mission:https://www.hopeonamission.org/
Homeless Situation, Dutchess County: https://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/news/local/2020/01/23/dutchess-county-homeless-population-growing-amid-variety-factors/4482162002/
CATEGORIES
Dutchess County
Humanitarian Service
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Ever since 1993, Dutchess Outreach has provided free coats and other warm clothing at the start of winter for those in need in Dutchess County. Starting at the beginning of October and continuing into November, coats are donated at sites all over the country—all Guardian Self Storage, Red Cap Cleaners, and Rhinebeck Bank locations. Recently the coat drive has been augmented with help from Rotary clubs. Pleasant Valley Rotary has sponsored part of the coat drive for several years and for the past two years the Millbrook Rotary Club has joined the efforts. The Rotary portion of the coat drive has included a day of distribution in Pleasant Valley Town Hall, but when that became unavailable because of Covid-19, the Pleasant Valley Free Library provided a new location. In addition to winter coats and jackets, the Rotary clubs also collect scarves, gloves, and hats. With distribution at several sites around the country—even in the days of the coronavirus restrictions—as many as 6,000 items are provided free to those who will benefit from the help.
Learn more:
Dutchess Outreach: http://dutchessoutreach.org/
Pleasant Valley Rotary: https://www.rotarydistrict7210.org/clubInfo/pleasant-valley
Millbrook Rotary: https://millbrookrotary.org/
Pleasant Valley Free Library: https://pleasantvalleylibrary.org/
CATEGORIES
Dutchess County
Events
Humanitarian Service
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Founded in 1947 by Brewster Rotarian and 7210 Past District Governor (1962-63) Dr, Samuel “Rollo” Ross, Green Chimneys is recognized as a worldwide leader in animal-assisted therapy and educational activities for children with special needs. RadioRotary learned all about this very unusual facility for children on the autistic spectrum when the current when Dr. Edward Placke visited the program by Zoom. A staff of 500 helps the children, ages 6 through 20, but much of the healing and learning (outside of regular schoolwork) is through spending time with the many animals of the farm—22 horses, alpacas and llamas, all sort of raptors, a flock of geese, and more. Even students who do not speak to other children or their parents, sometimes learn to speak to the animals. The goal at Green Chimneys is to aid children for two or three years and then return an improved child to his regular home and school. Listen to the program to learn about the two large campuses in Brewster and Kent, NY, and about the special events that help keep the program going.
Learn more:
Green Chimneys School: https://www.greenchimneys.org/
Dr. Samuel “Rollo” Ross: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/50077/sitepage/in-memoriam/dr-samuel-rollo-ross-jr
The Autistic Spectrum: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/facts.htmlhttps://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/facts.html
Animal Therapy for Autism: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6510492/
CATEGORIES
Animals
Children
Education
Events
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary is visited, via Zoom, by 33-year Rotarian and 7210 Past District Governor (2006-07) Carole Tjoa, a member of the North Rockland Rotary Club and currently the District PolioPlus Chair. Mrs. Tjoa tells the story of how Rotary, when polio was completely eliminated from the U.S. in 1979, took the vaccines that stopped the disease to the Philippines and on September 29 began its long association with polio eradication. Rotary spent about $760,000 to immunize 6 million children in the Philippines; polio was then often called “juvenile paralysis” because its primary victims were often less than 5 years old. The success of the Philippine project led Rotary to launch PolioPlus in 1985 with the goal of worldwide elimination. Soon joined by the CDC, WHO, and UNICEF and later by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the immunization program since then has spent $10 billion to immunize more than 2.5 billion children, eliminating wild polio virus from everywhere but Pakistan and Afghanistan, which continue to have fewer than 200 cases annually between them. IN 1988 when Global Polio Eradication started, there had been 350,000 cases. Listen and learn more, both about polio and the remarkable life of Rotarian Carole Tjoa.
Learn more:
Global Polio Eradication Initiative: https://polioeradication.org/
PolioPlus: https://www.endpolio.org/
The Plus in PolioPlus: https://www.rotary.org/en/plus-polioplus
The Rotary Foundation: https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=4553https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=4553
Rotary District 7210: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/
North Rockland Rotary Club: https://northrocklandrotary.org/
CATEGORIES
Global Polio Initiative
Health
International Programs
PolioPlus
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Through the magic of Zoom. RadioRotary interviews John Hewko, the General Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of both Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation. As CEO he directs some 800 Rotary employees in the United States and around the world—Rotary has 1.2 million members worldwide, with only about 25% of them in the United States. Rotarians are committed to doing good in the world as well as making person connections with like-minded others. In addition to contributing $400 million for projects through The Rotary Foundation, Rotarians contribute about 47 million people hours to make those projects work—and these numbers do not count the gifts and projects of the 35,000 individual clubs that make up Rotary. With numbers like that, Rotary embarked on a huge project in 1985 (later joined but other international organizations) to eliminate polio. At this point they have succeeded everywhere except Pakistan and Afghanistan where there remain a few cases annually. Another emphasis of Rotary is enrolling youth in both projects to improve communities but also in supporting peace through annual youth exchanges between countries around the world.
Learn more:
General Secretary and CEO: https://my.rotary.org/en/general-secretary-and-chief-executive-officer
Rotary International: https://www.rotary.org/en
The Rotary Foundation: https://www.rotary.org/en/about-rotary/rotary-foundation
Polio Eradication: https://polioeradication.org/
Rotary Youth Programs: https://www.rotary.org/en/our-programs/youth-programs
CATEGORIES
Global Polio Initiative
Rotary Foundation
Rotary International
Youth
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
When the Covid-19 pandemic struck Red Hook, NY, Dan Budd, a local businessman with ties to the youth community and a high-school student, Chris Donohue, decided that they could organize volunteers to solve some of the immediate problems the community faces. RadioRotary on this program interviews Red Hook Responds cofounder Dan Budd, owner of Taste Budd’s Café in Red Hook Village, about how Red Hook Responds works and about the related venture, Shop Red Hook. Aside for medical needs, the two main problems Red Hook residents faced with the stay-in-place rules of the State response to the pandemic have been delivery of essential items and the loss of human interactions. The nearly 500 volunteers of Red Hook Responds, many of them students, deliver groceries or medicines and also provide neighborly chats over the telephone; but the most important service has been production of and delivery of more than 8,000 prepared dinners (so far). School-district supplied breakfasts and lunches are also delivered to those who need them. Shop Red Hook is another service—an online conduit between farms and food banks.
Learn more:
Red Hook Responds: https://www.redhookresponds.org/
Shop Red Hook Food Exchange: https://shopredhook.com/
Taste Budd’s Café: https://www.tastebudds.com/
Town of Red Hook, NY: https://www.tastebudds.com/
CATEGORIES
Humanitarian Service
Nutrition
Support Groups
Volunteers
Youth
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary hosts some principal planners from Third Eye Associates:
President Beth Jones, Red Hook Rotarian and Vice-President Sue Simon (in photo), and Communications Manager Jennifer McKinley, who together discuss the problems and solutions for your finances in this time of the Covid-19 recession.
Learn more:
Third Eye Associates: mailto:https://www.thirdeyeassociates.com/
The Covid-19 Recession: mailto:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_recession
Red Hook Rotary Club: mailto:https://www.redhookrotaryclub.org/
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
The show is a “triple play,” as co—hosts Sarah O’Connell-Claitor and Jonah Triebwasser are joined by three representatives of the history-preservation teams of Dutchess County: Lisa Weiss from the Cider Mill Friends of Open Space and Historic Preservation; Bill Ponte of the Sports Museum of Dutchess County; and Amy McKenzie of the Fishkill Historical Society and Van Wyck Homestead Museum. These volunteers and the many volunteers who work with them are dedicated to keeping the significant history of Dutchess County alive, from Colonial Days right up to the present. The event that brings them together is the 8 th annual Cider Tasting at Kimlin Cider Mill, a historic building from the 19thcentury that was rescued from destruction by volunteers in 2008 after a seven-year-long effort. Similarly, the Van Wyck Homestead, which dates from 1732, has been preserved since 1962 by the Fishkill Historical Society. The Sports Museum has since 1977 maintained a Hall of Fame for the many sports figures who played or lived in Dutchess County. The Cider Tasting features ciders from local farms as well as other treats.
Learn more:
Cider Mill Friends of Open Space and Historic Preservation:
mailto:https://cidermillfriends.org/
Sports Museum of Dutchess County:
mailto:https://www.dutchess.org/museums/sports_museum_of_dutchess_county
Carnwath Farms Historic Site and Park: mailto:https://carnwathfarms.webs.com/
Fishkill Historical Society and Van Wyck Homestead Museum:
mailto:http://www.fishkillhistoricalsociety.org/
CATEGORIES
Dutchess County
Events
History
Museums
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
For twenty years, the Vassar-Haiti Project (VHP) has improved the lives of Haitians in the remote mountaintop Haitian village of Chermaitre and its surroundings, raising funds primarily by selling Haitian paintings and crafts. As a result of these efforts, Chermaitre and the surrounding area is served by a 300-student school, a clinic that treats 3,000 patients annually, and clean water, the last from a Rotary Global Grant sponsored by the Poughkeepsie-Arlington Rotary. But with the Covid-19 situation in 2020, an in-person art sale would be too dangerous, so VHP mounted an on-line auction and other virtual events. RadioRotary is helping promote the sale with an interview with Lila Meade, Executive Director of VHP, and two active students from Vassar, Alice Fan and Sam O’Keefe. VHP is partly operated by Vassar’s Rotaract Club and has close connections with 14 Rotary Clubs, District 7210, and The Rotary Foundation. The current efforts include setting up an $86,500 solar-power system to bring much needed electricity to the clinic, for which 14 Rotary Clubs and Rotary District 7210 have contributed $66,000.
Learn more:
The Vassar Haiti Project: http://www.thehaitiproject.org/
The Rotary Foundation Global Grants: https://my.rotary.org/en/take-action/apply-grants/global-grants
Rotaract: https://www.rotary.org/en/get-involved/rotaract-clubs
Rotary District 7210:
CATEGORIES
Education
Health
International Programs
Rotary Club Projects
Rotary Foundation
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Trauma Injury Prevention Coordinator at Vassar Hospital Jill Bubel visits RadioRotary to promote the Lower Hudson Valley Fall Prevention Week, a series of online events devoted to teaching older persons how to avoid those often traumatic and sometimes deadly falls, the most common cause of serious injury or mortality in persons over 60. The events are sponsored by the offices for the aging of the counties in the lower Hudson Valley and include a balance class based on the Kovacs exercises, classes in Tai Chi, information about making homes safer, and much more. Programs for the week include materials for fall prevention from Rebuilding Together, students from Stoney Brook, and Northwell Health.
Learn more:
Lower Hudson Valley Fall Prevention Network: mailto:https://www.facebook.com/lhvfallprevention
Fall Prevention from National Institute on Aging: mailto:https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/prevent-falls-and-fractures
Trauma Center at Vassar Hospital: mailto:https://www.healthquest.org/poughkeepsie/trauma.aspx
Tai Chi for Health: mailto:https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-health-benefits-of-tai-chi
CATEGORIES
Aging
Events
Health
Quality of Life
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Scott Oatkin, Political Affairs Ambassador for The Borgen Project, visits RadioRotary (via Zoom) to describe the efforts that he and other volunteers are making to encourage the United State Government to do more to help end world poverty. Around the world more than 700 million people live in extreme poverty, and The Borgen Project is dedicated to the proposition that the world’s richest nation should be leading efforts to improve economies. A better world economy would be better for the United States as well. The Borgen Project got started 7 years ago when Clint Borgen was a volunteer in Kosovo and saw first-hand how many people live without enough food or other necessities because of low income. More recently Mr. Oatkin also experienced how really impoverished people live when he was a part of the Rhinebeck Interact’s mission to build a school in rural Nicaragua, which led to his involvement in The Borgen Project. Rhinebeck Interact is a high-school club sponsored by Rhinebeck Rotary. Mr. Oatkin is now a junior political science major at NYU. As a Borgen Project Ambassador, he lobbies government officials to do more about world poverty.
Learn more:
The Borgen Project: mailto:https://borgenproject.org/
Interview with Clint Borgen:mailto:https://www.seattletimes.com/business/borgen-one-mans-seven-year-project-to-downsize-poverty/
Rhinebeck Interact on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/395583917202375/
Rhinebeck Rotary: mailto:https://portal.clubrunner.ca/2252
CATEGORIES
Financial Aid
International Programs
Law
Service Organizations
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Foundation Manager Nicole Juchem visits RadioRotary via Zoom to describe the many ways that the Animal Farm Foundation improves the way dogs, especially those who have been discriminated against because of appearance or breed, are accepted and also how their other programs training dogs or using their special qualities help people across the United States. Although the Animal Farm Foundation is based in a large farm in Amenia, NY, it works around the nation to rid localities of laws or covenants that discriminate against particular canine breeds or dogs who are perceived as “pit bulls.” The Foundation also takes rescue dogs and trains them to be service dogs that can aid humans with vision, hearing, or anxiety problems. Their Paw of Purpose at Rikers Island Prison enlists prisoners to work with dogs to the benefit of both the dogs and the prisoners. Volunteers for Pets Together are using dogs and other pets to aid persons who have been socially isolated by the pandemic or just by life. There is much more that the Animal Farm Foundation is doing, so listen to this great interview and learn.
Learn more:
Animal Farm Foundation: https://animalfarmfoundation.org/
Paws of Purpose on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154483000337076.1073741870.51042412075&type=3
Pets Together: https://petstogether.org/
Breed-Specific Canine Discrimination: https://bestfriends.org/our-work/best-friends-advocacy/ending-breed-discrimination
CATEGORIES
Animals
Law
Mental Health
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Highland Rotarians Steve Laubach and Peter Rein visit RadioRotary via Zoom to tell how the club’s annual Ribfest has been reconfigured for the Covid-19 era.
Due to the New York State Covid-19 guidelines, the Highland Rotary Club decided to cancel the 2020 Hudson Valley Ribfest at the Ulster County Fairgrounds scheduled for August 21–23, 2020. The organizers recognized that the essence of the festival was food and music, while the goal of a Rotary club is to help the community, so they have developed a way to do both. Rotary’s Ribfest Restaurant Revival is configured to help the area’s restaurants, all of which have been suffering from the pandemic and at the same time make it possible for the public to enjoy a great meal. At the same time, the club has arranged a YouTube concern of local musicians to take place during the festival days. Listen to the program and also visit their Website for the details of how this all will work. And, the club is planning to return to the fairgrounds next year on August 20–22, 2021 with an even bigger live event.
Learn more:
Hudson Valley Ribfest: https://rrrr.rocks/
Highland NY Rotary Club: http://highlandrotaryclub.com/
Highland Rotary on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/highlandnyrotary/
CATEGORIES
Events
Hudson Valley
Nutrition
Rotary Club Projects
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Daniela Pulice, Director of the Pleasant Valley Free Library, returns to the RadioRotary microphones to tell the co-hosts about the amazing progress the Library has made since the old building and collection were destroyed by fire on election day, 2018. Thanks to the generous gift of the use of a former grocery store by Pleasant Valley realtor Herb Redl, the Library was able to re-open in the donated quarters just three months after the fire, although it then had to close again for three months in 2020 due to COVID-19; but since June, 2020, has re-opened in the new space. The community has been generous to the organization that is central to its identity—donating some 25,000 books to replace the lost collection and a considerable amount of cash to build a new Library building on the old site. About $3 million is needed for rebuilding, and with insurance money, grants, and donations, the Library is more than two-thirds of way to reach that goal. Listen to the program to learn about the many activities and offerings available now and consider donating to the wonderful organization.
Learn more:
Pleasant Valley Library: mailto:https://pleasantvalleylibrary.org/
Pleasant Valley Library on Facebook: mailto:https://www.facebook.com/pleasantvalleylibrary/
Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library: mailto:https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofthePVLibrary/
Mid-Hudson Library System: mailto:https://midhudson.org/
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary welcomes Rotary International (RI) President Holger Knaack (via Zoom), a member since 1992 of the Rotary Club of Herzogtum Lauenburg-Mölln, Germany. He is proud to be the first RI president from Germany. President Knaack has held many posts in Rotary from Club President and District Governor to Director and Treasurer of Rotary International. His special interests have been the youth-exchange program and Rotaract, the Rotary adjunct for young adults between the age of 18 and 30. He and his wife have not just supported youth-exchange; they have hosted some 40 students themselves. He says “Rotary is the greatest organization in the world” because of its work in fighting disease, promoting peace, encouraging literacy, and aiding disaster recovery with ShelterBox. Because of the COVID-19 situation, he is the first RI president who cannot travel to Rotary Clubs all over the world, but he visits thousands of Rotarians via Zoom every day.
Learn more:
RI Theme 2020-21: mailto:https://www.rotary.org/en/holger-knaack-sees-opportunities-rotary-change-thrive
Rotary International: mailto:https://www.rotary.org/en
Rotary Youth Exchange: mailto:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotary_Youth_Exchange
Rotaract on Facebook: mailto:https://www.facebook.com/rotaractor/
ShelterBox: mailto:https://www.shelterboxusa.org/
CATEGORIES
Disaster Relief
Peace
PolioPlus
Rotary International
Youth
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
It is the custom each year for a Rotary District to elect a new governor, and on RadioRotary it is the custom to interview the incoming governor. For the Rotary year 2020-21, which began on July 1, the new District Governor (DG) of District 7210 is Tony Marmo from the Highland (NY) Rotary Club. Mr. Marmo is the 74th District Governor and has been deeply involved with his club and the District for a long time. He has been president of Highland Rotary 3 times in his 35 years as a Rotarian. In Rotary, there is extensive training as a person passes from District Nominee, to District-Governor Elect, to District Governor (and then to Past District Governor (PDG) with continuing involvement in a Council of advisors). The current group of incoming and outgoing DGs has agreed to work as a team, which has been very effective. The goal of the team is to grow Rotary in District 7210—like many volunteer organizations, membership has been slipping in recent years, and Mr. Marmo and the team are determined to turn that trend around. Mt. Marmo also has a closer association to RadioRotary than other DGs because he is also business manager of the RadioRotary Board.
Learn more:
Rotary District 7210: mailto:https://portal.clubrunner.ca/50045
Highland (NY) Rotary Club: mailto:https://highlandrotaryclub.com/
Highland Rotary Facebook page” mailto:https://www.facebook.com/highlandnyrotary/
RadioRotary: mailto:http://www.radiorotary.org/cms/
CATEGORIES
Rotary District 7210
Rotary Membership
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary interviews (via Zoom) Joe Ryan, the Coordinator for the Medical Reserve Corp of Dutchess County, an organization of 1,004 volunteers currently who provide disaster relief, emergency-medical training, and related services throughout Dutchess County. The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a nationwide organization designed to prepare for and help hand disaster relief, started after the September 11, 2001, attack. The Dutchess Country branch currently has 1,004 volunteers, and also Mr. Ryan has also won the nationally given Mentor Award for its coordination with surrounding county MRCs. The volunteers are almost exactly split between medical personnel and those with no prior medical training. The many preparedness programs offered by Dutchess MRC include classes in stopping bleeding, overdose recovery, suicide prevention, tick safety, and hands-only CPR. During the COVID-19 epidemic, MRC has been part of contact tracing, monitoring victims who are living at home, and providing food or prescription delivery when necessary. Listen to the whole program to learn much more about the services and also about how to volunteer to become a member.
Learn more:
Medical Reserve Corps of Dutchess County: mailto:https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Emergency-Response/Medical-Reserve-Corps-MRC.htm
Medical Reserve Corps: mailto:https://mrc.hhs.gov/HomePage
Mentor Award: mailto:https://www.dutchessny.gov/County-Government/National-Medical-Reserve-Corps-Bestows-Mentor-Award-on-Dutchess-Countys-Joe-Ryan.htm
CATEGORIES
Animals
Disaster Relief
Dutchess Country
Health
Service Organizations
Volunteers
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Rob Raylman, CEO of Gift of Life International and 2020-21 president of the Manhasset Rotary Club, visits RadioRotary on Zoom to discuss the latest projects of the humanitarian organization that he heads. The purpose of Gift of Life International is to treat children with heart disease and where necessary to provide nutritional assistance to recovering children. Originally children were brought to the US for pediatric surgery, but since 2009 Gift of Life International has focused largely on creating “Core Programs” that develop regional centers in emerging nations, which, when they are ready, become “Legacy Programs” that are backed by the country’s national government and a working pediatric hospital. Gift of Life International began as an idea raised at a lunch at the Manhasset Rotary just 13 years ago, although Gift of Life missions go back to 1975. The medical staff and their helpers are all volunteers, while the main costs of the operations and training are borne by The Rotary Foundation, mostly through global grants. The Legacy Programs become self-sustaining and also improve the economy of an emerging nation.
Learn more:
Gift of Life International: mailto:https://www.giftoflifeinternational.org/
Manhasset Rotary Club on Facebook: mailto:https://www.facebook.com/manhassetrotary/
The Rotary Foundation: mailto:https://www.rotary.org/en/about-rotary/rotary-foundation
CATEGORIES
Chilren
Health
International Programs
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Andrew O’Grady, Executive Director of Mental Health American Dutchess County (MHA) and the Mid-Hudson Recovery Centers, Inc. (MARC) returns to the RadioRotary microphones to talk about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected mental health, a veterans’ program, homelessness, and addiction. As MHA and MARC move toward a complete merger in 2021, the 200 full-time employees and 70 part-timers are deemed essential and so are still working, although mostly from home and on the telephone. But some programs must continue face to face, albeit with adaptations to stem spread of disease. For example, MARC residential treatment and sober housing programs are based in specific centers. The MHA homeless shelter must run from its location as well. The Vet-2-Vet help for military veterans by other veterans will come to where it is needed. All in all, MHA/MARC is even more active as the county confronts the coronavirus than it had been during the old normal. Anyone who needs the services provided by this organization can reach them at (845)473-2500.
Learn more:
Mental Health America Dutchess County: https://mhadutchess.org/
Facebook Page for Mental Health America: https://www.facebook.com/MHADutchess/
Vet-2-Vet: mailto:http://www.vet2vetusa.org/
CATEGORIES
Addiction Recovery
Health
Housing Assistance
Support Groups
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Millbrook Rotarian Brian Fried, Assistant Superintendent for Business, Finance, and Operations at the Millbrook Central School District, visits RadioRotary to describe how the District is handling the dislocation of normal practices caused by the steps required by New York State to slow the spread of COVID-19. Schools in Dutchess County were all required to stop holding live classes in mid-March, with a significant amount of the school year unfinished. Among the steps that Mr. Fried describes are making sure that every student has broadband access and a computer so that they can participate with classes and in interactions with teachers or school psychologists; arranging with the cafeteria staff and drivers to see that 175 students under age 18 who need nutrition assistance get breakfast and lunch delivered 7 days a week; and maintaining school spirit with car parades and signs on the lawns of all graduating seniors, as well as planning a memorable graduation event. No one knows exactly what future problems must be faced, but this program reveals that the Millbrook Central Schools are getting ready for anything.
Learn more:
Millbrook Central School District: mailto:https://www.millbrookcsd.org/
Millbrook Rotary Club: mailto:https://millbrookrotary.org/
New York State on Pause: mailto:https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/new-york-state-pause
CATEGORIES
Education
Nutrition
Youth
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Rotarian Jason Gonzales, president of the E-Club of Wall Street, visits RadioRotary via Zoom to tell how the former Wall Street Rotary became an online E-club and still continues to do good in the world. When the Rotary Club of Wall Street recognized in 2018 that it was barely hanging in with only 10 active members, the members decided to reconstitute as an online E-club, which today is up to 32 members in 13 countries around the world. The members meet by Zoom from their respective locations at noon (Wall Street time—it is 6:00 p.m. for European members). Just like in-person Rotary clubs, the E-club has speakers (often more famous than most Rotary clubs host) and engages in activities to help the community, hosting Rotary scholars, raising funds for good causes, and volunteering approximately 10 hours for every member.Today he works for UNICEF Innovation, and is appointed by Rotary International’s President as Rotary’s Youth Representative to the United Nations through which he has the responsibility of planning the annual Rotary UN Day (www.rotaryundaynyc.org).There is much more of interest in this interview than we have room to include here, so be sure to listen to the show.
Learn more:
E-Club of Wall Street: mailto:http://www.wallstreetrotary.org/
Facebook for E-Club of Wall Street: mailto:https://www.facebook.com/RotaryWallStreetNY/
Rotary District 7230: mailto:https://rotary7230.org/
Rotaract Club of Pace University: mailto:http://www.wallstreetrotary.org/rotaract/
UNESCO: https://en.unesco.org/
Rotary UN Day: mailto:https://www.rotary.org/en/un-day
Global membership responding to the global pandemic: www.wallstreetrotary.org/covid19
Sending hygiene kits to the homeless: www.wallstreetrotary.org/service/hygiene
Join from anywhere: www.wallstreetrotary.org/calendar
CATEGORIES
Disaster Relief
International Programs
Rotary Club Close-ups
United Nations
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Millbrook Rotarian Cindie Kish, the current 2710 District Governor, visits RadioRotary via Zoom, to tell how the 55 Mid-Hudson Rotary Clubs are helping their communities and the world get through the pandemic. Unlike many businesses and other organizations, Rotary in the Mid-Hudson has not gone dark. Clubs have found innovative ways to meet and also members are able to join weekly District meetings online. The good work of Rotary has not stopped, even though many traditional fundraisers have had to be cancelled; Rotary clubs have found ways to support not only such organizations as food pantries, but local businesses as well—for example, some clubs that can no longer meet at their favorite restaurant have helped support it by collecting take-out meals and distributing them to club members. The high-school Interact clubs sponsored by Rotary can no longer meet with schools closed, but they can still do good, perhaps by sending thank-you notes to health workers. Listen to the show to learn about the many ways Rotary continues to do good in the world in spite of the current crisis.
Learn more:
District 7210, Rotary in the Mid-Hudson: mailto:https://portal.clubrunner.ca/50045
Rotary International: mailto:https://www.rotary.org/en
Rotary International Virtual Convention, June 10-26: mailto:https://www.riconvention.org/en/honolulu
Donate to the Rotary Foundation :mailto:https://www.rotary.org/en/donate
ShelterBox: mailto:https://www.shelterboxusa.org/
CATEGORIES
Global Polio Challenge
Humanitarian Service
Rotary District 7210
Rotary Foundation
Rotary International
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
We're back with new episodes of RadioRotary. Tell your friends about us and thanks so much for listening!
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
The Anderson Center for Autism returns as a topic for RadioRotary, this time with Chief Development Officer to describe the history and scope of the Center’s activities. autism spectrum. The Anderson Center started as a school Autism is a complex syndrome that required a medical diagnosis to identify. The spectrum ranges from persons with slight problems functioning in society through to those who cannot speak or have other serious mental impairment. The Anderson Center has educational facilities from young persons from age 5 to 21, both residential and day programs. Also it supports group homes throughout Dutchess County. Among the topics covered in the RadioRotary interviews are ways to make stores and other public places friendlier to those with autism. In part because the Center serves individuals who have little money, there are fundraisers, including a golf tournament, and volunteers are always needed to help with these events. There is a lot more in the program, so listen and learn about this important topic and about our local Center that is known for its innovative programs.
Learn more:
Anderson Center for Autism: https://www.andersoncenterforautism.org/
Anderson Center on Facebook: mailto:https://www.facebook.com/AndersonCenterforAutism/
Podcasts of Eliza’s Radio Program, “1 in 54”: https://www.andersoncenterforautism.org/media/podcasts
Autism Spectrum Disorder: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/autism-spectrum-disorders-asd/index.shtml
Parents Guide to Autism: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/autism-learning-disabilities/autism-spectrum-disorders.htm
CATEGORIES
Developmentally Disabled
Education
Health
Youth
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Erich Steffensen, Special Programs Manager at the Animal Farm Foundation in Amenia, NY, is the guest for this RadioRotary Program. The Animal Farm Foundation, although it does run an actual farm with rescue farm animals, is primary concerned with dogs—especially dogs that have been called “pit bulls” because of square-shaped heads and bulky bodies, although these are generally of no recognized breed (originally their ancestors were a cross between bulldogs and terriers, but other breeds have joined the mix over the years). One of the goals of the Foundation is to help erase the bad reputation of pit bulls for aggressive behavior. The other goal is to train shelter dogs—primarily pit bulls—for three different types of service: true service dogs, narcotic-recognizing dogs, and family pets. An early part of this training is conducted by prisoners at Riker’s Island, the “Paws of Purpose” program where the dogs go from shelters to 8 weeks at the prison. Formal training for narcotics-sniffers is conducted at a site in Texas; then the trained dogs are donated to police around the nation. Service dogs, including those who aid the hearing and mobility impaired (but not seeing-eye dogs), are trained at the farm in Amenia. All the programs are free to those who adopt the dogs, whether police who take K-9 dogs, mobility or hearing impaired persons needing help, or families that just want a friendly animal. Listen to the program and learn fascinating details about how trained dogs can solve problems and even save lives. Learn more
Animal Farm Foundation: mailto:https://animalfarmfoundation.org/
Service Dogs: mailto:https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/service-dog-training-101/
Myths and Facts about Pit Bulls: mailto:https://www.petfinder.com/pet-adoption/dog-adoption/myths-and-facts-about-pit-bulls/
CATEGORIES
Animals
Service Organizations
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary Co-Host Jonah Triebwasser interviews Rabbi Jonathan Kligler of the Woodstock Jewish Congregation in this unusual and extremely interesting program based largely on Rabbi Kligler’s book Turn It and Turn It for Everything is In It. The book’s title comes from an ancient Rabbi’s saying about the Torah scroll that is a part of every Jewish temple and used in various services. The Torah’s text consists of the first five books of the Old Testament, common to Jewish and Christian faiths, but the scroll is a special handwritten version on parchment that is a physical representation of those texts. In a temple, the scroll is on rollers so that turning the rollers reveals a different part of the text. In the interview, Rabbi Kligler’s book consists of 54 chapters, one for each week in a lunar year, each relating to a specific passage of the Torah. There are deeper meanings that are found in the creation story and in the stories of Abraham, Jacob (Israel), Joseph, and Moses. Rabbi Kligler also tells a bit about his early career teaching dancing to children and about his other role today as a musician who has worked with many of the great folk musicians of the twentieth century.
Learn more
Woodstock Jewish Congregation: mailto:https://www.wjcshul.org/
Rabbi Jonathan Kligler: mailto:https://rabbijonathankligler.com/
Turn It and Turn It for Everything is In It: mailto:https://smile.amazon.com/Turn-Everything-Essays-Weekly-Portion/dp/1725251078/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?dchild=1&keywords=turn+it+and+turn+it+Rabbi+Jonathan+Kligler&qid=1585405803&s=books&sr=1-1-fkmr0
The Torah and Torah Scroll: mailto:https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/texts/torah.shtml
CATEGORIES
Religion (new category)
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Millbrook Rotarian Jim Lubin and his wife Diane visit RadioRotary to tell how they came to be Peacekeepers for the United Nations and involved in two of the more significant conflicts at the end of the 20th Century. Jim Lubin grew up in England during World War II and as a boy observed the American Air Force heading for the D-Day invasion of Europe. As a young man be made a career of proofreading, which eventually led to his being an editor at the United Nations, where he met and married Diane. Jim thought he could do more for world peace by volunteering to lead missions that the UN conducts to help maintain peace during conflicts. When he went to oversee elections in the new nation of Namibia in southwest Africa, Diane joined him on the mission—the first husband and wife team of UN Peacekeepers. With a successful mission to Namibia behind them, the pair volunteered to help resolve the conflicts between the new nations that used to be part of Yugoslavia, but this active war was between ethnic groups who were out to kill each other and who were not going to stop just because the UN was there. Having survived the war in Croatia, Jim and Diane retired to the United States. Diane was from Oneonta, NY, and had frequently driven the Taconic to New York City, so when the Lubins looked for a retirement home, exiting the Taconic at Millbrook became the key.
Learn more
Peacekeeping by the United Nations: mailto:https://peacekeeping.un.org/en
War and Election in Namibia: mailto:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_Border_War
War in Former Yugoslavia: mailto:https://www.britannica.com/event/Bosnian-War
Millbrook Rotary Club: mailto:MillbrookRotary.org
CATEGORIES
Humanitarian Service
Peace
United Nations
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Warwick Valley, NY, has a very strong Rotary Club; like other Rotaries in District 7210 (the Mid-Hudson), it has found a creative way to raise money for good causes, locally or internationally. In this show, two Warwick Rotarians—retired Lt. Col. Edward Lynch and Dr. David Dempster—describe “Bowling for a Cause,” a fun fundraiser that they produce along with the Warwick Valley High School Interact Club. A small fee paid by each bowler provides all the necessities of the sport and also food and drink during the event. The Interact Club chose four causes to support, all dealing with suicide prevention or prevention and recovery from alcoholism or drug abuse. Suicide has been major problem for veterans, so two of the groups supported by the event are the American Legion and VFW. NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness) has especially effective suicide-prevention programs, while ADAC, the alcoholism and drug abuse council of Orange County, is central to those issues in the county and in nearby Rockland County. “Bowling for a Cause” raises most of its money from community sponsors—a law firm, bank, insurance agent, real estate firm, and restaurant. It is interesting to know that neither Col. Lynch nor Dr. Dempster thought they would be eligible for Rotary because they incorrectly believed that Rotary was only for businessmen. As Rotarians they are glad to have a chance to improve their community.
Learn more
Warwick Valley Rotary Club: mailto:https://www.warwickvalleyrotary.org/
American Legion of Warwick on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Warwickpost214/
VFW of Warwick on Facebook: mailto:https://www.facebook.com/WarwickValleyVFWPost4662/
NAMI in Orange County, NY: mailto:http://www.namiorangeny.org/
ADAC (The Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Council of Orange County): mailto:http://www.adacinfo.com/
CATEGORIES
Addiction Recovery
Events
Mental Health
Rotary Club Projects
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary interviews Literacy Connections Coordinator for Southern and Rural Dutchess County Marian Thompson and Book Bodies Coordinator Katherine Stikkers about the annual Spelling Bee. For 29 years the organization has raised money from sponsors of two-person teams who compete for the glory of best spellers. The money is used to help Literacy Connections in its principal effort, which is to teach adults how to read, as well as in its other efforts such as the Book Buddies program—adults reading to elementary-school students. The reading program uses a state-approved tutoring program with trained volunteer to help adults gain reading skills and to tutor immigrants who have poor or no English. Although the program works all year long, the highlight of the year comes with the Spelling Bee, which in recent years has been at Marist College. Most teams are sponsored, often by Rotary Clubs, and can consist of high-school students or adults, but any two-person team can enter. The words are chosen from a dictionary and vary in difficulty. After a first round for points, the high-scorers compete until every team but one has been eliminated by misspelling a word (second chances are available). An audience is present just to enjoy the competition.
Learn more
Literary Connections of the Hudson Valley: mailto:http://www.literacyconnections.org/
29thAnnual Spelling Bee: mailto:http://www.literacyconnections.org/spelling-bee/
National Spelling Bee: mailto:http://spellingbee.com/
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee: https://www.mtishows.com/the-25th-annual-putnam-county-spelling-bee
CATEGORIES
Arts & Letters
Education
Events
Literacy
Volunteers
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Poughkeepsie South Rotary Club president Cristina Boryk and vice-president Mike Mullaney join the cohosts at RadioRotary to tell mostly about the Hudson Valley Auto Show, now it its 10thyear, and also about another event sponsored by their club in conjunction with Wappingers Rotary, A Cup of the Valley, a coffee and tea show now in its third year. The Auto Show is much like the new-model auto show in New York City, except that this array of new cars from eleven local dealers is at the Nesheiwat Convention Center (formerly mid-Hudson Civic Center) in downtown Poughkeepsie and is free. In addition to the new cars on display, there is entertainment for the whole family, including face-painting and balloon animals for children to enjoy while their parents contemplate about 60 or the latest Cadillacs, Toyotas, Hondas, Fords, Nissans, and so forth. A Cup of the Valley, a few weeks later, is at the Marriott Pavilion of the Culinary Institute of America, focuses on varieties of imported coffees and teas but also has various sweet treats to enjoy. There is an entrance fee that covers the food, music, and fun, including a Japanese Tea Ceremony and tea-leaf reading. Proceeds from both events are used to support community charities such as the Miles of Hope for breast cancer, the Poughkeepsie Children’s Home, Rebuilding America, and local parks.
Learn more
Hudson Valley Auto Show: mailto:https://dutchesstourism.com/event-view/24564/
Cup of the Valley Coffee and Tea Show: mailto:https://acupofthevalley.com/
Poughkeepsie South Rotary Club: mailto:https://portal.clubrunner.ca/50045/clubinfo/poughkeepsie-south
Poughkeepsie South Rotary Club on Facebook: mailto:https://www.facebook.com/poughkeepsiesouth.rotaryclub/
Wappingers Rotary Club: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/2259
CATEGORIES
Events
Nutrition
Rotary Club Projects
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Rotarians Marjorie Keith and Jessica Vanacoro of the Carmel (NY) Rotary Club visit RadioRotary to describe and promote the way their club has found to induce the community to donate to the many worthy local nonprofit organizations. Instead of having a fundraiser for donations to the club and then distributing the money as requests for help come in, the Carmel Club along with the Carmel High School Interact has an event that raises money directly for the participating nonprofits. The club handles all the preparations for the event, which is their annual Basketball Challenge, and also collects the donations, doing whatever paperwork or arithmetic required. At the end, the club gives 90% of the money to the participating nonprofits, while retaining the rest for their own projects and donations. This is the 13th year that Carmel Rotary has been running the Basketball Challenge—in 2019 the total amount collected was $60,000 for 65 nonprofit organizations, and they expect to do even better today. Although the Challenge is to see how many baskets you can make in 2 minutes, the game is adjusted to handle children as young as 3, persons with handicaps, and the aged, so everyone has a chance to make money for their favorite cause.
Learn more
Carmel Rotary Club (NY): mailto:https://portal.clubrunner.ca/2208
Carmel Rotary Facebook: mailto:https://www.facebook.com/carmelrotaryclubny/
Carmel High School Interact: mailto:https://portal.clubrunner.ca/2208/stories/interact-international
Mighty Cause, Carmel Basketball Challenge: mailto:https://www.mightycause.com/event/2020bballchallenge
CATEGORIES
Events
Rotary Club Projects
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Victor Guirma and Pascal Guirma along with Bob Rich visited RadioRotary from their home Rotary Club, New Paltz. All three are part of Friends of Guirgho, a 501(c)3 nonprofit that is trying to improve the school and other facilities in the village of Guirgho, Burkina Faso, the ancestral home of the Guirma brothers. Burkino Faso (formerly known as Upper Volta) is a landlocked nation in West Africa whose people are mostly Mossi. Roughly 100 years ago when France controlled this part of West Africa, French Jesuits wanted to start a boarding school, but few natives would attend. Finally the Mossi emperor had his second son, known as Bila Victor, hogtied and carried off to the school, which signaled the other Mossi that it was safe to attend. Bila Victor became educated and his children did also, one of whom became the first ambassador from Upper Volta to the United States and later the ambassador to the United Nations, which is how his sons Victor and Pascal came to attend school at SUNY New Paltz and later settle in the town. They always had remained connected to the ancestral village of Guirgho, a rural settlement about 60 km from the capital of Burkina Faso. Visiting the village of they saw the need for a better school and for other modern improvements. One of their most complicated projects was bringing computers to the school, since there was no infrastructure. Listen to the program, which tells much of the story.
Learn more
Friends of Guirgho: mailto:https://www.friendsofguirgho.org/
New Paltz Rotary Club: mailto:https://www.newpaltzrotary.org/
Burkina Faso: mailto:https://www.britannica.com/place/Burkina-Faso
Ambassador Frédéric Guirma: mailto:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frédéric_Guirma
CATEGORIES
International Programs
Rotary Club Projects
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary interviews Branka Bryan, Executive Director of Grace Smith House, a shelter for persons confronted with domestic violence in Dutchess Country, about 10% of whom are men. Domestic violence includes psychological as well as physical abuse of a person in an intimate partner relationship. The abused and the abuser can each be any age, ranging from children in middle school to persons over 90 years old. Grace Smith House started nearly 39 years ago when a small group from Poughkeepsie’s First Presbyterian Church (including a church elder named Grace Smith) recognized that there was a need for housing to protect victims of domestic violence. Today Grace Smith House also provides transitional housing, counseling, and education in the schools and the community. Victims can easily reach help by calling the hot line, (845) 471-3033, where trained volunteers will direct the caller to help. Services of Grace Smith House are free and highly confidential. Women with young children can be accommodated in the shelter as well as adults and teenagers.
Learn more
Grace Smith House: mailto:https://www.gracesmithhouse.org/
Domestic Violence Services, Dutchess County: mailto:https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Community-Family-Services/Domestic-Violence.htm
Gaslighting: mailto:https://www.healthline.com/health/gaslighting
CATEGORIES
Domestic Violence
Support Groups
Women
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Back in 1980, Dutchess County Executive Lucille Pattison recognized that there was a homeless crisis in the county and appointed a Task Force to address the problem, which resulted in the formation of Hudson River Housing and the first emergency shelter for the homeless. This vital service has been at the heart of the program as Hudson River Housing expanded over the years to include transitional housing; affordable apartments and houses; housing for veterans, for youth, and for seniors; historic preservation; rehabs of existing structures as well as new construction; employment assistance; and help for first-time home buyers. In this program, Christa Hines, Executive Director of Hudson River Housing, tells the story of this amazing agency and the work that it does. With a staff of 160 as well as many volunteer workers, the Housing Agency has become central to improving Poughkeepsie—and it has extensions to Beacon and to northeastern Dutchess (Amenia, Pine Plains, and Millerton) where there are considerable needs as well.
Learn more
Hudson River Housing: mailto:https://hudsonriverhousing.org/
Family Partnership Center: mailto:http://familyservicesny.org/family-partnership-center/
Mental Health America of Dutchess County: mailto:https://mhadutchess.org/
CATEGORIES
Community Planning
Financial Planning
Housing Assistance
Service Organizations
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Jessica Davis is interviewed about her experience of taking a “gap year” after graduating from SUNY New Paltz. She is living with other young persons who are working to help others in a program called “Grace Year.” Grace Year allows recent college graduates to spend a year of intentional living from a base in Grace Episcopal Church in Millbrook, NY, focusing on spirituality, religion, and justice It is a year-long opportunity to live in a small community of young adults as they prepare for lifelong journeys of sustained leadership for the common good. During the year, the fellows live together along with the program leader, Abby Nathanson, in the Grace Church vicarage while they volunteer to work with local nonprofits. These include a preschool; youth programs for teens; EPIC (Engaging People in Change), a bilingual leadership program for high-school students; programs for immigrants; local farms; Hudson River Housing; and the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. Ms. Davis is helping senior citizens by working with the Church Alliance senior residence and Millbrook at Home, which helps senior citizens who are aging in place. When her Grace Year has passed, Ms. Davis plans to attend graduate school with the intention of becoming a guidance counselor.
Learn more
Grace Year: http://www.graceyear.org/
Grace Year Program (Instagram):https://www.instagram.com/graceyearprogram/
EPIC (Engaging People in Change): https://www.idealist.org/en/nonprofit/e04b940c57a74a4da68d634d44982d1e-engaging-people-in-change-epic-millbrook
Church Alliance of Millbrook Gardens: https://www.nyconnects.ny.gov/services/the-church-alliance-of-millbrook-gardens-bartel-place-housing-sofa45301
Millbrook at Home: http://www.millbrookathome.org/
Grace Episcopal Church in Millbrook: https://www.gracemillbrook.org/
CATEGORIES
Aging
Humanitarian Service
Support Groups
Youth
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary interviews Poughkeepsie South Rotary president Christina Boryk, executive director of Rebuilding Together Dutchess County. Rebuilding Together is the nonprofit organization (once known as “Christmas in July”) that for the past 27 years has repaired, revitalized, and rehabilitated homes for homeowners who because of age or disability or poverty are unable to make the necessary repairs that would make the dwelling safe and healthy. The service is free to the homeowner. The volunteer workers install grab bars, ramps, and smoke and carbon-dioxide alarms, and make other modifications as well as undertake minor repairs. Larger-scale projects are handled by outside contractors. They have repaired more than 800 homes since the program started. The program is funded by state and local grants, by local corporations such as Central Hudson, and donations.
Learn more
Rebuilding Together Dutchess County: http://www.rebuildingtogetherdutchess.org/
Rebuilding Together Dutchess on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RTDutchess/
Office for the Aging, Dutchess County: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Aging/Office-for-the-Aging.htm
National Center for Healthy Housing: https://nchh.org/build-the-movement/nshhc/
Poughkeepsie South Rotary Club: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/50045/clubinfo/poughkeepsie-south
CATEGORIES
Aging
Dutchess County
Housing Assistance
Service Organizations
Volunteers
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
New Paltz Rotarian Laura Rooney has had many adventures all over the world, but she still had Mount Everest on her “bucket list” until recently when she turned 50 and thought it was time to get on with it. Not quite true mountain climbers, some 40,000 persons each year hike far up Everest with no desire to use the special equipment most climbers need to reach the 27,000-ft-high peak—Everest Base Camp is high enough, at 17,500 feet, for serious hikers; it is some 3,000 feet higher than the highest peak in the lower 48 states. Ms. Rooney describes what it is like to fly into Lukla, Nepal, arriving at the most dangerous airport in the world. Then, with Sherpas as guides, she walked 4 or 5 miles for 8 days up the mountain for a rise in elevation of 8,000 more feet to reach Everest Base Camp, spending the nights in various villages or camps along the way. She was part of a small group of 15 trekkers who slept on mats in small dome tents. When they reached Everest Base Camp, they were living on a glacier. Being a Rotarian, she got people to sponsor her hike by donating to the New Paltz Rotary’s BackPack Program, and she wore ribbons honoring the contributors on her own backpack as she climbed. Downhill was easier, only a 4-day hike.
Learn more
New Paltz Rotary Club: https://www.newpaltzrotary.org/
Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla: https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidnikel/2019/07/20/lukla-the-worlds-most-dangerous-airport/ - 36e71e064a1a
Everest Base Camp Trek: https://ebctrekguide.com/
Living at Everest Base Camp: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/2019/05/everest-base-camp-daily-life/
CATEGORIES
Rotary Club Projects
Travel
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Navy Veteran Nelson Eddy Rivera, now Director of the Dutchess County Division of Veterans Services, is interviewed about the many ways both man and women veterans in Dutchess Country (or other New York State Counties) can get help. Every country in the state has been mandated since 1946 to have veterans’ services available. These include help in filing disability claims or obtaining educational benefits. The division also helps surviving partners of veterans; among other ways, the division helps arrange funerals, which for honorably discharged members of the armed services will include at least three soldiers, who will fold a memorial flag and play taps on a bugle. One special benefit for veterans in Dutchess County is a discount card, honored at many stories around the county.
Learn more:
Dutchess County Division of Veterans Services
Discount Cards for Veterans
New York State Division of Veterans
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Pastor Steve Dambra visits RadioRotary to tell about the Odyssey Church, which serves the developmentally disabled community of Dutchess County (and others who choose to attend). Located at the ARC Vocational Center in Poughkeepsie, Odyssey provides the all the services you expect from a Christian Church—a Sunday service at 10:00 a.m. that is filled with hymns and prayers, Bible study, even baptisms. Sermons are kept simple, focusing on a single topic.
Much of the congregation is bussed in from group homes around the county. Members of the congregation participate in the organization in many ways. The church is also planning to partake in a celebration run by the Tim Tebow Foundation, called “A Night to Shine,” a prom night where every participant is a King or Queen of the Prom. Odyssey Church is part of the outreach from the Hopewell Reformed Church, a pillar of religion and good works in Dutchess Country that has been active since 1757.
Learn more:
Odyssey Church: http://www.odysseychurch.org/
Hopewell Reformed Church: http://www.hrcrca.org/
The ARC of Dutchess: https://arcdutchess.org/
Tim Tebow Foundation Night to Shine:
https://www.timtebowfoundation.org/ministries/night-to-shine
CATEGORIES
Developmentally Disabled
Events
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary often discovers remarkable people living in the mid-Hudson region who are not well known to the general population. Cari Swanson of Wind Rock Farm in Amenia is an example. When asked if she is a horse whisperer, she replies that she is a horse listener. Whatever you call it, she is able to train horses to act in movies and on television as well as teaching rescued horses how to live with and work for humans. Among her horse's credits are the white angel horse from the movie Winter's Tale and the various horses that make a setting in the year 1900 authentic on Cinemax's series The Knick. Ms. Swanson's horse rescue operation is the focus of the interview. The seven abused horses that she trains at any given time at the nonprofit Red Horse Rescue will eventually move to their permanent homes when they have been restored to physical and mental health. There are many ways that horses have helped humans over the past 6,000 years. Among them, Ms. Swanson and her horses provide equine-assisted psychotherapy to veterans and autistic children.
Learn more
Cari Swanson enterprises: http://cariswanson.com/
Red Horse Rescue: https://www.redhorserescue.org/
Windrock Farm on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Millbrook-windrock-Farm/1751097151842692
Equine Assisted Psychotherapy--Eagala: https://www.eagala.org/index
CATEGORIES
Animals
Arts & Letters
Mental Health
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Sue Doyle of the Poughkeepsie Arlington Rotary Club was given the 2019 Tansukh Dorawala Humanitarian Award of Rotary District 7210 for her service to the community. This RadioRotary Program covers some of the ways that Ms. Doyle, known to regular RadioRotary listeners as the voice of Absolute Auction & Realty, works with other volunteers in several organizations. Fishkill Food Pantry serves about 200 families in southern Dutchess Country and Cold Spring with 5-day emergency meals, available once every 28 days. Their healthy food is provided in part by the Food Bank of Dutchess County but mostly by local donations directly to the pantry in downtown Fishkill. The Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) of Beacon is a no-kill refuge for dogs and cats that stay until a family adopts the pet for a permanent home. Not only does ARF of Beacon provide food and medicine for locally abandoned pets, it also collects unwanted dogs and cats who otherwise would be killed from animal shelters across the country. In addition to
her work with the Fishkill Food Pantry and ARF of Beacon, Ms. Doyle has been an asset to the Pleasant Valley Free Library by providing company trucks needed to move books, along with her husband Rob Doyle will be honorary chair of the MARC Foundation 2020 Annual Dinner, and helps her Rotary club bring assistance of Caramia Bacchiochi's Hope on a Mission, which provides meals each week for Poughkeepsie's homeless population.
Learn more
Fishkill Food Pantry on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FishkillFoodPantry/
Animal Rescue Foundation of Beacon: https://www.arfbeacon.org/
ARF in Beacon on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arfanimalrescue/
Poughkeepsie Arlington Rotary: http://rotary7210.org/arlington/index.html
MARC Foundation: https://marc-foundation.org/
CATEGORIES
Addiction Recovery
Animals
Homelessness
Humanitarian Service
Nutrition
Service Organizations
Volunteers
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Rotterdam Sunrise Rotarian Miriam Cajuste visits RadioRotary to build support for improving the availability of clean water in Matogou, Haiti, a Global Grant project of the Rotary Foundation. The effort is led by New York State's Schenectady Rotary paired with the Rotary Club of Port-au-Prince Champ-de-Mars om Haiti. For several years the Schenectady club has been supplying gravity-driven water filtration systems to Matogou. These essentially consist of two large buckets on a special stand with a carbon filter between them—effective, but slow. For an ordinary fasmioly, the bucket has to be filled three times each day. Although the carbon filters are made in the United States, everything else about the filtration system is made in Haiti. With the Global Grant, Schenectady wants to build a new well with a pump and filters, which would supply clean water outlets to three locations in the village. Because then project is based on a Rotary Foundation Global Grant, every dollar contributed to the project will be matched by three from the Foundation. The construction for the new well is scheduled to begin in April 2020.
Learn more:
Matogou Haiti Clean Water Project: https://www.facebook.com/MatogouCleanWater/
Matagou Global Grant: http://www.matchinggrants.org/global/project2179.html
Rotterdam Sunrise Rotary: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/50091/clubinfo/rotterdam-sunrise
Schenectady Rotary: https://schenectadyrotary.org/
Port-au-Prince Champ-de-Mars Rotary: https://www.facebook.com/Rotary-Club-de-Port-au-Prince-Champ-de-Mars-102945063085174/
CATEGORIES
International Programs
Rotary Foundation
Water Projects
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
In the United States today, some 30 million adults are functionally illiterate, reading below the sixth-grade level. RadioRotary interviews Sam Slotnick, the Literacy Center Coordinator at the State University of New York at New Paltz (SUNY New Paltz), who works with with a program that brings together teachers who are becoming specialists in reading with elementary or high-school students with reading problems. For the teachers, it is part of their MS degree in Literacy Education. For the students it is a chance to be in a one-to-one (or one-to-few) learning program at a nominal cost. The program begins with a free assessment of reading for individual students. Then about fifty to seventy students from around the Hudson Valley enter the program for either a spring or a summer term. Mr. Slotnick offers this advice to parents: Read to your children; read topics that interest the child; and take your children frequently to the local library.
Learn more:
Literacy Center at SUNY New Paltz: https://www.newpaltz.edu/literacycenter/
Literacy Connections of the Hudson Valley: http://www.literacyconnections.org/
Master of Science in Literacy Education--SUNY New Paltz: https://www.newpaltz.edu/elementaryed/master-of-science-in-literacy-education/
CATEGORIES
Children
Education
Literacy
Youth
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Pleasant Valley Recreation Director Sandy Coe and local businessman Frank Mazzella visit RadioRotary to tell about the full-day celebration that is the Pleasant Valley Festival of Lights. The event, which combines food and Santa, pets and Santa, a parade and Santa, and many other holiday traditions, started a few years ago with a simple lighting of the Town Christmas tree. Today it runs from a breakfast (with Santa) starting at 8 in the morning and concluding about 12 hours later with a parade followed by hot chocolate and cookies at the Fire House. Aside from Main Street--site of the parade of floats, fire trucks, walkers, and Santa in a horse-drawn carriage--the main action is at three important locations in Pleasant Valley: the Fire House, the Library, and the Mill Site Historical Museum. Starting with a pancake breakfast, continuing with cookie sales, a chili cook-off, food trucks, and lots of hot chocolate, it is easy to spend the day in downtown PV, enjoying readings and encounters with various animals in addition to the main event, the parade.
Learn more:
Festival of Lights: https://www.pvfol.com/
Pleasant Valley Recreation: https://www.pvrec.com/info/default.aspx
Pleasant Valley Fire Department: https://pvfdny.org/
Pleasant Valley Rotary Club: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/50045/clubinfo/pleasant-valley
Pleasant Valley Lions on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Nonprofit-Organization/Pleasant-Valley-Lions-Club-NY-606476433167428/
CATEGORIES
Animals
Children
Events
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary interviewers visited the 2019 Rotary International Convention in Hamburg, Germany, where they found many Rotarian groups and other Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) doing good in the world. This radio program, the fourth in a series, covers a few of these projects. Roots of Life deals with land that has been planted with land mines, which linger long after wars have passed, and replants the land with grape vines, growing grapes for wine, raisins, or food, which not only helps save lives but also provides economic benefits to farming communities. Gift of Life offers life-saving surgery to children who were born with congenital heart disease. Both organizations work with Rotary to connect around the world. The Rotarian Action Group (RAG) Against Slavery helps rescue the millions of people still enslaved, often for sex but also by businesses, and offers programs to rehabilitate them for a life of freedom. There are many locations where the Don’t Meth With Us Foundation is fighting drug abuse—primarily methamphetamine but also opioid addiction. War Child, which has independent branches in the United Kingdom, Holland, and Canada, supports all young children who have been affected by armed conflict, with education and safe zones around the world.
Learn more:
Roots of Peace: https://rootsofpeace.org/
Gift of Life International: https://www.giftoflifeinternational.org/
Rotarian Action Group Against Slavery: https://ragas.online/
Don’t Meth With Us Foundation: http://www.dontmethwithus.com/
War Child: https://www.warchild.org/
CATEGORIES
Addiction Recovery
Children
Education
Health
Human Trafficking
International Programs
Service Organizations
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Cara Mia Bacchiochireturns to RadioRotary to describe her continuing effort to help Poughkeepsie women who are homeless, most addicted to drugs or alcohol. At the corner of Main and South Clinton every Saturday morning and evening, sometimes in rain or snow, Bacchiochi and volunteers distribute food, clothing, and personal care items to homeless women,restoring dignity to homeless, addicted women of the streets. Ms. Bacchiochi herself drank excessively and used drugs, living in jails and on the street from 1985 when she came to school in Poughkeepsie. She then lived on the streets until 1990. Periods of sobriety after 1990 were interrupted by relapses until found herself back in jail in 2013 in the same cell she had occupied in 1990. In jail, she read The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren and recognized that her purpose would be to help women with lives like hers. After she was released from jail that last time, finally sobered up and living clean, she started a career helping other women kick their destructive lifestyle With Hope on a Mission (HOAM), founded in 2015. She now feeds and helps dozens of the women of the streets and homeless men as well. To donate or volunteer, you can phone (914) 456-2633 or visit its Facebook page: Hope on a Mission HOAM.
Learn more:
Hope on a Mission HOAM Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/hoampk/
Cara Mia Bacchiochi on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carabacci
St. Joseph’s Addiction Treatment and Recovery Centers: https://www.stjoestreatment.org/
Rick Warren books: https://www.biblio.com/rick-warren/author/149
CATEGORIES
Addiction Recovery
Dutchess County
Homelessness
Service Organizations
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary welcomed two guests from Dutchess Outreach, the sprawling organization that provides healthy food, good advice, emergency relief, and even clothing needs for the needy in the County. Sarah Salem, the Director of Development for Dutchess Outreach, explains the many services and the goals of this catalyst for community revitalization, while Nyhisha Gibbs describes the Children’s Coat Closet and the drive to provide warm clothing to those who lack it. Dutchess Outreach has roots in a 1974 effort to provide emergency services in Poughkeepsie and opened its first Food Pantry two years later. Since then the services have expanded greatly, with the emphasis on providing healthy food that is accessible even in “food deserts.” Recently Dutchess Outreach has started farming to improve the supply of healthy food, a project that takes Sarah Salem back to her own roots, since she became involved in Dutchess Outreach from her experiences working at an organic farm.
Learn more:
Dutchess Outreach: http://dutchessoutreach.org/
Cranksgiving: http://www.cranksgiving.org/
Food Deserts in America: https://socialwork.tulane.edu/blog/food-deserts-in-america
Guardian Self-Storage: https://guardianselfstorage.com/
CATEGORIES
Children
Dutchess County
Events
Nutrition
Service Organizations
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Krista Jones returns to RadioRotary with the latest developments at Sparrow’s Nest, the charity that provides food to the families of persons who have cancer. Ms. Jones started the charity in 2009 when a good friend was dying of colon cancer, Ms. Jones recognized that cancer treatment, which can wear a person out, affects the whole family, and a night off from cooking would help renew spirits. Soon Ms. Jones learned of four other friends with cancer and began to cook for them as well. The concept worked and soon more families were found that needed help. Seeing the need, she formed Sparrow’s Nest with many volunteers helping in the mission. Today Sparrow’s Nest has moved from Ms. Jones’ kitchen to a professional kitchen and office in a commercial space, now feeding about 400 families in the region within 35 miles of the kitchen in Wappingers Falls. Drivers bring healthy food for two meals a week from the central kitchen. The food is provided free for caregivers with children 18 or under. Sponsors and donor underwrite the costs and volunteers do the work.
Learn more:
Sparrow’s Nest: http://sparrowsnestcharity.org/
Sparrow’s Nest Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/oursparrowsnest/
Nutrition and Cancer Treatment: https://www.cancer.org/treatment/survivorship-during-and-after-treatment/staying-active/nutrition.html
Minard’s Farm: https://www.minardsfamilyfarms.com/
Lola’s Café and Catering: https://www.lolascafeandcatering.com/
CATEGORIES
Health
Nutrition
Service Organization
Volunteers
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
In 1954 when she was 6 months old, Louise Rourke contracted polio, also known as infantile paralysis. Initially she lost the power of moving either leg or her left arm, although her left side eventually recovered with medical help supplied in part by the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (the March of Dimes). After several corrective surgeries, she was able to walk with the aid of a brace on her right leg. By the time she was a teenager, she could walk without the brace, but age caught up to her in 2007 and she needed the brace once more. Like some other polio survivors, she found that swimming was excellent exercise, although her right leg just dangled in the water. Living on the shore of 32-mile-long Lake George in upstate New York, she learned of women who had swum the entire length of the lake, so she conceived of a plan to earn money for polio eradication by swimming the length of Lake George herself. This RadioRotary program tells how she got through the task and what she accomplished for polio eradication, which became multiplied by a factor of 3 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Learn more:
Polio: https://www.cdc.gov/polio/about/index.htm
End Polio Now: https://www.endpolio.org/
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation: https://www.gatesfoundation.org/what-we-do/global-development/polio
Lake George: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_George_(New_York)
Northern Lake George Rotary Club: https://northernlakegeorgerotary.wordpress.com/
CATEGORIES
Global Polio Initiative
PolioPlus
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
The 2019 Rotary International Convention in Hamburg, Germany, was covered by RadioRotary interviewers; this is the third report on some of what they found. A Rotarian from the Netherlands told RadioRotary about efforts of her organization to reduce human trafficking with education and empowerment of youth. Another NGO (non-governmental organization) called Medair works to provide quick relief and shelter in cases of disasters or civil conflict. A Rotarian physician from Johns Hopkins in Maryland is part of the Rotary Action Group (RAG) on Mental Health Initiatives, working primarily to reduce high suicide rates in Lithuania and India. A Rotarian from Zambia describes efforts to provide new professions for commercial sex workers; he was promoting the Rotarian shirts made by former sex workers who now operate sewing machines. And, closer to home, Rotarians from Media, Pennsylvania (Jeffrey Cadorette), and Millbrook, New York (Cindie Kish), tell about the polio eradication program known as “Drop to Zero” and the possible drop to ground level from the skies for six Rotarians, including Cindie and Jeffrey, if goals are met.
Learn more:
Just Ask (human trafficking prevention):http://justaskprevention.org/
Medair: https://us.medair.org/
Rotary Action Group on Mental Health Initiatives: https://ragonmentalhealth.org/
Rotary Shirts, Hats, and Aprons made by former sex workers: https://clubrunner.blob.core.windows.net/00000006774/en-ca/files/homepage/the-kwenuha-women-s-association-rotary-shirt/Rotary-Livingstone-Catalogue.pdf
Polio Drop to Zero: https://www.endpolio.org/drop-to-zero-a-major-global-polio-event-to-be-held-at-the-rotary-convention
Rotary Zones 24-32: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/50077
CATEGORIES
Business Assistance
Disaster Relief
Global Polio Initiative
Human Trafficking (new category)
International Programs
Mental Health (new category)
PolioPlus
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary interviewers discovered some great projects at the 2019 Rotary International Convention in Hamburg, Germany. Rotarians and other humanitarian groups are doing good around the world, improving hearing and sight, providing light and shelter, and preventing polio and other communicable diseases. Rotarians for Hearing work in Nigeria, South Africa, and even the United States, concentrating on ways to provide aids to the hearing impaired, while the Eye Foundation of American helps solve vision problems in newborn children. ShelterBox tents include not only the supplies needed after for a whole family a disaster but also a LuminAID solar cube that lights the night (and in some cases charges the phone). Vaccination is succeeding in eliminating polio, but simple hand washing is one of the best ways to prevent communicable diseases.
Learn more:
Rotarians for Hearing RAG: https://www.ifrahl.org/
End Polio: https://www.endpolio.org/
LuminAID: https://luminaid.com/
ShelterBox: https://www.shelterbox.org/
Eye Foundation of America: http://aprildobrien.wixsite.com/eyefoundation
Hand Hygiene for Health: https://handhygieneforhealth.org/
CATEGORIES
Disaster Relief
Global Polio Initiative
Health
International Programs
PolioPlus
Quality of Life
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary interviews Highland Rotarian Tony Marmo and Anna Palazzo Brett about the annual Italian-American Festival on the Strand Walkway at the Roundout in Kingston, NY, also known as the Kingston Waterfront. Ulster Country, like much of the Hudson Valley, has a rich Italian heritage, much of it stemming from the skilled masons and quarry workers imported to build the mansions and dams throughout the Valley. The Festival celebrates this with emphasis on the foods and music that came to American from Italy along with the workers. The event is free, but the Ulster Italian-American Society realizes a profit from the many vendors of all kinds who rent space at the Festival and from several local sponsors such as the Reis Group of insurance brokers. The money raised goes to good causes such as the several scholarships awarded to local students who have an Italian heritage.
Learn more:
Ulster Country Italian American Foundation: http://www.ucitalianamericanfoundation.org/
Kingston, NY, Waterfront: http://thekingstonwaterfront.com/
American Italian Heritage Museum in Albany: http://www.americanitalianmuseum.org/
Reis Group: https://www.reisinsurance.com/
Highland Rotary: https://highlandrotaryclub.com/
CATEGORIES
Events
Hudson Valley
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary interviews Pari Farood, Executive Director of Miles of Hope, an organization that provides aid and comfort to breast-cancer sufferers throughout the nine counties of the Hudson Valley. Miles of Hope was founded in 2004 by Dana Effron and Cathy Varunok who had already devoted themselves to raising money for the fight against breast cancer but recognized that there needed to be a more local organization. The name originates with the annual fall Breast Cancer Walk at James Baird State Park in Dutchess Country, but there are additional fundraising events throughout the year. With the money it raises, Miles of Hope provides many services to improve the lives of persons with breast cancer ranging from help paying bills and for associated medical services to college scholarships for students whose lives have been affected by the breast cancer of a relative or friend. An important service is the peer-to-peer hotline (800-532-4290) where those affected by breast cancer can exchange information on how to deal with the problems that arise.
Learn more:
Miles of Hope: https://milesofhope.org/
Community Action Partnership for Dutchess County: https://www.dutchesscap.org/
New York State Breast Cancer Services: https://www.ny.gov/new-york-state-breast-cancer-programs/new-york-state-breast-cancer-services
Breast Cancer: https://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/AboutBreastCancer.html
CATEGORIES
Events
Financial Aid
Health
Hudson Valley
Support Groups
(photo by Jonah Triebwasser)
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary interviews Asheville (NC) South Rotarian Peter Marks, President and CEO of Seed Programs International (SPI), a global effort to improve food supplies by providing vegetable seeds and gardening advice especially to regions of the world where poverty is endemic. The nonprofit repurposes excess seeds provided by seed companies and other donors. Most vegetable seeds are tiny and many varieties have long shelf lives, so when stocks of seeds are not sold, SPI will take them, repackage the seeds, and ship them to Africa, Central American, the Caribbean, or Asia, where they can launch gardens of healthy vegetables. SPI works with many organizations to provide the seeds, including Rotary clubs, the United Nations, and the United States military services among others. Seeds include all kinds of vegetables such as onions, tomatoes, melons, carrots, and various greens (but not grains such as maize, wheat, or rice). One of the partner programs is Rotarians Against Hunger, a coalition of North Carolina clubs that package meals for places where hunger is a problem. There is much more to tell, so listen to the whole program.
Learn more:
Seed Programs International: https://seedprograms.org/
Rotarians Against Hunger: http://rotariansagainsthunger.org/
Rotary Club of Asheville South: https://www.southashevillerotary.org/
CATEGORIES
Health
International Programs
Nutrition
Rotary Club Projects
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
This week’s guests on RadioRotary were from the Pleasant Valley Lions Club—Fred De Wald and Pam Highbridge. Every year the Lions Club raises money and improves the Town’s health with its annual Bike-A-Thon, a chance for bikers of all ages to ride together on what has so far always been a beautiful fall day. In 2019, the Lions devoted the occasion to the “Ride to Rebuild” the Pleasant Valley Free Library, which suffered a devastating fire on Election Day 2018. Bikers could choose a 10-mile ride that has traffic eliminated, a ride with a break at Terhune Orchard for free apples and cider and another treat—bananas and water—back at the Pleasant Valley Firehouse. Or they can take a 25-mile along regular roads. Sponsors of riders have a chance to win a discount on a new bike or a child’s bike helmet. The Lions run several events each year, including a “Breakfast with Santa” jointly with Pleasant Valley Rotary.
Learn more:
Bike-A-Thon: The Ride to Rebuild: http://pleasantvalleylibrary.org/2019/02/28/pv-bike-a-thon-the-ride-to-rebuild/
Pleasant Valley Lions Club on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=pleasant valley lions club&epa=SEARCH_BOX
Lions Clubs International: https://lionsclubs.org/en
Pleasant Valley Free Library: http://pleasantvalleylibrary.org/
CATEGORIES
Events
Quality of Life
Service Organizations
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
For the past 12 years, Crisp Architects has presented the FineHome Source Home Show in Millbrook, NY, every September, becoming bigger and better each year. This RadioRotary interview with Millbrook Rotarian Jimmy Crisp, live from a Rotary meeting, describes it all. The show features many artisans and manufacturers displaying every possible artifact for enhancing, improving, or creating an excellent living space. In addition, the show offers free samples of local food and drink, demonstrations of blacksmithing, fly fishing, and other crafts, including book signings by local authors and an antique auction. Parking is free, and the small suggested donation per person goes entirely to paying for a ShelterBox, the amazing tent and supply source that can house and provide for a family of 10 for up to 6 months, deployed for disasters around the world; a ShelterBox will be among the displays. The whole event takes place under and around a large tent in front of the town bandshell on the main street in Millbrook.
Learn more:
FineHome Source Home Show: https://finehomesource.com/
Crisp Architects: http://www.crisparchitects.com/
ShelterBox: https://www.shelterboxusa.org
Rotary Club of Millbrook (NY): https://millbrookrotary.org/
CATEGORIES
Disaster Relief
Events
Quality of Life
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Diana Bellissimo, owner of the Lilymoore Alpaca Farm, visits the RadioRotary studio (sadly without an alpaca) to describe the activities that the farm celebrates on National Alpaca Day and to tell the RadioRotary cohosts about the pleasures of raising 25 alpacas (and a llama) on a 40-acre farm in Pleasant Valley, New York. While alpacas are primarily known for their amazing wool, the sweet-tempered and terminally cute animals are just pleasant to be around. Learn more about this delightful South American relative of the camel and about the wool products and outdoor activities available at the farm.
Learn more:
Lilymoore Alpaca Farm: https://www.lilymoorefarm.com/
National Alpaca Days: https://www.alpacainfo.com/alpaca-farm-days
Facts About Alpacas: https://www.livescience.com/52668-alpacas.html
Animal Assisted Therapy: https://www.crchealth.com/types-of-therapy/what-is-animal-assisted-therapy/
CATEGORIES
Animals
Events
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Once again RadioRotary interviewers haunted the halls of a Rotary International Convention, which in 2019 was in Hamburg, Germany. Our team found many fascinating stories about the projects of Rotarians and representatives of other organizations that are trying to do good in the world. These include fighting hunger in third-world nations; uncovering the roles Rotarians played during the Nazi reign inGermany; providing dictionaries of all kinds around the world; and raising money to end present-day slavery. The program concludes with an in-depth interview with Barry Rassin, Rotary International president for the 2018-19 Rotary Year, focusing especially on his work in providing water to Haiti.
Learn more:
Rise Against Hunger: https://www.riseagainsthunger.org/
Rotary in National Socialism: https://memorial.d-1800.org/
The Dictionary Project: https://www.dictionaryproject.org/
Cycling from Chai to Hamburg: https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-
style/travel/chennai-based-cyclist-naresh-kumar-is-pedalling-against-bonded-
labour/article26931535.ece
Barry Rassin: https://www.rotary.org/en/2018-19-rotary-president-selected
Rotary International: https://www.rotary.org/en
CATEGORIES
Humanitarian Service
International Programs
Literacy
Nutrition
Rotary International
Water Projects
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary co-hosts Sarah O’Connell–Claitor and Jonah Triebwasser interview Millbrook High School student Joe Richard about his year spent in Germany as part of the Rotary Youth Exchange Program. Participants are generally high-school students and are sponsored by a Rotary Club to spend a school year abroad in a country with a different language from their native tongue, living with local families and attending a local school. Mr. Richard lived with three different families and attended school in Lüneburg, Germany, a small city 35 miles southeast of Hamburg. Mr. Richard, who plays the tenor saxophone, not only joined his school’s big swing band, but also became a part of several local ensembles, helping him assimilate as he also learned German, his coursework, and the customs of Germany.
Learn more:
Rotary Youth Exchange: https://www.rotary.org/en/our-programs/youth-exchanges
Lüneburg, Germany: https://wikitravel.org/en/Lüneburg
Millbrook Rotary (sponsor of Joe Richard): https://millbrookrotary.org
CATEGORIES
Education
International Exchanges
Travel
Youth
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Highland Rotarians Steve Laubach and Tony Marmo tell about the glories of eating barbecue (and listening to music) at the fifteenth annual Ribfest, Ulster County Fairgrounds just outside New Paltz. In addition to great food and music by local performers, the Ribfest has many activities for children and some special events. The $7 admission--$5 on Friday night with free parking always-- allows you to experience all the music and an opportunity to experience ribs, pulled pork, pulled chicken, roasted corn-on-the-cob, and a variety of other great foods. Those who opt for the VIP all-you-can-eat special on Friday and Saturday evenings, also get the best seats for the shows—mostly country music by local bands. The adult-beverage tent specialized in local craft beers, but also has wine and soft drinks. In Competition Alley, barbecue chefs compete for cash prizes and a grand prize of entry into the World Series of Barbecue in Kansas City.
Learn more:
Hudson Valley Ribfest: https://hudsonvalleyribfest.org/
Highland Rotary Club: http://highlandrotaryclub.com/
Northeast BBQ Society: https://www.nebs.org/
Kansas City Barbeque Society: https://www.kcbs.us/
World Series of Barbecue: http://www.americanroyal.com/bbq/
CATEGORIES
Events
Hudson Valley
Nutrition
Rotary Club Projects
Volunteers
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
For 100 years, the villages of Red Hook and Tivoli, New York, have been served by their respective volunteer fire departments, so they are jointly celebrating the anniversary in 2019. RadioRotary gets the whole story of the history and of the celebration from guests Stephen Fell, Chief of the Red Hook Fire Company, and Marc Hildenbrand, Chief of the Tivoli Fire Department. In the 19th century, fire companies were mostly privately owned, often specializing in a particular aspect of fire fighting, such as a hook-and-ladder company or a hose company. Near the beginning of the 20th century, the villages moved to consolidate everything into two volunteer fire companies—both villages are part of the Town of Red Hook.
In this program, you will learn about the training and equipment a fire fighter needs; the other services of a fire company, including EMT-staffed ambulances; duties of the fire police; and much more. You will also learn about the recent disaster when the Tivoli Fire Station burned and how the community is coming together to rebuild and re-equip it.
Learn more:
Red Hook Fire Company: http://www.redhookfire.org/
Tivoli Fired Department on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Tivoli-Fire-Department-275848023267/
Dutchess County Volunteer Fireman’s Association: http://www.dutchesscountyvolunteerfiremensassociation.com/
How to Become a Volunteer Firefighter: https://www.firerescue1.com/fire-products/fire-helmet-fronts/articles/1063900-how-to-get-involved-with-a-volunteer-fire-department/
CATEGORIES
Events
History
Volunteers
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
The dynamic duo of Doris and Ken Obremski, both Past District Governors of Rotary District 7210 and both members of The Rotary Club of Goshen, New York (Ken is once again president of the club after a long hiatus), come to RadioRotary to be interviewed by old friends Sarah O’Connell-Claitor and Jonah Triebwasser. Much of the interview consists of reminiscences of Ken’s 50 active years in Rotary (by January 2020) and Doris’ 26 years joining her husband in its work-- from immunizations for children in the US and against polio abroad, international exchanges, to disaster relief after Katrina. RadioRotary started during Doris’ tenure as District Governor and might not have made it through its early years without her help and encouragement. The pair joined Rotary because they wanted to be part of something important and it changed their lives and their family’s lives for the better.
Learn more:
The Rotary Club of Goshen, New York: https://goshennyrotary.org/
Goshen Rotary, NY, on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rotary-Club-of-Goshen-NY-221599024649451/
Rotary District 7210: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/50045
Rotary Fights Against Polio: https://www.endpolio.org/rotary-and-the-fight-against-polio
Rotary and the United Nations: https://www.rotary.org/en/history-rotary-and-united-nations
CATEGORIES
Disaster Relief
International Exchanges
Peace
PolioPlus
Rotary District 7210
United Nations
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary interviews “Mr. A,” also known as retired Red Hook math teacher Nick Ascienzo, founder of The Ascienzo Family Foundation, a unique resource for helping to alleviate poverty, provide educational services, and serve senior citizens. Many of Mr. Ascienzo’s former students have become Ambassadors for the Foundation, people who seek out local needs and write grant proposals so that the Foundation can support these good causes. Among the examples around the nation are Fresh Truck, a mobile farm market that brings produce to underserved neighborhoods; the Sunflower Bakery, which trains and employs the developmentally disabled in producing baked goods for sale in their store or online; and We Care Solar, a provider of solar-power on backpacks , enabling access to renewable electricity for people in developing regions. Although Mr. Ascienzo’s former students range over the world, the Foundation is based in Red Hook, NY, and many of its projects are local as well.
Learn more:
Ascienzo Family Foundation: http://www.ascienzofamilyfoundation.org/
Ascienzo Family Foundation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ascienzofdn/
Fresh Truck: https://www.freshtruck.org/
Sunflower Bakery: https://www.sunflowerbakery.org/
We Care Solar: https://wecaresolar.org/
Red Hook, NY:https://www.redhook.org/31/Explore
CATEGORIES
Developmentally Disabled
Educartion
Fiancial Aid
Nutrition
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
In Flight, Inc. for over sixteen years has provided housing in group homes, day habilitation in locations in Ulster and Columbia Counties, person-centered services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and training for transition to independent living in the community. RadioRotary interviews Bob Lang, a Direct Support Professional who helps resolve the specific needs of the persons he supports, and David Kitchings, Jr., who is one of the persons Mr. Lang supports. Mr. Lang helps Mr. Kitchings and others live independently and work in the community. The other interviewee on the program is Teresa Stivala, Director of Human Resources for In Flight, who explains some of the other programs that In Flight runs and also describes two important fundraisers for the nonprofit, a golf tournament and the annual Holiday Formal for the people supported. In Flight is happy to train individuals for roles as Direct Support Professionals.
Learn more:
In Flight: https://www.inflightinc.org/
COM-HAB: https://www.inflightinc.org/community-habilitation/
I-SAIL: https://www.inflightinc.org/isail-flights-success-academy-independent-living/
Hudson Valley Service Providers: https://www.hvspllc.org/
New York State Office of Developmental Disabilities: https://opwdd.ny.gov/
Developmental Disabilities: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/developmentaldisabilities/facts.html
CATEGORIES
Developmentally Disabled
Events
Service Organizations
Vocational
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Mary Albrecht of the Town of Pleasant Valley returns to RadioRotary to describe the annual event known as Pleasant Valley Days Weekend, a festival of food, fun, fireworks, music, and a parade. The festival is largely at Cody Field behind the Town Hall, but the parade is all along Main Street on Saturday evening, followed by the fireworks. The Pleasant Valley Fire Department plays a big role in the event. Many of the events and activities during the event are aimed at children (although Pleasant Valley Rotary runs a beer-and-wine tent), including a “Little Miss Pleasant Valley” pageant for girls 5 to 7 years old-- entrants get to ride in convertibles in the parade. But the whole family can enjoy the bands, the country music, and the typical carnival foods, as well as the annual race of plastic ducks down nearby Wappingers Creek, with the winner bringing a $500 prize to the backer of the lucky duck.
Learn more:
Pleasant Valley 2019 Weekend Schedule: https://dutchesstourism.com/event-view/24738
Pleasant Valley Days on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pleasantvalleyweekend/
Pleasant Valley Rotary: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/50045/clubinfo/pleasant-valley
CATEGORIES
Children
Events
Hudson Valley
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Christine Giangrasso (Highland Rotary), 2018-19 District Governor for Rotary District 7210, reports to RadioRotary on her year of traveling to 55 of the 56 Rotary clubs in the 8 counties that make up the Lower Hudson Valley District (Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, and Ulster). DG Giangrasso is proud of her record of adding a new club, a new Interact, and 2 new Rotaract clubs to the District during her year as governor. A major theme of her year was enlisting local Rotary clubs in the fight against heroin addiction and overdose. She also was able to champion women’s place in Rotary with a conference that featured Sylvia Whitlock, the first woman to lead a Rotary club (1987) and honored some of the women who make District 7210 effective. She also describes the very successful District Conference at the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, MA.
Learn more:
Rotary District 7210: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/50045
Highland Rotary Club: https://highlandrotaryclub.com/
Rotary’s Fight Against Opioid Crisis: https://www.rotary.org/en/rotary-clubs-come-together-fight-opioid-epidemic
Rotaract Clubs: https://www.rotary.org/en/get-involved/rotaract-clubs
Women in Rotary: https://www.rotary.org/en/history-women-rotary
CATEGORIES
Addiction Recovery
Rotary District 7210
Women
Youth
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Stacey Hengsterman, President and CEO Special Olympics New York, visits RadioRotary on the occasion of the Special Olympics Summer Games for New York State being held in Dutchess County, with Vassar College as the principal site. While we think of the Special Olympics primarily in terms of the 30 Olympic –style team and individual sports, the full program of health, education and community building tackles the inactivity, stigma, isolation, and injustice that people with intellectual disabilities face, going beyond sports events enable full social participation for people with intellectual disabilities. Listeners to the program will learn about how some 40,000 volunteers help almost 70,000 athletes—adults as well as children—strive to excel in their chosen sports. The New York State games move from region to region, and Dutchess County has been very excited to host both summer and winter games. The popularity of the Special Olympics has been a big part of “the inclusion resolution,” whose motto is “think differently.” Learn some of the ways you can be a part of this great change.
Learn more:
Special Olympics in Dutchess Country: http://info.vassar.edu/news/announcements/2017-2018/180605-special-olympics.html
Special Olympics New York State: https://www.specialolympics-ny.org/
Special Olympics USA: https://www.specialolympics.org/
Speial Olympics World Games: https://www.specialolympics.org/our-work/world-games
CATEGORIES
Developmentally Disabled
Dutchess County
Events
Service Organizations
Volunteers
Audio Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/fv554opwwtvbnm7/ROTARY - SPECIAL OLYMPICS 6-1 %26 6-2-19.mp3?dl=0
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Since 1862, states were empowered to set aside land that would be used to fund institutes of higher education that would feature agriculture and engineering along with other studies. These “land-grant colleges” became the basis of a 1914 law that had the Department of Agriculture work in improving agriculture and rural life. Today every state has cooperative extensions that carry out this mandate, including extension offices in every country of New York State, which work with Cornell University. For this program, Radio Rotary interviews Stefanie Hubert, the Executive Director of the Putnam County Cornell Cooperative Extension. There are many fascinating topics, ranging from the effort to encourage farmers to grow hemp; the master-gardener program; advice for good nutrition; and the 4-H program for youth—which on the last weekend in July in Putnam County puts on the only free-standing 4-H Fair in the nation.
Learn more:
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Putnam County: http://putnam.cce.cornell.edu/
Cooperative Extension History: https://nifa.usda.gov/cooperative-extension-history
Master Gardeners: https://www.ahsgardening.org/gardening-resources/master-gardeners
Slow Food USA: https://www.slowfoodusa.org/
CATEGORIES
Education
Environment
Events
Health
Nutrition
Service Organizations
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary interviews Kathy Sanderson, who decided at age 61 to join the Peace Corps after she became a widow “and the children left and the dog died.” After preliminary training, Ms. Sanderson was stationed on the island of Vanua Lava, among the larger of the 82 islands that make up the nation of Vanuatu in the South Pacific, a 3-hour airplane trip west of Australia. Having been a mathematics teacher in the United State, Ms. Sanderson’s assignment was to teach arithmetic and algebra to about 200 middle-school students. Vanuatu is part of the British Commonwealth, so classes were in English, although students also spoke a form of pidgin English among themselves. Although she loved her students, the actual school was not in very good shape and there were also local hazards, such as centipedes and spiders. Because electricity was on and off, she became used to rising at dawn and going to bed at sunset. A fascinating program that may make you want to sign up for the Peace Corps, whatever your age.
Learn more:
Peace Corps Opportunities: https://www.peacecorps.gov/
Vanuatu: http://thecommonwealth.org/our-member-countries/vanuatu
Life on Vanua Lava where Kathy Taught: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6fxuecfr38
CATEGORIES
Aging
Education
International Programs
Travel
Volunteers
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Lake Mahopac Rotarian Greg Amato in this program tells about several of the community activities he has been supporting since his retirement as police chief of the town of Carmel. He has been in Rotary for 25 years and works on his club’s annual fundraiser of raffling off a new Corvette, a practice the club has maintained for 35 years. The proceeds of the raffle all go to support community projects by nonprofit groups, many of them part of the medical support of the county. Another event that looms big for Greg and for the community each year is the 4-H Putnam County Fair, the only 4-H fair in New York State that is its own separate enterprise—winners in each of the 4-H categories will go to the New York State Fair in Syracuse. Greg also has worked a lot for Rotary District 7210 and for RadioRotary, handling communications and websites. Another activity brings together Rotary with the local Lions and Elks clubs to support the Red Cross by manning emergency shelters.
Learn more:
Rotary Club of Lake Mahopac: https://lakemahopacrotary.org/
Putnam Country 4-H: http://putnam.cce.cornell.edu/4-h-youth/4-h-in-putnam-county
American Red Cross: https://www.redcross.org/
Mahopac Public Library: https://www.redcross.org/
CATEGORIES
Disaster Relief
Events
Rotary Club Projects
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
The Anderson Center for Autism returns as a topic for RadioRotary, this time with guests Chrissy Wolcott and Lisa Susczynski telling about some of the programs and techniques used at the Center to improve the lives of children and adults who are on the autism spectrum. Autism is a complex syndrome that required a medical diagnosis to identify. The spectrum ranges from persons with slight problems functioning in society through to those who cannot speak or have other serious mental impairment. The Anderson Center has educational facilities from young persons from age 5 to 21, both residential and day programs. Also it supports group homes throughout Dutchess County. Among the topics covered in the RadioRotary interviews are ways to make stores and other public places friendlier to those with autism. In part because the Center serves individuals who have little money, there are fundraisers, including a golf tournament, and volunteers are always needed to help with these events. There is a lot more in the program, so listen and learn about this important topic and about our local Center that is known for its innovative programs. Learn more: Anderson Center for Autism: https://www.andersoncenterforautism.org/ Autism Supportive Environment: https://www.andersoncenterforautism.org/community/autism-supportive-environment/ Autism Spectrum Disorder: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/autism-spectrum-disorders-asd/index.shtml Parents Guide to Autism: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/autism-learning-disabilities/autism-spectrum-disorders.htm CATEGORIES Developmentally Disabled Education Health Youth
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Dana Pavelock, Vice President for Provider Relations at Evercare in Newburgh, NY, and Brian Jones of the Dutchess County Office for the Aging visit RadioRotary to discuss issues related to abuse of senior citizen, known as “elder abuse.” Evercare is a not-for-profit provider of health services for the aging. The Dutchess Office for the Aging provides many services to older citizen, ranging from recreation to long-term care services. Both organization are concerned with the physical, psychological, and financial abuse of the elderly along with just plain neglect. Some 2.5 million older Americans suffer abuse, two-thirds of the time in their own homes. It is suggested that you report any signs of bruises on your older neighbors or if you hear yelling or screaming. In addition to physical or psychological harm, older persons are frequently the target of financial scams.
Learn more:
Evercare: https://www.evercare.org/
Dutchess Country Office for the Aging: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Aging/Office-for-the-Aging.htm
Community Health Care Association of New York State (CHCANYS): http://www.chcanys.org/
Adult Protective Services (Dutchess County): https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Community-Family-Services/Adult-Protective-Services.htm
Coalition on Elder Abuse in Dutchess County: https://dutchessmediation.org/index.php/coalition-on-elder-abuse-in-dutchess-county
CATEGORIES
Aging
Domestic Violence
Law
Quality of Life
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Learn more:
Rotary Club of Goshen, NY: https://www.goshennyrotary.org/
Goshen Rotary on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rotary-Club-of-Goshen-NY-221599024649451/
CATEGORIES
Events
Nutrition
Rotary Club Close-ups
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary takes its microphone to a meeting of Red Hook Rotary for breakfast at Cancun’s. Rotarian Dave Wright describes this year’s Apple Blossom Festival, a village-wide celebration of spring with many food and craft vendors as well as live entertainment and special treats for children. In addition to commercial activity, organizations such as the high school, library, and town board have information booths. Local banks are financial sponsors, so entrance and parking are both free. In another interview, Rotarian Christine Chale describes the several Rotary-sponsored international youth exchange programs, ranging from a short-term summer exchange in which the same two high-school students from here and from abroad trade for each others houses sequentially to the long-term full school year exchange in which an older student lives with two or three different families. Red Hook also participates in a program called “CLYNK;” bottles and plastic are recycled through a local Hannaford’s supermarket in special bags and money collected is used for a good purpose—in Red Hook, providing hygiene products to be distributed to needy families at the local food pantry. Some other Red Hook Rotary projects are also noted.
Learn more:
Red Hook Rotary Club: http://www.redhookrotaryclub.org/
District 7210 Youth Exchange Programs: http://yex7210.org/
Rotary Youth Exchanges: https://www.rotary.org/en/our-programs/youth-exchanges
Short-term Youth Exchange: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/50045/Page/see-summer-exchange-experience
CLYNK: https://www.clynk.com/
CATEGORIES
Events
International Exchanges
Quality of Life
Rotary Club Close-ups
Youth
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary hosts Beth Alter, Director of Behavioral Health Diversion Services for Dutchess Country, who has been a part of the county government for over 30 year in substance abuse and mental health services. Her topics on this program are the life-saving medicine Narcan, the County HELPLINE, the Mobile Crisis Intervention Team, and the Stabilization Center at 230 North Road in Poughkeepsie. Her team offers training in the use of Narcan to reverse an opioid overdose, which they will bring to any location in the country or provide to visitors at the Stabilization Center. All the services mentioned here can be reached via the HELPLINE, calling or texting to 845-485-9700. Narcan is an easy-to-administer nasal spray that instantly blocks opioid action, although more than one dose may be needed to reverse the drug in some cases. Ms. Alter makes a good case why everyone from boy and girl scouts to Rotarians should learn to use Narcan and have the drug handy for when needed (there is no effect if it is not needed).
Learn more:
24/7 Crisis Services in Dutchess County: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/DBCH/24-7-Services.htm
Dutchess Behavioral and Community Health:
https://www.dutchessny.gov/departments/DBCH/dbch.htm
Narcan: https://www.narcan.com/
Opioid Epidemic in Dutchess Country: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/County-Executive/Fight-Against-Opioid-Epidemic.htm
CATEGORIES
Addiction Recovery
Dutchess County
Health
Support Groups
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Andrew O’Grady, CEO of Mental Health American Dutchess County (MHA) and Executive Director of the Med-Hudson Recovery Centers, Inc. (MARC) returns to the RadioRotary microphones to tell more about those two organizations and also to help promote fundraising for MARC and for addiction/alcoholism prevention and recovery through the MARC Foundation. With about 200 employees, MHA and MARC make a significant impact on problems that affect about 1 in 7 of residents of the Mid-Hudson Region. The organizations, primarily funded by New York State, are unique in not requiring insurance for their services, which include many community mental-health caseworkers, family therapy, and a veterans program (MHA) as well has a crisis center for short-term addiction/alcoholism recovery, three half-way houses for longer-term residence, and more than 30 sober apartments throughout Poughkeepsie. The MARC Foundation, which raises money with an annual luncheon, a golf tournament, and appeals to donors, primarily provides supplemental funding for MARC, but also assists prevention and recovery efforts throughout the region.
Learn more:
Mental Health America Dutchess County: https://mhadutchess.org/
Facebook Page for Mental Health America: https://www.facebook.com/MHADutchess/
MARC Foundation: https://marc-foundation.org/
CATEGORIES
Addiction Recovery
Health
Housing Assistance
Support Groups
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
On Election Day 2018 fire ravaged the Pleasant Valley Free Library building. Pleasant Valley Rotarian, Dave Kruger, president of the library board, received the first notice at 6:45 a.m. but the 150-year-old wooden structure was already in flames throughout the interior. Although sentimental artifacts were recovered by brave firefighters, most of the 52,000 books were damaged beyond what repairs would cost. In this program, Pleasant Valley Library Director Daniela Pulice and Mr. Kruger tell RadioRotary the story of how, within a few months, the Town’s residents and the Library Friends working with a dedicated staff brought the library back into operation in donated quarters. Meanwhile architects have been working on ways to rebuild the historic library building within the standing exterior walls. The recovery is a remarkable achievement, and this is a radio program well worth everyone’s attention.
Learn more:
Pleasant Valley Free Library: http://pleasantvalleylibrary.org/
Pleasant Valley Library on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pleasantvalleylibrary/
Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofthePVLibrary/
Mid-Hudson Library System: https://midhudson.org/
Pleasant Valley Rotary Club: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/50045/clubinfo/pleasant-valley
CATEGORIES
Arts & Letters
Community Planning
Disaster Relief
Literacy
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Wappingers Falls Rotarians Sue Bennett and Steve Crew visit RadioRotary to tell about two great fundraisers and how their club uses the funds to support community and international projects. One of the fundraisers, suggested to Rotary by Dutchess County Tourism, is “A Cup of the Valley,” a coffee-and-tea festival recognizing such local suppliers as Greenwood Lake Roasters Craft Coffee and Harney & Sons for teas. This event is so big that it has two Rotary sponsors, with the Poughkeepsie South Rotary joining Wappingers for the occasion. This is a fairly new, but popular event, staged at the CIA (Culinary Institute of America). The long-term fundraiser for the Wappingers Club is its annual golf tournament at The Powelton Club in Newburgh. The Roy C. Ketcham High School Interact Club, which Wappingers Falls Rotary sponsors, is also a big part of both projects. With the money raised, the Club offers scholarships, five annual Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), help with local food panties and Meals on Wheels, other local projects, and such international programs as ShelterBox and polio eradication.
Learn more:
Wappingers Falls Rotary: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/2259
Wappingers Falls Rotary on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Wappingers-Falls-Rotary-861729083896352/
Poughkeepsie South Rotary: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/50045/clubinfo/poughkeepsie-south
Dutchess County Tourism: https://dutchesstourism.com/
CATEGORIES
Events
Nutrition
Rotary Club Projects
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary welcomes Red Hook Rotarian Susan Simon and her partner Beth Jones, both of Third Eye Associates, to discuss the important topic of financial planning. High on the list is dealing with the new (2018) tax law. Many families were surprised to learn that they had failed to have sufficient funds deducted for taxes, causing them to face large payments needed in the spring of 2019. Dealing with taxes properly is only one of the issues people face in financial planning. Two others of considerable significance are saving for emergencies and saving for retirement—both involve saving, but are best approached differently. The earlier saving starts the better, and parents should help children learn to save for specific goals. All this and more is discussed with the RadioRotary cohosts in this useful program.
Learn more:
Third Eye Associates: https://www.thirdeyeassociates.com/
Red Hook Rotary Club: https://www.redhookrotaryclub.org/
Financial Planning: https://www.investor.gov/additional-resources/free-financial-planning-tools
Filing Federal Taxes: https://www.usa.gov/file-taxes
CATEGORIES
Business Assistance
Financial Planning
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
John Flowers was one of the most important community organizers in recent years in Poughkeepsie. In this interview, his son Frankie Flowers tells some of the history of his father’s charities and describes how he and his sister Yvonne, a Council representative in the city, are continuing his legacy. It started 25 years ago when John Flowers observed a lonely and unhappy woman in Vassar Hospital. He decided to cheer her up—and also the other patients—with stuffed animals. Somehow this original charitable impulse, which has been repeated every Christmas since, inspired other holiday celebrations—an Easter egg hunt, roses for Mother’s Day, a march on Father’s Day, a picnic for Labor Day, and (with the help of Eileen and Dan Hickey) dinners at Thanksgiving and Christmas. All of this, as well as “Christmas in February for Veterans, is accomplished by dedicated volunteers, known as John’s “Band of Elves.”
Learn more:
John Flowers Community Events on Facebook: mailto:https://www.facebook.com/johnflowerscommunity/
John Flowers Obituary: mailto:https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/poughkeepsiejournal/obituary.aspx%3Fn=john-flowers%26pid=175641649%26fhid=27389
Liberty Medal for Flowers: https://trackbill.com/bill/new-york-senate-legislative-resolution-3988-honoring-john-m-flowers-posthumously-as-recipient-of-a-liberty-medal-the-highest-honor-bestowed-upon-an-individual-by-the-new-york-state-senate/1272903/
CATEGORIES
Children
Humanitarian Service
Volunteers
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Matthew Swerdloff and his wife Elisa Gold return to RadioRotary to tell about the many activities and events that the Maya Gold Foundation has been sponsoring in the past couple of years and into the future. They created the Maya Gold Foundation in honor of their daughter Maya who committed suicide at the age of 15, but the Foundation is not primarily involved with suicide prevention. Instead, they work with youth to help them access their inner wisdom and realize their dreams—suicide prevention is a side-effect. Because Maya had become involved in efforts to stop human trafficking in Nepal, the Foundation has developed a close relation with groups in Nepal, including the Kathmandu Rotary Clubs. Both youth and adult trips to Nepal work with Nepalese nonprofit organizations that support youth. Back in the Hudson Valley, the foundation sponsors empowering events of all kinds, including film screenings, live theater, improvisations, and panel discussions in various locations. The Foundation also offers grants and scholarships.
Learn more:
Maya Gold Foundation: http://www.mayagoldfoundation.org/
Kathmandu Rotary Clubs: http://www.rckne.org/ & https://rotarymidtown.org.np/ & http://therotarynepal.org/78-therotarynepal/88-welcome-to-rotary-club-of-kathmandu-north
Maya Gold Foundation on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaSCIiksR99BV8WceGRNbvg
CATEGORIES
Education
Events
International Programs
Support Groups
Youth
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Photohistorian and local history activist David Rocco visits RadioRotary to tell about the project to mount a plaque in Veterans Park, Beacon, NY, to commemorate two airplane crashes on Mount Beacon. Mount Beacon, named for its role in the use of a fire atop the mountain during the American revolution that would notify Washington’s army of British advances toward West Point, is the highest peak of the Hudson Highlands. In 1935 two Navy reservists lost their lives when their biplane crashed high on the mountain; then, ten years later, a twin-engine Navy plane carrying 6 Navy aviators, including legendary Captain Dixie Kiefer, also crashed on the mountain, killing all aboard. Mr. Rocco has been spearheading a group that is mounting a commemorative plaque. Mr. Rocco has been involved in a number of local projects, including developing the Walkway on the Hudson, a local dog park, and restoring the Mount Beacon fire tower. Recently Mr. Rocco has taken 10,000 photographs documenting the replacement of the Tappan Zee Bridge with the new Mario Cuomo Bridge, including six showing the dramatic explosions used to bring down the last span of the Tappan Zee structure.
Learn more:
Mount Beacon Eight Remembered: https://medium.com/thegroundhog/mount-
beacon-eight-remembered-5ae37428ed35
Beacon Historical Society: http://beaconhistorical.org/
David Rocco Tappan Zee Bridge Exhibit:
https://www.theexaminernews.com/dramatic-tz-bridge-construction-photos-on-
display-at-white-plains-library/
David Rocco on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidAllanRocco
The Indestructible Man: https://smile.amazon.com/Indestructible-Man-Story-
World-
Captain/dp/1548322598/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=The+Indestrctible+Man&qid=155
2405409&s=books&sr=1-1-spell
CATEGORIES
History
Hudson Valley
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Abby Nathanson revisits RadioRotary to talk about the new Grace Year program that allows recent college graduates to spend a year of intentional living, focusing on spirituality, religion, and justice. Ms. Nathanson previously was interviewed on RadioRotary about another program that she has instituted, EPIC (Engaging People in Change), which provides leadership training for high-school students in northeastern Dutchess Country. Both programs are run from a base in Grace Episcopal Church in Millbrook, NY, although they are nondenominational, not especially Episcopalian. Grace Year is a year-long opportunity to live in a small community of young adults as they prepare for lifelong journeys of sustained leadership for the common good. Each of the five fellows, who are fully funded by local nonprofits and donations, spends 32 hours each week working with local organizations and also develops an independent project. During the year, the fellows live together along with Ms. Nathanson in the Grace Church vicarage. Applicants for the 2018-2020 year can apply at hello@graceyear.org or by phoning Ms. Nathanson at 845-420-4280.
Learn more:
Grace Year: https://www.graceyear.org/
Grace Year Program (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/graceyearprogram/
EPIC Justice (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/epicjustice/
Grace Episcopal Church in Millbrook: https://www.gracemillbrook.org/
CATEGORIES
Humanitarian Service
New Generations
Quality of Life
Youth
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary’s co-host Jonah Triebwasser interviews three members of the staff of Literacy Connections of the Hudson Valley: Debra Paskowski, Katherine Stikkers, and Marian Thompson. A surprising number of adults are unable to read English, either because they did not learn to read as a child or perhaps they grew up speaking a language other then English. Literacy Connections helps resolve reading problems in various ways. The Book Buddy program, which brings adult readers into elementary schools where they read along with children or have children read to them, gets children on the path to reading success. For most children, the transition from first-grade struggling to third-grade proficiency is the key to lifelong reading success. Other volunteers and staff members work with adult nonreaders or with those for whom English is not their first language. For the past 18 years, the largest fundraiser for Literacy Connections has been the annual Spelling Bee for high-school students and adult teams. Various organizations, such a Rotary, pay to sponsor a team. The Spelling Bee is one of the major annual events in the mid-Hudson valley, fun for both participants and the audience.
Learn more:
Literary Connections of the Hudson Valley: http://www.literacyconnections.org/
Book Buddies: https://www.childtrends.org/programs/book-buddieshttps://www.childtrends.org/programs/book-buddies
Dyslexia (inability to learn to read: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dyslexia/symptoms-causes/syc-20353552
Teaching English as a Second Language: https://teach.com/become/what-can-i-teach/tesol/
CATEGORIES
Children
Education
Events
Literacy
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
By New York State law, every county, city, town, and village in the state must have a historian. Will Tatum, Country Historian for Dutchess County, visits RadioRotary to describe the many ways that he and his fellow historians promote the story of our own past. Dutchess County, settled in Colonial Days, was most famously the site of battles and developments in the Revolutionary period, but also hosted many of the major players in the 19th and 20th centuries. Some of this history took place in the taverns and inns that have graced the county over its long history; a program called “The Dutchess County Historical Tavern Trail” takes advantage of these, some still operating as taverns or distilleries, to provide an enjoyable way to learn more about county (and national) history. The program also describes the “ancient documents,” which are—despite the name—the historical records of the county, not available online.
Learn more:
Dutchess County Historian: https://www.dutchessny.gov/CountyGov/Departments/History/HSindex.htm
Ancient Documents (of Dutchess County): https://www.dutchessny.gov/DutchessCountyPublicAccess/HistoricalDocuments/HistoricalDocuments.aspx
Dutchess Country Historical Society: https://dchsny.org/
Country, City, Town, and Village Historians: https://www.dutchessny.gov/CountyGov/Departments/History/22592.htm
Dutchess Country Historic Tavern Trail: https://www.meetup.com/DutchessTavernTrail/
CATEGORIES
Dutchess County
Education
History
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
RadioRotary interviews Suffern Rotarian Larry Palant, membership chair for Rotary District 7210, about changes in Rotary membership opportunities and ways to increase membership in Rotary clubs, including new types of clubs that have been invented to make membership easier for the very busy young professionals. Today, about half the clubs in the eight-country District 7210 meet weekly for lunch, but increasingly as members from the spread-out hamlets and villages of the Lower Hudson Valley have less time to travel to a meeting for lunch, clubs are meeting for breakfast, dinner, or just for drinks. For example, some clubs meet for lunch two or three times a month, then have a dinner meeting that supports a local charity. The e-club, with members from around the world (but still in the District) is a popular option, while Mr. Palant also describes a new “passport club” concept, in which members only meet four times a year, but can use their passports to work on projects with other Rotarians in between meetings. Increasingly also, clubs are accepting corporate members, usually so that several employees of a corporation can be sponsored as members of a local Rotary Club.
Learn more:
Rotary District 7210: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/50045
Suffern Rotary: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/2255/sitepage/about-our-club/rotary-club-of-suffern
Membership Ideas: https://www.rotary.org/en/strategic-thinking-can-help-rotary-clubs-grow
About Rotary Membership: https://www.rotary.org/en/about-rotary
CATEGORIES
Rotary District 7210
Rotary Membership
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Deanna Mancuso tells the story of how her troubled grandfather’s gift of a horse with a bad personality led her create the Lucky Orphans Horse Rescue farm, which now hosts 50 formerly abused horses at a permanent farm and animal sanctuary in Dover Plains. Today these horses are providing significant equine-assisted therapy to humans in need of help—it is “people helping horses heal people”. In addition to allowing anyone to visit the horses from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m, after 3 there are clients who receive equine-assisted psychotherapy. Also the form, originally primarily an animal sanctuary, now has many events that reach out to the community, such as “Faces of PTSD,” which features photographs of veterans with horses, and an Easter candy program for children as well as pony rides at the form and elsewhere. Also on the program is Lisa Odendahl, who is working on the “Faces of PSTD” event.
Learn more:
Lucky Orphans Horse Rescue: http://luckyorphans.bravesites.com/
Lucky Orphans Horse Rescue on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LuckyOrphans/
Equine Assisted Psychotherapy: http://www.eagala.org/
Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance: https://www.thoroughbredaftercare.org/
National Center for PTSD: https://www.ptsd.va.gov/
CATEGORIES
Animals
Dutchess County
Service Organizations
Volunteers
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Millbrook Rotarian Ellie Savoy visits RadioRotary to talk about the ways that her program for healthful living, outlines in her International best-seller Stop Dieting and Start Living has changed her life and the lives of her many clients. Once 30 pounds overweight and a yo-yo dieter, Ms. Savoy had reorganized her life by making health a Priority, by avoiding Pretending, by focusing on the Perception of what works and actual time available for health, by attacking wellness with a Plan for meals and appointments with yourself, and by approaching the problem with Passion. Among her newer endeavors has been Workplace Wellness programs for corporations that want to improve the health of their employees, creating a culture of wellness at the job. Some of her most important times are avoidance of processed food in factor of what is natural and organics; and also making sure that the biggest beverage in your life is water, consumed abundantly. Read her book for more tips—or if you are looking for something to listen to while jogging or walking you dog, listen to the audio version and hear Ms. Savoy read the book in her charming English accent.
Learn more:
Ellie Savoy’s Website: https://elliesavoy.com/
Millbrook Rotary: https://millbrookrotary.org/
Workplace Wellness: http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/workplace-wellness
Organic Foods: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/organic-foods.htm/
CATEGORIES
Health
Nutrition
Quality of Life
Self-Help
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Seth Collegrave is a young composer and videographer who has been developing multimedia presentations of the history and prominent landmarks in the Hudson Valley. Having grown up in the lower Hudson Valley, he came to appreciate how important the region has been in US history. After studying composition and media at the Berkley School of Music in Boston and a brief period working in Los Angeles, Mr. Collegrave returned to his native territory where he formed Empire Explorer to produce short Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube features of the regions historic buildings. Listen as Sarah O’Connell-Claitor and Jonah Triebwasser interview Mr. Collegrave about his work and his explorations of the Hudson Valley.
Learn more:
Empire Explorer: http://www.empireexplorer.com/
Empire Explorer on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/empireexplorer/
Empire Explorer on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/empireexplorer/
Empire Explorer on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-G0SiKvvxTwNjwvuC17rhA
CATEGORIES
History
Hudson Valley
Travel
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/radiorotary/support
Clarkstown-Sunrise Rotarians Past District Governor Nick Constantino and club President Alex Duenas tell RadioRotary about their visit to Neiva, Colombia, where the Huellas Fundación brings laughter into the lives of terminal ill children in four hospitals. In English, the Huellas Fundación is the Footprints Foundation with Meaning of Life. Teenagers and college students form the basis of the Foundation, dressing as clowns to amuse the children and, with the help of the Neiva Noches Plateñas Rotary and the Make-a-Wish Foundation, find ways to provide the children with last wishes. Constantino and Duenas joined in the entertainment dressed as clowns (Mr. Constantino in costume was given the name “Dr Cute,” which Rotarians in District 7210 will certainly endorse.) Listen to the heartwarming stories of the children and the good works of the participating Rotary clubs.
Learn more:
Clarkstown-Sunrise Rotary: https://www.clarkstownsunriserotary.com/
Huellas Foundation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FundacionHuellasConSentidoDeVida/
Neiva Noches Plateñas Rotary: https://rotary4281.org/clubes-en-huila/neiva-noches-platenas/
Make A Wish International: https://www.worldwish.org/en
CATEGORIES
Children
Health
Rotary Club Projects
Youth
(photo by Jonah Triebwasser)
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Mental Health American Dutchess Country, which provides therapy and other mental-health needs, is now bringing the Mid-Hudson Addiction Recovery Centers (MARC) into its organization. Andrew O’Grady, Executive Director of the merging services, visits RadioRotary to tell about how the new relationship extends the reach of both organizations. Both are sponsors, along with People Inc. and Dutchess County, of the Stabilization Center at 230 North Road in Poughkeepsie, an urgent-care facility that is always open day or night to provide immediate therapy while helping the visitor decide appropriate next steps. A person ready to be helped can also call MARC’s Chemical Dependency Crisis Center at (845) 471-0310. Both services are free if not covered by insurance.
Learn more:
Mid-Hudson Addiction Recovery Centers (MARC): http://marc.us.com/
MARC Foundation: http://marc-foundation.org/
Mental Health America of Dutchess County: https://mhadutchess.org/
Dutchess Country Stabilization Center: http://dutchessny.gov/CountyGov/Departments/DBCH/27908.htm
CATEGORIES
Addiction Recovery
Dutchess County
Health
Support Groups
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Pleasant Valley Rotarians Dave and Kathy Kruger, well known to listeners to RadioRotary as producer and occasional substitute host, are also both on the Board of the Pleasant Valley Library, which suffered a terrible fire on November 6. The fire started with an electrical problem in the basement, collapsed the first floor of the building, moved up through hollow walls to the attic, and essentially destroyed the interior of the building. Quick work by the Pleasant Valley Fire Volunteers with help from eight other local fire departments, saved special items from the building and prevented complete collapse—the shell of the 150-year-old building is still intact, and plans are underway to create a new building that will maintain that façade. Listen to the show to hear the Krugers explain the plans for the library in the future and find out how you can help the rebuilding.
Learn more:
Pleasant Valley Library: http://pleasantvalleylibrary.org/
Pleasant Valley Library on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pleasantvalleylibrary/
Mid-Hudson Library System Catalog: http://search.midhudsonlibraries.org/iii/encore/?lang=eng
Mid-Hudson Library System on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MidHudsonLibrarySystem/
CATEGORIES
Disaster Relief
Literacy
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The ARC Westchester supports more than 2,000 children, teens, and adults who cope with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including (but not limited to) autism, cerebral palsy, and Down syndrome. Millie Gaines, one of the 800 or so employees who works with clients at The ARC Westchester, visits the RadioRotary studios to describe some of the programs, which range from testing infants and young children through to residential services for independent living. Programs can be grouped into six categories: early childhood, day services, career and employment, family support, staying healthy, and living at home. Some clients volunteer to help other charitable programs, while some volunteers become interns who help the clients. It is a fascinating story.
Learn more:
ARC of Westchester: https://www.arcwestchester.org/
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: https://report.nih.gov/nihfactsheets/ViewFactSheet.aspx?csid=100
Autism: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/autism-spectrum-disorders-asd/index.shtml
Cerebral Palsy: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/cp/facts.html
Down Syndrome: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/down-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20355977
CATEGORIES
Developmentally Disabled
Service Organizations
Vocational
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The Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) for Dutchess Country serves students from the 13 school districts in the County at its Salt Point Turnpike Campus with career and technical education, adult education, and special-needs education. It also provides an Alternative High School in an industrial park off the Dutchess Turnpike. But all of that is scheduled to be improved or changed after the December 11, 2018, vote in which 84% of Dutchess voters supported a $36.8 million capital improvement plan, the first in 50 years. In this RadioRotary program, BOCES District Superintendent Dr. Richard Hooley describes the current programs and plans for the future. Among other projects, BOCES will consolidate all its K-12 programs on one campus, improve campus security, address compliance with the American Disabilities Act, and enhance the existing facilities. Listen to the program to find out about everything available from adult nursing education to welding training. Learn more: Dutchess Country BOCES: https://dcboces.org/ New York State’s BOCES Programs: https://www.boces.org/ Career, Technical, and Adult Education: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/index.html CATEGORIES Dutchess County Education Literacy Vocational
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The guest on RadioRotary for this program is Lori Decker, who with her husband George formed Angels of Light of the Hudson Valley about 15 years ago when they learned of a family that was dealing with a young very ill daughter—and the busy holiday season was at hand. The Deckers took over providing presents and other help for the family, a practice that became the origin of a charity that does the same throughout the Hudson Valley for families who have a child with a life-threatening illness. Although Angels of Light is based in Millbrook, NY, many of the families are residents of Ronald MacDonald House in Valhalla, NY, or have children being treated at nearby Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital. Volunteers often donate presents for children or the charity provides them. Other volunteers wrap and deliver the gifts to the families. Many gifts are donated through “giving trees,” found in local businesses throughout the area. Funds for the 501(c)3 charity are also raised at events, such as a holiday brunch at Monte’s Local Kitchen in Amenia, NY.
Learn more: Angels of Light of the Hudson Valley: http://www.angelsoflighthudsonvalley.org/ Facebook: Angles of Light: https://www.facebook.com/angelsoflighthudsonvalley/ Ronald MacDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley: https://rmh-ghv.org/ Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital: https://www.mariafarerichildrens.org/ Monte’s Local Kitchen and Tap Room: https://www.monteskitchen.com/
CATEGORIES Children Events Health Hudson Valley Support Groups
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For eighteen years, the Vassar-Haiti Project, started and still directed by Lila Meade and her husband Andrew, assistant dean of international students at Vassar College, has improved the lives of Haitians in the remote mountaintop village of Chermaitre and its surroundings. Vassar sophomore Mary McCarthy, publicity director of the project, and Lila Meade were the guests on RadioRotary for this show. Ms. McCarthy was inspired to work on the project by reading Mountains Beyond Mountains, a biography of Paul Farmer, founder of Partners in Health. As a result of the project, which raises funds primarily by selling Haitian paintings and crafts, Chermaitre and the surrounding area is served by a 250-student school, a clinic that treats 3,000 patients annually, and clean water, the last from a Rotary Global Grant sponsored by the Poughkeepsie-Arlington Rotary. Vassar now has a Rotaract Club, which is seeking grant money from Rotary to provide the clinic with electricity. It is inspiring work.
Learn more: The Vassar Haiti Project: http://www.thehaitiproject.org/ Poughkeepsie-Arlington Rotary: http://rotary7210.org/arlington/ The Rotary Foundation Global Grants: https://my.rotary.org/en/take-action/apply-grants/global-grants Mountains Beyond Mountains: https://www.tracykidder.com/mountains-beyond-mountains.html Partners in Health: https://www.pih.org/ Rotaract: https://www.rotary.org/en/get-involved/rotaract-clubs
CATEGORIES Education Health International Programs Rotary Club Projects Rotary Foundation Water Projects
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Nick Constantino (Clarkstown Sunrise Rotary Club) and Alexandra Duenas, president of Clarkstown Sunrise, are two of the Rotarians working in partnership with the Neiva Noches Plateñas Rotary to help terminally ill children in and around Neiva, Colombia. The project is called “Hearts, Dreams and Laughs,” because it mostly consists of hiring professional clowns and other entertainers to bring some smiles to the nearly 200 children in hospitals in and around Nieva who will probably live the rest of their young lives in the hospitals. Clarkston Sunrise hopes to raise enough money to fund the project for a year. Both Nick and Alexandria are also suitcases filled with toys, including Beanie Babies supplied by Spring Valley Rotary, as they visit the hospitals. The project is Rotary all the way, since Clarkston Sunrise learned of it from Alexandra’s cousin, who is in president of Neiva Noches Plateñas Rotary—and you can learn more about it by listening to the interview with Past District Governor Nick Constantino on RadioRotary—and learn a little about Nick as well.
Learn more: Neiva Noches Plateñas Rotary Club: http://rotary4281.org/clubes-en-huila/neiva-noches-platenas/ Clarkstown Sunrise Rotary Club: https://www.clarkstownsunriserotary.com/ Clarkstown Sunrise Rotary on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=clarkstown sunrise rotary Spring Valley Rotary Club: http://www.springvalleyrotaryny.org/
CATEGORIES Children Humanitarian Service International Programs Rotary Club Projects
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You may never have heard about canine discrimination, but you will learn a lot from this fascinating interview with Stacey Coleman and Nicole Juchem of the Animal Farm Foundation. The Foundation, which started in the 1980s as a refuse farm for horses, it now is a nationwide advocate for pit bulls and a trainer and supplier of service dogs. It specialized in training dogs for very specific tasks, such as opening doors. Among its programs are training K9 dogs for police departments, dogs that learn to detect drugs or hidden weapons. The Foundation works with inmates at Rikers Island Correctional Facility, where inmates socialize dogs and teach them basic canine manners. The dogs are recruited from animal shelters. If the dog turns out to be resistant to training, the Foundation finds a suitable family to adopt it.
Learn more: Animal Farm Foundation, Inc.: https://animalfarmfoundation.org/ Animal Farm on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/animalfarmfoundation/ Pit Bull Discrimination: https://www.aspca.org/about-us/aspca-policy-and-position-statements/position-statement-pit-bulls Service Dogs and Emotional Support Animals: https://usaservicedogs.org/
CATEGORIES Animals Humanitarian Service Quality of Life Service Organizations
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RadioRotary interviews Zach Kirshner of the Hudson Valley Veterans Alliance, an organization that bridges the gap between serving the nation and services available to veterans. Since 2016 the volunteers of the Veterans Alliance have connected veterans with housing, mental health assistance, physical health needs, financial aid, and other useful services. The volunteers themselves have come together to provide assistance on such tasks as installing water heaters or septic tanks. All of their services are free to veterans of any US war or their families. Veterans often have a difficult time making the transition to civilian life or may have special problems resulting from exposure to toxic agents or enemy fire during their service, so they may need the extra help the Veterans Alliance provides.
Learn more: Hudson Valley Veterans Alliance: https://www.hudsonvalleyveteransalliance.org/ Vet2Vet of Dutchess Country: https://mhadutchess.org/programs-for-veterans/ My Brother Vinny: https://www.mybrothervinny.org/index.html Dutchess Country Division of Veterans Services: http://www.co.dutchess.ny.us/CountyGov/Departments/VeteransAffairs/VAindex.htm VA Hudson Valley Health Care System: https://www.hudsonvalley.va.gov/ Hudson River Housing: http://hudsonriverhousing.org/
CATEGORIES Financial Aid Housing Assistance Hudson Valley Support Groups
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The Hudson Valley has a rich heritage of Italian immigration, making Putnam, Dutchess, Orange, Ulster, and Rockland counties among those with the highest percentages of Italian-Americans in the entire nation. The annual Italian-American Festival on the Kingston Waterfront celebrates this heritage with food, music, and Italian-American-themed products—free admission and free parking. It is a project of the Ulster County Italian-American Foundation, whose president, Highland Rotarian Tony Marmo, is this week’s guest on RadioRotary along with Anna Brett, who is chair of the fourth annual festival. The Italian-American Foundation supports its legacy in part with a dozen annual scholarships to college for students with an Italian heritage. The festival not only features many popular Italian food items, but also a wide selection of Italian wines and beers, as well as a spaghetti-eating contest and lessons in pizza-dough tossing.
Learn more: Ulster Country Italian American Foundation: http://www.ucitalianamericanfoundation.org/ Kingston, NY, Waterfront: http://thekingstonwaterfront.com/ American Italian Heritage Museum: http://www.americanitalianmuseum.org/ Highland Rotary: https://highlandrotaryclub.com/
CATEGORIES Events Hudson Valley Nutrition
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Newburgh Rotarians Doug Sturomski and Andrew Ciccone visit RadioRotary to describe the club’s annual fundraiser, The Taste of Greater Newburgh, which takes place under a tent on the campus of Mount Saint Mary College, making it a rain-or-shine event. Over two-dozen food or drink vendors provide an all-you-can-eat-or-drink experience for a modest per-person fee. The money raised each year supports the numerous community activities of Newburgh Rotary, ranging from Meals on Wheels and school supplies for needy children to the Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra. Doug Sturomski is also active in the Peace Pole Project, helping install poles with the message “May peace prevail on Earth” in eight languages around the eight counties of Rotary District 7210. Andrew Ciccone in addition to Rotary duties is on the Board of the Clove Creek Dinner Theater in Fishkill, a frequent venue for charitable fundraisers.
Learn more: The Taste of Greater Newburgh: https://www.tasteofgreaternewburgh.com/
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RadioRotary interviews Poughkeepsie-Arlington Rotarian Veronica McMillan, an attorney, and Janna Whearty, Executive Director of the Dutchess Country Bar Association, on the programs of the Country Bar, an organization of 548 attorneys practicing in Dutchess County and the Hudson Valley. The group is best known for evaluating candidates for judgeships, but it does much more. One of the useful services is based in the different specialties of lawyers; the Lawyer Referral Service directs persons in need of legal help to attorneys who specialize in the problem, whether it be patent law; wills, health-care proxies, or power of attorney; real-estate transactions; consumer issues; or criminal matters. The Bar Association is also involved in the continuous education required of licensed attorneys. Every May the Association sponsors the annual Law Day event.
Learn more: Dutchess Country Bar Association: http://dutchesscountybar.org/
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RadioRotary co-hosts Sarah O’Connell-Claitor and Jonah Triebwasser interview two Patterson Rotarians, Billy Flash and Paul Toscana, about the Patterson Rotary’s annual Blues and BBQ Festival, a music-and-food tradition in Putnam County for the past seven years. Unlike most similar events, admission and parking are both free, which includes enjoying as many as nine different bands playing blues, rock-and-roll, and jazz (over the two days of the festival). The only cost is for food and drink purchased directly from the Rotary Club, which smokes its own ribs and barbecues pulled-pork and even bakes the baguettes for sandwiches. They even take care to use a locally raised hog for the pork. In addition to the food, the music by local musicians and stars from the New York Blues Hall of Fame is a big attraction at the outdoor event.
Learn more: Patterson Rotary Club: https://www.pattersonrotary.org/
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RadioRotary interviews Geoff Miller, Chair of the Steering Committee for the Reher Center for Immigrant Culture and History, a project of the Jewish Federation of Ulster County. The Center is a museum celebrating all the immigrants who settled the region, not just the Jews, and occupies a 19th-century Jewish bakery that primarily served the immigrants who streamed into America throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. The museum aims to depict immigrant life of that period. The Reher Center, at 99-101 Broadway in the Historic Roundout waterfront of Kingston, New York, is located in the part of Kingston that was originally a small community on the Hudson, while Kingston itself occupied the bluff above the river. The Center is a work in progress, with the museum only open a few hours a week at present. Tours require special arrangements.
Learn more: Reher Center for Immigrant Culture and History: https://www.rehercenter.org/
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The Hudson Valley has a long history of ghosts and mysteries, but the most famous may be the Headless Horseman, a figure from Washington Irving’s short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, loosely based on a legend from the American Revolution. RadioRotary interviews Jonathan Kruk and his wife, film-maker Andrea Sadler Kruk. It is Jonathan who tells the story of the Headless Horseman in Sleepy Hollow’s Old Dutch Church (among the oldest buildings in the Hudson Valley) every October, and Andrea who has filmed it. The two are both storytellers going well beyond the tale of the Headless Horseman. Jonathan regales audiences many local legends at schools and other venues around the Hudson Valley; Andrea makes documentary films, including The Sacred Run, which combines traditional stories of indigenous peoples from both North America and Japan.
Learn more: Jonathan Kruk: https://www.jonathankruk.com/
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RadioRotary interviews President Mike Fick and Alicia Marcinkowski of the recently merged Kingston Rotary Club, which manages to be both the newest and oldest Rotary in District 7210 at the same time. It is newest because of the recent merger of the Kingston Sunshine Club with the original Kingston Rotary and the oldest as the original club originated in 1916, just 11 years after Rotary started in Chicago. The merged club has both breakfast and lunch meetings, alternating weekly. The club is responsible for Kingston Point Rotary Park, a site of barbecues (barbecue is very important to the club) and the annual Mutt Strutt.
The programs describes many of the activities and good works of the club, including support for the Patriots home for homeless veterans.
Learn more: Rotary Club of Kingston: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/2222 & http://www.kingstonnyrotary.org/
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Recorded live by RadioRotary at the Highland Rotary Club, Highland Rotarians Steve Laubach and Don Verity tell about the glories of eating barbecue (and listening to music) at the fourteenth annual Hudson Valley Ribfest, the biggest, best barbecue in New York State, which takes place every August at Ulster County Fairgrounds just outside New Paltz. In addition to great food and music by local performers, the Ribfest has many activities for children and some special events. The $7 admission (free parking) is waived on Friday night for holders of advance tickets. Features include the Chef Demonstration Tent, where local chefs provide cooking and decorating tips and also offer free samples of the foods being demonstrated. In Competition Alley, individual barbecue chefs compete for cash prizes and a grand prize of the State Championship and entry into the World Series of Barbecue in Kansas City.
Hudson Valley Ribfest: https://hudsonvalleyribfest.org/
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RadioRotary interviews three distinguished Rotarians: Donna Gunn of the Lakeway/Lake Travis (Texas) Rotary Club, Peggy Rogers of Sebastopol (California) Rotary, and Rotary 2017-18 President Ian H.S. Riseley of the Sandringham (Australia) Club as all visit the International Convention in Toronto, Ontario. Ms. Gunn is Special Projects Chair of Rotary 3D Limbs, which proved 3D printed limbs, primarily legs, for children in need. The printed limbs not only cost less than 1% of hand-made and fitted limbs. They can be adjusted to make an exact fit for no extra cost and are adjustable in length so that they grow with the child. Ms. Rogers is representing the Family Safety Rotary Action Group (RAG), dedicated to breaking the cycle of domestic violence, which can affect men and children as well as women. RI President Riseley looks back at his tree-planting campaign and other hallmarks of his year, as well as outlining a path for the future of Rotary.
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Mid-Hudson American Cancer Society (Aired on July 28 and 29, 2018) Kristine Revelle of the American Cancer Society in the Mid-Hudson comes to RadioRotary to discuss the many ways that the Cancer Society is fighting the hundreds of diseases that we lump together as cancer.
The Society emphasizes education about the causes of cancer, advocacy for cancer issues with local and national governments, research on the causes and cures of cancer, and services for the victims of cancer. The Mid-Hudson Region has been at the forefront of cancer=prevent studies since 1959. Ms. Revelle tells listeners ways that they can reduce their risk of developing cancer and outlines resources from the Society to help in recovery. Events, such as the annual Breast Cancer Walk and the campaign “Real Men Wear Pink” help not only to raise money for the Society but also create awareness.
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Mary Albrecht of the Town of Pleasant Valley visits RadioRotary to describe the annual festival known as Pleasant Valley Week end, which has moved from its previous time in September to July. The event features three separate parades through the hamlet—a motorcycle parade on Friday, the big parade and fireworks on Saturday, and a parade of automobiles on Sunday. Most of the events and activities during the event are aimed at children (although Pleasant Valley Rotary runs a beer-and-wine tent), including a Ferris wheel and other rides, contests of various kinds, and a “Little Miss Pleasant Valley” pageant for girls 5 to 7 years old. But the whole family can enjoy the bands, the country music, and the typical carnival foods, as well as the race of plastic ducks down nearby Wappingers Creek.
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Here are four more stories of people putting service before self from the 2018 Toronto Rotary International Convention. Sole 4 Souls not only distributes shoes and other clothing around the world, but also creates sustainable jobs in third-world nations. World Bicycle Relief does not provide relief for bicycles, but provides bicycles for relief of travel problems in places with bad roads or none. The specially designed bicycles are strong enough for bumpy rides and easy to repair if needed. Rise Against Hunger recognizes that there is food enough for every person on the planet, but 815 million people, many of them children, go hungry because food is unequally distributed. The volunteers at Rise Against Hunger work on assembly lines to produce nourishing food packages; often the volunteers are Rotarians. Rotary is most known, however, for its steps to end polio now, which is discussed by Al Bonney of Traverse City Rotary.
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Each year RadioRotary takes its microphone to the Rotary International Convention, which in 2018 is in Toronto, Ontario. Some 24,000 Rotarians are in attendance and RadioRotary gets as many of the great stories as it can. One of the interviews in this show is with Ellen Haggerty, a Pleasant Valley Rotarian whose mission to improve hearing and make life easier for those who are hearing impaired takes her all over the world. Her organization, Rotarians for Hearing, is one of the many Rotary Action Groups, or RAGs, that deal with specific issues. One of the highlights of the RadioRotary interviews at the International Convention is the interview with the new president of Rotary International; for 2018-19, it is Barry Rassin from the Rotary Club of East Nassau in the Bahamas.
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RadioRotary interviews Kimberly Kochen, Executive Director of The Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse, located in Poughkeepsie, N, the nonprofit agency dedicated to the reduction of child maltreatment since 1973. Among their programs are outreach to elementary schools for educating children and to PTAs and other groups for educating adults. Almost 17,000 children per year are served, mostly through lessons in schools, ranging from puppet shows for younger children to more formal teaching though grade 6. Child abuse is a major problem but only about one in a thousand children will report it. Everyone who suspects child abuse should call the NYS Central Registry at 1(800) 342-3720 or in case of immediate harm, 911. Parents and others are urged to “trust your gut” if you suspect anything, and take action immediately. Abuse during childhood often affects the person abused for his or her entire life.
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District Governor 2018-19 Christine Giangrasso (Aired on June 23 and 24, 2018) A long-standing tradition of RadioRotary is the interview with each incoming District Governor (DG) of District 7210, the person who will lead the 55 clubs in 8 counties that make up the District. From July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2018, that person will be Christine (“Chrissy G.”) Giangrasso of the Highland Rotary Club. DG Giangrasso brings to the District an attitude of “We Can Do It,” inspired by World War II’s Rosy the Riveter, Sylvia Whitlock (first woman Rotarian in 1987), and the women of Rotary—but not leaving out the men of Rotary. Among her goals for the 2018-19 Rotary Year are revving up the fight against opioid addiction and engaging with the 46 Interact clubs of the District. As a member of Highland Rotary as well as DG, she will be involved in that club’s annual fundraiser, the August Ribfest at Ulster Fairgrounds.
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Marjorie Nichols Keith, Executive Director of the Putnam Country Cornell Cooperative Extension, brings 4-H Club member Patrick Salerno to RadioRotary to help tell about the 47th annual Putnam County 4-H Fair at Veteran Memorial Park in Carmel. The Fair is a big family event with food booths, music, a Master Gardener plant sale, horse and dog shows, an auction, and activities such as Touch a Truck and a magic tent. There is free admission and free parking. Over 500 volunteers make the weekend event happen, ranging from Rotary clubs, Lions clubs, village officials, and of course 4-H clubs. If you are not in Putnam Country, you can check your county’s Cornell Cooperative Extension Website for the location and dates of the fair nearest you.
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Total Transportation for Local Charities (Aired on June 9 and 10, 2018) RadioRotary interviews two employees of Total Transportation Corp., a business that goes out of its way to help local community organizations such as Rotary clubs. Vincent Marzello is the Regional Director of Operations, working out of Wappinger Falls, while MaryAnne Coe is the Location Manager in that office. Marzello and Coe describe how they loan out equipment, often with volunteer drivers (regular employees who volunteer their time), to chairitable organizations such as Pleasant Valley Rotary. The Rotary club regularly runs a “Stuff the Bus” campaign for the local food pantry, and Total Transportation provides the bus, which (festooned with a large sign) is parked in a supermarket lot until donors have filled it with food, which the bus then transmits to the food pantry. In some other recent charitable events, Total Transportation carried supplies for Puerto Rican victims of Hurricane Maria.
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Rotarians Gary Silver and Gary Siegel report to RadioRotary on an important program that they have been developing and monitoring, including their 16 trips to Haiti. Working with the Rotary Club deCap-Haïtien, the Liberty Club has distributed over a thousand two-bucket water filtration systems to families in Cap-Haïtien, a historic city of about 200,000 whose water supply is not potable (suitable for drinking). This effort began as a Rotary District 2710 grant but now is funded largely by a Rotary Foundation Global Grant, which pays about $105 per family, including the cost of technicians who install the system, teach the family how to use it, and monitor it twice a month thereafter. The Liberty Club is best known for providing and coordinating disaster relief after hurricanes Katrina on the Gulf Coast, Harvey in Houston, and Maria in Puerto Rico, although they also are involved in many local community projects.
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New Paltz Rotarian Toni Hokanson visits RadioRotary to promote the annual “Touch-a-Truck” fair at Ulster County Fairgrounds. While the basic attraction for kids are the trucks, with a chance to climb all over them and sound their horns, the inexpensive family outing includes much more in the way of free entertainment, ranging from the Hurd’s Family Cow Train (cars shaped like cars, pulled by a tractor) to the giant pile of mulch for young mountain-climbers to tackle. The only additional expense is for fair food or a helicopter ride. “Touch-a-Truck” is a major fundraiser for New Paltz Rotary, despite the low per person admission (truck exhibitors also support it with entrance fees), which helps support the good works of the club. These include a weekly food-backpack program for children in the New Paltz schools who would otherwise be food deprived and scholarships, including a new 2-year scholarship to SUNY Ulster College for students whose parents did not attend college.
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New Animal Shelter and Wildlife Rehab (Aired on May 19 and 20, 2018) Josephine Santoro and Carl Syslo visit RadioRotary to tell about the new Safe Haven Animal Shelter $ Wildlife Center, located in Stormville in southern Dutchess County (Town of Beekman). The first phase of their operation will be to provide a no-kill shelter for injured or orphaned dogs, which can be adopted after any necessary rehab. These dogs will be kept in kennels until adopted, but in the second phase a new building, specially designed for making dogs and cats feel at home (and not imprisoned) will take over. The original kennel building will be remade for wildlife rehab—Ms. Santoro is a certified wildlife rehabilitator. An important adjunct to the Stormville facility is the Thrift Shop specializing in reselling donated pet-related products and household items. On Saturdays the Thrift Shop houses a Pet-Food Pantry, supplying free pet food to low-income pet owners.
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Greater Newburgh Rotarian Doug Sturomski, the unofficial Peace Ambassador for Rotary District 7210, returns to RadioRotary to report on two projects related to his peace mission. In this interview, he announces that he recently has dedicated or planted 10 Peace Poles at local schools. The Peace Poles for Rotary District 7210 are 8-feet high, resemble the Washington Monument, and have the message “May Peace prevail upon the Earth” in 8 languages. Another District peace project that he describes is the “Walk for Peace and Polio” at the Walkway over the Hudson, which not only promoted peace but also raised money to support the eradication of polio, one of the main goals of The Rotary Foundation in recent years.
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RadioRotary visits Red Hook Rotary’s meeting to learn about some of the many activities of the Red Hook Club. Rotarian Dave Wright is in charge of the 2018 Apple Blossom Day, the street festival that traditionally kicks off the spring-summer season in Red Hook and Tivoli. In addition to dance and music performances on the stage, there are hundreds of food and craft vendors. Club president Tim Lynch describes the Aquabox, a box similar to the more familiar ShelterBox, and also designed for disaster relief, but focusing largely on water purification, a great need in many disasters. The Aquabox also contains dozens of other items that may be needed in a disaster in addition to the water purifier. Another guest on the show was the youth-exchange inbound person from Spain,Mercedes. She describes her experiences as a visitor in Red Hook, while Red Hook Rotarian Christine Chale describes Red Hook’s participation in youth exchange.
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Pearl River Rotarians Dorothy Filoramo and Ryan O’Gorman join the RadioRotary team to tell about how a visit by Ryan to El Salvador led to a project to build a well and filtration system for three small villages in that country. Ryan observed that villagers needed to bring water in plastic bags to the site where they were working. Further checking revealed that the local well was not only running dry, but its water was not safe to drink in any case. He enlisted the help of his fellow Rotarian Dorothy and together they conceived of a project to help. As a starter, with the aid of the San Miguel El Salvador Rotary they helped the villagers by providing simple filtration systems to improve the little water they had locally. Since then, they have worked toward having a deeper well dug, one thatwould also produce safely filtered water. It is an expensive project (estimated at $80,000) and they are seeking help from other Rotary clubs.
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Dinner Theater in Dutchess Country (Aired on April 21 and 22, 2018) Felicia DiNonno, founder of the Clove Creek Dinner Theater in Fishkill, NY, and Rotarian Andrew Ciccone (Newburgh) visit RadioRotary to tell about the many fundraising opportunities available using the facilities of the dinner theater. Of course, Clove Creek Dinner Theater features new comedy theater every month interspersed with audience-participation mysteries and other special evenings along with dinners prepared by Culinary Institute chefs. Nonprofit organizations can use the shows as fundraisers in several ways. Tickets can be purchased for an evening fundraiser at a reduced rate and then sold at the regular rate or higher, with the organization pocketing the difference. Clove Creek staff will help set up drawings or contests with prizes supplied by the dinner theater and organizations can run their own raffles or silent auctions, taking home all of the money earned.
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Andrew O’Grady, CEO of the Mid-Hudson Recovery Centers (MARC) and Executive Director of Mental Health America of Dutchess County (MHA) visits RadioRotary to tell about changes at MARC as it finds new ways to improve its mission of residential treatment for alcoholics and other addicts. MARC is now allied with MHA, extending the reach of both organizations. If a person in Dutchess or surrounding counties is sufferance from an addiction or mental crisis, he or she can get immediate help at the Stabilization Center at 230 North Road in Poughkeepsie, which is always open day or night and which will provide therapy up to 23 hours while helping the visitor decide what the appropriate next steps, such a detox or other treatment, are for the specific circumstances. MARC manages nine beds in the Stabilization Center that focus on addiction and alcoholism problems. A person ready to be helped can also call MARC’s Chemical Dependency Crisis Center at (845) 471-0310.
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RadioRotary interviews Red Hook Rotarian Susan Simon and Beth Jones, both of Third Eye Associates, Ltd, a fee-only registered investment advisory firm that provides financial life planning, financial transition planning, and wealth management services, with offices in Red Hook, New York City, and Washington, D.C. Their model is based on an hour-long initial interview in which Third Eye Associates determines the life goals of the client, which can be followed with five to seven sessions leading to specific recommendations for financial and life planning. One of their specialties is transitional planning, which deals with helping clients through significant life changes such as divorce or the death or serious illness of a spouse. Often this includes putting the client into a “no decision zone,” recognizing which steps are time sensitive and which are not.
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Eliza Bozenski, Chief Development Officer of the Anderson Center for Autism, and the host of comes to the RadioRotary microphone to discuss the autism spectrum and how the Anderson Foundation’s several ways of outreach are making a difference for families that must cope with autism. Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disability that ranges from what is commonly called Asperger Syndrome, which may be accompanied by high intelligence, to instances of autism that feature very low intelligence and serious disability. Early intervention makes a considerable difference in development; parents recognizing that a child may have a problem should not hesitate about taking the child to a physician for a diagnosis. The Anderson Foundation provides a range of autism services, including residential treatment and consultation with families.
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Cara Mia Bacchiochi of Hope on a Mission HOAM returns to RadioRotary to describe her continuing effort to help Poughkeepsie women who are homeless, most of them addicted to drugs or alcohol. At the same street corner (Main and Clinton) every Saturday night, sometimes in rain or snow, Bacchiochi and volunteers distribute food, clothing, and personal care items to homeless women. Bacchiochi was herself a homeless addict before joining a recovery program in 1990. After a brief recurrence of her addiction, she accepted God’s role for her—founding a street-level outreach mission for homeless and addicted women. With the help of her church, she plans someday to acquire a building that would make it easier to carry out the mission. Hope on a Mission HOAM is financed by donations and staffed by volunteers. To donate or volunteer, you can phone (914) 456-2633 or visit its Facebook page: Hope on a Mission HOAM.
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Pleasant Valley Rotarian Rose Bonheur visits RadioRotary to tell about her seven (so far) medical missions to Puerto Rico, aided by her husband Roberto (also a Pleasant Valley Rotarian) and a host of volunteers. Dr. Bonheur is a Doctor of Nursing Practice and also a Nurse Practitioner, so in 2010, when a terrible earthquake struck Haiti where Rose was born, her husband suggested that they bring medical help to the devastated island. That year, and each year since, the Bonheurs have put together a team to provide primary care for a location in Haiti where such care has been lacking. Well in advance of their arrival, Haitians with such medical problems as untreated diabetes sign up for the visit, being given a number for efficiency. As a result of this kind of organization, Dr. Bonheur and her helpers are able to treat five to six hundred sick Haitians in a visit that is only about a week. The entire operation is funded by donations.
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Highland Rotarian Christine Giangrasso visits RadioRotary to talk primarily about the Hudson Valley Honor Flights, especially the one she participated in recently. Honor Flights are fully paid for visits to Washington, D.C. for veterans of World War II or the Korean or Vietnam conflicts. Volunteers (who pay their own way) pair with a veteran as they visit the war memorials in Washington and other important national sites such as the Capitol and Lincoln Memorial. The veterans are treated as true celebrities all along the way, from bands and flag wavers as they leave Stewart Airport to a welcome by Boy Scouts on their return. Ms. Giangrasso, who is also the incoming Rotary District 7210 Governor for 2018-19, also tells about some of the other activities of the Highland Rotary Club, including their famous Ribfest (3rd week in August). Listen for an emotional account of her experience accompanying a Korean War veteran on his big day.
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In this program, devoted to the close relationship between a Rotary Club and an important local resource, RadioRotary interviews New City Rotarians Madelon Burger, Robert Pitkofsky, and Jill Warner (executive director and CEO of Jawonio) along with Jerry Staller, director of educational and clinical services at Jawonio, which supplies lifespan services for persons with special needs primarily to Rockland County. Jawonio is a Native American word that means “independence,” representing the goal to help children and adults with special needs reach their full potential and helping them become as independent as possible. It is a unique residence and school resource that helps persons from as young as 2-months old to as old as 99 years. New City Rotary has been closely involved with Jawonio for over fifty years. As the facilities, started as a camp in 1947, have age, it has come time for new buildings, including new cabins for a summer program.
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RadioRotary interviews Dr. Bobbie Davey of MOST (Millbrook Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy), which not only has facilities in Millbrook, NY, but also in nearby Rhinebeck and Hopewell.
Dr. Davey deals mainly with pain management from accidents, operations, and chronic conditions such as arthritis. Pain is nature’s way of telling you that something is not right with your body. Pain is now recognized as partly psychological and partly physical, so relief of stress is an important part of treatment. Although opioids and other medicines can relieve pain, they are at best a short-term solution to a pain event, while physical therapy is a non-addictive long-term approach to relief. Strength and flexibility training will relieve many pains in joints or the back or even headaches caused by tense muscles. Improvements in balance through physical therapy help avoid falls that can be a source of pain.
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Jonah Triebwasser, Sarah O’Connell, and Kathy Kruger interview several of the Rotarians bringing their projects furthering the goals of the Rotary Foundation to the Convention. The two Rotary Action Groups (RAGs) are each devoted to worldwide fights against chronic illnesses that not only are rampant in the United States but also are on the increase around the world. Hepatitis C, unrecognized until a few decades ago, is spread only by blood transfers (such as from contaminated needles) and in symptom free—but ultimately kills. There is now an effective cure, so the main emphasis of the RAG called “Hepatitis Zero” is in testing, which only requires a pin-prick blood sample. The other RAG is for knowledge, awareness, prevention, and treatment of diabetes. Diabetes Type II, caused largely by lifestyle, is a growing major health problem worldwide. Another interview on this program tells about skin banks, now mainly in India but needed elsewhere.
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Regular RadioRotary Co-host Sarah O’Connell turns guest for a show devoted to her own Rotary Club and its activities. The Rotary Club of Millbrook has been doing good in the world for more than 45 years now. The main way it funds its projects is by providing a service to Millbrook and the surrounding region with a Business Directory. The Directory contains much useful community information, but its real strength comes from the paid advertising, advertising that in turn supports the community as 100% of the profit from the ads is returned to the community. While Millbrook Rotary also has various social events, from weekly lunches with interesting speakers to evening parties, these are paid for by the members—in part by “fines” or “good/bad news” announcement paid for with dollars (and more) deposited in a plastic pig at each meeting. The Rotary Foundation, supported primarily by donations by Rotarians, also contributes to specific projects, recently one providing school supplies.
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Once again RadioRotary brings listeners interviews with Rotarians attending the Convention who describe the Rotary programs that have brought them to Atlanta. Regular listeners to RadioRotary know about ShelterBox, but in this program they learn new ways the ShelterBox teams are helping disaster victim around the world. Also, listeners are probably familiar with Rotary’s role in polio eradication, but there is also a Rotarian Action Group (RAG) that helps survivors of polio, including those whose symptoms return many years afterward. Health professionals of all types can be part of the Fellowship of Rotarian Doctors and Health Professionals, which provides opportunities to help solve medical problems for disadvantaged people everywhere. Youth Exchange includes other Rotary programs, notably the one-school-year exchange of high-school students, part of Rotary’s goal of promoting peace.
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Rich Schiafo of the Hudson Valley Regional Council returns to RadioRotary to tell the listeners about the national problem of food waste. Of the many astonishing statistics Mr. Schiafo discusses, perhaps the most alarming is that 40% of all the food produced in the United States goes to waste, much of it landing in landfills where it contributes to the production of methane, a global-warming gas. Some of the food is left in the farmers’ fields, where it can be taken and used by gleaning—going through the field by hand and collecting the remaining food. Another waste is food that has been deemed imperfect or ugly in some way, but that is perfectly edible despite the flaws. Listeners will learn about the different interpretations of use-by or sell-by dates. There are many aspects to food recovery and prevention of food waste, with volunteers throughout the Hudson Valley making the effort to get otherwise disposable food into food pantries and shelters.
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Rotarian Mike Polasek (LaGrange) reports to the RadioRotary team about a major effort on the part of local Rotary Clubs (LaGrange, Millbrook, Fishkill) to obtain a grant from The Rotary Foundation to fund awareness and prevention programs in the Mid-Hudson Valley, although Mr. Polasek emphasizes that opioid addiction is a worldwide program that affects all ages and all classes. Opioid abuse often starts with an original prescription for pain relief from an injury or surgical procedure, but the drug becomes a necessity for the person addicted, a person who then may seek out street drugs to replace the prescription. The result is not only the misery of addiction but often overdose and death. The grant from The Rotary Foundation, focusing on adolescents 15 to 10 years old, would support awareness through social media and prevention by working with agencies already in the field.
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The ninth compilation of interviews with humanitarians conducted by RadioRotary at the 2017 Rotary Convention in Atlanta focuses largely on Rotarian Action Groups (RAGs) and their humanitarian aims, but it also includes a special interview with golf-great Jack Nicklaus. Rotarian Action Groups discussed include efforts to protect endangered species, prevention of all types of addiction from tobacco and gambling to heroin, encouragement for an increase in blood donations around the world, and training local communities in the method to correct clubfoot. Mr. Nicklaus tells why he is a Rotary Polio Ambassador, beginning with his own experience of polio at age 13.
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Pleasant Valley Rotarian Ellen Haggerty returns to the RadioRotary microphone to tell about her latest efforts to improve hearing and communication around the world. Ms. Haggerty, who lost her own hearing at age 4, but has compensated with hearing aids and excellent lip reading, is the chair of the Rotarians for Hearing Rotary Action Group (RAG). In past projects she has helped provide solar hearing aids for impoverished Brazilians, spread the use of hearing loopsthat improve sound for hearing aids at gatherings, and persuaded the Rotary Annual Convention to have captioning for its main talks. Her newest project in based on the idea that speech for those with hearing loss is impaired unless very young children hear others speak. Tests exist that can detect hearing loss in infants before they learn to speak. These tests are being introduced in Guatemala through a Rotary Foundation Global Grant sponsored by Pleasant Valley and Folsom, California, Rotary clubs.
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Rhinebeck Rotarians Mike Frazier and Mike Mazzarella tell RadioRotary producer Kathy Kruger about the program Rhinebeck Rotary has instituted to help senior citizens age in place. Many older Americans prefer to stay in their existing homes instead of moving into assisted-living communities or nursing homes. Sometimes the physical infirmities of aging mean that homes need to be modified for safer living; in other instances, simple tasks such as mounting storm windows in the fall have become too difficult for an aging homeowner. In Rhinebeck, NY, the Rhinebeck Community Committee on Aging recognized this problem and committee members who were also Rotarians asked their club to help. Today Rhinebeck Rotarians who are skilled in carpentry, plumbing, and electrical work volunteer to solve these problems for senior citizens at no cost for materials or labor. Grab bars are installed in bathrooms and railings on stairs as needed.
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Continuing its broadcasts from the Rotary International Convention in Atlanta, RadioRotary Co-Hosts Jonah Triebwasser and Sarah O’Connell interview representatives of several of the many exhibits featured at the Convention. “The One” Rotary Action Group presents an award of $100,000 to the International Humanitarian of the year along with $50,000 each to two runners-up, enabling these humanitarians to increase their work with the poor of the world. One effort to help the poor is Project Peanut Butter, which uses Rotary grants to manufacture and supply a specially formatted peanut butter that saves the lives of starving children, primarily in Africa. Another Rotary Action Group specializes in preventing blindness through improving maternal health, cataract surgery, and detection of macular degeneration. The “I Can Read” songs are taught to pre-school children, providing an easy way to learn reading easy, high-frequency words.
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Felicia DiNonno, founder of the Clove Creek Dinner Theater in Fishkill, NY, is the guest on this week’s RadioRotary program.
Dinner Theater provides an evening (or afternoon matinee) that begins with a full meal, which is followed by a full theatrical performance—you don’t eat or drink while you watch as in a nightclub or cabaret. There have been a number of dinner theaters in nearby countries, but none here until a couple of years ago Ms. DiNonno took a space in a mall in Fishkill and opened Clove Creek. It is very much a local attraction. Clove Creek hires chefs trained at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park to prepare the four entrees from which a ticket-holder may choose. Local actors audition for all the parts in the comedies that are featured. To learn more, listen to the interview.
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Regular hosts Jonah Triebwasser and Sarah O’Connell along with producer Kathy Kruger and visiting host Dave Kruger interview some of the fascinating people at the Convention about their important projects related to the goals of the Rotary Foundation.
One of the many Rotary Action Groups is “Stop Mothers Dying,” a Collaborative Action in lowering Maternity Encountered Deaths (CALMED). This program helps physicians, nurses, and midwives learn to anticipate problems of childbirth. It is not just the mothers who are saved in Third World countries, since maternal deaths have been on the rise in the United States as well. Another Rotary-related group discussed is taking African women .sex workers, giving them sewing machines, and making them into entrepreneurs, producing shirts that are sold at Rotary conventions. Although not a Rotary program per se., the Gift of Life, which supplies hope to children with heart disease through pediatric cardiology, also was represented at the Convention.
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Rotary Efforts to Deal with Climate Change (Aired on November 25 and 26, 2014) RadioRotary producer Kathy Kruger interviews Rotarian Bryan Bunch (Millbrook), a member of the Rotary District 7210 Environmental Action Committee, which has as its main mission this year promoting tree-planting, a major goal of 2017-18 Rotary International. RI President Ian H.S. Riseley has asked every one of the 1.5 million Rotarians to plant a tree as part of the effort to reduce the impact of global warming. Topics covered include the causes of climate change, the effects of climate change on the weather (especially hurricanes), effects on life forms such as coral reefs, sea-level rise, a history of changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide, and steps individuals can take to mitigate global warming.
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his time RadioRotary interviews Rotarian Bill Philpotts (Fredericksburg Morning Club) on the project “It Takes a Toilet,” which brings girl’s toilet facilities to India; Rotarian Dr. Subrahmanyam Ganesh (Methyr Tydfil) Club) who tells about the inexpensive prosthetic known as the Jaipur Limb; Rotarian David C. Forward (Medford Sunrise Club) on the hundredth anniversary of The Rotary Foundation; Rotarian Ellen Haggerty (Pleasant Valley NY Club) about her project for improving hearing and its success in bringing captioning to the Convention; Artist Ashley Spitsnogle, who draws and sometimes is Josh the Otter, working to prevent child drowning and Regional Director of The Dollywood Foundation Pam Hunsaker, who tells about the Imagination Library that brings free books to preschoolers.
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RadioRotary interviews Rhinebeck Rotarian Carolyn Bernitt and Brian Zeiden, both on the staff of the Brookmeade Community, a 75-acre, three-tiered facility in Rhinebeck that provides homes and care if necessary for our aging population. Sufficiently healthy seniors can opt for independent living at Arbor Ridge, an apartment complex that provides the amenities of a luxury hotel, including accessto fine dining and a heated pool. For those who need help with the tasks of personal care, The Terrace apartments provide assisted living arrangements. For older residents in need of close medical supervision. The community provides many field trips to events or locations in the area. Residents are active in community programs such as painting, singing, or exploring the sensory garden
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Sprout Creek Farm is a 200-acre dairy farm
started by two nuns who had begun to teach children and teenagers about farming and food at a farm in Greenwich, Connecticut. They were very lucky when the farm was donated to the Society of the Sacred Heart with the requirement that the land be used for education and that the farm be run as a nonprofit enterprise. In this RadioRotary interview, the farm’s Executive Director Mark Fredette, who is also the chef for the farm,describes the many educational programs run by the farm, including a sleepover camp, a day camp, and arrangements for schools to visit as field trips, often staying overnight. The farm’s cows and goats produce milk that is made into delicious cheeses that are sold locally and at the farm. The farm also sells many other farm products, including meat, eggs, and vegetables raised in the farm garden.
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Some 35,000 Rotarians from around the world came to the Atlanta Rotary Convention, but somehow the RadioRotary team of Jonah Triebwasser, Sarah O’Connell, and Kathy and Dave Kruger keep running into Rotarians from back home, including District 7210 Governor Jim Damiani and a Past President of Jonah’s Red Hook Club, Sue Simon. The RadioRotary team also learned of fascinating projects from other American Rotarians, including the prospect of even more collaboration between Rotary International and the U.S. Peace Corps and a vision screening projct for elementary schools undertaken by the Cincinnati Rotary. The Chicago Far North Rotary is working to bring specialized water carriers, called hippos, from South Africa to places in Haiti that lack access to running water.
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Youth exchange (YEX) has long been a principal way that Rotary International promotes peach through friendship and cultural understanding. Rhinebeck Rotarian Mike Frazier is the coordinator for District 7210 of a new way for Rotary to support international youth exchanges, known as summer youth exchange or more formally as short-term youth exchange. In this program a family from one country exchanges for a few weeks or a month with a family from the other country. This is different from the regular school-year exchange in which the student who is incoming from another country or outgoing to one stays with three different host families; there is no reciprocal arrangement. The school-year exchange includes learning the language of the country visited, which is not a part of the short-term exchange. In both programs, a host Rotary Club must sponsor the exchange and the applicants are vetted both by the locals clubs and YEX officers from the District.
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More interviews with Rotarians from around the world about the great service projects that they are doing.
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Rotarian Tony Marmo (Highland Club) and Frank Faluotico visit RadioRotary to describe the Italian Festival in Kingston, NY, a fundraiser for Ulster County’s Italian American Foundation, an organization dedicated to promoting and preserving the Italian heritage of the country. Both were among the founders of the 501(c)3 nonprofit group in June 2015. The Foundation is similar to a Rotary Club in that it primarily raises money to give back to the community, especially in scholarships for Italian-American high-school students to attend college. The Festival features many vendors purveying Italian foods to eat on the spot or to take home as well as other goods. There is Italian music from folk songs to opera (not to mention Sinatra songs) and dances, such as the famous tarantella. The Italian Signor and Signora of the year are presented. Held in the historic Roundout section of Kingston, the many local restaurants also participate in the event.
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RadioRotary interviewers at the 2017 International Rotary Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, interviewed several project leaders attending the convention. In this broadcast, you can learn about Project Chimps from Lindsay Vanderhoogt, the Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) from Rotarian Knut Johnsen (Greater Newburgh), the Russia-United States Intercountry Committee from Rotarian Charles Heberie; Rotaplast from Rotarian Donna Lee Young Rubin (PSG District 7930, Andover, MA), and the Rotarian Action Group for Hepatitis Eradication (a.k.a. Hepatitis Zero). Project Chimps put former laboratory chimpanzees into retirement in a wooded section of Georgia; RLI teaches Rotarians how to be better in their Rotary lives; the Russia-United State Intercountry Committee promotes peace between the two nations; Rotaplast provides plastic surgery to children (mainly) with cleft palate; and Hepatitis Zero is taking a specially equipped truck around the world to test individuals for hepatitis C.
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RadioRotary interviews Body be Well Pilates founder Chelsea Streifeneder about the Pink Ribbon Program that uses Pilates exercises to help cancer victims prepare for or recover from the treatment of their disease. Pilates is a system of exercise developed by Joseph Pilates that uses springs and special equipment to promote overall health (although you can also do much of the program at home without the equipment). Ms. Streifeneder came to Pilates from a career as a dancer, and now runs Pilates studios in Kingston and Catskill, NY. The Pink Ribbon Program is primarily for coping with the ravages of breast cancer and its treatment, but because it enhances energy levels and decreases pain and stress, it is useful for all cancer patients. At Body be Well Pilates, each person has a program that is designed for the individual, based on health history, goals, and past exercise experience.
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For many years, the Town of Pleasant Valley has celebrated itself as a community on a weekend in September. Recently the celebrations, known as “Pleasant Valley Weekend,” have been better than ever. Pleasant Valley Rotarian Carol Campbell revitalized the event when she was Town Supervisor in 2015, asking singer Johnny Dell to help get it organized. In this program RadioRotary interviews Ms. Campbell and Mr. Dell about the 2017 Pleasant Valley Weekend, which features three separate parades, many food and information booths at Cady Field (along Wappingers Creek just behind Town Hall), live music and dance, and a fireworks finale on Sunday. The Friday evening parade is vintage cars, the Saturday parade consists of over a hundred motorcycles, and on Sunday there is a traditional parade with fire engines, winners of the vintage car show, many marching groups, and a marching band. It is a great all-American event.
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Tyler Miller, a Direct Support Professional with New Horizons Resources, Inc., is interviewed about the New Horizons program for group homes in Dutchess and Ulster counties. New Horizons maintains over thirty homes for older (over age 20) persons with developmental or intellectual disabilities. One or more Direct Service Professionals are present at all times to facilitate the person-centered family-like situations. Residents largely take care of themselves with the assistance of helpers like Tyler Miller. The Direct Support Professionals also aid residents in visiting or working at outside facilities or in participating in such events as the Special Olympics. Mr. Miller became involved in part because his whole family does service of one kind or another, including his mother’s work at Cardinal Hayes Home for Children and brother’s job at the Anderson Center for Autism.
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RadioRotary interviewers took advantage of the International Rotary Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, to interview some of the many humanitarian leaders who also attended the convention. In this broadcast, you can learn about how Destiny Rescue fights human trafficking and sex exploitation of children and youth all over the world; about the LifePump, which uses the Archimedean Screw to lift water from wells too deep for other pumps (and only needs human power, not electricity or petroleum-based fuels); about the Rotary Dictionary Project, which supplies individual elementary and secondary school students with one of 8 different dictionaries in English or 22 in other languages; about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is based in Atlanta; and about the goals of Rotary International President for 2016-17 John Germ and the projects that he sponsored during his year as president.
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RadioRotary interviews Kyle Irwin, who went from the Peace Corps and a career in microfinance to found FitFeet Adventures, a unique Rhinebeck-based corporation that focuses on the environment, philanthropy, and running and hiking for everyone from individuals to groups. Locally FitFeet runs 5K races, 10K races, and full and half marathons to support various local and national charities, including a 2017 walk-or-run at Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park. The “adventures” part comes with specially designed tours of Peru, Chile, and Argentina, some incorporating major races in Patagonia. The Explore Peru Teen Adventure combines language immersion, volunteer work for charities, visits to cultural sites, and a multi-day trek through the Andes Mountains to Machu Picchu. By partnering with nonprofits such as Awamaki, which helps women and rural families in a Peruvian Village lift themselves out of poverty.
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Steve Laubach and Don Verity, along with former Highland Rotarian Jamie Anson, tell about the glories of eating barbecue (and listening to music) at the thirteenth annual Ribfest, Ulster County Fairgrounds just outside New Paltz. In addition to great food and music by local performers, the Ribfest has many activities for children and some special events. The $7 admission (free parking) allows you to spend time at the Chef Demonstration Tent, where not only do local chefs, the Culinary Institute of America, and other professionals provide cooking and decorating tips, but also there are free samples of the foods being demonstrated. Next door, local, vintners, brewers, and distillers allow you to sample their products as well. In Competition Alley, barbecue chefs compete for cash prizes and a grand prize of entry into the World Series of Barbecue in Kansas City.
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RadioRotary’s co-hosts Jonah Triebwasser and Sarah O’Connell call Youth Exchange Rotary’s “crown jewel.” District 7210 Youth Exchange Coordinator Nan Greenwood (District 7210 E-Club) joins the co-hosts as Youth Exchange students from Slovakia, France, Brazil, Japan, Taiwan, and Italy discuss their experiences as part of the Rotary Youth Exchange program, where “inbound” students from around the world spend nine months attending school in the United States (meanwhile “outbound” students make similar visits abroad). Each student lives with three different families during the school year so that there is a real taste of what American life is like. The visit is watched over by host Rotary clubs, for these students LaGrange Sunrise, Monticello, Port Jervis, Red Hook, Greenville, and Fishkill.
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There’s a new destination in picturesque Rhinebeck, The Gallery @ Rhinebeck, a nonprofit organization currently consisting 71 members who are visual artists of various types—mainly painter but also photographers, sculptors, and crafts. Open for visitors since January 19, 2017, the Gallery @ Rhinebeck does not charge a commission on sales as commercial galleries do; the artist members pay fees to be exhibited but the gallery also needs tax-free donations from the public to fulfill its mission.
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RadioRotary interviews Rebbekah Smith Aldrich, Coordinator for Library Sustainability for the Mid-Hudson Library System, a group of 66 libraries in the five mid-Hudson counties that form the core of the RadioRotary listening area: Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Putnum, and Ulster—serving 2.5 million homes. Libraries today are a platform for all sorts of information, forming a cornerstone of democracy. They provide affordable access to services that really matter, including downloads of E-book and audiobooks in addition to the traditional printed material and human fonts of accurate information. Many offer shared community experiences, including talks, concerts, meeting centers, and always programs for children. This is a terrific show that ought to make the listener pull our his or her library card and head either for the library building or the computer/cellphone.
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Marjorie Nichols Keith , Executive Director of the Putnam Country Cornell Cooperative Extension, brings 4-H Club member Grace Fisher (11 years old) to RadioRotary to help tell about 4-H programs and the annual Putnam County 4-H Fair in Veteran Memorial Park in Carmel. The 200-some 4-H members in the County, ages 5 through 19, are joined by as many as 300 other volunteers to produce the Fair. Although we often think of 4-H in terms of young people raising livestock, Grace explains that the club helps teach leadership and life skills —“it’s not all about cows and cooking.” The Fair is a big family event with food booths, music, a plant sale, horse and dog shows, an auction, and activities such as Touch a Truck and a fishing contest. Putnam Country Rotary Clubs often sponsor tents at the Fair.
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Camp Nooteeming in Pleasant Valley has been serving the scouting community for 91 years, but newly arrived Scout Executive/CEO for the Hudson Valley Council of the Boy Scouts of America, David Horton, recognized that the Camp is in serious need of renovation to become a resident camp. Volunteer Dave Petrovich has taken charge of the project. Together for a joint interview on RadioRotary, they describe plans to set up camping centers for specific topics, events, and skills, including centers devoted to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics); shooting sports; the environment; crafts; and more. Scouts, including Cub Scouts as young as age 5 and Girl Scouts, will use the renovated facilities along with other community groups. In an interesting sidelight, Program Co-Host Jonah Triebwasser tells about how Rotary and scouting have been linked since the earliest days of both service organizations.
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Although Rhinebeck at Home is one more of than over 200 “aging in place” organizations, it has no age limit—current members range from 58 to 97 years young—and its roster of group activities include events for people of all ages. In this RadioRotary program Rhinebeck at Home President Nina Lynch and Vice-President Anne Brueckner tell about how the group was formed and how they work to achieve their goals. An all-volunteer membership organization that relies on helping each other, the members provide transportation, referrals to community-service organizations, social activities, and help with household tasks. Various events are organized to encourage the members to network with each other, ranging from picnics to attending shows or museums together. Home for Rhinebeck at Home is wherever you choose and the only requirements for membership are residence in Rhinebeck, payment of nominal dues, and the ability to make your own decisions.
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John Roger, who has a doctorate in physical therapy, visits RadioRotary with the message that physical therapy is often the right way to treat chronic or acute pain instead of or in addition to potentially addictive opioid medication. Beyond to the joint pains that we commonly think of when seeking physical therapy, the techniques are also useful for treating severe headaches, the chronic pain of fibromyalgia, and the pain from tendon, ligament, or muscle damage, which is often caused by sports injury. In many cases, the key to pain relief comes from posture improvement, stress relief, and lifestyle changes that are addressed by a doctor trained in physical therapy. A medical doctor may prescribe physical therapy, but a prescription is not necessary to obtain treatment.
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This is a repeat broadcast in honor of Bunnee Webb, who led District 7210’s campaign to eradicate polio, part of a worldwide effort that involved not only Rotary, but also the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, several United Nations organizations, and governments in the affected areas. Ms. Webb, a past District Governor of Rotary District 7210 (2000-01) and a member of the Congers-Valley Cottage Rotary Club, inspired all who knew her, especially for her dedication to polio eradication. She died on May 23, 2017, at the age of 89. By then the PolioPlus campaign was “this close” to polio eradication, with only 20 known cases of the disease in 2016—although Ms. Webb would never say “only.” When this 2010 show was originally broadcast, there were 349 total cases, down from 52,630 in 1980. The stories on this show are timeless, however, especially Ms. Webb’s account of her experience vaccinating children in India as part of a National Immunization Day.
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Charles G. Vetter, Jr. managing broker at the Lagrangeville Office of real-estate agency Houlihan Lawrence, tells RadioRotary about some of the many ways that his agency works with the local community on a number of humanitarian projects. Mr. Vetter is very much involved personally and through the agency with the Dutchess SPCA, making sure that dogs and cats are adopted, The agency’s concern for animal welfare extends to large creatures as well, supporting the Lucky Orphans Horse Rescue, including locating the farm where the rescue service is now located. Other charities supported by the Houlihan Lawrence staff include the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society through its “Light the Night” fundraiser and a scholarship program for baton twirlers. As part of the community involvement, the agency often partners with LaGrange Sunrise Rotary or with the Rotary Club of Pleasant Valley.
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Eliza Bozenski, Director of the Anderson Foundation for Autism, comes to the RadioRotary microphone to discuss the autism spectrum and how the Anderson Foundation’s several ways of outreach are making a difference for families that must cope with autism. Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disability that ranges from what is commonly called Asperger Syndrome, which may be accompanied by high intelligence, to instances of autism that feature very low intelligence and serious disability. Early intervention makes a considerable difference in development; parents recognizing that a child may have a problem should not hesitate about taking the child to a physician for diagnosis. The Anderson Foundation provides a range of autism services, including residential treatment and consultation with families. One program helps businesses develop an autism supportive environment that can modify practices so that persons on the autism spectrum can feel more comfortable.
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RadioRotary interviews librarian Amy Shapiro , who supervises the Mahopac Library Learning Lab, a multigenerational learning center focused on technical help for computers, smartphones, or other electronic devices. This lab, which is open five days a week, provides one-on-one individual help along with two classes each week on aid for resume preparation. The library not only has desktop computers that patrons can use, but also offers Wi-Fi access for personal devices. The Lab is available for adults and for children either over fifth grade or with their parents—no library card needed. The Learning Lab is only one of the services of the Mahopac Library. In additions to books, DVDs, and computer access, there are summer programs for adults, for teens, and for children.
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The sixth annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, celebrated on June 16, 2017, is discussed on RadioRotary by Susan Davidson of Friends of Seniors and Dana Pavlock of Evercare. Elder abuse can be psychological, financial, sexual, physical, or simply neglectful. It is more of an issue today than in the past because people are living longer, but families no longer have several generations living in the same location. Isolated elders, many suffering from mild to serious dementia, can be easy prey for caregivers of various kinds. Friends of Seniors does not deal directly with elder abuse, but provides medical transportation, grocery shopping, caregiver respite, and similar services through trustworthy volunteers. Evercare is a certified home health care agency that also offers a managed long-term care plan through Medicaid as well as an adult social day program. T
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Leah Feldman , Director of the Center for Victim Safety and Support at Family Services in Dutchess County, and volunteer Kathleen Paluso discuss the various ways the Center aids victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and other crimes. Two hot lines connect directly to assistance: (845)485-5550 for domestic violence and (845)452-7272 for victims of rape or other crimes. The Center can help a victim find shelter from an abuser or work with the courts in providing protection. Licensed counselors are available around the clock. Much of the RadioRotary program is concerned with the causes of domestic violence and ways that victims can cope.
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Once again RadioRotary visits Red Hook Rotary’s club meeting to learn about Apple Blossom Day and other activities of the Red Hook Club. Rotarian Dave Wright is in charge of the 2017 Apple Blossom Day, the street festival that traditionally kicks off the spring-summer season of activity, as it has done for more than 30 years (the last 17 operated by Red Hook Rotary). In addition to several dance and music performances on the stage erected for this event, there are about a hundred craft vendors, very many food vendors, and—for the children—pony rides, a bouncy house, face painting, and a petting zoo. Rotarian Susan Simon is in charge of the hot-dog grill. The Rotary club does much more then the annual Apple Blossom Day. Rotarian Linda Greenblatt speaks about the Red Hook Business Directory and about the Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA). Rotarian Christine Chale describes Red Hook’s participation in international Youth Exchange.
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Krista Jones returns to RadioRotary with exciting news about developments at Sparrow’s Nest, the charity that provides food to the families of persons who have cancer. Ms. Jones started the charity in 2009 when a good friend was dying of colon cancer, providing meals that Ms. Jones left at the doorstep; soon Ms. Jones learned of four other friends with cancer and began to cook for them as well. Seeing the need, she then formed Sparrow’s Nest with many volunteers helping in the mission. Today Sparrow’s Nest has moved from Ms. Jones’ kitchen to a professional kitchen and office in commercial space, feeding about 500 families—not just moms–in Dutchess and nearby counties. Drivers bring healthy food from the central kitchen in special coolers. Plans are underway to expand even farther, doubling the area covered and the number of families fed.
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Richard Senato tells RadioRotary the inspiring story of Love Holds Life, a foundation whose mission is to pay all of the otherwise out-of-pocket expenses of a family with a child fighting cancer, a project that is sponsored in part by Patterson Rotary. It began when Mr. Senato became inspired to help an eleven-year-old child in a Patterson family. After covering over $73,000 in out-of-pocket expenses for his family, that child in now eighteen and cancer free. Since that start, Love Holds Life has helped finance cancer treatment for over twenty children, financed by donations from individuals, foundations, corporations, and local organizations, including Rotary. Donors have a choice of supporting the Family Medical Fund, 100% of that money going to the affected families, or the Legacy Fund that supports the operating costs of the foundation—sponsors can choose to support both, also. Weekly community outreach programs are a primary means of reaching donors.
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Service Clubs are all about community, partly because they are one of the glues that hold communities together. This program features two of the clubs that serve the community of Pleasant Valley, NY—The Lions Club, represented by its current president, Mike Kessler , and Rotary, represented by RadioRotary producer and Pleasant Valley Rotarian Kathy Kruger. Both local clubs are also part of international organizations with major programs such as elimination of river blindness and polio, but they work mostly on improving their local communities. Although most of the time the two organizations are independent, they support several of the same causes, such as the local food bank and scholarships for students from the local high school.
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Vanderbilt Gardens volunteers Susanne Gillespie and Anita Whelan come to the RadioRotary studio to discuss the beautiful gardens they help tend at the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site in Hyde Park, NY.
The Vanderbilt Mansion was the impressive summer “cottage” of Frederick and Louise Vanderbilt. Frederick maintained and improved the formal gardens on the site in the early 20th century, but after Frederick died in 1938 there were no buyers for the property. President Franklin Roosevelt, a neighbor, arranged to have the estate made into a national historic site, but during World War II the site languished Although there was money to restore the brickwork for the formal gardens, the gardens themselves were not replanted until 1984, when three volunteers approached the Park Service about taking it over. Today volunteers plant about 6,000 annual flowers each year and maintain the cherry trees.
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In 2010, Haiti suffered a devastating earthquake. Roberto Bonheur told his wife, Poughkeepsie Nurse Practitioner Rose Bonheur, that they had to do something to help; she had the skills, as a primary care specialist, to provide much needed medical help. Both Bonheurs had been born in Haiti, although they came to the United States as children. Rose was skeptical at first, but eventually organized a team of six volunteers and found a house in Haiti where they team could treat those in need. The need was immense, so every year since, Rose has found the donations, the medical supplies, and the volunteers to treat about 800 patients, moving to a different locality where there had previously been no medical care in the past. Recently, recognizing thatRotary handles projects like this all over the world, Rose has joined the Pleasant Valley Rotary Club. RadioRotary’s producer, registered nurse and Pleasant Valley Rotarian Kathy Kruger is excited to be among the volunteers .
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Representing her Pleasant Valley Rotary Club, RadioRotary Producer Kathy Kruger is interviewed by Sarah O’Connell about the Rotary Club’s annual “Stuff the Bus” food drive. A full-sized School Bus, on loan for the day and decorated for the occasion, is parked at the Acme Supermarket in Pleasant Valley as the members of the Rotary Club encourage shoppers to “Stuff the Bus” with food donations for the local food pantry. The food pantry, located at the Methodist Church in Pleasant Valley, is run by volunteers from all four churches in the hamlet with help from the Boy and Girl Scouts, donations from the local senior citizens group, and financial assistance from the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley. Acme supermarket aids the operation by selling bags of healthy staples for $10 a bag, a real bargain. The bus is soon filled with those bags as well as with other food donations.
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The Hudson Valley is known throughout the United State as the home of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR). In this program the author and Rotarian (Greater Anderson Club, SC) Kathryn Smith tells about FDR’s longtime personal secretary, Missy LeHand, the subject of Ms. Smith’s new book The Gatekeeper: Missy LeHand, FDR, and the Untold Story of the Partnership that Defined a Presidency . 24-year-old Ms. LeHand joined FDR’s failed candidacy for Vice-President as a secretary in 1920 and stayed with him through his career in business and law, his battle with polio, his New York State governorship (1928-32), and the first years of his presidency, only leaving him by dying in July 1944, nine months before Roosevelt also passed away. In addition to her role that amounted to being “chief of staff” when FDR was president, Ms. LeHand was his co-leader in making the polio rehabilitation center at Warm Springs, GA, a success. Listen to a fascinating interview.
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RadioRotary presents several interviews from the 2016 Rotary United Nations Day, this time centering on the activities of Rotary District 7210, the home of RadioRotary. Lou Turpin (Rhinebeck Rotary), the 2016-17 District Governor, starts the program off, emphasizing his view that the essence of Rotary can be summed up as “Do Good. Have Fun.” His interview is followed by chats with students from Red Hook Interact and Rhinebeck Interact clubs, along with Linda Greenblatt, a Rotarian advisor to the Red Hook Club. Interact Clubs in high schools are sponsored by, but run independently from, a local Rotary Club; their mission is the same as Mr. Turpin proposes, doing good and having fun. Another set of interviews brings Millbrook Rotarian Kim Sweck , who supervises Rotary Youth Exchange for Millbrook, and two of the students who have come from Italy and Brazil to spend a school year in the United States.
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RadioRotary interview Lieutenants Brett White and Thomas Frost of the Citizens Preparedness Corp of the New York State National Guard. Their task is to present programs encouraging people to become prepared for encountering a disaster, whether it is natural (such as floods, storms, or fires), criminal (such as a terrorist attack), or technological (such as a power blackout). Although the disasters vary widely, many of the same steps can be taken to minimize their negative impacts. The main element is to have a plan, one that includes a central meeting place for family members and a survival kit that includes not only food and water stored for household use, but also a “go bag” of necessary supplies to take with you if you need to flee. This is one of those programs that could someday save your live or the lives of your loved ones.
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ShelterBox is a major initiative for disaster relief that is affiliated with Rotary International. Simply put, a ShelterBox is a tent and necessary supplies for up to ten people, all packed into a waterproof one-meter plastic cube. That is a good thing, but what makes ShelterBox effective in disaster relief are trained teams that can bring the ShelterBox cubes to the site of a disaster and teach locals how to use them. Because most cities and towns around the world have Rotary clubs, the ShelterBox teams have connections even in remote sites, such as the mountains of Nepal or smaller cities in Haiti, which enables the team to get the equipment to the right place faster than practically any other relief organization. Many Rotary clubs in District 7210 provide the $1,000 per box it takes to assemble a ShelterBox.
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Once again, RadioRotary takes its microphone to Rotary Day at the United Nations for a series of interviews with persons from organizations “doing good in the world.” Lakeway/Lake Travis (TX) Rotarian Barker Keith discusses the Rotary 3D Limbs project, which is using 3D printing to produce prosthetics, especially new legs, for amputees, especially in Africa. Dr. Linda J. Stillman , who teaches at several colleges, is the founder and president of the Young Global Leadership Foundation, which guides aspiring youth leaders from around the world to become global citizens and democratic leaders towards a peaceful, prosperous and positive global society in the 21st Century, primarily through provision of volunteer mentors.
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Millbrook Rotary 2016-17 President Rona Boyer worked around the world before settling in Millbrook, where she started using her sales and publishing and cooking experience to shore up The Millbrook Independent during its brief run as a weekly. Today she is at the helm of two different “micropublishing” monthly magazines— Living Millbrook and Living Rhinebeck . Micropublishing is a concept promoted by Best Version Media, which handles the production of the magazines, while Ms. Boyer supplies text, photos, and advertisers. The main idea is to focus on people and happenings within a half-hour of a specific village or town. Living Millbrook , delivered free to all Millbrook residents, often has featured cover stories on Millbrook Rotarians. As leader of Millbrook Rotary, Ms. Boyer has presided over the 2017 New Year’s Eve Millbrook and directed a major initiative to provide school supplies to needy student in Millbrook and nearby Webutuck.
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The annual Rotary Day at the United Nations each year brings together some 1,500 Rotarians along with various youth groups and representatives of humanitarian organizations who work with Rotarians. For this program, RadioRotary interviewed Mitch Kahn from ShelterBox; Rotarian Steve Goldsmith (Hawthorne LAX Lennox Rotary) and Prabha Sankaranarayan from Mediators Beyond Borders; and Rotarian-wannabe Anna Abraham representing The Gift of Life, Inc. ShelterBox, whose emphasis is disaster relief, is now a Rotary Project Partner. When Mediators Beyond Boarders looked at their members, who work for peace between individuals, tribes, and nations, they discovered that a quarter of its membership is Rotarians. The Gift of Life, which specialized in providing pediatric cardiac care to children in places where such help is scarce, frequently partners with Rotary clubs or districts in their work.
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Ambassadorial Scholarships are the oldest program of the Rotary Foundation, having provided the opportunity for graduate study to over 42,000 students who have studied international relations in over 60 nations. Rotarian Susan Davis (Rotary District 7210 E-Club), who grew up in the swamps outside of New Orleans became one of the recipients and attended Oxford University in the UK in 1980-81, leading to a career in using nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to fight poverty in Bangladesh (with BRAC) and around the world. In this RadioRotary Interview, recorded live from West Point, where Ms. Davis appeared at the annual Rotary Foundation gala along with District 7210 Past-President Bill Bassett, she tells about her experience with Rotary and her work with microfinancing as a way to improve lives.
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RadioRotary interviews Laurie Swartz and Rev. Lynda Carré about the Death Cafés they help run as part of Circle of Friends for the Dying in Ulster and Dutchess Counties. A Death Café is a gathering of a few people in a home, a church, a restaurant, or other venue where the conversation over tea or coffee and cake is all about dying. Our population is growing older every year and death will come to all of us—many who are not very old die as well—but few are prepared for it and many don’t even want to think or talk about it. The Death Café experience, often with a speaker, is offered about once a month at various locations around Ulster and Dutchess counties. A new project for the Circle of Friends for the Dying is a home in Kingston where a person who lives alone and is close to dying will be able to live with one or two others, which many would prefer to dying in a hospital or nursing home or dying alone at home.
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Rotarian Joyce Heaton (Millbrook Rotary), who has chaired the annual event New Year’s Eve Millbrook for 13 years, describes the family-friendly way that the Millbrook community and visitors celebrate the last day of each year—with music, puppets, circus and magic acts, and other entertainments. Many local foundations, businesses, and individuals fund the free event, but it is run almost entirely by volunteers from Millbrook Rotary. Each year patrons can donate a small sum to obtain a lighted button that incorporates a design by a local student. The RadioRotary interview also describes some of the many other activities of Millbrook Rotary, which range from annual publication of a business directory for Millbrook and the surrounding communities through provision of local school children with school supplies their families might be able to afford to donations of free dictionaries and other books to local schools. The club also helps fund local organizations and international projects.
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Heather Iannucci and her family recognized in 1993 that their collection of animals was of interest to children and many adults as well, so they formed the Two by Two Zoo to be a traveling petting experience. Soon they began to acquire other animals, often pets that their owners could no longer care for, but also animals rescued by agencies such as the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA), which also registers the traveling zoo. Today the zoo is run by Heather and her daughter Jennifer (Mr. Iannucci works at a regular job) and concentrates on providing petting experiences as schools, libraries, and similar institutions in the Hudson Valley. For the RadioRotary interview, Mrs. Iannucci was accompanied by Sydney, a young kangaroo who said little during the program.
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New York State Senator Sue Serino, chair of the Aging Committee, spoke to RadioRotary about telephone and Internet scams aimed at seniors, and how to avoid them. One of the most common recently in her district has been a phone call pretending to be from the IRS. The caller says that the person receiving the call is delinquent on back taxes and must pay immediately or will be sent to jail. Such a call is always a scam—the IRS does not phone delinquent payers. Another common phone scam aimed at the elderly is for the caller to pretend to be a grandchild in trouble. One clue is that the caller asks for money to be sent as a prepaid card or wired to an address that can be a drop-off. Many more scams, and how to avoid them, are discussed.
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RadioRotary interviews Holly Gaiman, Development Coordinator at InFlight, Inc., which supplies residential facilities, including group homes and apartments, for people with developmental disabilities. Its mission is to ensure the people it supports reach their highest level of independence and inclusion into the community while living in a home setting. InFlight operates throughout much of the mid-Hudson region, providing not only a home but also vocational services, art and music programs, activities of many kinds, and even the Can Do Café in Catskill, where residents meet to prepare the food. The residents served must be 22 years old or older and may be on the autism spectrum, have been born intellectually disabled, or suffer from brain damage. InFlight is supported by New York State’s Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD).
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Vassar-Haiti Project Update (Aired on October 26 and 27, 2016) In response to the September 11, 2001, attack Andrew Meade, director of international students at Vassar College, and his wife Lila wanted to start a project that would do good in the world. Both had family ties to Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, so that is where their impulse took them. For fifteen years, the Vassar-Haiti project the started and still direct has improved the lives of Haitians in the remote village of Chermaitre, starting with building and staffing a school. Today Chermaitre and the surrounding area is also served by a clinic that is part of the project. Vassar junior Clairiola Etienne, who is the director of the health initiative, and Lila Meade are the guests on RadioRotary for this program. The Vassar-Haiti project is now working to provide clean water for Chermaitre thanks to a global grant of $55,000 from The Rotary Foundation, sponsored locally by the Poughkeepsie-Arlington and Pe
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Pleasant Valley Rotarian Kathy Kruger is not only the producer of RadioRotary, but she is also a registered nurse. In this interview, Ms. Kruger tells our regular co-hosts the facts about how Rotary, working the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the United Nations Foundation, the World Health Organization, and UNICEF, has reduced the incidence of the paralyzing disease polio from an annual toll of about 1,000 cases a day to fewer than 75 per year. At the time of this broadcast, as a result of a vaccination program carried out largely by Rotarian volunteers polio had been eliminated everywhere but for two nations: Pakistan and Afghanistan. But, Ms. Kruger warns, until Rotary and its partners complete the task of complete elimination—now just “this close”—the disease could be just an airplane ride away from where you are.
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Jonah Triebwasser and RadioRotary Producer Kathy Kruger interview Police Chief Daniel Waage of the Town of Lloyd in Ulster County about his program of community policing. Community policing is a law-enforcement philosophy that involves the systematic use of community partnerships to address proactively the conditions that give rise to crime, social disorder, or fear of police. Chief Waage has followed this philosophy from the 2012 start of his work in Lloyd, focusing especially on helping children (and their parents) and senior citizens. The Lloyd Police, working on their own time, produce or participate in fundraising events for local needs. Chief Waage has also instituted programs such as Project CARE, which checks daily on the status of enrolled senior citizens. Educational outreach is provided through classes in such topics as active shooter response training and forums and classes dealing with narcotics abuse. Community involvement includes a Lloyd police sergeant who is a member
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Margot Schulman, manager of The Lunch Box for Dutchess Outreach, and Rich Schiafo, deputy executive director of the Hudson Valley Regional Council, tell RadioRotary about efforts to prevent food insecurity in the Hudson Valley, starting with an event at the Walkway Over the Hudson for which a number of local agencies are providing a free meal entirely made from “recused food.” Rescued food may be food prepared for an event that was not utilized, food gleaned from farms after harvest, unserved restaurant food, or food removed from grocery shelves for one reason or another. Estimates are that 20% of food is wasted in the United States, while in Poughkeepsie more than half the students in elementary or high school are at a poverty level that makes them eligible for free lunches. Also in Poughkeepsie, The Lunch Box, which supplies free lunches and dinners, has many needy clients daily. Rescued healthy food can help the effort to reduce food insecurity.
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Jonah Triebwasser interviews Cary Institute disease ecologist Shannon LaDeau on the recently recognized dangers from the Zika virus and on the mosquitoes that carry it from human to human. Zika has been known in the Old World since the 1940s but did not reach the Western Hemisphere until 2014, when travelers brought it to Brazil. It has since spread widely through South America, the Caribbean, and some neighborhoods in Florida. Zika is carried from person to person primarily by two species of tropical and subtropical mosquitoes that are daytime biters and to a lesser degree by sexual relations. About 80% of humans infected show mild symptoms or none, but the disease can cause severe damage to an unborn child if the mother is infected. The main concern has been microcephaly, which results in an abnormally small skull and likely brain damage.
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RadioRotary interviews Robert Hawk Storm Birch, known primarily by his Native American name, Hawk Storm, given to him by his grandfather when he was five. The Schaghticoke Native Americans are struggling to win Federal recognition, although they have one of the oldest reservations in the U.S., located in Kent, Connecticut, just over the border from Dover, New York. The Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs only recognizes about 560 of the approximately a thousand indigenous tribes, which prevent the unrecognized from obtaining many services. Hawk Storm is working on improving the Schaghticoke Reservation in Kent with a cultural center, but he also is devoting time to helping the United Nations efforts on climate change and discrimination issues.
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Patterson Rotarian Bill Flash is interviewed about his club’s activities. The Patterson Club holds a number of fundraisers annually that have become much anticipated events for the residents of Putnam County and beyond. The Blues and BBQ event provides great music from local bands and nationally known musicians along with food prepared by the great cooks of Patterson Rotary–ribs, brats, burgers, and more. A recent program featured both guitarist Dylan Doyle and the band Fade to Blues. Admission is free, although donations are encouraged ($10 suggested). Other events include Touch a Truck for Heroes and a semiannual community giveaway. In the spring, the main event is Men Who Cook, a contest that has run for over twenty years. If you are local to the Patterson area and are a Comcast subscriber, you can check out Bill Flash on Channel 8.
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Many of the villages and hamlets in Dutchess County choose a day or weekend in the fall to celebrate local organizations and to entertain their residents and visitors. These include Hardscrabble Days in Red Hook and Community Day in Millbrook. For about forty years, one of these celebrations has been Pleasant Valley Weekend in the hamlet and town of Pleasant Valley. In this interview, Pleasant Valley Rotarian (and RadioRotary producer) Kathy Kruger tells about the Pleasant Valley Weekend of 2016. This was the 20th anniversary of the Rotary rubber-duck race in Wappingers Creek, a popular fundraiser. Pleasant Valley Rotary also runs the beer tent, one of the many sources of food and drink at the Friday through Sunday festival. There are carnival rides, several parades, community booths of all kinds, and fireworks at the end, all accompanied by music by several local bands. The town comes out each year in large numbers to enjoy a great weekend and celebrate their community.
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Pleasant Valley Rotarian Ellen Haggerty is the guest on RadioRotary, discussing Rotarian Action Groups (RAGs) and Rotary Fellowship Groups with special emphasis on the RAG Rotarians for Hearing, an action group started by Ms. Haggerty. Rotarians for Hearing has a grant from the Rotary Foundation that covers hearing tests for newborns in Guatemala. An electronic device checks the baby’s ears to see if they are working properly; babies with difficulties are sent to Guatemala City for brain scans that reveal hearing problems in detail. It is important to get to children before the age of six, because older children who have never heard language then fail to learn it. There is much more of interest on this program—how Ms. Haggerty became involved in hearing about how she has traveled the world as a member of the Travel and Hosting Rotary Fellowship.
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RadioRotary interviews Highland Rotary Club’s Steve Laubach and Don Verity concerning the 12th annual Hudson Valley Ribfest, one of the major summer events in the Hudson Valley and voted one of the “must-go-to” festivals in the United States. It is also the primary fundraiser for the Highland Rotary Club. Income from the Ribfest to supports The Rotary Foundation, ShelterBox, and several local charitable causes. Each year the Ribfest brings the contest for the NYS championship in barbecue to the Ulster County Fairground in New Paltz, along with live music, other entertainment, and children’s activities—including a pork-chop cook-off. Specialty booths offer barbecue equipment and supplies, while the food includes chicken, pulled pork, and corn-on-the-cob as well as the featured ribs.
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Sarah O’Connell and Dave Kruger interview Millbrook Rotarian Ellie Savoy, author of the International Best-Seller Stop Dieting, Start Living: 5 Foundations for your Health to Permanently Lose Weight Without Dieting, Starvation, or Suffering in Silence, as well as portions of other self-help books. Ms. Savoy is a Board Certified Holistic Health Coach who not only coaches individuals, but also offers short courses. Her life took a turn for the better in 2011, when—30 pounds overweight—she face possible surgery, but decided to practice healthy eating and a better lifestyle instead. She has a lot of common-sense advice, which most of us would do well to follow. The basic program is to stop dieting and make the best choices in food and lifestyle. Exercise and sleep are also important, but should be routine rather than taking a special effort. Good health is everyone’s number-one asset in life, so make your own body your first priority.
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RadioRotary interviews Kinderhook Tri-Village Rotarian, Dr. Tam Mustapha, who has held a number of positions supporting The Rotary Foundation, the charitable arm of Rotary International. The motto of The Rotary Foundation, “Doing Good in the World,” describes its main mission, which focuses on improving peace, fighting disease, providing clean water, saving mothers and children, supporting education and literacy, and growing local economies. In 2017 The Rotary Foundation will have been achieving these goals for a hundred years. Anyone can contribute money to The Rotary Foundation, secure in the knowledge that their contribution will be used for work in the focus areas described above, since there is almost no administrative costs to an organization that employs volunteer Rotarians, and what little costs occur are largely paid for with interest on the contributed money.
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RadioRotary interviews Carmel Rotarian Marjorie Keith and recent Mahopac High School student Robert Solerno about the role of the 4-H Club of Putnam Country. Keith is the Executive Director of Putnam County’s branch of the Cornell Cooperative Extension, which sponsors 4-H clubs, while Solerno is not only an enthusiastic member of 4-H, but also a former member of the Mahopac High School Interact Club. Although we think of 4-H (which stands for Head, Heart, Hands, and Health) primarily as rural, the club thrives in Putnam County, which is not rural, with programs or divisions devoted to pet care, media, crafts, the environment, and leadership. A major event is the annual Putnam Country 40H Fair in Kent, NY, that features many local booths devoted to 4-H-related activities and activities that interest children as well as a famous chicken dinner on Saturday night of the Fair.
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We explore the Rotary aim of “Doing Good, Having Fun.”
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The Community at Brookmeade, located on 75 country acres just outside the Village of Rhinebeck, is a senior-living retirement community serving the Hudson Valley and surrounding areas. It consists of three connected facilities: Arbor Ridge offers independent living; The Terraces offers assisted living; and The Baptist Home provides long term care, sub-acute rehabilitation, palliative care and Out-Patient Rehabilitation Services. In this informative program, Rhinebeck Rotarians Carolyn Bernitt, president of the Brookmeade Community Foundation, and Brian Zeiden, Brookmeade’s Director of Development, describe the many programs available, including short-term rehabilitation and palliative care at The Baptist Home as well as activities available, such as an art show featuring residents’ art.
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RadioRotary interviews Shayna Micucci and Kasandra Quednau, founders of the Rt. 212 Coalition, which aids persons and families facing addiction problems. Micucci is a trained addiction specialist and Quednau has personal experience with addiction in the past. The Coalition’s name comes from New York State Route 212, which runs through Ulster Country from Saugerties to Woodstock and beyond. Its mission is to bridge gaps in substance-abuse services by linking resources, providing support, building awareness, and collaborating with other organizations in Ulster County. Micucci and Quednau envision a community free from the stigma associated with addiction, which they work to achieve by supporting accessible substance-abuse prevention, education, and treatment services. The Coalition works with PAARI, the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative to provide scholarships that enable addicts to obtain treatment and also provides regular support meetings in Woodstock.
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RadioRotary interviews Kathy Smith, who is on the board of the Friends of the Walkway Over the Hudson about the some of the many activities that not only involve using the great bridge but also raise money for its upkeep and improvement. Walkway Over the Hudson is a free New York State Historic Park that opening in October 2009 and today has half a million users each year. It was a railroad bridge from 1888 to 1974—the first bridge of any kind across the Hudson between New York City and Albany–but has been reconstructed as a 1.2-mile pedestrian bridge. Although the main purpose of the Walkway is to provide a stirring experience and views, there are many annual events, such as the races associated with the marathon, the Fourth of July Fireworks, and moon walks and sunrise strolls. Among the improvements funded by the Friends of the Walkway, the most notable is a dramatic elevator, a short distance from the Poughkeepsie Railroad Station.
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Goshen Rotarians Nan Gill-Wilson and David P. Wilson are professionals in several branches of show business. The have brought their own talents and performing knowledge to the aid of their Rotary Club in a number of ways. Goshen Rotary manages to have at least one major event every month of the year. One of these fundraisers is “Goshen’s Got Talent,” a show based on local amateur performers—although David and Nan have found amateurs with professional chops. While “Goshen’s Got Talent” benefits the community service of Goshen Rotary—which includes dictionaries for elementary school, disaster relief, scouting, and the Braeside-Museum Village project—Nan and David also have developed “Once More Frankly!” which supports The Rotary Foundation. Their involvement in Willy Gilly Productions, the Acting Anyone Academy, and The Academy of Film Television Stage and Performing Arts also manages to entail Rotary connections in various ways.
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In a live show at Millbrook Rotary RadioRotary interviews George Ouimet, this year’s president of the Millbrook High Interact Club, and Luisa Pereira, this year’s incoming Youth Exchange (YEX) student to Millbrook Rotary. Ouimet describes recent projects of Interact, including two canned food drives, two recent blood drives, the Purple Pinkie Project, and the Scott Meyer Memorial 5K Run. George joined Interact in his sophomore year because he wanted to give back to his community. Luisa Pereira competed with 180 other students to become a YEX representative from Brazil. Being a YEX student and living with three families in the Millbrook School District for a whole school year is not the entire exchange experience. She has traveled to Vermont, Connecticut, and New Jersey, and visited New York City several times. Luisa strongly recommends the YEX experience—the best year of her life so far.
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RadioRotary is visited by Newburgh Rotarians Allie Sacks, Bob McCury, and Debbie Johnson on the occasion of the ninth annual “Taste of Greater Newburgh” festival of food, drink, music, automobiles, and art. Local restaurants and other food and drink suppliers form the foundation of this annual fundraiser, but a local band supplies music and in 2016 the festival featured both an automobile show and works by local artists. The money raised by the event is used by Newburgh Rotary to help fund fifteen community nonprofits, including the Salvation Army, services for senior citizens, and Peace Poles, physical reminders of the important Rotary goal of peace throughout the world.
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RadioRotary interviews Kingston Rotarians Donna Miller and Georgiana Pangborn about the 100th anniversary of their club, the oldest Rotary club in the Hudson Valley. Rotary was only eleven years old itself when the Kingston Club was chartered by the Association of Rotary Clubs (which became Rotary International six years later). By then Rotary was active in Great Britain, Canada, and had its first non-English-speaking club in Havana, Cuba. The Kingston Rotary also became one of the first to admit women as members, beginning with Nuise Bhityakul and two other women in February 1988. Nuise is still an active member and brings many benefits from her association with Thailand to the club. Kingston Rotary meets each week for lunch, but for those who cannot attend a lunch, the Kingston Sunrise Club meets weekly for breakfast.
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Once again RadioRotary travels to the Red Hook Rotary Club for a live broadcast from the Bread and Bottle Bakery and Wine Bar. Red Hook Rotary for the past fifteen years has been the sponsor of the great spring festival, Apple Blossom Day, which has taken place in the village for over thirty years. Co-hosts Jonah Triebwasser and Sara O’Connell interview Red Hook Rotary president (and hot-dog cook) Susan Simon along with chair of this year’s Apple Blossom Day Dave Wright about the event that features music, dance, food, and crafts. An addition to the event this year is the Red Hook Film Festival. Robert George, producer of the Film Festival is on hand to tell about the showings, culled from about 700 short-film entries, with one full-length production on the Rhinebeck Aerodrome a special feature this year.
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Millbrook Rotary hosted a broadcast of RadioRotary with guests Steve Pressman, Executive Director of the Mid-Hudson Addiction Recovery Centers, Inc. (MARC) and Laurie Quinn (Philmont Rotary Club), a director of the MARC Foundation. A main problem facing MARC and the entire nation is the heroin and opiate epidemic. Currently in the United States 129 persons each day die from a heroin or opiate overdose. MARC is a residential program that both sends persons with addiction to other appropriate facilities as needed and houses and treats the addicted in several ways—A Crisis Center, three residential treatment centers, and nearly 30 sober housing apartments. Ms. Quinn is trying to help erase the stigma of drug addiction by shining a light on the problem. She tells the story of her son Eric: About a year ago he showed his mother needle tracks on his arms and said he needed help. At that point, despite holding down two jobs, he was using ten bags of heroin daily.
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Crystal Snow-Hebel is one of the co-founders of Faith House (Linda Arzu is the other), a proposed maternity home for 18- to 24-year old girls and their newborn children. This would be a refuge for girls who otherwise would be homeless, in abusive relationships, or living in poverty. The idea is to provide for spiritual and emotional needs in a real family environment. Many volunteers are already working on this project, which is still in a fundraising stage. In addition to providing parenting skills, there would also be prenatal care and skills and educational development for when the girl and her child re-enters society.
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RadioRotary interviews Patterson Rotarian Mike Ingber about his club’s exciting fundraiser, Men Who Cook. Ingber is not only one of the organizers for the 20th installment of the popular event, but also one of the cooks, specializing in smoked salmon or ribs. This edition of Men Who Cook honors the Honorable James Reitz, judge of the family court in Carmel, NY, and of a drug court that helps addicts become rehabilitated rather than prisoners. Men Who Cook has about 15 professional chefs from local restaurants and about the same number of amateur foodies who man stations at the Star Ridge Banquet Center in Brewster. For a $70 entrance fee, you can patronize all of the stations featuring a variety of ethnic foods and American classics—but bring your own drinks and stemware. Everything else for a grand meal is provided. Patterson Rotarian Rich Parente, Owner/chef of the Clocktower Grill does a whole hog, which is spectacular.
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Broadcasting from the Red Hook Rotary meeting, the RadioRotary cohosts interview Kimberly McGrath, Executive Editor of the Red Hook Area Chamber of Commerce. The Red Hook Area Chamber has more than 280 active members representing 170 businesses and is still growing. Primarily it acts to promote local businesses with its weekly newsletter and to help local business persons meet and get to know each other, the latter with breakfasts or mixers every month. The Chamber also has several annual events: the Summer Camp Fair to help parents and children find the summer camp that fits best; a golf tournament in cooperation with the Rhinebeck Chamber that is a fundraiser; the Community Arts Network (CAN) to promote every form of art in the Red Hook Area; and, in cooperation with other local organizations, the annual Chocolate Festival.
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Rhinebeck Rotarian Bob Phillips, along with 23 other Rotarians from around the United States (and some from Canada and the United Kingdom) went to Côte d’Ivoire in West Africa in the summer of 2015—mission, prevent polio. As he told the RadioRotary co-hosts, the ten-day trip was the most memorable experience of his life, from the West African Fair to actually administering the two drops of polio vaccine to infants under five years old, the target group. Of course, this was part of Rotary’s PolioPlus project, which since 1988 has worked with UNICEF, the World Health Organization, and the CDC to eradicate the disease, which was causing a thousand cases a week when they started. As a result of this effort, there were only 70 instances in all in 2015, all of them in Pakistan and Afghanistan, with the disease essentially eliminated from the rest of the world.
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Pleasant Valley Rotarian, registered nurse, and RadioRotary producer Kathy Kruger is on the other side of the microphone as co-hosts Jonah Triebwasser and Sarah O’Connell interview her about the Rotaplast program to correct cleft lip or palate, burn scarring, and other deformities. Cleft lip or palate causes many health problems as well as affecting speech, impairing ability to eat, and causing social rejection. Kruger has personal experience with the program as a participant in a mission to the Philippines but she also has been the principal representative from Rotaplast to District 7210. A typical Rotaplast team of about 15 medical professionals and 15 nonmedical volunteers, often Rotarians, travels to a locations where few facilities exist for repair of these defects, then over a couple of weeks treats hundreds of patients, mostly children but some adults as well.
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Michael Christophides, Chief Inspector and Laboratory Director of Granit Inspection Group, joins co-host Sarah O’Connell and guest co-host and physicist David Kruger to describe the hazards of the gas radon, which can accumulate in buildings or in well water. Radon is an odorless radioactive gas that is released from rocks of all kinds, but especially from granite or dark shales found in the Hudson Valley. Radon in the air is the second leading cause of lung cancer (and adds to the risk of cancer in smokers), while radon in water can increase the risk of stomach cancer and may also be released into the air. Testing is the only way that you can tell whether or not radon is present in dangerous levels. Mr. Christophides recommends testing every two years, since levels can change based on seismic activity, changes in structures, or other factors. If a test reveals excess radon, remediation usually consists of suctioning air away before it can enter the house.
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RadioRotary interviews Maggie Kwet, the Aging Information Services Specialist at the Dutchess County Office of the Aging, on the many services provided for seniors in the County, which deal with health, the law, transportation, home care, food, energy and heating, grandparenting, and more. The Office of the Aging (845-486-2555) conducts group and individual help with Medicare. It offers programs to improve movement and health for seniors such as “A Matter of Balance” and regular exercise groups. Legal services include living wills, health-care proxies, and advice on bankruptcies. Nearly every problem confronting a senior has a friendly staffer of the Office for the Aging ready to help solve.
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RadioRotary interviews Kayo Iwama, Associate Director of the Graduate Vocal Arts Program at Bard College, about music education at the college and the performances open to the public. Bard has an unusual undergraduate degree program in music because each student must also obtain a degree in another subject, such as mathematics or political science. The Graduate Vocal Arts Program owes its existence to the renowned soprano Dawn Upshaw, who developed and directs it. Performances by students, faculty, and guest artists occur throughout the year at Bard, some of them free and many at the famed Fisher Center designed by Frank Gehry. Every two years, the Vocal Arts Program mounts an opera for the public, complete with a full orchestra accompaniment. Bard actually hosts three orchestras, including the American Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leon Botstein.
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Rotary Foundation's motto of “Doing Good in the World” is the subject of this show.
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Rhinebeck Rotarian Lou Trapani, Artistic and Managing Director of The Center for the Performing Arts at Rhinebeck, returns to RadioRotary to discuss some of the upcoming performances at the big red barn on Route 308. Also in the interview, Mr. Trapani describes the education program at the Center, which includes a touring company that performs The Wizard of Oz, Rip Van Winkle, and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow at local schools. These fit will with the Center’s theme for 2016, which is “All-Americana,” featuring plays by American authors such as Kaufman and Hart, Tony Kushner, and Arthur Laurents. Among the unusual attractions will be a new opera (Godfather Death) and pairing the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival’s Romeo and Juliet with West Side Story.
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RadioRotary interviews New York State Senator Sue Serino on efforts to reduce Lyme Disease in the Hudson Valley and to free physicians to treat chronic Lyme Disease with longer courses of intravenous antibiotics. Lyme Disease is one of several tick-borne illnesses that are widespread in the Hudson Valley. Many believe that when it fails to be cured either by no treatment or inadequate treatment, it becomes chronic Lyme Disease. Chronic Lyme Disease, which is not recognized by the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), may affect those afflicted years after the initial infection. Symptoms can include arthritis, fatigue, mental fogginess, and impaired vision. The black-legged ticks that carry the disease from other mammals, such as deer and white-footed mice, often attach themselves to human hosts in the nymph stage, when they are about the size of a sesame seed. In about a quarter of the infections, a characteristic “bulls-eye” rash forms at the site of the infection.
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RadioRotary interviews Sue Puett, Executive Director of Warwick Reformed Church’s Backpack Snack Attack program, and Warwick Valley Rotarian Stan Martin about this effective approach to making sure that children who receive free lunches at school during the week do not go hungry on weekends. The program started in 2009 by Warwick Reformed Church with a financial assist from a Rotary District Grant arranged by Warwick Rotary and now feeds more than 300 school children in the Town of Warwick, NY. The Backpack Snack Attack provides 13 to 14 non-refrigerated individual-sized food items such as pudding cups, cheese-and-crackers, and fresh fruit to children identified by school guidance counselors as in need. There is also a summer program of weekly food distribution.
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RadioRotary interviews recovering addict Cara Mia Bacchiochi about her street ministry called Hope on a Mission HOAM, a volunteer effort to help women who are homeless because of addiction to drugs or alcohol. Working in the city of Poughkeepsie, Bacchiochi and volunteer helpers distribute water and such personal care items as baby wipes to homeless women on a weekly basis. As with other parts of the United States, Poughkeepsie is undergoing a wave of addiction spurred by the introduction of powerful opiate pain relievers and the availability of cheap heroin. In the late 1980s, Bacchiochi was herself an addict, but in 1990 she entered recovery programs. With the help of her church, she hope someday to open a storefront that would make it easier to carry out her mission. In the meantime, Hope on a Mission HOAM could use help in the form of donations and volunteers. See its Facebook page for information on how to help.
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Eliza Bozenski is the development director for the Anderson Center for Autism, a nonprofit educational and therapeutic organization that includes day and residential programs for children and adults as well as diagnostics, training, and consultation for families or schools. Its hundred-acre walkable campus on the Hudson, where autistic students learn in classes with 6 or fewer other students, is just the most obvious part of the organization. It also encompasses 21 group homes, three life-learning centers, a clinic, and consulting arrangements with local schools. This compelling RadioRotary interview tells the listener much about autism and the important place of the Anderson Center in its management.
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RadioRotary interviews Zamir Hassan, founder of The Hunger Van, a volunteer effort to bring food to the hungry homeless. In 2000, Hassan chaperoned a school trip to a local food pantry and was astonished by how many were going hungry in his prosperous New Jersey community. He says that in his tradition, you are not supposed to go to sleep if your neighbor is hungry, so he began to work on ways to alleviate the problem. As he traveled from place to place around the United States, helping to set up food pantries, he realized that many of the hungry homeless lack transportation to get to the food pantries, so he created a volunteer program that would bring healthy food to where the homeless lived, beneath bridges or in doorways. Hunger Vans now operate in cities all over the United States. Hassan was in the Hudson Valley to help inaugurate the Hunger Van program in Poughkeepsie.
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Millbrook Rotarian Joyce Heaton describes this year’s New Year’s Eve Millbrook a community event that is family friendly and alcohol free. Twelve years earlier, the Rotary Club of Millbrook was seeking a way to help bring the village and environs together as a community. In October of that year, Joyce—who was aware of First Night Celebrations in Boston and elsewhere—proposed that the club sponsor a New Year’s Eve celebration of music and events directed at children. That December saw the first celebration. Some of the music acts from that first occasion—jazz pianist Larry Ham and the Handman Family strings—have been featured every year since, while other popular favorites such as the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, Metropolitan Klezmer, and ragtime-and-blues piano scholar Peter Muir, have been present many times. A popular feature of New Year’s Eve Millbrook are the lighted buttons designed by local students.
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Rotary has had a unique role in the United Nations starting even before the UN was founded. Each year the United Nations invites more than a thousand Rotarians, members of associated groups such as Rotaract and Interact, and students participating in Rotary international Youth Exchange to come to UN headquarters in New York for panel discussions with Rotary leadership, UN ambassadors, and heads of international nongovernmental organizations. Also each year since 2009 the RadioRotary team has been there to interview some of the participants. This is the first set of interviews from 2015.
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The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) is a Federal program that operates on a country level, providing vocational training for low-income persons age 55 or older. In Dutchess County the SCSEP office is part of PathStone, located in Wappingers Falls. SCSEP counselors Cheryl George, Patsy Kimbrew, Sheila Rock, and Marlene Fredericks describe the program, which provides training in such skills as handling interviews and writing resumes. Retired seniors are placed in jobs that reflect their previous work life or that are based on training received in the program.
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Pleasant Valley Rotarian, and 2015 winner of the Jeffrey Keahon Foundation Award, David Kruger describes the work of The Rotary Foundation, the part of Rotary that not only does good in the world away from our communities, but also helps fund many local projects. While its most notable success has been the worldwide reduction of polio to a handful of cases in two countries—with complete elimination on the horizon—The Rotary Foundation may have saved even more lives with its projects for clean water, maternal and child health, and peace. It is also the most effective charity because nearly all of every dollar given to The Rotary Foundation is used for its work instead of spent on administration or fundraising.
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Salvation Army Captains Sam and Jenny Alarcon visit RadioRotary to describe some of the many ways that The Salvation Army works to solve problems in Poughkeepsie and the Hudson Valley. The Salvation Army, founded in London by William Booth in 1865, is a worldwide Christian church that is organized along military lines. Its mission includes meeting human needs without discrimination. From its first days it has focused on helping the homeless, addicts and alcoholics, and the hungry. Many may know it from collecting money outside store entrances at holiday time—the bell ringers in uniform are Salvationists, while many others are volunteers. The Alarcons describe various Salvation Army projects from after school for children to centers for seniors.
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Cancer survivor Holly VanDerbeck tells about her experiences with Stage 3 melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer. Originally detected as a change in a mole, her cancer showed up later in lymph nodes, but was arrested by a combination of surgery and interferon, a drug that stimulates the immune system to attack cancer. A basic step to avoid skin cancers is to protect your skin from the ultraviolet components of sunlight and from artificial tanning—hats and other clothing on sunny days and application of sunscreen before exposure are the first lines of defense. Changes in moles, persistent bleeding, and “floaters” in vision are among the signs that need medical attention. There is a lot of important information in this interview.
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Red Hook Rotarian Gale Wolfe is interviewed about her participation in a medical mission to Tibet for this “live from the meeting” RadioRotary interview, recorded during a regular meeting of the Red Hook Rotary Club. Gale accompanied her husband, Dr. Dean Bloch, an obstetrician-gynecologist, and various other medical personnel on a mission to bring aid to a remote village in Tibet. Their whole family took part, as the 14-year-old brought eyeglasses, the 17-year old organized the Tibetan patients, and the 19-year-old and Gale both helped out in the dental clinic, where hundreds of teeth were pulled. The team, housed in a Tibetan nunnery as arranged by a monk from the Red Hook Buddhist center, helped nearly a thousand Tibetans during the week-long mission.
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Rotary District 7210 Past District Governor Bill Bassett (Walkill East Rotary Club) describes the history and current success of the effort, started by Rotary in 1979, to completely eradicate the terrible disease poliomyelitis, commonly called polio. Polio has a long history as a human disease that often causes lifetime paralysis or even death. In the early 1980s a thousand persons per day contracted it and it was endemic in 125 nations. As a result of a partnership led by Rotary, but including the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and UNICEF, the number of cases has been reduced to about 150 per year and it is endemic only in Pakistan and Afghanistan. This effort has been aided by hundreds of millions of dollars from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation put forth as matching challenges for The Rotary Foundation, currently a two-for-one match to every Rotary dollar up to $35 million per year.
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Abby Nathanson, Director and Co-Founder of EPIC; Carleton Harris, consultant from the Youth Arts Group; and Evelyn Garzetta, Director of Latino Outreach at Millbrook, NY, Grade Episcopal Church describe new and old programs inspired by Rural and Migrant Ministry that focus on Northeastern Dutchess County. EPIC (Engaging People in Change) gathers high-school students from around NE Dutchess and holds weekly meetings that focus on social justice and leadership skills. Carleton Harris started with the summer camp run by the Rural and Migrant Ministry, leading him to become involved with the Youth Arts Group, which has much the same mission as the newly formed EPIC. Grace Latino Outreach (GLO) has for the past decade offered programs in English as Second Language as well as aid of all kinds for the immigrant population.
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Leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma care cancers of the blood cells. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society funds research that has greatly reduced the death rate from these cancers, and the Society also provides education and support for patients as well as advocacy for better treatments and services. One way that you can help fund the Society and also increase awareness is to participate in one of the several Light the Light Walks in the Hudson Valley or Connecticut. Amanda Harley, a campaign assistant for the Society, visits RadioRotary to describe the walks and provide information about cancers of the blood. The walks, which take place at various locations around 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the fall, are only a mile or two, and provide a chance for friends, families, and others to act as a community while raising money for research.
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The name “Dutchess Outreach” does not tell much about the organization’s mission, which is to meet the basic needs of low-income people when no other resources are readily available. To this end Dutchess Outreach runs the major food pantry in Dutchess County; a traveling “green market” for fresh fruits and vegetables; the Lunch Box, which provides healthy hot lunches and dinners; and a winter coat drive. RadioRotary gets the details from Joe Conti, President of the Board of Directors, and Brian Riddell, Executive Director of Dutchess Outreach. Also on the show, Ken Moody, Chairman of the Dutchess Interfaith Crop Walk. tells how that annual event supports the local food pantries and soup kitchens.
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Vietnam vets and Spring Valley Rotarians Howard Goldin and Ed Frank return to RadioRotary with news of the latest developments for Schools to End Poverty (S.T.E.P), the organization they founded after their 2005 visit to Vietnam, where they lunched with the former opposition and developed a plan for helping Vietnamese children by building a school. Elsewhere in Vietnam, they have built two more schools, and they have embarked on programs in Jamaica, Honduras, and Ghana as well. Today the schools they built in Vietnam have more than 500 students in grades K-6 and, with the help of Rotary District 7210, they are working toward expanding the original school to take in another 500. The expansion of the original school is estimated to cost $82,000, a sum that 7210 District Governor Nick Constantino has vowed to raise.
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Christina Novak, Communications and Development Coordinator of the Dutchess Country SPCA, visits the RadioRotary studio to describe the work of her organization, which is much more diverse than most persons realize. While the letters SPCA stand for Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to animals, most people think of the Dutchess County SPCA largely in terms of pet adoptions (and they do handle this for all kinds of pets, including birds, rabbits, rats, and Guinea pigs, as well as dogs and cats), but there are many other services. A low-cost clinic, open to the public, provides routine veterinarian care for all sorts of pets. There is outreach to schools, humane law enforcement, a pet cemetery and crematorium, and a lost and found service. There is even a Pet Pantry, a food bank for pet food. Learn about this and more, as well as how to become one of the more than 200 volunteers that make the Dutchess SPCA work.
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Rhinebeck Rotarian David Ives is the Executive Director of the Albert Schweitzer Institute, but that is just the tip of the iceberg for Ives’ many activities promoting worldwide peace and health. When he was 16, Ives took a trip to Latin America, where he was devastated by the poverty he encountered, and Ives determined to devote his life to helping others. After a stint in the Peace Corps in Nicaragua, he mixed an academic career with work for nonprofits, including Rotary International. A polio victim himself, he has volunteered to administer vaccine in Africa. He has worked with Rotary to organized peace forums in ten countries around the world. From his Nicaragua connection, he helped start the major commitment that Rhinebeck’s Interact Club has made to schools, pure water, and other improvements in rural León Province. A truly remarkable Rotarian.
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In recent years, the proliferation of prescription opiate painkillers, such as Percocet, Oxycontin, Vicodin, and others, has spurred an increase in opiate addiction. When addicts can no longer obtain their pills, they often turn to heroin, a cheaper street opiate—in fact, it is so cheap that many who could still purchase prescription pills also switch to heroin. Among the many problems caused by using either kind of opiate is overdose, which frequently leads to death. Susan Salomone’s son Justin, who struggled with opiate addiction for ten years, was among those who died from an overdose, leading Mrs. Salomone to start “Drug Crisis in Our Backyard,” a community action organization that provides resources for dealing with addiction. In this RadioRotary interview, Mrs. Salomone tells Justin’s story and presents the facts about opiate addiction.
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RadioRotary interviews Marisol Rodriguez, Executive Director of Literacy Connections of the Hudson Valley, a nonprofit using local volunteers to help people to read, write, and reach their potential. One in five Americans are functionally illiterate, which means that their reading and writing skills are at a sixth-grade level or lower. Literacy Connections trained volunteers work one-on-one with the functionally illiterate to teach them the specific skills they need for a given goal, such as passing a driver’s test. They also can teach English as a Second Language (ESL). Before a learner enters the program—which is free—they are evaluated by certified testers to determine the specific source of their difficulties. In a separate program called “Book Buddies,” volunteers read to children in schools. Volunteers for either program can be anyone who is able to read and write comfortably.
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RadioRotary interviews Rhinebeck Interact’s Grace Steele and Morgan Rakow, two of the 23 participants in the 2015 edition of that Interact Club’s “Nicaragua Project.” Interact is the high-school service organization sponsored by Rotary. Each year members of the Rhinebeck Interact Club, some adults (mostly Rhinebeck Rotarians), and some college students travel to the León department of Nicaragua where they work for a week on building and improving schools in impoverished rural villages. Under the supervision of a local foreman, the students bend rebar, mix cement, lay bricks, paint, and perform other basic construction tasks. Local workers continue the process. This is the second school that Rhinebeck Interact students have help build. Listen to these two enthusiastic girls tell about their work and their other Nicaraguan adventures.
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Newburgh Rotarian Doug Sturomski is the unofficial Peace Ambassador for Rotary District 7210, which encompasses the eight counties in the Mid-Hudson Region. One of his several projects related to peace is building and placing Peace Poles in parks, high schools, colleges, and various public places around the region. The Peace Poles that Mr. Sturomski builds are 8-feet high, resembling the Washington Monument, and have the message “May Peace prevail upon the Earth” in 80 languages. Another project is the Peace Bell, related to the Peace Bell permanently placed in Hiroshima, Japan. Rotary, which has Peace as one of its six areas of service, has over 500 different ways to symbolize Peace, and among the examples are over 200,000 Peace Poles worldwide.
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Highland Rotary Club’s Charter Member Steve Laubach and Don Verity, the Highland Rotarian who manages PAMAL Radio, the network for RadioRotary, describe the 11th annual Hudson Valley Ribfest, one of the major summer events in the Hudson Valley and primary fundraiser for their Rotary Club. They use their part of the income from the Ribfest to support The Rotary Foundation, ShelterBox, and several local charitable causes, including defibrillators for various locations around Highland (one of which saved a customer having a heart attack at the diner where the Rotary meets). Each year the Ribfest brings the best in barbecue to the Ulster County Fairground in New Paltz, along with children’s activities and specialty booths of all kinds.
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When Red Hook High School Student Abby Romm was 15, she decided that she wanted to spend a year abroad. She had learned of the Rotary Youth Exchange program and applied, listing Spain as her first choice, since she had already studied Spanish; but she was happy to learn she would be going to Italy, a country she had visited 8 years earlier and loved. Somewhere in the process, she told her parents, who hesitated at first but then approved and now agree with Abby that it was one of the best things she could do. Her father, Bard College Professor Dr. James Romm, briefly joins the RadioRotary interview with Ms. Ram and reports that now Abby is a citizen of the world as a result of the Youth Exchange experience. Listen to the show for her account of her exciting exchange year.
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Although deaths from drunk driving have been reduced nationally in recent years, there are still 1,200 to 1,500 persons killed or injured by drunk drivers in the Hudson Valley each year. In 1981 Wappingers Falls Rotarian Nick Johnson and his wife Josephine, a severely damaged victim of a drunk driver, decided to do what they could to reduce the drunk-driving toll, starting Dutchess Country RID (Remove Intoxicated Drivers), a chapter of RID-USA. On this program Mr. Johnson and RID volunteer Rich Silva describe tools used to keep intoxicated drivers from repeating their crime and ways that parents can reduce the risk that their children will be perpetrators or victims. They also describe the annual events that Dutchess RID sponsors as memorials to victims, as well as a fundraiser featuring antique automobiles.
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Radio Rotary Interviews Certified Holistic Health Coach and Millbrook Rotarian Ellie Savoy, author of Stop Dieting Start Living: 5 Foundations for Your Health, to Permanently Lose Weight Without Dieting, Starvation or Suffering in Silence. Ms. Savoy argues that dieting does not work because it has a beginning and an end. Instead, we should stop living on autopilot and become aware of our own body. Her best-selling book tells how she did that for herself and how the reader can do the same. The key is to invest in yourself by eating real food.
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Just-graduated high-school student Mannion O’Conner and Carmel Rotarian Marjorie Nichols Keith, Executive Director of the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Putnam County (CCE-Putnam), tell about the activities of 4-H in the county, with a special focus on the 44th annual Putnam Country 4-H Fair. The Fair, run by 4-H clubs with the help of many volunteers, including the Rotary Clubs of Carmel, Brewster, Patterson, and Lake Mahopac, is on July 24-26 this year (2015). CCE-Putnam is the sponsor of all the 4-H groups in the county. Manion has been involved with 4-H for years, although she is into community service (the Teen Action Group TAG) and puppeteering, not animal husbandry. The Fair will have 4-H-raised animals, however, as well as lots of food, with 4-H lemonade one of the specialties.
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Mediation is a process in which parties with differences meet with a neutral professional to resolve differences. In this program, Attorney Betsy Shequine explains why mediation is a cheaper, faster, and more successful way to end a marriage than litigation for divorce. Trained mediators, such as Ms. Shequine, teach the participants how to speak to each other as they resolve the complications of division of finances, care of children, and financial support after divorce. Mediators who handle divorce are usually lawyers themselves, while other trained mediators who deal with issues such as property disputes may be psychologists or social workers. A phone call to 845-471-6167 costs nothing and provides a way for the process to be explained. For later sessions, including the initial consultation meeting, the parties are charged on a per-session basis.
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Even before devastating earthquakes hit Nepal and surrounding territory in April and May of 2015, the plight of numerous children in that Himalayan nation was desperate. Many young children were being sold by their parents to work in Indian factories; young girls were often forced into prostitution. The Blue Butterfly Foundation, created by Lauren Yanks, has helped save over 2,000 children from trafficking, the use of force or fraud to cause humans to provide labor or sex against their will. In this radio interview, Ms. Yanks tells the powerful story of how the Blue Butterfly Foundation was founded and named. She urges listeners to become aware that their pursuit of evermore inexpensive items and food is contributing to this international tragedy.
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The ongoing Vassar project for improving education, health, women’s economy, water purity, and forests in Chermaitre, Haiti, is described by the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the Vassar-Haiti Project, Lila Meade, and Vassar student Sarah Oliver. Andrew and Lila Meade founded the project in 2001, partly in a response to the 9/11 attacks on the U.S. Its original goal was simply a lunch project at a school in poverty-stricken Chermaitre, but it has evolved greatly. So far more than 350 Vassar students have been involved. The project has also attracted the attention and considerable help from the Poughkeepsie-Arlington Rotary Club. One of the major sources of funding is an annual art show and auction featuring work by native Haitian artists.
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Licensed Nutritionist Rufia Payman from Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck describes the ravages of type 2 diabetes and steps to take to prevent the disease. Her primary approach is to put her patients on the Mediterranean diet (mainly fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, olive oil, and nuts) and regular exercise. Ms. Payman runs a free 16-week diabetes protection at Northern Dutchess that helps participants lose weigh and avoid the metabolic syndrome that often precedes type 2 diabetes. Meditation and other stress-reducing activities are also promoted. Often a person who has already crossed the line into diabetes can avoid insulin shots with a suitable lifestyle.
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Rhinebeck Rotarian Lou Trapani, Artistic and Managing Director of The Center for the Performing Arts at Rhinebeck, returns to RadioRotary to discuss some of the upcoming performances at this hub for theater and related events, including the summer arts day camp, which brings many courses in theater-arts. Among other upcoming productions discussed on the show will be The Me That Nobody Knows; Seussical, the Musical; Rip, a new play about Rip Van Winkle; Singing in the Rain, and Carousel. On August 21-23 the Center will have a terrific weekend, beginning with a magic show (pay what you think it is worth), continuing with a gal performance by Alice Ripley, and winding up with The Tempest brought to Rhinebeck free by the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival.
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RadioRotary co-host Jonah Triebwasser and producer Kathy Kruger interview the man who conceived and launched RadioRotary: Poughkeepsie-Arlington Rotarian Roger Risko. Mr. Risko, who is about to retire after many years of teaching at Dutchess County’s BOCES (Bureau of Co-operative Services), not only started RadioRotary but also has been instrumental in forming and helping grow several Rotaract and Interact clubs, organizations for youth—respectively college-age and high-school age—in the Hudson Valley. Inspired by a question from the mother of an Interact student, Mr. Risko created the first Rotary-oriented service organization for senior citizens, Elderact. As he moves his base of operations to Florida, he plans to introduce Elderact to that state.
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Gloria De Pietro is the author of Abandoned: The Story of Boys Forgotten, the tales of four boys who received art therapy from her while they lived in a residential treatment center. Ms. Di Pietro first encountered art when she suffered a near fatal illness as a child; the nurses at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City had set up an art corner for their young patients. She determined then to become a visual artist, which became her career until September 11, 2001. After the World Trade Center collapse, witnessed by many children, there was a call for art therapists to help these children recover. Ms. De Pietro went back to school and became an art therapist, someone who uses art to help subjects uncover and understand their own problems. Her book chronicles what she learned from four of the boys who had been abandoned by their own families as she worked with them.
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Authors Bryan Bunch (Millbrook Rotary), and Tim Tocher discuss the seventh annual Millbrook Literary Festival with co-hosts Jonah Triebwasser and Sara O’Connell. The Festival features several talks by journalists and authors as well as panel discussions on historical fiction, mysteries, cookbooks, journalism, history, and getting published. Books for younger readers featured include picture books and young-adult novels. Younger writers also have a chance to participate with their short works published in a special booklet distributed at the event. Some 50 authors will be part of the Festival, with all signing copies of their books. The Festival will take place on May 30, 2015 in the Millbrook Village at the Millbrook Library.
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Rich Silva, Founder and President of Pain Point IT Solutions Inc., describes some of the complications concerning health information privacy and accountability rules. Before 1996, most hospital and other medical records were kept on paper and were easily available to persons other than a patient’s doctor and the patient. As part of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPPA) and its later extensions, the privacy of medical information is assured and kept in electronic form. Pain Point IT Solutions as part of its services helps medical providers and their business associates follow the rules, which are enforced by a 164-point audit by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources. One problem of special significance is disaster recovery of information; even though all information has been backed up, without help it may require days to restore it.
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Co-Hosts Jonah Triebwasser and Sarah O’Connell travel to the regular meeting of the Red Hook Rotary as it plans for the annual Red Hook Apple Blossom Festival, a village-wide celebration of the coming of summer that features food booths, sales in local stores, entertainment, political candidates, baby animals, face painting, balloons, and more. Red Hook Rotarians Susan Simon and Linda Greenblatt describe some of the highlights of the free festival, including the bands McKenna and the Stringmasters as well as a dance troupe. Also on the program Gail Wolf and Tim Lynch describe how the Rotary Youth Exchange program has changed the lives of both the high-school students who travel to distant lands to live with local families and the families that host them.
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The Rural and Migrant Ministry, a group that started with one person in a van about 50 years ago, is now a major force for empowerment for migrant farm workers in much of upstate New York. In this interview, Ruth Faircloth, the Director of the Overnight Leadership Camp and the Women’s Conference, describes how the Ministry works for justice for workers in New York State by lobbying Albany on migrant issues. In New York State there is no requirement for a day off, so most workers labor for seven days each week during the harvest season. In addition to lobbying, the Ministry provides a one-week overnight camp for children of migrant workers as well as a youth art program and a conference for women workers.
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RadioRotary is visited by Gabriella Scull, the community manager for Relay for Life, an affiliate of the American Cancer Society. Each year there are 5,200 Relay-for-Life events in the United State, including many in the Hudson Valley as well as events in 20 different nations. The event is an organized fundraising walk around a track. It last all night and the participants camp out, although individual participants don’t have to be there for the whole time. A principal feature of the Relay is the Luminaria Ceremony, which candles or glow sticks are lit inside of personalized bags, which are then are place around the track as tributes to those who died from cancer. The events celebrate survivors, remember those who have died, and also raises funds for the American Cancer Society.
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Melissa McCoy, Chief Advancement Officer for Abilities First describes this seven-county program that serves developmentally disabled children and adults in the Hudson Valley. Staring with pre-school, Abilities First supplies educational programs that replace the regular special-education classes in twenty different facilities (one facility, in Red Hook, is in the same building as the regular school). When children reach age 21, they are transferred from the educational system to the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities. From that point, Abilities First provides a sheltered workshop, job shadowing programs, and supportive or supervised housing. The focus is on helping individuals do as much for themselves as possible.
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Pleasant Valley Library Director Daniela Pulice and Barbara Shapley, president of the Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library, discuss their local library, the Mid-Hudson Library System, of which it is a part, and the status of community libraries today. The Pleasant Valley Free Library is situated in a Dutchess County town of about 10,000 and is one of 21 libraries in the Mid-Hudson System. The Friends of the Library do fundraising, notably a giant book sale once or twice a year, to support such added library benefits as free tickets to the Children’s Museum, movie night, educational programs, signs, and computers. Today’s libraries are not quiet places, but instead are the central place in the community where people meet as well as where they borrow books, audio books, movies, e-book readers, and other materials and use computers, the library’s or free Wi-Fi. Circulation of all items has continued to increase in the 21st century.
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Susanne O’Neill, Program and Events Manager for Walkway over the Hudson, talks about the history and coming events at the longest, highest pedestrian bridge in the world, Poughkeepsie and Highland’s Walkway over the Hudson. This former railway connection between Dutchess and Ulster counties ceased operation after a fire in 1974, but in 2009, in connection with the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s historic first sail up the river, the bridge, now reconstructed as a pedestrian (and bicycle and rollerblade) walkway, opened to the public. It was an instant success with 50,000 visitors in the first week, and now draws about 500,000 per year. The Walkway is 1.28 miles long from gate to gate, and in addition to level entrances from each end, it is served by a 212-foot elevator a short walk from the Poughkeepsie Train Station.
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RadioRotary hosts a discussion of Rotary in the Hudson Valley featuring District Governor (DG) 2014-15 Penny Byron (Patterson Rotary), Past District Governor (PDG) 2009-10 David Green (New Windsor-Cornwall Rotary), and District Governor Elect (DGE) 2015-16 Nick Constantino (Walkill East Rotary). DGE Constantino had just returned from training for his post in San Diego along with 531 other District-Governors-Elect. DG Byron tells that she has completed an obligatory visit to each of the 62 Rotary Clubs in District 7210, the district covering the Mid-Hudson Valley, including its E-Club, which has international membership. PDG Green tells of his plans for the District Convention in April. All three describe some of the ways Rotary International fulfills its mission of “doing good in the world.”
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Dr. Teresa Foster, a family practitioner and osteopath with offices in Woodstock and Boiceville visits the RadioRotary studio to help clarify issues in health and wellness. A family practitioner sees patients of all ages and types—and Dr. Foster even makes house calls. The recent uptick in measles has caused people to take a closer look at immunization. Dr. Foster emphasizes that measles is incredible contagious and one in four persons who contracts the disease ends up in the hospital, so immunization, which does NOT cause autism, is vital. Other issues discussed include the causes of cancer, the need in the U.S. for more health workers of all kinds, and what steps are necessary to produce good health.
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The Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum, near the edge of the Hudson in Poughkeepsie, is one of the great destinations for parents and children in the Hudson Valley. Lara Litchfield-Kimber, Executive Director of the museum, and Sara Capozzoli, Director of Public, Media and Corporate Relations, visit RadioRotary to tell about the many hands-on exhibits and programs designed for children from age 0 to 6. Since 1989 the museum has provided a first-class learning-through-play experience. Although there are fees most days, every third Saturday is a free day, so all can enjoy it. Now, as an added attraction, the elevator to the Walkway over the Hudson is just steps away. A new exhibit, “Early Learning Junction,” with a railroad theme, joins the ”WonderDome,” “Imagination Playground,” RiverTown, and other delights.
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Rotarians Barbara Blas and Barbara Cohen of the Kingston Sunrise Rotary Club visit RadioRotary to tell about the developing Reher Center for Immigration and Culture in the Roundout section of Kingston, NY. The project began when the Jewish Federation of Ulster County came into possession of the large building that previously housed the Reher Bakery, famous for its rolls, the only intact historical building in the Roundout. With help from state, federal, and local funding, the building has been stabilized and will soon have a permanent display of the history of immigrants in Kingston as well as other rooms for exhibits and lectures. The original bakery kitchen is also intact and will be able to be visited. The two Barbara’s also describe exhibits housed in the Stockade part of Kingston dealing with immigrant history in the city as well as several projects of the Sunrise club.
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Co-host Jonah Triebwasser and producer Kathy Kruger interview Michele Polluck-Rich, Executive Director at Grace Smith House, the principal organization in Dutchess County for aid to victims of domestic abuse. Victims of either sex can be helped; the hotline is (845) 471-3033. About 90% of the abused are women, who can be removed from their domestic situation to one of two secretly located residences for stays of 90 days. There are also arrangements for men. The clients are provided with a family advocate to help get through the legal arrangements necessary for orders of protection or for finding permanent housing. Not all abuse is physical—victims of psychological or financial abuse can also get help. Services are free and confidential. Since one in three of adolescents have been affected by partner violence, Grace Smith House supports an important outreach program of teenagers working with other teenagers, The Peace Group. Evening support groups meet weekly as well.
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RadioRotary Co-host Jonah Triebwasser interviewed Marietta Allen about her current Outreach program at St. Mary’s Parish in Newburgh. Newburgh suffers from high poverty and crime rates. Each of the four Roman Catholic churches has a program to help alleviate the city’s problems. Among the components of the St. Mary’s Outreach are the provision of emergency food and toiletries for immediate needs; a program that delivers food and other supplies to homebound veterans; a program to provide food and other aid to the elderly in their homes; as well as several similar outreaches. Perhaps the most dramatic aid comes with Giving Day, every 3rd Friday of the month. Those in need can visit a large area filled with tables of food—fresh, meat, and canned; supplies and toys for children; clothing; furniture; and other items not covered by food stamps. Giving Day also features a nurse for minor medical needs, legal services, and representatives of community departments.
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Deanna Mancuso tells the story of how her grandfather’s gift to her of an abused horse when she was 12, gradually led her create the Lucky Orphans Horse Rescue farm, which now hosts 43 formerly abused, neglected, or abandoned horses. Today these horses are not only living out the remainder of their lives (which can be as long as about 50 years), but also they are providing significant equine-assisted therapy to humans in need of help—it is people helping horses helping people. Dutchess County currently has a horse population of about 42,500 horses, but abused horses from all over the country are also welcomed to the Lucky Orphan’s farm. Volunteers, some of whom are doing community service, provide all the work on the farm.
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RadioRotary interviews Tessa Edick, author of Hudson Valley Food and Farming: Why Didn’t Anyone Ever Tell Me That?, an introduction to the Local foods in the RadioRotary listening area, filled with photographs of local farms. Ms. Edick started the FarmOn! Foundation to promote dining on local foods at home and in restaurants. Among the local products discussed are the dairy products produced by the farm cooperative Hudson Valley Fresh and also raw milk from Ronnybrook Farm. Too many people swap convenience for nutrition. Locavores—people who get 70% of their food from local sources—not only eat healthier, but also support the local farming economy.
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The RadioRotary co-hosts interview author and motivational speaker Jesse Saperstein about his new book: Getting a Life with Asperger’s: Lessons Learned on the Bumpy road to Adulthood, a guide to leaving “the road to loserville” written by someone who has experienced the problems of a person with Asperger’s as he made important life transitions. Mr. Saperstein was diagnosed with Asperger’s at age 14, just two years after psychologists formally recognized the condition. Despite bullying by others and failing at the first two professions he tried (described in his first book, Atypical), he learned how to manage his condition and in this book offers his advice. The interview also deals with his hopes for introducing a muppet with Asperger’s into the Sesame Street cast.
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Brewster Rotarian and 2015-16 Rotary District Literacy Chair Jenny Hinsman learned about buildOn from the best-selling book Walk in Their Shoes: Can One Person Change the World? (Jim Ziolkowski with James S. Hirsh) and has started her club working with Ziolkowski’s buildOn organization on its mission of breaking the cycles of poverty, illiteracy, and low expectations through service and education. On this program she and buildOn Chapter Manager for the East Coast and Midwest Jenn Lishansky describe how buildOn works with urban youth in the U.S.A. to build schools throughout the areas of the world where illiteracy and poverty are endemic—Haiti, Mali, Nicaragua, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Malawi, and Nepal. Among other activities, buildOn has built 674 schools in these nations, schools that serve boys and girls equally, often along with their parents and grandparents.
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Co-host Jonah Triebwasser and producer Kathy Kruger interview Mike Green and Matt Cruz about Hyde Park Rotary’s Little Free Library in the Stop & Shop Plaza in the Hyde Park Mall, the Rotary Club operates in conjunction with the Hyde Park Free Library. The movement to install Little Free Libraries has been spreading from town to town, and Rotarians are often behind the installation. In a Little Free Library, a small number of books (40 in the case of Hyde Park) are available for anyone to borrow—no library cards or check-out needed. Borrowers may return the book when they desire or replace it with another book—and keep the one they took—or return it to the Hyde Park Library. Books are donated through the Hyde Park Library, which maintains the collection. Hyde Park Rotary maintains the physical library, which was built as a model of the Hyde Park Free Library building. Literacy is one of the main areas of Rotary activity. In addition to the mini-library,
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Jonah Triebwasser and RadioRotary Producer Kathy Kruger interview Gabriella Fryer, Executive Director of Stringendo, a nonprofit music education and performance program for youth in the Hudson Valley. Stringendo allows elementary and high-school students to play in six different orchestras, depending on skill level, and four different fiddler groups. The all-violin ensembles are knows as the Strawberry Hill Fiddlers, while the six Stringendo Orchestras have music-associated names ranging from “Prelude” for the beginners to “Vivace” for the most skilled. The “Vivace” orchestra has won many awards, most notably the 2009 Grand Champion of the National String Orchestra Festival. In addition to the orchestras and fiddlers, Stringendo offers Summer Strings, a day camp where children from 3rd through 10th grades learn fiddle tunes by ear as well as participating in traditional camp activities.
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RadioRotary interviews Southern Ulster Rotarian B.N. Mikkelsen about available trips by rail or sea to exotic places around the world. Mikkwelsen, a native of Denmark, operated a travel agency for more than a decade before turning to his present occupation of representing companies that take travelers to interesting destinations. Among his favorite trips are rail tours on the Trans-Siberian Railway, the Silk Road, Namibia, Turkey, and Australia. Many of these are by private train compartments, although for some you travel by train but stay in local hotels. He also facilitates cruises along rivers in Asia and is especially excited about a small ship, the Ocean Diamond, that will tour the coasts of Iceland and Greenland.
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Michael Weitzman in this RadioRotary interview reveals that he has long suffered from a common form of mental illness—bipolar disorder (once known as manic-depressive state), although he was not diagnosed with the disease until age 40. Today he emphasizes the basic triangle for handling a mental illness—a psychiatrist to diagnose, medicine to alleviate, and therapy to help with coping. The depressive side of bipolar disorder tends to isolate a person in what Weitzman calls the “Cave of Hell,” where the person becomes nonfunctioning, while the manic side makes a person overly active and optimistic. In addition to the basic triangle, it helps to cope by masking a daily list of activities to prevent nonfunctioning and actually doing what is on the list; but mental recovery activities such as journaling and meditation; and by joining a support group for the disorder.
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RadioRotary interviews Richard Tracino, President and Chief Executive for Hudson Valley Hospice (HVH) and Hudson Valley Hospice Foundation, and Kim Warner, Director of Psychosocial Services for HVH. Hospice serves people of all ages who have terminal illnesses, although hospice focuses on the entire family, not just the dying individual, helping them deal with medical, emotional, spiritual, and family issues during the last six months of life. HVH at any given time helps from 100 to 130 patients in Dutchess and Ulster Counties, guiding them to palliative care, offering programs such as music therapy, and even continuing to aid families after the death of the patient.
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Casey MacDonald, who survived her own bout with cancer nearly 20 years ago only to confront cancers that attacked her husband, father, and best friend, has devoted her life to helping others navigate their way through the medical, financial, and lifestyle challenges of the disease. She founded The Hudson Valley Cancer Resource Center, which—with the help of many volunteers—serves nine counties in the Hudson Valley. They provide a kit of information for those newly diagnosed with the disease, and then offer information on available financial assistance, prescription help, lodging and transportation, and legal and insurance counseling. This RadioRotary interview describes these services and more, as well as telling Ms. MacDonald’s own cancer stories.
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RadioRotary co-hosts Jonah Triebwasser and Sarah O’Connell interview Rotarians Pat Green and Gail Dejmal of the Monroe-Woodbury club about their participation in Project Amigo and about the humanitarian activities of their Rotary club. Project Amigo consists of a number of ways that Rotarians and others can improve the lives of the rural poor in Colima State, Mexico, many of them migrant workers. It began informally in 2984 when California Rotarian Tom Rose lost his way in Colima and came upon the small village of Cofradía de Suchitlàn. Recognizing the unmet needs of the villagers, Rose and his wife Susan Hill began to provide assistance, which eventually blossomed into Project Amigo, which today brings volunteers from the United States, Canada, and Mexico to Colima to help with literacy projects, health projects, and more. One way volunteers, such as Pat Green and Gail Dejmal had helped is participating in “work weeks,” that are devoted to eye care or literacy. Also discussed on the p
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RadioRotary co-host Jonah Triebwasser, in Sydney, interviews Rotarians from the United States who are also visiting the Convention and others who work with Rotary. Kurt Johnsen from the New Windsor-Cornwall Rotary in Orange County, New York, describes the Rotary Foundation and its progress in the fight to eradicate polio. His wife, Ana Johansen, talks about E-Club 7210, which—although based in District 7210 has members from around the world—provides credits for a Rotary meeting via the Internet as well as doing community service. Past District Governor Ernie Montane, from the Tucson Sunrise Club in Arizona recounts how a visit to West Africa some years ago led to 88 Rotary clubs working together to provide clean water and other services in Togo and Niger. Montane was at the Convention a day early to participate in WASRAG (the Water and Sanitation Rotary Action Group). Liz Odell was representing ShelterBox, the compact box that supplies tents and supplies in disasters.
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Elizabeth Spira, the Chief Executive Officer of the Community Action Partnership of Dutchess County describes how this legacy program of the War on Poverty has for 50 years provided financial, energy, pharmaceutical, and food assistance to those in need. Similar agencies exist in every country in New York State. Some of the programs that the Dutchess agency maintains include “Dress for Success,” a program that provides suitable clothing to women applying for jobs, and the “Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP),” which provides help with financial counseling, youth mentoring, and emergency preparedness.
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RadioRotary interviews Dr. Dan Freedman, Dean of the School of Science and Engineering at SUNY-New Paltz, who leads both the Digital Design and Fabrication curriculum at the school and the Hudson Valley Advanced Manufacturing Center, specialists in the art of printing solid objects, known as 3-D printing. The first 3-D printers became available in 1986. They create objects, usually by laying down layers of plastic that build up to produce a solid plastic object (sometimes other materials are used). Each layer is formed in essentially the same way as an ink-jet printer reproduces a computerized image on paper, but plastic is used instead of ink. A computer program written with computer-assisted design (CAD), directs the process, so any object once designed can be printed as often as one likes. Among the triumphs of the process is the ability to print organs, including a plastic hand that actually grasps under control of the muscles in the arm.
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n January of 2011 retired Saugerties (NY) English teacher Nancy Lanni visited Haiti, with a construction team helping repair the damage. While there, she was invited to teach as a substitute, where she observed first-hand the emotional as well as physical damage to the young children on the remote island of La Gonáve, a primitive land where people still live in stone huts and use donkeys for transportation and farming. Schools in Haiti are not free, so only about 50% of children attend one in this impoverished land. Ms. Lanni decided to continue teaching in Haiti, learning Creole, the language of Haiti, and also began raising money for a school on La Gonáve where currently all six grades are taught in one room of a community church. Using local labor and materials paid for by money Ms. Lanni raised in the U.S., a new, earthquake-resistant, six-room schoolhouse is about to open at the start of 2015.
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Volunteer Neil Isabelle discusses the Catskill Mountain Railroad, two different scenic trips on vintage rail cars through the picturesque Esopus Creek valley in Ulster Country, NY, and through the historic city of Kingston, NY. Special rides in the fall showcase the autumn foliage and in winter there is the Polar Express. Summer rides are also available in July and August that are timed for the full moon. These rides, and some others, also feature music or other entertainment. Isabelle became interested in the trains by volunteering at the Empire State Railway Museum in Phoenicia, NY, another tourist attraction in Ulster County.
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Newburgh Rotarian Doug Martin Sturomski, the recently appointed Peace Chair of Rotary District 7210, is interviewed about his efforts to help reach the peace goal of Rotary International and the Rotary Foundation through Peace Bells and Peace Poles. His Peace Bell Foundation, started in 2009, emphasizes the connection between ringing bells and freedom and peace, while he has become one of the most enthusiastic promoter of the Peace Pole. A Peace Pole is a large pole that carries the message “may peace prevail on Earth” in eight languages. In addition to the interview, listeners can also hear Doug play a little Beethoven on the bells.
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Jeffrey Urbin, Education Specialist at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, tells the RadioRotary audience about the history and recent renovations of the Library, which was the first presidential library in the United States, having been designed by Roosevelt himself in 1941. The new Library features new technology to make history come alive better for today’s visitors. Another change is that the Library now takes on the controversial issues of Roosevelt’s four terms, such as the development of the first nuclear weapons and FDR’s health issues. The program also features comments about the National Park Service building visitors can visit—Springwood, Top Cottage, and Val-Kill.
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RadioRotary host Jonah Triebwasser interviews Maureen Roche, Program Director for 4-H Youth Development at Cornell Cooperative Extension in Dutchess County. The 4-H organization officially set up by the US Department of Agriculture in 1914, although built on a number of youth organizations from around the turn of the 19th century into the 20th. The name stands for Head – Hearth – Hands – Health. Although best known for members raising animals and competing with them at county fairs, 4-H today goes beyond agriculture with programs emphasizing public speaking, robotics, college preparation, photography, arts and crafts, and community service. Dutchess Country has an active 4-H program that includes, among other projects, “Agriculture Literacy Week,” in which volunteers read stories based in agriculture to 2nd graders; “College Planning 101,” and drives to provide food, coats, and toys for the needy.
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RadioRotary interviews four members of Rhinebeck Rotary at the historic Beekman Arms during the Club’s regular Monday lunch: David Albahary, Nat Charny, Club President Phil Meltzer, and Barbara Markell. One of the main projects sponsored by the Club is improving a school near León, Nicaragua. The main workers in Nicaragua each year are about 20 Interact students from the local high school, aided by school counselors and adult chaperones. The students mix concrete, dig trenches, and otherwise work all day during their visit to site, while during the rest of the year they raise from $10,000 to $20,000 for the project. Locally, Rhinebeck Rotary is proud of the work of the Community Service Committee, which handles projects that Rhinebeck residents are unable to deal with themselves, ranging from plumbing to carpentry. Rhinebeck is also one of the Clubs in the District that participates annually in the Youth Exchange Program, bringing one or two students from abroad each year.
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Once again Rotarian Lou Trapani (Rhinebeck), Artistic and Managing Director of The Center for the Performing Arts at Rhinebeck, returns to RadioRotary to discuss some of the upcoming performances at this hub for theater and related events, including the summer arts day camp, which brings many courses in theater-arts taught by the professionals who put on the shows in Rhinebeck. Trapani tells how his experience as a child watching old movies on television steered him into his theatrical career. Among other upcoming productions discussed on the show will be Peter Pan, which uses the services of a company that specializes in safely flying actors.
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This series of interviews from the RI Convention in Sydney begins with the young—two Youth Exchange students who are having the adventure of their lives as they spend a year in Australia, away from homes in Finland and Denmark. Then we learn about the versatile Backpack Bed, which becomes a fireproof mattress with screens and a hidden, lockable pocket; these are distributed to homeless people who would otherwise sleep on concrete or the ground. Lynne Aldridge represents Mediators Beyond Borders, an organization that uses mediation to resolve international disputes and bring peace. Celeste Mergens describes Days for Girls, an international intervention she founded that provides washable hygiene produces for female teenagers and adults in Third World settings. Although Dolly Parton was not at the Convention, her Imagination Library—free books for children from birth to age five—was represented. Finally RadioRotary co-host Jonah Triebwasser talks to incoming Rotary International President
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Every day it seems we are learning more and more about the dangers of distracted driving. Michael Weitzman in this RadioRotary interview tell about his efforts to make people more aware of the problem and its remedy, which he abbreviates as EMH for “Anytime you do not have your Eyes on the road, your Mind on your driving, and your Hands on the wheel” you are in danger of causing an accident lime the one that seriously injured his daughter and started him on his crusade. There are 15,000 auto accidents a day, many caused because they think they can use a cellphone to text, read email, or speak over while they are behind the wheel. One help would be to put your phone in the glove department before you start the car.
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Here are five more fascinating interviews recorded by Jonah Triebwasser at the 2014 Rotary International Convention. Dr. Peter Linz, Chief International Medical Officer at Mercy Ships, tells about how their large hospital ship—6 operating rooms, 25 beds—travels from country to country in West Africa, bringing modern surgery of all kinds to people who would have no other access. Rotary International now partners with Mercy Ships and Rotary Foundation vocational training teams are among the volunteers who bring medical and dental assistance to the region. Teresa Mitchell Patterson, nutritional advisor, discusses Bowel Cancer Australia, discusses a diet that will help prevent bowel cancers (also known as colorectal cancers). Sharon Turner, from Scholastic, describes how Rotarians at the Convention are building a Wall of Books, donating books that will be given to poor and indigenous children in Australia.
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This week’s show was broadcast from the regular meeting of the Highland Rotary Club, sponsors of the Tenth Annual Hudson Valley Ribfest, a three-day event at the Ulster Country Fairgrounds in New Paltz, NY, featuring barbecue (and many other foods) as well as a number of country-music concerts and a stage in the national contest for best Barbecue. Highland Rotary President Steve Laubach and Highland Rotarian Don Verity, CEO of Pamal Radio, which broadcasts RadioRotary, are interviewed by Jonah Triebwasser. Proceeds from the Ribfest support both the charitable work of Highland Rotary, such as the installation of nineteen defibrillators around the village, and also the many nonprofits that supply volunteers for the annual event.
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Jonah Triebwasser interviews five people who are working to do good in the world in different ways. Jenny Da Rin, Assistant Director General for the Education and Health Branch of AusAID, an Australian government program with many of the same goals as the Rotary Foundation. Rotarian Tam Mustapha (Kinderhook Tri-Village Clun, NY), attending the convention, tells Jonah about the expansion of the Rotary Learning Institute (RLI), which now teaches Rotary knowledge and leadership on all continents except Antarctica. Claire Munroe from Rotary International tells of the success—99% complete—in eliminating polio. Chicago-area Rotarian Margarita Hewko discuss the Water and Sanitation Rotary Action Group (WASRAG), which is building hundreds of projects such as well and water filtration around the world. Kathy Putz tells Jonah about Room to Read, which promotes girl’s literacy in Bangladesh, India, Cambodia, Laos, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Vietnam, and South Africa.
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Jonah Triebwasser interviews seven Rotarians from Australia, England, the United States, and Papua New Guinea about international projects that include Our Rainbow House, which educated orphans and other vulnerable children in Zambia; the Guilford Eye Project, which helps prevent and cure eye diseases in India and Nigeria; the Asia-Pacific Center for Neuromodulation, which employs deep-brain stimulation to combat Parkinson’s disease and other brain illnesses; Crutches 4 Africa; the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia; Project Peanut Butter, which supplies ready-to-use therapeutic food to famine-struck regions; and Rotarians Against Malaria (PNG), which distributes treated mosquito netting in Papua New Guinea.
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The guest on this week’s show was Pleasant Valley Rotary President and RN Kathy Kruger, who describes Rotaplast (Rotary + Plastic Surgery), a program that heals children with cleft palate or cleft lip around the world. Cleft palate is literally a hole in the roof of the mouth and cleft lip is one or two splits in the lip, which may extend all the way up a child’s face. A Rotaplast team of usually 15 professional surgeons, dentists, and nurses supported by another 15 nonprofessional volunteers travels to a third-world country where they are supported by a local Rotary club as they perform the operations over a 2- to 3-week period. Kathy tells also of her experience from a 2007 trip to the Philippines where she was a nurse volunteer, and concludes the interview by reading a remarkable thank-you letter from one the children served.
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Past Rotary International President Bill Boyd tells Radio Rotary Co-Host Jonah Triebwasser about WASRAG, the Water and Sanitation Rotary Action Group. Securing an adequate supply of drinkable water is one of six Rotary areas of focus that affects all the rest—fighting disease, saving mothers and children, growing local economies, promoting peace (wars have been fought over water), even literacy, since the time that young girls need to spend fetching water, often from miles away, keeps them out of school. PP Boyd noted that although sanitation is not glamorous, it is one of the easies ways for Rotarians to do good in the world—by providing latrines. In other interviews, Kerry Kornhauser describes the organization Women in Rotary and her work with Violence Free Families; Mark McNally discusses the Thousand Smiles Foundation, now in its 29th year of doing surgery to correct cleft lips an palates and also improving dental hygiene; while John Sweet and his group provides vaccinations.
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The RadioRotary co-hosts interview Hudson Solar Project Manager Christina Bagen about home solar-power installations. Solar panels used today capture energy from the sun and convert it to direct-current electricity; a device called an inverter then changes the power to alternating current for household or commercial use. Today solar panels are relatively inexpensive because of government grants and tax breaks; they pay for themselves by reducing or eliminating electric bills within seven to ten years. Ms. Bagen describes the process a homeowner can use to get estimates or to have installations of solar power.
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Co-Host, Jonah Triebwasser traveled to Sydney, Australia, for the Rotary International Annual Convention, where he taped many interesting interviews. For a starter, here are five of the subjects: Rotarian D. Bob Scott, chair of Rotary’s, describes how this campaign, in conjunction with WHO, UNICEF, the CDC, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has reduced the number of countries where polio is endemic from 125 to 3. California Rotarian Sheila Hurst tells about the Kenya Smiles Rotary Internationals Global Grant that is improving oral health of children in Kenya. The president of the Monroe-Woodbury Rotary Club, Patricia Green, describes Project Amigo, which is providing scholarships for students in Colimas State, Mexico, and also other activities of the Monroe-Woodbury Club. Two Interact students from San Jose, California, describe that club’s many activities. And Dr. Subrahmanyam Ganesh reports on the Jaipur Limb.
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Jackie Rose, executive director of Dutchess County SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) describes the facilities and activities of this nonprofit corporation. Located in Hyde Park, the DCSPCA provides humane law enforcement for the Country and a shelter for about 250 pets, including not only dogs and cats but also “pocket pets” such as hamsters, guinea pigs, or ferrets. The shelter houses homeless, abandoned, or abused animals, or animals donated by owners who can no longer care for them, and seeks to have the animals matched with appropriate families that can provide a “forever home.” In addition to the shelter, DCSPCA also provides low-cost medical services, as well as a cemetery and a crematorium. Primarily funded by donations, DCSPCA also runs a gold tournament annually and a “canine circus” called Paws in the Park Petwalk.
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RadioRotary co-host Sarah O’Connell interviews Attorney Kyle Steller of Legal Services of the Hudson Valley and Kathy Sheehan, a social worker from the Mediation Center of Dutchess County about the Coalition on Elder Abuse in Dutchess County. The Mediation Center started the Coalition, which melds social services, local churches, Country law enforcement and health services, other law enforcement agencies, and several banks. The Mediation Center obtained a grant from Dutchess County to coordinate and put together this coalition. The coalition is using grant funds to support outreach to groups to raise awareness of issue and of resources available. When a call comes in to one of the agencies to report an elder-abuse problem, Steller and Sheehan confer on the best way to handle the problem, then provide the caller with the appropriate agency to contact. For example, the Legal Services can revoke powers of attorney, recover money for small claims, and provide similar help.
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Authors Bryan Bunch (Millbrook Rotary), Jim Holmgren, and Evan Pritchard discuss the sixth Millbrook Literary Festival with host Jonah Triebwasser. Holmgren, a novelist whose future fiction novel describes the world in 2076, will host a panel of mystery writers under the heading “Who Did It? We did it!” Even Pritichard, poet and historian, who has been declared “king of the poets” for the Festival, will not only lead a panel discussion pitting nature poets against city poets, but also will be part of a “Poet’s Corner” at the Millbrook Library, where poets will read or recite through the festival. Other highlights include an illustration workshop for children at Merritt Books and Toys, panel discussions on historical fiction, journalism, creation of a book, and the history of the Hudson Valley.
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Dr. Frank Bourke, executive director of the PTSD Research and Recognition Project, explains the diagnosis and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a curable mental illness that is best known for affecting veterans of brutal wars, but also can change the lives of people who experience any kind of serious trauma from sources such as auto accidents or crimes. The principal symptoms are terrifying nightmares and flashbacks brought on by experiences that resemble the initial trauma. PTSD cannot be cured by drugs and ordinary therapy is only effective about 35% of the time. The Research and Recognition Project has developed a technique Dr. Bourke calls “reconsolidation of traumatic memories,” which is based on disconnecting the traumatic memory from its emotional response.
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Rotarian Lou Trapani (Rhinebeck), Artistic and Managing Director of The Center for the Performing Arts, located a short distance east of Rhinebeck, NY, is interviewed by co-hosts Jonah Triebwasser and Sarah O’Connell, both former performers themselves. The Center began as a project of the Rhinebeck Theater Society and was first (1994) housed in a tent, with the permanent building, known as “the Barn,” opening in 1998. It is now open 360 days a year and houses productions of several theater companies as well as a summer arts day camp and a teen musical theater called “Kids on Stage.” Other productions include a choreographer’s showcase and a jazz weekend.
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Author and columnist Anthony Musso returns to the RadioRotary microphones to discuss volume 2 of his Hidden Treasures of the Hudson Valley, a treasury of 55 sites in the 8-country mid-Hudson region. Here are a few of the sites covered: The Beekman Arms, oldest continuing restaurant; the world’s largest church pipe organ at the Cadet Chapel at West Point; St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Amenia, with two Tiffany windows; Troutbeck, where the NAACP was founded; Dapplemere Farm, the home of presidential candidate Thomas Dewey; the Elephant Hotel, where the American circus got its start; and Harvest Homestead Farm, the secret distillery run by gangster Dutch Schultz. Each of the sites is illustrated with contemporary photography and the essential information about locations, hours, and entrance fees (if any—most are free) is provided in the book.
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Rotarian Colleen Mountford (Kingston Sunrise Club) describes the Patriot’s Project that will house homeless veterans in a renovated mansion in Kingston starting in July. Both the Kingston Sunrise and Kingston Noontime clubs as well as contributions from all Rotary clubs in Ulster County have supported the project. It began in 2012 when Ulster County Executive Mike Hein proposed turning a former group home into transitional housing for veterans. The project required, and got, legislation passed by New York State to make it feasible, then began to raise money from the Country’s sale of the SUNY Ulster President’s home and various private sources. When complete, the facility will provide temporary housing of three to six months for homeless veterans as well as counseling on acquiring a job and a path through the paperwork needed to obtain further assistance if needed. Donations are still needed.
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RadioRotary co-hosts interview incoming District Governor Penny Byron (Rotary Year 2014-15), who describes her work with District 7210, which includes 62 clubs at various locations in the eight Mid-Hudson counties that make up the District—Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, and Ulster. District 7210 actually extends beyond the Mid-Hudson, however, for one of the 62 clubs is the E-Club, the first in Rotary International; its members can be located anywhere in the world and several are international members, although most live here in the Hudson Valley but attend meetings online. Another distinction for the District is that one of its past District Governors, Knut Johnsen, occupies Rotary’s seat at the United Nations. RadioRotary itself is a third unique asset of the District. Ms. Byron, whose home club is Patterson, began her journey toward District Governor in 4H, then moved on to Rotary where she has been active at both the Club and District levels.
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Terry Laibach, an environmental specialist concerned largely with solid waste who works with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, discusses the economics and environmental impact of the 3Rs—Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. While the United States has 4 percent of the world’s population, it produces 25% of the world’s solid waste. At one time, the solution to this waste burden was to burn it, with poor consequences for the environment. Today about 80 percent of such waste can be eliminated, and in this program Ms. Laibach gives a number of tips on ways to do just that.
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Dr. David A Crenshaw, a child psychologist who is Clinical Director of the Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie, explains why children often need aid in getting though such emotional difficulties as psychosomatic symptoms, depression, difficulty controlling impulses, and behavioral problems in school; frequently intellectual or cognitive maturity precedes emotional maturity. Young children may lack language skills, but the natural expression of children is through play or art, which can be used to help them through emotional problems. Dr. Crenshaw has been involved in trying to get New York State to pass a law that would allow therapy dogs help emotionally impaired witnesses (not only children) handle courtroom trials. The law is known as “Rosie’s Law” after the first case in New York that permitted a dog to be used in this way.
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The RadioRotary co-hosts interview Jody Miller, Executive Director of the Mediation Center of Dutchess Country, and Registered Nurse Carolynn Frankell, who, along with Lindsey Goldstein, chairs the third annual Anti-Bullying Walkathon. Since 1981 New York State has had a program of Alternative Dispute Resolution, which includes mediation and arbitration, with centers in every county. Mediation is a process that helps people talk about decisions and resolve conflicts. Volunteers do most of the mediation after training. The center handles small claims, landlord-tenant issues, consumer issues, divorces, caregiving problems, and workplace disputes. The Center also works with other agencies on issues such as elder abuse and bullying, a problem in many schools. Its serves can be free but some require fee payments, and mediated agreements are enforceable by the courts.
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Libraries today are far more than places to borrow books for a couple of weeks according to Red Hook Public Library Director Erica Freudenberger and Mid-Hudson Library System Assistant Director Merribeth Advocate. Libraries are an important local source in obtaining jobs or improving skills, using the public-access computers in libraries or access to library information from home computers. And, while there is a lot of information on the Internet, not all of it is correct; libraries vet information and establish its relevance. Also, in addition to various audiovisual media that can be loaned, libraries today offer “free” access to e-books—although nothing from libraries is actually “free” as it is paid for by local, state, and national taxes—primarily local sources of funding. Studies have shown that every dollar invested in libraries produces seven dollars in the economy of the community.
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Linda Marston-Reid, Executive Director of Art Mid-Hudson (formerly The Dutchess Country Arts Council), and Paul Tesoro, Chairperson of the Board, discuss the many ways that Arts Mid-Hudson re-grants New York State funds and local donations to local artists in Dutchess, Ulster, and Orange counties. Grants aid visual arts, theater, arts education, music, performances of the written word, and community events. All grant proposals receive a peer review, which is helpful even to projects that do not get funded. The proposals supported also become one of the reasons for visitors to come to the Mid-Hudson region, where the arts are among the attractions.
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A couple of years ago Krista Jones from Hopewell Junction, NY, experienced the death of a good friend from cancer and the realization that four other mothers she knew also had cancer. Krista had been helping her friend, who had three children, by leaving food at her door. She recognized that cancer was sapping the energy and budgets of all these mothers, which led her to found Sparrow’s Nest, dedicated to providing two trays of homemade food each week to the suffering families. Although in the beginning Krista used her own money to set up the charitable organization, she now relies on many donors to provide the expense of serving 15 to 18 moms each week and to expand the operation. For now, Krista herself does all the cooking herself, although volunteers help deliver the food.
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Legal Services of the Hudson Valley provides free legal help to the needy who require assistance in civil cases—mortgage problems, divorces, educational issues, domestic violence, and similar difficulties. In this interview Pro Bono Director Lillian Krusz Welby and staff attorney Jill Faber discuss all these topics and more. Legal Services of the Hudson Valley has eight offices, ranging from White Plains to Kingston. Their staff attorneys and also volunteer attorneys handle child advocacy, orders of protection, foreclosures, trusts and estates, and disabled and veteran’s issues—but they are not Public Defenders, who deal with criminal cases.
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In this on-site interview from the Annual Meeting of the New York State Bar Association, Bar Past -President A. Thomas Levin and Chair of the Law, Youth and Citizenship committee Rich Bader discuss some of the statewide programs that the Bar Association supports in New York State schools. These include Mock Trials in secondary schools in which students argue a case based on data supplied by the Bar Association before a real judge; this is a competition among teams trying the case. Another program is “We the People,” in which both elementary- and secondary-school compete in mock congressional hearings and develop questions based upon the U.S. Constitution or specific laws.
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In this show, co-host Sarah O’Connell interviews the co-leaders of the Center for Healthy Aging at Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck—social worker Allison Gould and geriatrician Dr. Jodi Friedman. The purpose of the Center is to help people 65 and over remain healthy and active as they age. Friedman handles the medical issues, while Gould works with social issues such as life transitions, including retirement and dealing with losses. The focus is more on prevention than remediation Most of the clients have been referred to the Center by primary-care physicians who recognize problems of aging in individual patients. In addition to working with individuals, the Center provides free community lecture programs on topics related to healthy aging.
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In March 2009 Reverend Betsy Fisher of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Amenia learned of a big need for food for the working poor in Amenia that was not being met by the nearest local Food Bank, so she started Food of Life. This program details how that works and the needs that it fills today. The pantry (at 40 Leedsville Road in Amenia), supplies supplemental food, primarily to the working poor, and is open from 3 to 5 p.m. every Friday; it has sometimes had as many as 301 customers and gave out 2400 meals in a single day. Food of Life stresses nutrition, offering as much as possible organic produce, milk, and meat. They also teach catering to women in their still-to-be-completed kitchen as part of a Woman’s Vocational Center.
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Jeffery Fox, executive director of Abilities First, and Serene Morrero, director of development, describe this Dutchess-County-based program that serves all developmentally disabled children and adults. The organization has thirty different facilities in Dutchess County, which began with its original “Little Red Schoolhouse” in Poughkeepsie, and now goes from preschool to adult services. Since then, the emphasis in helping the developmentally disabled–who may be on the autism spectrum, have down syndrome , or suffer other forms of intellectual disability–has often been on “mainstreaming” students into regular classrooms, but Abilities First helps handle students not able to be integrated into ordinary schoolrooms. At the adult level, Abilities First provides help with ways to use community resources and currently aids sixty who have regular employment as well as those who are not able to work.
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Elian Trumpetto, Executive Director of the Council on Addiction Prevention of Dutchess County, and Mike Hill director of the Drinking Driver Program at Dutchess Community College, discuss the program “Alive at 25,” which is sponsored by the National Safety Council. Alive at 25 is a 4-hour educational program aimed at 16- to 24-year-olds to heighten their awareness of the hazards of driving drunk, drugged, or distracted. New York State has rules for young drivers about who the other occupants of a car may be, since research has shown that other young people are a principle distraction.
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Preventing relocation stress syndrome is a main goal of Moving Generations, a downsizing and moving supervision service for the elderly provided by Red Hook Rotarian Susan Goodman Goldstein, a social worker who grew up in a family moving business, and Dena Crane, a long-time family mediator specializing in senior decision making. Moving Generations serves the entire Hudson Valley and points beyond. Services include a free consultation for senior citizens who are downsizing from a large home into smaller quarters, help in setting up auctions for some furniture and sale of other items, handling donations of items where appropriate, and supervising the actual move, including unpacking and making sure everything is in place when the seniors arrive at their new home.
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Center of Compassion volunteers Julie Gregory, Executive Coordinator, and Karen Finnerty, Community Outreach Coordinator, discuss this complex of humanitarian activities that has been located in Dover Plains for the past eleven years. Founded by Sister Maureen of the Westchester’s Sisters of the Divine Compassion, The Center of Compassion runs a food bank, a weekly community lunch, a backpack program of food for school children, emergency meals for the home-bound, and a thrift store at 7 Market Street in Dover Plains. All the meals they provide are homemade by volunteers. The backpack program, one of their newer outreaches, provides about 50 to 80 children identified by the school system as in need with a Friday backpack filled with six well-balanced meals; the children return the empty backpack to the school on Monday. Mostly funded by local donors, The Center of Compassion also operated with a grant from the Regional Food Bank of the Hudson Valley.
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Each year on Rotary UN Day, which celebrates the role Rotary had in founding the UN and their continuing relationship, RadioRotary conducts onsite interviews with Rotarians and others attending the event. In this program, the interviews included deal with water purification and desalination, developing a new generation of leaders around the world, the Rotary youth exchange program, and dealing with technological obsolescence. The final interview in the series is with Rotary International President for Rotary year 2013-14 Ron Burton, whose motto—“Engage Rotary, Change Lives”—sums up how Rotarians and the United Nations work together.
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In a program recorded live at the regular Red Hook Rotary meeting, insurance agents and Rotarians Carl and Bill Dowden discuss the Affordable Care Act (or ACA, sometimes called “Obamacare”), Cyber-Liability Insurance, and Long-Term Care Insurance. They explain how ACA relies on individual insurance companies instead of having a government-run single-payer plan, such as Medicare. While the ACA requires that insurers provide consumer protections and some benefits, its primary goal is to insure the currently uninsured, so people with satisfactory insurance now do not need to register. Cyber-Liability Insurance primarily protects companies and nonprofits from data breaches if their computer system is hacked or a device with private information is lost or stolen. The Dowden brothers also explain the differences between long-term care insurance and long-term disability insurance as well as the differences between homeowner’s insurance and flood insurance.
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Rotary Day at the United Nations celebrates the important role Rotary had in founding the UN and the continuing relationship. Each year on Rotary UN Day, RadioRotary hosts attend and record interviews with attendees. This year the interviews included Freddie Lee Kaplan discussing the Gift of Life, which is the second largest Rotary Foundation program (after PolioPlus). Gift of Life works to fix congenital heart disorders in children from all over the world. We hear about ShelterBox, an international effort allied with Rotary that brings shelter and necessities to people facing disasters, whether storms, earthquakes, floods, or other calamities. Todd Horvath discusses a program that brings free prosthetic hands that can grip objects and that resemble real hands; more than 16,000 have been helped with these hands. On a more local level, Jaina Diaz-Kelly and Michelle Eggink tell about how the Rotarian youth organization Interact has changed their lives .
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Norah Merritt (Executive Director of Educational Programs), Barbara Cesario (Coordinator of Related Services), and Leah Pollack (Administrator of the PEACCE program) about the scope of BOCES and its special services. BOCES supplies “solutions, services, and savings” for K-12 students and beyond through three main centers in Poughkeepsie as well as itinerant teachers who work as visitors in all of the County’s school districts. Although many local residents think primarily of BOCES Career and Technical Institute or the Adult Learning Institute, this program focuses mainly on programs for the deaf and hearing impaired and for the autism spectrum disorder, especially the PEACCE (Providing an Education for Autistic and Communication-Impaired Children Effectively) program.
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This is the last edition in a series of seven inspiring broadcasts taped at Rotary International’s 2013 Lisbon Convention, where in June thousands of Rotarians from around the world convened to discuss their humanitarian work. In each of the seven broadcasts, Jonah Triebwasser, co-host of RadioRotary, interviewed humanitarian leaders whose organizations save lives through various forms of medical and nutritional support. In this last broadcast from Lisbon, interviews include representatives from Walking for Water, Anti-Prostitution, Rotary Rhinos, and the Jaipur Limb Project (inexpensive artificial legs, developed at the Mahaveer hospital in Jaipur, India, especially providing help for those suffering amputations resulting from our turbulent world). The bonus in this last broadcast is the interview with Rotary International’s 2013-14 President, Ron Burton, whose motto for this Rotary year is: Engage Rotary. Change Lives.
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While hunting, Ronald Jeffrey Callahan fell from a tree-stand and became a quadriplegic with paralysis from the neck down. Widely known in the Hudson Valley as an avid outdoorsman before and after his injury, today Mr. Callahan is an advocate for personal safety in the outdoors, teaching the next generation of hunters about the fundamentals that will keep them safe. In addition, he is a motivational speaker at events, inspiring those who suffer traumatic injuries. For those with such injuries, he stresses the need for various kinds of support from family and friends and the need for quality care that depends heavily on government services, which are dwindling in this economic environment. He has brought Outdoorsmen Helping Others (OHO) to the Hudson Valley; OHO is a nonprofit organization based on the principle that anyone, regardless of physical capability, should have the opportunity to enjoy the outdoor.
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Additional brief updates about the work of many humanitarian organizations with Rotary connections around the world, including Crutches 4 Africa, Hydrotherapy, Project Peanut Butter addressing malnutrition, and more. This program also includes an interview with several Rotary district governors.
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Millbrook Rotarian Ellie Savoy, who has studied nutrition for decades, discusses the importance of eating healthy today as a way to avoid ill health tomorrow. Using many powerful comparisons, such as making eating healthy “an investment” in the future, Ms. Savoy explains the chemicalized production of much food today and describes ways to eat and enjoy healthy foods in today’s food environment. She offers many tips to do this and provides several websites identifying local farms and health-oriented restaurants in the Hudson Valley. It’s easier (and less expensive) than you think to make your health a priority.
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Founded in 1947 by the Ross family when Dr. Barney Ross bought a farm called Green Chimneys, the Green Chimneys School today has become widely recognized as a superior residential and day center providing high-level treatment for children ages 5–18 with special needs. The school’s goal is to keep children out of psychiatric hospitals and to help them lead healthy, productive lives. Using 400 animals–including camels!–as part of the therapy, children learn new paths to avoid problematic behavior. The Green Chimneys’ Paul C. Kupchok Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, featuring birds of prey, is a well known Hudson Valley tourist attraction, and the center, open to the public on weekends from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., receives about 20,000 visitors a year. You won’t want to miss this interview with Executive Director Joseph Whalen (Lions) and Clinical Psychologist Dr. Martin Vigdor (Rotary, Assistant Governor).
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More brief updates about the work of many humanitarian organizations around the world and their efforts addressing population and development, child slavery, literacy, Alliance of Smiles (medical missions that save lives through cleft lip and palate surgery), and Wheelchairs for Africa (a Rotary and Lions partnership).
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Under the leadership of Vonnie Hubbard, President of Abraham’s Table, an “army” of volunteers provided 23,000 nutritious lunches and 8,000 breakfasts for the children of Newburgh, NY, during the summer of 2013 after school closedt This totals about 1,000 lunches a day distributed throughout the city at public sites such as recreational facilities and pools. Volunteers come from service organizations and faith based community congregations. Tom Woodhull, a Newburgh School District Board member and the organization’s treasurer, became a volunteer after hearing Ms. Hubbard speak at his New Windsor-Cornwall Rotary club three years ago. Since then, the nonprofit organization has grown from 11,000 lunches at only 7 sites to today’s totals.
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John Moon, NEADS’ Director of Programs and Communications , describes the organization’s efforts to improve the lives of the hearing impaired and the disabled with service dogs. Started in 1974, NEADS provides specialized training depending on a recipient’s circumstances, such as for hurricane alerts in some parts of the U.S. Service dogs are trained to assist wounded veterans, those with spinal cord injuries, autistic children, and more. Pups begin training at 8 weeks and are selected for temperament as well as intelligence. Inmates from several correctional facilities in the northeast volunteer to train NEADS service dogs, and over the years NEADS’ specialists have matched dogs and owners with 99% success. Vests labeled “service assist dog” are placed on service dogs, giving them the legal right to enter public buildings and vehicles where other dogs (such as therapy dogs or comfort dogs) are not permitted.
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More brief updates about the work of many humanitarian organizations around the world, including their efforts related to International Youth Exchange for developing global friendships, Incubators for Africa, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), ShelterBox, the Hiroshima Peace Project, and Human Rights.
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The nonprofit XP Society provides families with support and information needed to help their children suffering from Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP) or other life-threatening sun-sensitivity disorders. XP easily causes skin and eye cancers so families must be very careful about lighting. Caren Mahar, Executive Director and Co-founder with husband Dan of the Society, describes the special accommodations needed, including tinted windows and dimmed incandescent lighting, because even sunlight hitting a white wall can cause severe third-degree burns. Ms. Mahar, whose daughter suffers from this disease, explains how families struggle, under great hardship, to provide their children with normal lives: to go to school, travel, shop, and meet friends like themselves.
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More brief updates about the work of many humanitarian organizations around the world and their efforts related to defeating Malaria, providing clean water, sharing value of Youth Exchange, encouraging support for blood banks, describing how Solar Ovens improve lives, and emphasizing the importance of Rotary Peace Fellows.
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The New York State Broadcasters Association presented its 2013 Award of Excellence in Broadcasting in the category of Public Affairs Program/Series to RadioRotary for “Puppies behind Bars.” RadioRotary also won in this category in 2012.
Carl Rotans, Senior Instructor of Puppies behind Bars, teaches inmates to train service dogs. These unique dogs greatly assist the disabled, especially veterans, in a multitude of ways: taking dishes from the table, dialing 911 if necessary, turning lights on or off. The dogs are trained to respond to more than 90 commands. In this heavily monitored program, inmates are prescreened, go through a long and intensive selective process, and if selected, live day and night with their 8-week-old puppy as it grows and learns for the next two years.
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Rhinebeck Interact, a Rotary-sponsored high-school service organization, provides hands-on support in Nicaragua, building classrooms in that Central American nation during Rhinebeck school breaks. Two New York Rhinebeck High School students in Interact, Addie Crenshaw and Emily McGettrick, epitomize our next generation of humanitarians as they discuss how, working in the co-operation with a Nicaragua Rotary Club, they use “rebar” to reinforce structures, implement water systems, lay bricks, mix cement for a foundation, and do much, much more. On their trip south to Nicaragua, they fill their baggage with shoes (shoes are a requirement to attend school in Nicaragua. Rhinebeck Interact also supports several projects in the Hudson Valley, such as local soup kitchens, and they implement various fundraising activities for these projects.
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More brief updates about the work of humanitarian organizations around the world: Prevention of Child Abuse, Stop Hunger Now, Interact (Rotary supported high school service organization), Maternal Mortality, Rotary Leadership Institute, and Rotary Family Health Days.
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Latest episode of RadioRotary
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Andy Imperati, General Manager of the Dutchess County Fair, and Red Hook Rotary President and Fair Volunteer Niki Weaver talk about the fun events, new ones and those back-by-popular demand, at this year’s 168th Dutchess County Fair. Besides sharing fascinating statistics about various elements of the Fair, Mr. Imperati discusses volunteer positions and the details involved in organizing this huge yearly event, which has become an international attraction. Ms. Weaver also describes Red Hook Rotary’s humanitarian contributions locally and worldwide.
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Two members of the Highland Rotary Club describe the enormous success of their club’s now-famous Hudson Valley RibFest. Steve Laubach, District 7210 Secretary, and Don Verity, Station Manager for radio stations in the Hudson Valley, discuss the exhibits, cooking demonstrations by professional chefs, a sanctioned Barbecue Contest where winners advance to National Finals in Kansas City, and more–all of which attract 15,000 visitors of all ages from the Hudson Valley and around the world and benefit numerous humanitarian efforts here and abroad. New this year: a kickoff concert before the start of the Ribfest and a sightseer train around the Fairgrounds to view it all.
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In this highly informative interview, Karen Preuss, Marketing Director of Hawthorne Valley Farm in central Columbia County, NY, describes the Farm’s commitment to organic farming practices based on the Rudolf Steiner philosophy about effective agriculture to sustain the earth. Throughout the year, the Farm invites children to participate in experiential learning (i.e., milking cows) so that they learn about nature and witness a working farm based on recycling. Ms. Preuss discusses topics such as raw milk, pasteurized versus non-pasteurized milk, sauerkraut’s benefits, the definition of “organic,” and how the consumer can identify products that are certified “organic.” The Farm offers various classes for all ages, including a class on cheese-making. The Farm’s store, open to the public, is interesting in itself, especially the produce department.
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Fascinating set of short interviews recorded at the 2013 Rotary International Convention in Lisbon, Portugal. Humanitarians from around the world discuss topics that address global issues: medical concerns including Alzheimer’s disease, polio eradication, better vision services; literacy needs; and problems facing the environment. Especially interesting is a fabulous interview with anthropologist and U.N. Messenger for Peace, Dame Jane Goodall.
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Rotary eClub 7210’s Past President Ana Johnsen and current President Richard Wilson discuss the need for eClubs, a nontraditional approach to encourage membership in service organizations such as Rotary that may be losing members due to rigid attendance requirements. Maintaining membership is vital for the survival of service organizations, but recruitment is often difficult because work and family obligations as well as health issues may prevent people from attending ordinary meetings. To address this problem, Rotary created eClubs. These require members to provide humanitarian service of their choice and to pay basic dues, but do not require attendance at meetings. Chartered in 2012, Rotary eClub 7210 includes members from several countries (including Sweden, Nigeria, India, and Turkey) and U.S. states. Members communicate mainly through email, considering that time zones make it difficult to meet any other way.
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Marion Licchiello, author of Anyone Can! Live a Happier Life, describes one of the major elements needed to live a happier life: changing thoughts from the negative to the positive. Ms. Licchiello once spent nine months in bed as a result of a severe case of Lyme disease, during which time she learned that thinking positively led her to happiness. Using additional examples, including more from her own life, the author points out that people’s stories vary considerably in how they turned their life around through their thought-changing process that can ultimately make the world a better place.
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awling Rotary President, Patty Moore, who is the Executive Director of the Pauling Resource Center, discusses the various forms of support that the Center provides for the community: transportation to medical appointments, a food pantry, an extensive medical loan supply with equipment such as hospital beds, information and referrals to other agencies that can provide what the Center cannot, as well as occasional services such as gift baskets at holidays. An important part of the interview discusses the surprising number of people in all communities, even those that seem well off, who are in various stages of need in today’s difficult economic environment. Ms. Moore tells many heartfelt stories about how the Center’s more than 75 volunteers have helped folks in need over the years.
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New City Rotarian and Appalachian Trail expert Larry Luxenberg has enjoyed educating people about the joys of outdoor adventure for over 30 years. Author of Walking the Appalachian Trail, called the “classic of the genre,” and featured in the May 2013 edition of The Rotarian magazine, Mr. Luxenberg has also established and is CEO of the Appalachian Trail Museum in Pennsylvania, with over 20,000 visitors since 2010. Working many years to protect the environment around the trail from pollution, pipelines, and other environmental hazards, Mr. Luxenberg is an example of a Rotarian who has used his own skills and volunteer efforts to make the world a better place. Here he shares interesting stories and such fascinating statistics as the length of the trail is over 2,000 miles.
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A ShelterBox Ambassador was interviewed “live” at a meeting of the Red Hook Rotary at the Bread and Bottle Restaurant in Red Hook. ShelterBox is a program that provides disaster relief in the form of a specially designed tent that can hold an entire family and also the tools, food, cookware, and water filtration needed to support that family for up to half a year. Before deploying the ShelterBoxes, which resemble trunk-sized Tupperware boxes, a highly trained team of SRT’s (Shelterbox Relief Team members) performs reconnaissance of the disaster and its needs.
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Brian Doyle, CEO for Family Services in Poughkeepsie, describes the enormous scope of his organization such as Youth Services, Comprehensive Crime Victim services (and Forensics), Domestic Violence Service, and Substance Abuse Prevention and Family Education. The Family Partnership Center, a centerpiece of Family Services, collaborates with several other organizations for a unified approach to human services and building community. With over 43,000 clients last year, this extraordinary organization responds to societal ills that threaten families and seeks ways to prevent those problems, with a focus on youth activities (athletics, homework support, etc.) and programs to help young people grow to be caring and effective parents. Although Family Service in Poughkeepsie is located in the Hudson Valley, similar centers operate in neighboring counties, and the Hudson Valley organization can provide contact information for them.
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Loads of fun at this on-site interview with two sets of high school Rotary Youth Exchange students: Inbound students from all over the world who have spent a year in the Hudson Valley and Outbound Hudson Valley students who will be leaving to spend a year abroad. The students are endearing, charming, and at times very funny. Inbound students describe the foods they enjoyed (for example—the Thailand student’s favorite is lasagna), the difference in schooling here and at home, and what they learned from their experiences. Outbound students describe why they decided to participate in an exchange program and what they hope to learn.
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Walden Rotarian Brian Maher is Chairman of Hudson Valley Honor Flight, an organization that brings World War II veterans from Montgomery, New York, to the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. At Montgomery, the veterans are escorted by 100 Rolling Thunder motorcycle riders to Stewart Airport where hundreds of appreciative citizens waving American flags greet them with cheers. The Honor Flight Network program now has over 70 chapters throughout the United States, and 2013 marks their ninth year running. They have transported over 81,000 veterans. The interview contains lots more interesting information, including what happens on the return flight back to Stewart. Mr. Maher is mayor of Walden, re-elected since his first campaign at the age of 23.
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David Violante, Assistant Director of Emergency Medical Services in the Arlington Fire Department and Director of Disaster Preparedness and Training for NYC Medics, describes his experiences during 20 years of training medics here and abroad. Training paramedics to care for people in emergency situations includes not only teaching them how to deal with basic emergencies such as delivering babies, but also how to provide emergency aid while awaiting transport of a patient to a location with more complete medical services. Mr. Violante studied under Rockland County’s Dr. Martha “Bobbie” MacGuffie, who founded SHARE Africa, an organization which provides public health services in Africa and which has been supported by Rotary clubs over the years. This subsequently led to his work in Kenya where he trained local paramedics, empowering them to help the public in their own communities.
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Cindy Fung, a member of the Vassar Rotaract club and co-founders of the Vassar Haiti Project, Lila and Andrew Meade, discuss how promoting Haiti’s varied and unique art forms has improved Haitian lives (Rotaract is a college service club sponsored by Rotary). Andrew Meade, Vassar’s Director of International Services, and his wife Lila, lived in Haiti at different times when young and are familiar with its problems. The Vassar Haiti Project (VHP) works with the Poughkeepsie-Arlington Rotary Club to implement the projects they have developed to solve some of these problems. The VHP has raised funds for a health clinic, a school, and clean water projects in rural mountain areas. VHP plans additional clean water projects in the future. The project’s members emphasize the Haitian people’s strong spirit of optimism in spite of recent devastation and hardships.
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wo past Rotary 7210 District Governors, Tam Mustapha (1999-2000), IMRF President, and Knut Johnsen (2003-2004), discuss their involvement in the International Relief Medical Foundation (IMRF), founded by Dr. Hrusi Parida from Rotary District 7210’s Middletown Club. The IMRF, a nonprofit, nonpolitical organization collects surplus medical supplies and equipment for distribution to poor areas in need in developing countries around the world and in the United States. Perfectly sound equipment, gently used but slightly outdated, is tested by IMRF and shipped. Rotarians in recipient countries receive each shipment and assure effective distribution. No medications are exported, but almost all other medical supplies, even Band Aides, are welcome. Listeners were encouraged to ask their doctors and dentists about discarded equipment that could be donated. Each area around the country houses the donated equipment until it is ready for shipping. In the Hudson Valley, Guardian Storage volunteers i
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A good example of how a Rotary club works on the local level can be found in this Club Close-up interview featuring the Red Hook Rotary Club, which emphasizes two of its many local projects. Niki Weaver, Past President, describes her Therapy Dogs project, including the training required and the dogs’ successes, especially with stroke victims. Red Hook Rotarians, including Dave Wright and Bruce Martin, also describe the club’s yearly signature project, the Apple Blossom Festival. The Festival, this year held on May 11, is a strong community event involving a multitude of activities, such as food booths, craft vendors, live entertainment, a petting zoo, and church-run flea markets. Red Hook Interact (the high school service club sponsored by Red Hook Rotary) also describes its fundraiser, which will bring clean water wells to Africa.
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District Governor Elect Drew Kessler (North Rockland Rotary) describes his vision for Rotary District 7210 during his tenure as District Governor (July 1, 2013 – June 30, 2014). His emphasis will be on integrating Rotary into 21st century life. Mr. Kessler describes what he calls the “trilogy of life”: family, work, and service. Bringing the family into service events to help the younger generation recognize the rewards of service is one important way to accomplish this integration. DGE Drew Kessler also describes creative ways that many Rotary clubs can meet more conveniently for its members: cocktail clubs that would meet after a business day, early morning breakfast clubs, meetings centered solely around a service project, and eClubs for members around the world. Mr. Kessler ended his interview with heartfelt words to explain why folks should join Rotary.
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Rotary 7210 District Governor Bill Bassett (Wallkill East Rotary Club) introduces one of Rotary International’s major focus initiatives: improving literacy around the world. He provides important statistics about the high rate of functional illiteracy in the U.S. and therefore the need for all forms of literacy programs such as World Book Night and tutoring services. Margie Menard, Director of Kingston Library, and Cassandra Beam, CEO of the Ulster Literacy Association, both Kingston Rotary Club members, discuss the multitude of reasons for current illiteracy in the U.S. They facilitate tutoring programs and the yearly international project called World Book Night held on April 23 (Shakespeare’s birth and death date). During World Book Night some 80,000 volunteers around the world give millions of books to folks who find it difficult to gain access to books, with 25,000 distributed in the U.S. alone. This person-to-person approach has made for the yearly success of this initiative.
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District Governor Bonnie Sirower (Rotary District 7490 in New Jersey) describes the lasting effects of Hurricane Sandy, one of the worst tropical cyclones in the history of New Jersey and New York. Many still do not have power or heat and are living in tents. Access to power, phones, roads, and other transportation was often lost. Businesses and homes have been destroyed. Ms. Sirower became the “command center” after gaining access to electric power, and when word went out, Rotary clubs and organizations from the U.S. and all over the world (including Australia, Russian, and Turkey) responded with donations. The website established by District 7490 identified what was most needed. Rotary District 7210 in thr Hudson Valley supplying the most vital initial donations: nearly 30 generators for use in New Jersey and on Long Island. Warehouses collected food and building materials, which ten were sent in convoys of trucks traveling from places such as Vancouver and Florida.
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Laurie Rich, Esq., Foundation Director of Spectrum Services Foundation, discusses the autism spectrum and the schools in the Hudson Valley that provide education and special help for children on the spectrum. The autism spectrum spans disorders ranging from profoundly autistic who often cannot speak to Asperger’s Syndrome, with those in the latter category often particularly skilled in science and the arts. The schools involved encompass 14 counties in 55 school districts, with students referred by local public schools. Students enrolled in the program work on social skills to assure that their talents can easily be absorbed into the work force. Early intervention is more likely to promote greater improvement.
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Assistant Governor Skip Rottkamp (Rotary District 7210) from Fishkill Rotary discusses project Operation Warm. Mr. Rottkamp, an educator, observed children get off school buses during winter months in T-shirts and spring jackets because they had nothing else to wear. Realizing the need, Mr. Rottkamp organized 17 clubs in Rotary District 7210 to join the nationwide program Operation Warm. Rotarians work with school nurses in the Hudson Valley to select children in need. Then they distribute new winter coats to those children through elementary schools and other local agencies. Ever since the project began a few years ago, the need has increased. Some of the effective results are improved attendance, which can lead to better grades.
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Nanuet Rotarians Kevin Muir (owner of Nanuet Collision Center whose slogan is “The Collision Physicians”) and Donna Lennane (club President) discuss Recycled Rides, a national program that repairs and donates recycled vehicles to those in need (i.e., disabled veterans). Recipients are identified through a collaboration with local charitable agencies to help people get on with their life. Cars are donated by insurance companies, body shops, or individuals, and after much work by professional volunteers (up to a year, in some cases), they are absolutely good as new. The program is supported by volunteer labor and donations (i.e., paint companies and parts companies) and funding by service organizations such as Nanuet Rotary. President Lennane describes her club’s strong support of Recycled Rides as well as other humanitarian projects that save and repair lives.
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Executive Director for Columbia County Habitat for Humanity, Brenda Adams, discusses Habitat, the international nonprofit organization that provides affordable housing for families while producing income for communities. Ms. Adams describes the extensive selective process for a family to receive a home. A family of four having a maximum income of $40,000 must show over several interviews their ability to assume the challenges of home ownership; their willingness to take various courses such as budgeting; and a donation of 300 hours of work on their home prior to moving in. Ms. Adams also discusses “passive houses” with energy-efficiency elements that don’t rely on air-furnaces or air conditioners to heat and cool a home. Ms. Adams points out that volunteers for Habitat, like Rotarians, enjoy the fellowship and work that so clearly improves lives.
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Here is an interview with poet and retired opera singer Roger Roloff that will surprise those who “don’t like” poetry. Mr. Roloff, who has just published his fifth book of poetry, thoroughly entertains his audience, showing how poetry, like music, enhances our life. Reciting a few samples from his own poems, which make us laugh at ourselves, he gives some easy advice about how we can better understand poetry, and he encourages people to try writing poems themselves. Roger Roloff, famous baritone on the world’s opera and concert stages for 21 years but always a poet, retired with his wife Barbara in 1996 to the rural life in the Hudson Valley to continue writing poetry full time.
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Journalist and author Anthony Musso discusses his fourth published book, which is filled with detailed research that will motivate people to seek more information about local structures that they pass every day without realizing their historical significance. Featuring 55 sites, and not necessarily buildings, the book details not only the history but the stories, many of them personal to past owners, behind the sites. Facts abound in the interview. For example, the Borden Factory in Wassaic supplied the army with milk for the entire Revolutionary War, and Matthew Vassar made his money in a company brewing beer before founding Vassar College. Most sites are free and make for wonderful visits with the family.
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Dr. Felicia LeClere, a Principal Research Scientist with the National Opinion Research Center (NORC), describes her work. NORC is a nonprofit research organization that collects data and does analysis of America’s attitudes toward social and health issues; it does not do political polling. The survey results are distributed to the parts of the federal government, such as Congress or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that need such information to make informed decisions and to better serve the public interest. Each question posed to the public gives people the opportunity to respond negatively or positively. The intention is to improve public policy in fields such as health, education, economics, crime, justice, energy, security, and the environment.
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Carl Rotans, Senior Instructor of Puppies behind Bars, teaches inmates to train service dogs. These unique dogs greatly assist the disabled, especially veterans, in a multitude of ways: taking dishes from the table, dialing 911 if necessary, turning lights on or off. The dogs are trained to respond to more than 90 commands. In this heavily monitored program, inmates are prescreened, go through a long and intensive selective process, and if selected, live day and night with their 8-week-old puppy as it grows and learns for the next two years. The process not only results in trained animals that improve the lives of their disabled owners, but also helps the prisoners learn disciple and other skills that will be helpful when they return to life outside the prison walls. Parting is “bittersweet,” with many inmates opting for a new puppy when the first training period ends.
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Mario Johnson, Program Coordinator for Poughkeepsie’s Nubian Directions II YouthBuild/AmeriCorps, describes how dedicated young adults collected nearly 2,000 new and slightly used shoes, sneakers, and boots in one month for victims of Hurricane Sandy, with shipments going to Long Island and New Jersey. Organized in partnership with LaGrange Sunrise Rotary and the Freedom Plains Presbyterian Church of Lagrangeville, the project was affiliated with the charitable organization called Soles4Souls and was a successful response to National Make a Difference Day. Participants of Nubian Directions II, ages 16-24, are also members of Rotaract. Mr. Johnson shares many heartwarming stories of success, including his own.
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Gail Piazza, a professional food consultant, and her daughter Laura, who suffers from chronic Lyme disease, discuss their award-winning book, Recipes for Repair: A Lyme Disease Cookbook. The book, which applies to everyone, not only those with Lyme, was a 2012 USA Best Books selection. People often have inflammation in their body without realizing it, and some foods make the inflammation worse. Therefore, the authors emphasize the need to identify one’s personal hidden sensitivities and ways to conduct a self-assessment to determine foods that might be a detriment to your own health. Also discussed are the telltale signs of Lyme (besides the bull’s eye rash), Lyme prevention tips, inflammation in our body, and a lot more.
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This interview tells a complex story of romance, success against great odds, and unexpected disaster. The children of two Hyde Park Rotarians met as young adults at a function, fell in love, married, and together joined the Peace Corps in Madagascar. The Rotarian in-laws, Sue Osterhoudt, Pompey Delafield, and spouses, visited the Madagascar village and asked what was most needed. The simple answer of “books” led to amazing results: building a library, creating a manual (by Ms. Osterhoudt, a former librarian) about how to set up a library, villagers young and old wanting to read both in English and in Malagasy (the language of Madagascar), volunteers teaching villagers to read, peer tutoring to expand the reading population in the village, literacy improvement in which the village moved from last place in Madagascar to first place, a business selling vanilla beans to support the project, and more. Then a Class 3 cyclone hit the village.
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In this interview about her experiences with hospice patients, Ms. Suzanne O’Brien, R.N, shares her holistic model to end of life care. Hospice is a program to relieve the suffering of those in the last few months on life. In her frank discussion, Ms. O’Brien, a Registered Nurse, provides important practical advice to patients and their families to make the end of life peaceful and beautiful. Her book, Life, Love, and Transition, includes her personal stories at the bedside of hospice patients and the valuable lessons she has learned over the years. In describing the history of hospice, Ms. O’Brien conveys many interesting statistics, examples of patient decisions, and information about the improved quality of care we offer today, especially about pain management.
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Larry Palant (Suffern Rotary), Disaster Response Chair for Rotary District 7210, discusses the District’s immediate and generous response to helping victims of Hurricane Sandy. Previously the Rotary District in 2005 provided quick relief to victims of Hurricane Katrina, and Mr. Palant learned from that experience. This time, with generous donations from District 7210 and neighboring Rotary districts, Mr. Palant was able to buy 47 electrical generators, extension cords, gasoline containers, and other necessary items. As with Katrina, only with great difficulty was Mr. Palant able to locate generators, eventually finding them in Chester, New York. A volunteer donated his time and tractor trailer to deliver the supplies to the affected areas in New York and New Jersey, starting with police and fire departments. Mr. Palant also describes a “Go Bag” suggested by experts that people should have ready for immediate evacuation. Much more needs to be done to help those who lost everything.
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Stephanie Fitzpatrick, a Red Hook Rotarian and Executive Director of the nonprofit Hidden Hollow Farm Riding Center, discusses how riding and grooming the farm’s docile horses encourage growth in those with a broad range of disabilities. In addition to horseback riding, the farm supports “petting as healing,” using miniature horses, goats, and pigs also living on the Farm. The animals also help restore health to crime victims and those in the “hero” category: veterans, police, EMS, fire fighters, and their families.There is no fee for these heroes. Ms. Fitzpatrick’s heartfelt stories are very moving and powerful, such as her description of people of various ages who speak for the first time in their lives at the Center. Ms. Fitzpatrick is also a coach for the Special Olympics.
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Wendy Maragh Taylor, a social worker, became an instrument of change by helping an impoverished Liberian community build a church that also doubles as a school. Working with her husband, a civil engineer and architect who was born in Liberia and attended college in America, the two used their own savings and fundraised at their bike riding club, their church in the United States, and their workplace, telling the story of the village’s need. The journey of this endeavor, from beginning to end, is extremely powerful and heartwarming, starting with a visit to Mr. Taylor’s grandmother, still living in his birthplace after fourteen years of civil war in Liberia. Ms. Taylor’s interview includes many unique experiences in Liberia. The story about their journey is told in Ms. Taylor’s book called This Part of the Sky: Building in Liberia, with a percentage of the proceeds going toward a playground and school building separate from the church.
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Not to be missed, this highly informative on-site interview with pediatrician and child psychologist, Rotarian Dr. Abraham Nussbaum, covers vital information about vaccinations against communicable diseases, especially for children. Dr. Nussbaum discusses the progress toward polio eradication worldwide, information about the influenza and shingles vaccinations, and our successes in childhood vaccinations starting in the mid 20th century. He reports the truth about a study linking vaccinations with autism, now admitted to be totally false and thoroughly recanted.
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The program features on-site interviews during Rotary’s United Nations Day on November 3, 2012, with Rotary International President Sakuji Tanaka (2012-13) and other humanitarian leaders from around the world who discuss how their service projects save lives and create goodwill. Rotary and the United Nations have a long history of working together and sharing similar visions for a more peaceful world. Each year at Rotary UN Day more than 1,300 Rotarians come together at UN Headquarters in New York. The program is designed to inspire and educate all participants as well as provide insight into the relationship between Rotary and the United Nations. These interviews tell us what the world is doing in its efforts to encourage peace and understanding through humanitarian service.
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Jeri Miller, a high school guidance counselor who suffers from Type I diabetes, has been on insulin for 15 years, injecting herself four or five times a day. She discusses how children and adults in her situation can benefit from a Diabetes Alert Dog such as her Morgan. A half hour before her meter tells her that she must take her medication Morgan alerts her to the need, working every hour of every day. Ms. Miller describes in great detail how Service Dogs like Morgan alert their companions from a mile away, obey commands to get a test kit or juice, and dial 911 when needed. These special dogs start their training at 13 weeks old, and they can work with children as young as two years old.
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Union Vale’s Dog Control Officer Valerie Cote describes her role as Dog Warden, mainly finding stray dogs running loose and enforcing licensing regulations. She explains the dangers of dogs on the loose, the best way to help ensure their safe return, and what happens to unclaimed dogs. Providing helpful information about what owners should do when their pets go missing, she corrects misinformation along the way—answering questions such as such as “Do old dogs really wander away to die?”. Ms. Cote emphasizes the “reputable rescue” aspect of her work and her hope that more people will consider adopting pets now living in shelters.
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Margaret Bryngelson (Kingston Rotarian) describes her experience as a non-medical volunteer in a recent mission to Venezuela where she assisted a medical team of doctors and nurses operating on children with cleft lip and palate disfigurations. Rotaplast (“Rotary” + “plastic surgery”), heavily supported by Rotary districts and clubs around the world, was started by doctors in the Rotary Club of San Francisco in 1992 to provide such services. Such reconstructive surgery is difficult to obtain in poor undeveloped countries. Venezuela’s Cumana Rotary arranged for 3 operating rooms in a local hospital to be available to the medical team. Over 10 days the team performed 99 surgeries on patients selected from among hundreds of families; many had traveled very far to reach the clinic in order to give their loved ones a chance for a better life. The immediate transformation after an operation is powerful to witness, as children can suddenly hear, speak, eat, and drink.
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What is the current condition of the Hudson River and how will it affect you? Dr. David Strayer, Freshwater Ecologist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, New York and author of The Hudson River Primer – The Ecology of an Iconic River, discusses the positive effects of the federal Clean Water Act and other government regulations. Together these make Hudson much cleaner today than years ago, with most of the Hudson today now safe for swimming. However, Hudson River fish are still contaminated with chemical compounds (PCBs), limiting food fish to those that spend most of their lives at sea. Furthermore, alien species, often carried on ships entering the Hudson River from foreign lands, disrupt the Hudson’s ecosystem. Dr. Strayer also discusses future Hudson Valley prospects in the face of climate change, such as the effect of sea level rises on the Hudson River.
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Dana Gavin, Director for the Center of Prevention of Child Abuse in Dutchess County, shares the latest information and statistics about child abuse that are at times surprising. Ms. Gavin began her career with the Center as a volunteer several years ago. Today, involved heavily in Public Relations, she speaks to organizations about the Center’s many programs that teach children and adults important ways to prevent child abuse. These include educating children in school systems in an age-appropriate Puppet People program and providing families with contacts that help them stop an abuse before it starts. Ms. Gavin explains some factors contributing to an increase in child abuse since 2005, such as the economy that places stress on parents and a rise in reporting abuse cases by those who suspect abuse, such as teachers, coaches, and doctors.
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Past Rotary International President (2000-2001) Frank Devlyn, author and humanitarian, discusses how our world becomes a better place to live in through Rotary, giving specific examples. He also describes his personal humanitarian work through his family business, Devlyn Optical Group of Mexico. His extraordinary initiatives include pairing patients with free used-but-restored eyeglasses. He created the largest used eyeglass bank in Mexico, which today serves as a model in different countries. Devlyn says: “It’s an honor and opportunity to serve the world of Rotary in our quest to serve mankind…As the needs of communities change, Rotary will work to meet those needs” for the next century.
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Rachel Swanson, Director of Volunteer and Community Partnerships for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF and Ananda Grant, Deputy Director of Office of Strategic Partnerships for UNICEF, discuss the work that this extraordinary global humanitarian relief organization does in over 150 countries. UNICEF’s projects include children’s health care and immunizations, clean water, nutrition and food security, education, emergency relief, and more. The two directors emphasize UNICEF’s longstanding partnership with Rotary International in addressing the same areas of global concern, especially eradicating polio and improving the lives of children. UNICEF shares Rotary’s objective of peace and understanding and the belief that such initiatives in health and education contribute to achieving that objective.
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Dr. Barbara Chatr-aryamontri, Medical Director of the Sleep Center at Northern Dutchess Hospital, but known to her patients as Dr. Chatr, discusses the nature and treatment of sleep disorders. She focuses especially on the common condition of sleep apnea, which people may not even know they have. Co-host Jonah Triebwasser has suffered from this problem, and he describes how treatment improved his quality of life. Dr. Chatr discusses many other sleep disorders and urges those who suspect they are affected to seek treatment because some are not benign.
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Interact clubs are service organizations for teenagers (and sometimes younger students) sponsored by local Rotary clubs. The Interact Club of Pawling is sponsored by Pawling Rotary Club and the Pawling Recreation Department. Teens in the club enjoy volunteering to work on community and humanitarian projects, from fundraising to implementation. So say the two Pawling Interact Club members who were interviewed with their Advisor, Robyn Woolley, Assistant Recreation Director for the Town of Pawling and Advisor to the Pawling Interact Club. Unlike most Interact clubs, which are affiliated with a specific school, this Interact club is community-based and open to all teens (grades 5-12) in the Pawling area. The club meets after school. Its activities include a strong summer day camp program for ages 3-14 and representation of the club at Rotary International Day at the U.N.
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Catherine Forbes, Dutchess County SPCA Director of Development, discusses the no-kill Hyde Park shelter with a 141-year history of providing shelter and services for unwanted, abused, abandoned, or neglected animals. SPCA Adoption Counselors are trained to match families with pets, now called “companion animals.” Using a rescued puppy as an example, Ms. Forbes describes the medical attention veterinarians provide that finally allows a rescued companion to live a happy life in a good home. She offers many suggestions for protecting pets, such as a microchip (small as a grain of rice) injected under the skin for easy identification. The Hyde Park’s yearly Annual Petwalk, a unique and well-known county fair for dogs now in its 18th year, includes activities such as competitions in catch-a-ball, racing, tail wagging, singing, speaking, begging, tricks, and so forth, as well as unusual activities like “paw reading.”
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Rotarian Doug Martin Sturomski discusses the Worldwide Peace Bells Foundation and the work it does to promote peace. Mr. Sturomski believes strongly in Rotary’s message of achieving peace through service. His Peace Bells across the Hudson this year, where symbolically people on two sides of the bridge will meet in the middle, is a fund raiser supporting Family Promise, a non-profit organization that helps families in economic distress. Discussing the historical significance of the bell symbol in most countries around the world, Mr. Sturomski shares his belief that “peace is on the move” and will soon overshadow the preference for conflict. His website asks visitors to commit acts of peace and gives many examples of how to do so.
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Pleasant Valley Rotarian Dave Kruger, Chair of District 7210’s Vocational Training Team, a professional exchange program, discusses how this program promotes international goodwill and understanding. Mr. Kruger describes Rotary’s positive impact in the world with its various successful humanitarian programs throughout its 100+ year history, starting with Rotary’s influence in the formation of the United Nations. Some of these programs include ShelterBox, Polio eradication worldwide, Peace and Ambassadorial Scholarhips, and more. Mr. Kruger says he always finds it “inspirational” how Rotarians meet major critical challenges in the world by working together in service to others “to further the greater good.”
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Carolyn Klocker, Senior Water Resource Educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension in Dutchess County (CCEDC), discusses important updates about our water supply, describing and emphasizing watersheds and their importance. She provides easy methods that will conserve and protect our water supply and corrects misinformation about our knowledge of water. Ms. Klocker also describes the vital work of the CCEDC, which strives to extend the educational resources of Cornell Univerity and the NYS Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Human Ecology, Veterinary Medicine, etc. In addition, Ms. Klocker explains the program called “No Child Left Inside,” a movement in the United States that seeks to encourage environmental literacy for students between kindergarten and 12th grade. Ms. Klocker says: “Water will be the next oil. The more we conserve it, the better off we’ll be.”
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Girl Scout Leader Kristen Reid and two teenage Ambassador Level Girl Scouts from Troop 10452 of the Millbrook Service Unit, Heart of Hudson Council, discuss its mission: to provide leadership training to girls, empowering them to connect with others in making the world a better place. Today’s girl scouting experience retains many traditional programs, such as badges, Silver Award, Gold Award, and community services while adding contemporary programs that address current issues, such as financial literacy; Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) programs; self-esteem programs; and multi-cultural appreciation.
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West Point-Highland Falls Rotarian John Willis discusses his position as Director of Research Operations at the Institute for Innovation and Development at West Point’s U.S. Military Academy. A retired Lieutenant Colonel, Mr. Willis describes several of the 37 research centers and programs as well as his family’s history of three generations in the military. Pointing out that West Point is not only a training center for tomorrow’s officers but also a highly respected four year college, Mr. Willis reviews the admissions process in some detail. He also identifies West Point’s many additional activities open to the public, such as its tours, concerts, and theater, which attracts top talents.
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In an on-site interview at the Apple a Day Diner where Red Hook Rotary meets weekly, Dutchess County Fair Board member Lou Ruge and Fair Operations Manager Andy Imperati describe exciting events at the world famous Dutchess County Fair (Aug. 21-26, 2012). Of special interest are the new exhibits devoted to local agriculture and to educational programs showing how food gets from local farms to our kitchen table. The categories of shows are best described by the Fair’s various buildings (horticulture, poultry), arenas (horse), pavilions (livestock, sheep), and tents (canine, entertainment). Fair favorites in food, gifts, demonstrations, competitions, the petting zoo, and more all return this year. Now in its 167th year, the Fair attracts visitors worldwide!
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Highland Rotarian Don Verity discusses this year’s events at Hudson Valley’s annual celebrated RibFest on August 18-19, now in its 8th year. The RibFest is the region’s largest and most unique food event, attracting people from around the country. Visitors enjoy delicious culinary experiences, cooking demonstrations and competitions, popular music, and various entertainment for the entire family. Proceeds benefit charitable organizations, including Rotary’s global polio eradication program, local food pantries, literacy groups, and more.
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Sara-Elizabeth Clark’s interview was selected in June, 2012, by the New York State Broadcasters Association to receive the prestigious Broadcasting Award for Excellence in the category of Public Affairs in a Program/Series. In Sara-Elizabeth’s interview, which aired in October, 2011, she discusses her life with epilepsy and how at age 16 she has developed her philosophy: “I will not let my epilepsy define me. It’s what I have, not who I am.” Sara describes the many misunderstandings and misinformation among the public that add to the burden of those with this neurological condition and describes the support available to those with epilepsy. Sara helps support research by major epilepsy organizations with Sara’s Strikes for Seizures, a bowling afternoon that raises money for the cause.
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Giorgio Balestrieri, a Rotary UN Representative in the International Service Division, epitomizes Rotary’s passion for peace through service. He discusses examples of Rotary’s effectiveness in worldwide efforts such as polio eradication and clean water. In one very emotional segment, he describes how Rotary’s efforts brought peace and understanding between Armenians and Turks in 2005.
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Penny Hickman, Distribution Coordinator for the humanitarian organization Hunters Helping the Hungry, discusses the process by which this program brings thousands of pounds of game (venison and birds) to soup kitchens, churches, food pantries, and other food distribution sites. She describes how the local deer population would breed themselves out of existence without controlled hunting. Volunteer hunters collect the food, bring it to a processing plant donated and staffed by hunters, cut up and vacuum-pack the meat, freeze it, and distribute it–58,000 pounds distributed since 1993! For young people involved in hunting and fishing, Ms. Hickman describes various ways to help the next generation learn about conservation and the outdoors, such as hunter safety courses, conservation programs, and summer camps. Ms. Hickman urges hunters to wear blaze orange, also known as safety orange, instead of camouflage for safer hunting. Hunting permits include Ms. Hickman’s contact information.
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William BreMiller and John Roger, physical therapists with extensive medical and academic credentials, discuss the benefits of physical therapy, especially orthopedic therapy. Therapy is commonly used for treating movement disorders caused by aging, arthritis, injuries, and so forth. But there are also a wide variety of conditions that physical therapy addresses, including post-trauma rehabilitation, surgery follow up, sports injuries, and even headache management. The interview covers tips to prevent conditions from becoming chronic as well as the ways that modern therapy strategies speed recovery. There are many reasons why more people today are seeking physical therapy, especially young athletes.
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Rotary International’s long-term Youth Exchange Program provides students ages 15-19 with the opportunity to live in a different country for a full school year. Enjoy this lively interview with current Inbound and next year’s outbound students participating under the direction of Rotary District 7210’s Inbound Co-Chairs Nan and David Greenwood and Outbound Chair Donna Bemiss. Inbound students describe their experiences–including their food preferences–living with Hudson Valley host families and attending local public schools. Outbound students discuss why they look forward to living abroad. Through Youth Exchange, which began in the 1920s, students learn firsthand about life in another country, planting the seeds for a lifetime of international understanding. Students applying for the program do not have to have family affiliated with Rotary.
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Rotarian Stan Martin (Warwick Valley Rotary) describes a highly successful humanitarian initiative of his Rotary club working with the Warwick Reformed Church to provide weekend food to needy families. Called the Backpack Snack Attack, the program originally served the needs of one school district and 20 student families. Today, in these harsh economic times and supported by a Rotary district grant, it has expanded to serving several districts and 200 families. Elementary schools identify the families in need and send students home each Friday with backpacks filled with food. Students return the backpacks on Monday. This year, students also received winter jackets from the Rotary Club of Warwick. Each week, over 300 volunteers organize food donations, food collections, food purchases, fundraising, and backpack packing, paying attention to restrictive diets, allergies, and so forth. Today this program is a model for other efforts like it in the Hudson Valley and beyond.
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In this week’s program, Millbrook Rotarian Rona Boyer, Food Editor of The Millbrook Independent, offers gourmet cooking tips and, as an added bonus, easy-to-follow delicious, healthy gourmet recipes. Here is an example: to prepare a tasty and tender chicken dish marinate chicken parts in the refrigerator skin-side down in equal amounts of peanut oil (or other light oil) and lemon juice from 45 minutes to 4 hours; pour out 2/3 of marinade and bake skin-side up at 350° until juices run clear. Listen for more examples, such as an easy and fabulous gourmet dessert, Roasted Strawberries.
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Lynne Versaci, Community Director of the March of Dimes, Northern Metro Division, describes the original purpose of the organization in 1938, which was to eradicate polio in America, and its current mission today. Now The March of Dimes focuses on ways to improve the health of mothers and babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. Using her own personal history of giving birth to premature babies and how one was saved as examples, she discusses ways premature infants today can be helped to breathe on their own. The charity needs both volunteers and fundraising efforts to maintain its success.
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Louise Quartuccio, Director of Social Work at Elant, a nursing facility that provides housing for seniors, and Roger Risko, Rotary District 7210’s Elderact Chair, discuss Elderact, a Rotary-connected club for senior citizens similar to Rotaract for young adults and Interact for high-school students. The Elderact club is an example of how society benefits from humanitarian efforts by its senior citizens. The span of knowledge and skills among seniors is often overlooked but are clearly recognized when seniors implement important work in their local community and beyond, such as Elant’s humanitarian projects that support the military, battered women’s shelters, students, local animal shelters, and the needy. The Elderact model is currently being expanded to other senior facilities in District 7210.
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Don Fleming, Vice President and Public Relations Manager of Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, famous for its air shows, discusses the history of the airport and the fabulous entertainment available to the public in the shows featuring antique aircraft. Mr. Fleming describes the necessary expertise of the pilots who fly the older planes and his own experience with airplanes. Besides the air shows (from June through mid October), visitors can enjoy a guided tour at the museum to view the unique collection of airplanes, largely from WWI.
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Joe Ryan, Outreach Coordinator for the Division of Aging Services, provides many interesting statistics and other facts about the many ways this agency assists seniors. Approximately 57,000 seniors, defined as anyone over 60 years old, live in Dutchess County, and residents between 40 and 60 years old total about 90,000. Other Hudson Valley counties provide similar services, which include help with legal issues (wills, trusts, etc.), transportation (for medical purposes especially, but for other purposes such as grocery shopping), medical information (long term care, levels of living), free exercise programs, the Brain Games program, and loads more. They also provide assistance to caretakers for the aging. The agency receives about 39,000 calls per year asking for help. The agency’s goal is to keep seniors living independently and at home as long as possible because studies show that seniors live longer in their own environment.
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Executives from PARC (Putnam Achieve, Reach, Connect), Nancy Miringoff, Associate Executive Director, and Pepi Diaz-Salazar, Director of Day Habilitation, discuss PARC’s many services to children and adults with developmental disabilities and brain injuries. Based in Putnam County but covering a huge geographical area beyond, PARC provides a variety of services, including preschool for children with autism, residential homes, day habilitation and vocational training, and support groups for those suffering from brain injuries. Day habilitation is assistance in a non-residential setting with self-help, socialization, and adaptive skills. Day habilitation at PARC focuses on socialization and cognitive skills necessary for community-based jobs and volunteer services such as delivering meals for Meals on Wheels. PARC also provides extensive, life-long services to more than 650 people each year after they have aged out of the school system.
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Award winning producer and host of a new program called Vets Chat Show Trent Love, retired U.S. Army Captain, brings veterans and the community together to address the needs of returning veterans and their families. The intent is to help listeners become aware of the veterans’ problems and about the ways they can help, sometimes as simple as telling a vet: “Thank you for serving.” Mr. Love discusses the many resources and services now available to returning veterans and points out the shortage of publicity, which means that veterans must reach out to each other. A poet in his spare time, Mr. Love shares the values of Rotary, wanting to give back to his community and his country. His 9/11 experience as a First Responder resulted in a multi-media exhibition, “United We Stood,” a month long multi-media photo exhibition, showcasing 10 original photos taken by Trent Love at various locations around New York. Contact: vetschatshow@gmail.com
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Rotarian Eben Yager (Poughkeepsie-Arlington) discusses the Renegades baseball team, now in its 19th season. General Manager Yager describes the many reasons for the team’s enormous and growing popularity, which includes the enthusiastic energy of the players and the extensive forms of family entertainment available at each game. In addition, the raccoon mascots are loads of fun: Rookie (dad), Renee (mom), and Rascal (their child). Furthermore, the cost of tickets and food is reasonable, there are no “bad” seats, and the food is varied and delicious. There are also many special activities, such as Bed & Breakfast Night, Scout Night, and so forth.
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Bill Bassett shares his goals for his year as District Governor, which will start July 1, 2012, and describes the intense training that Rotary provides for district governors. He plans to focus on supporting local literacy projects. The district exists to support its more than 60 clubs; these know the needs of their communities and meet them through local humanitarian projects. District clubs also can join with each other and with clubs around the world to facilitate major global projects, such as polio eradication, that save lives and improve the quality of life. Mr. Bassett discusses Rotary International’s theme this year of “Peace through Service” and, in light of this, Rotary’s Peace Fellowship program, an all-expense-paid program that provides a master’s degree or certification in Peace and Conflict Resolution at one of several Peace Centers around the world.
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Ed Hengel, District co-Chair for the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), discusses the significant effects on the lives of young adults selected for this unique program. Students acquire self-confidence as they learn about the fundamentals and ethics of positive leadership during several days together at the RYLA workshop. Groups are assigned tasks. As they work together on these projects, they learn problem solving, conflict management, and something about themselves. During the workshop, participants have access to guest speakers who represent different forms of leadership in a variety of professions. Most activities are run by young adults who themselves have gone through this program, which contributes to the success of this Rotary-funded program.
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Rotarian Lenny Nathan, President and Founder of HealthSav, a training center for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), discusses the need for public awareness about how to save a life when faced with someone who suddenly goes into cardiac arrest. Mr. Nathan describes the difference between a heart attack, when blood flow through the heart is blocked, and cardiac arrest, when the heart stops beating. He explains the reason why some cities (such as Seattle) can save up to 50% of people who go into sudden cardiac arrest when they are not in a hospital while other cities and towns, including those in New York State, save only about 4%. You can learn more surprising statistics and information about the heart in this fascinating interview.
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Steven Pressman, Executive Director of Mid-Hudson Addiction Recovery Centers, Inc. (MARC), discusses residential treatment and recovery services for individuals and families in recovery from alcoholism and other drug addictions. Few addicts can stop drinking or using on their own, so nearly all need help both to stop and also to re-enter normal life. MARC’s services include a Crisis Center, halfway houses for long-term recovery, and sober apartments. Mr. Pressman outlines various programs that have helped former addicts reclaim their lives to become successful, productive citizens and parents. In addition, Mr. Pressman discusses how to prevent teens today from secretly accessing prescriptive drugs other family members
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Chris Silva, Executive Director of the Bardavon since 1994, discusses the Bardavon’s upcoming programs and its fascinating history in the Hudson Valley. Many legendary performers have graced its stage in the past, including Mark Twain, Sarah Bernhardt, Frank Sinatra, and Houdini. When the Bardavon fell on hard times in the 1970s, citizens rallied to restore it. Its dramatic growth since then can be attributed to Mr. Silva’s excellent efforts such as overseeing the rescue (and management) of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic and daytime children’s programming. Recently performers have included Itzhak Perlman, Al Pacino, Patti LaBelle, Tony Bennett, and Bob Dylan, as well as classic motion pictures.
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Dr. Gary Lovett, Senior Scientist at Millbrook’s Cary Institute, discusses the forests of the Hudson Valley and the problems they face now and will face in the future. During the interview, Dr. Lovett answers questions about the effects of acid rain, how climate change affects the forests, the problems that arise from invasive insects new to our region (notably the emerald ash borer), and lots more.
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Professional caregiver advocate, Rotarian Christine Sotmary, Executive Director of Caregiver Access, considers the rarely- discussed topic of caring for the caregivers, the people who help the ill or disabled in their own homes. People live longer today, so more families are involved in such situations. The caregivers live under enormous pressure caregiving and need support themselves. Ms. Sotmary shares her years of research into every aspect of caregiving, and provides important information about documents and programs that inform or aid caregivers. Caregiver Access also introduces student volunteers to careers in the medical, legal, and financial fields.
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Barbara Kohlhausen, CEO of Meals on Wheels Programs & Services of Rockland, and Pearl River Rotary President Carol McGrath, discuss how their Rotary club and other Rockland Rotarians work with volunteers to deliver lunch and dinner–about 1,000 meals a day, customizing meals for special diets as needed. Listeners will be in awe at the enormity of the services this organization offers, not only to the elderly, but also to others who are homebound, including transportation to and from senior centers.
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Founder and Executive Director of Touching Bases, Bob Baird, describes this unique baseball league. This league is for adults of all ages with disabilities. They follow modified rules, which create a safe environment for players to socialize with each other and to succeed in a game they love. Listeners will enjoy Mr. Baird’s description of games in which the spectators have as much fun as the players. Mr. Baird has helped other communities replicate Touching Bases, now in its 10th year, including folks in the Erie County/Buffalo area and in Richmond, Virginia.
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Sister Margo Morris, Executive Director and Founder of Sprout Creek Farm, discusses how this working farm helps foster a better understanding of our place in the natural world, thus encouraging responsibility for the future of our environment. Sr. Margo Morris emphasizes her preference to educate young people about “from soil to table” at the beginning of learning, not in the middle. Education is implemented at the farm with projects, such as involving students in the farm’s successful cheese production. Students come from all over the Hudson Valley to attend summer camp and visits throughout the year. Aluimni of the program can enter careers in veterinary, environmental law, and other related professions.
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When Executive Director and Founder of Tri-County Crisis Center (TCCC), Maria DiBari, realized how difficult it was for victims of domestic violence to get all the help they needed, she created TCCC, which supports victims and families of victims of domestic violence. In this moving interview, Ms. DiBari describes the personal journey that led her to create this life-saving organization. Jackie Axt, TCCC Board Member, emphasizes the need for the Center by describing the murder of her sister, which could have been prevented if she had had access to the many services that the Crisis Center provides.
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Nicholas Gati, composer/guitarist/pianist, and actor Anthony Avella, both professionally trained entertainers, discuss the song they created for Rotary Day at the United Nations. Written in 2011, “We Come Together,” is a moving tribute that is played during the interview. Mr. Gati and Mr. Avella describe the process of their successful collaborations over the years, each having skills that enhance the other’s talents.
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Ron Van Warmer, Associate Director of the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley, discusses this important organization’s dedication to alleviating hunger while preventing the waste of wholesome food. Providing some astonishing statistics about hunger in our midst in today’s poor economy, Mr. Van Warmer describes the current profile of people who are hungry, how Food Banks are vital in helping them, and several heartfelt stories. He explains where the food comes from, the difference between a Food Bank and a Food Pantry, and how the public can help.
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Chris Colby, Principal of Spire Architecture & Design, provides an overview of how architecture impacts our quality of life and the importance today of “green” architecture—building to save energy and recycle materials. Mr. Colby outlines different steps to take to make a home more energy efficient. This includes solar and geothermal heating or electricity as well as basics such as sealing leaks and whole-home insulation. Mr. Colby offers suggestions for inexpensive ways to improve efficiency in new and older homes, as well as current information about wind power, shingle solar panels, and other energy systems. He also discusses the cost of implementing such “green” home improvements.
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In this candid interview about male breast cancer, Nyack Rotarian Dr. Arnold Roufa, a retired OB/GYN, describes his own experience with breast cancer, detected in 1994. It is not nearly as prevalent as among women, but breast cancer affects about 2,000 men each year. Dr. Roufa describes the signs and the treatment, effective especially if the cancer has been detected early. Since the topic has not been part of a typical male’s medical concerns, it is more difficult to encourage men to take the same precautions as women, such as self-examination and an annual physical, which includes examination for breast cancer.
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Helen LiMarzi, Director of Literacy Volunteers of Putnam County and Rotary District 7210’s Literacy Chair, discusses literacy—the ability to read with understanding–in the 21st century and the impact of electronic books on reading. Illiteracy still exists, but service organizations such as Rotary and Literacy Volunteers have developed programs that teach reading and encourage reading among reluctant readers. People may visit a local library for specific information about all kinds of literacy support. With heartfelt emotion, Ms. LiMarzi describes the joy of teaching a child to read or improving the quality of life of an adult who reads to his or her child for the first time.
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Certified Tai Chi instructor and World Tai Chi member Scott Grimes explains the health benefits, both physical and mental, of the martial art called tai chi, which can be practiced by people of all ages. In addition to describing the interesting history of tai chi, Mr. Grimes discusses several simple behaviors that people can do in their daily life to reduce stress.
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This program was pre-recorded. We dedicate the December 30 show in memory of an outstanding Rotarian, Chet Sawyer.
Rotary District 7210’s Past District Governor Chet Sawyer (1990-91), President of the IMRF (International Medical Relief Foundation) and one of its founders, discusses how his organization turns “leftovers into life savers.” It collects gently used or new but outdated medical equipment that has been discarded in this country by hospitals and doctors but will be treasured in other parts of the world. Chet says both his military career in three wars from 1944-69 and his post-military profession in finance prepared him for international service.
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Vocations improve our lives and strengthen our communities. Rotary District 7210’s Vocational Service Advisor Tamton Mustapha (Past District Governor 1999-2000), and Rotarian Penny Byron, District Vocational Service Chair, discuss vocational training initiatives for young people, including shadowing, mentoring, and Career Days. Rotary’s emphasis is on high ethical standards in all vocations, and Rotarians have the responsibility to lead by example. Rotary clubs honor people from all vocations in their community who reflect Rotary’s high ethical standards, based on the Declaration of Rotarians in Business and Professions and on Rotary’s Four-Way Test, the first two ways of which are: “Is it the truth?” and “Is it fair to all concerned?”
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Rotarian Roger Lane, Organ Donor Advisor for Rotary District 7210, and Registered Nurse Sarah Wilbur, Peritoneal Dialysis Nurse Manager/CKD Educator, discuss current medical improvements in the areas of dialysis and transplants as well as dietary suggestions (that may be surprising to some) to avoid kidney problems. Mr. Lane allays fears related to dialysis and relates his experience as a transplant recipient.
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John Harper, Chief Executive Officer of H.O.N.O.R (Helping Others Needing Our Resources—also known as Honor Ehg, Inc.), and Rotary District 7210’s Secretary and H.O.N.O.R Board Member Nick Constantino, discuss several ways this organization helps the neediest in New York’s Orange County. H.O.N.O.R programs include vocational training, which prepares clients for the job market, as well as shelter provisions and counseling. Clients young and old include runaway children, people with disabilities, the homeless, families in crisis, abuse victims, and more.
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Interact clubs for high school students, sponsored by local Rotary clubs, provide young people with an opportunity to participate in meaningful service to the community, the nation, and the world and thus learn about the many rewards of service. Rotaract clubs for college-age students, including community-based clubs, and Elderact clubs for senior citizens, especially those living in assisted living communities, also further this initiative of expanding Rotary service opportunities. In this interview, Rotarian Roger Risko, (Poughkeepsie-Arlington) creator of RadioRotary in 2008, describes how traditional Rotary clubs sponsor these other forms of Rotary service and the beneficial effects of the clubs for young and old. Over the years, Mr. Risko has been District Chair and Advisor to this initiative, expanding such clubs in the Hudson Valley. Elderact, like RadioRotary, was one of Mr. Risko’s innovations.
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In this information-packed interview, Executive Director at Pure Water for the World, Rotarian Carolyn Meub, discusses how water filters of various kinds prevent disease. Safe water preserves an enormous number of lives in all parts of the world, especially the lives of children. Ms. Meub corrects many common misunderstandings about water. Fresh water seems to be in plentiful supply in most—but not all–parts of America but is in limited supply elsewhere. Water and sanitation projects are one of the six main areas with which The Rotary Foundation works to improve world health and welfare.
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Poughkeepsie Journal reporter Larry Hertz describes his professional career, discussing his newspaper accounts of humanitarian volunteers in the Hudson Valley as well as major criminal cases he has covered, the stories and their trials. Regular readers of the newspaper are familiar with his byline from his column as well as on major local stories. One issue of importance covered in the interview is what should and should not be shared with the public when covering a trial, taking into account the public’s right to know without jeopardizing the rights of a defendant.
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In this extraordinary interview, Shane Hobel, aka Shane “White Feather” Hobel, informs the listeners of the survival skills needed when lost in the woods or otherwise cut off from civilization. These techniques can to be used for everyone of every age when in need of them. Mr. Hobel, founder of the Mountain Scout Survival School in Beacon, New York, is a professional tracker and a member of a Search and Forensic Investigation (SFI) team. He assists in the search and recovery of lost individuals, especially those lost in the mountains of the Hudson Valley.
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Interviews with Rotarians from around the world at the New Orleans Rotary International Convention include representatives from Don’t Meth with Us (drug prevention), Rotarian Action Group of Dental Volunteers (providing surgery worldwide), Malaria elimination, Thousand Smiles, promoting blood donations, and more.
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Sara-Elizabeth Clark, age 16, discusses her life with epilepsy and how she has developed her philosophy: “I will not let my epilepsy define me. It’s what I have, not who I am.” Sara describes the many misunderstandings and misinformation among the public that add to the burden of those with this neurological condition and describes the support available to those with epilepsy. Sara helps support research by major epilepsy organizations with Sara’s Strikes for Seizures, a bowling afternoon that raises money for the cause.
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In these on-site interviews with Rotarians from around the world at the New Orleans Rotary International Convention in 2011, co-hosts Sarah O’Connell and Jonah Triebwasser interview representatives from Brain Game for Babies, Blindness Prevention, Sewing Projects around the world, Dollywood, Shoes for Orphans, and more.
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Suffern Rotarian Larry Palant, Disaster Response Chair and ShelterBox Representative for Rotary District 7210, discusses how he came to be a ShelterBox Representative as a result of helping provide relief for Hurricane Katrina victims. He describes what each Box contains that help people survive disasters. Founded by Tom Henderson, a Rotarian and former Royal Navy search and rescue diver, ShelterBox has provided relief across the globe since 2000. Mr. Henderson realized that the most needed aid after most disasters was for food, medicine, and shelter. He developed ShelterBox, a package containing these necessities that would last for at least six months for up to ten persons per box. The boxes are prepacked and can be delivered immediately, usually with the help of Rotary clubs near the site of the disaster. Mr. Palant identifies the most recent locations supplied with ShelterBoxes at the time of his interview–Japan after a tsunami, Arkansas after a tornado, and Columbia after mudslide
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This lively interview features husband and wife Rotarians Ken and Doris Obremski, both Past District Governors of District 7210 (Ken 1993-94, Doris 2005-06). They describe the enormous accomplishments of The Rotary Foundation, with Doris sharing her personal story of how she became a convert, dedicated to the Foundation. Both are Major Donors to the Foundation, and Ken is the recipient of the Regional “Service Award for a Polio Free World,” awarded to very few. The interview ends when they surprise Jay Verzi, the Technical Engineer in the studio, with the Paul Harris Fellow award because of his extensive work for RadioRotary, exemplifying Rotary’s motto of “service above self.”
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Jo Hausam discusses her personal journey through life with Post-Polio Syndrome (PPS) and the extent of its impact on her life–therapy, surgeries, and medical support since she was three years old. She also details her recent research into PPS. Ms Hausam emphasizes the need for public awareness because children everywhere, including those in the United States, are still at risk, and she praises Rotary’s efforts to eradicate polio.
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In these on-site interviews at the New Orleans Rotary International Convention in May, 2011, Rotarians from around the world discuss various initiatives and action groups. Some of the topics are: the Dictionary Project in America to encourage literacy, clean water projects around the world that save countless lives, Interact clubs for young adults in secondary schools where students learn about the rewards of service, Rotary’s global history (RGHF), and more.
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Lou DiPaolo (American) and Jim Morita (Japanese), both veterans of World War II, describe a remarkable coincidence involving two members of the same Rotary Club (New York Rotary). Lou, Jim, & Noriko Morita, Jim’s wife, explain what happened 65 years after the discovery of a letter. The odyssey of the letter will make listeners question the pieces of history they might have unwittingly stored away, or are about to throw out, unaware of their importance to families and to others as historical documents.
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Carol Ann Armstrong, President of Philmont Rotary Club, describes her club’s journey, starting in 2002, to honor those who died on September 11—the victims, their families, and the rescue workers who saved so many lives. American flags are distributed to all visitors coming from all over the Hudson Valley, and many stay for snacks afterwards to share the unity and fellowship of this day of remembrance. The Philmont Rotary club invites local community organizations and individuals to participate in memorial services and tributes in Claverack Town Park. The interview includes a close-up on Philmont Rotary Club’s many other humanitarian activities.
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Paula Zwillinger, Founder and Executive Director of Semper Fi Parents of Hudson Valley, NY, discusses ways the organization supports parents of military troops and the troops themselves, both deployed and stateside. Semper Fi Parents raises funds to offset the cost of shipping packages to troops. They also educate parents about the many services available to them and to their children in the military, provide scholarships for those recently discharged, and work in many other ways to help.
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In an interview that includes music made with with bells, Rotarian Douglas Martin Sturomski (Southern Dutchess Rotary), Executive Director of the Peace Bell Foundation, describes the work of this unique organization and its successful Walk for Peace project. The purpose of the Peace Bell Foundation is to ring in awareness that we can live in harmony and love. Through our most universal language, music, and the metaphor of the bell, the Foundation aspires to build strong, flexible bridges of understanding that strengthen the unity in community. All peoples around the world are welcome to join.
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Bob Grems, General Manager of the famous Dutchess County Fair, discusses the unique features of this year’s Fair. For six days, about half a million visitors will enjoy, entertainment by big name talent, constant free shows and attractions, an Antiques Museum Village featuring story-tellers in costume describing our history, a carnival, thousands of farm animals on display, food for every taste, vendors displaying their crafts, and loads of beautiful gardens within the Fairgrounds. This is recognized as one of the great old-time fairs in New York State.
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Summer is RibFest time, thanks to the Rotary Club of Highland, New York, and Rotarian Don Verity discusses this year’s exciting RibFest events. Held this year on August 20-21, the Highland RibFest at the Ulster County Fairgroundsis now in its seventh year. This year’s RibFest promises adults and children a wealth of joy, with the festivities including delicious food competitions, demonstrations by famous chefs, vendors displaying the tools we need to make our own gourmet barbeques, and loads of entertainment.
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In this interview from the New Orleans Rotary International Convention, Louisiana environmentalist Windell Curole (Golden Meadow Rotary) discusses the effects of the recent Mississippi River flooding. Mr. Curole is the General Manager of South LaFourche Levee District and one of Louisiana’s leading coastal environment experts. Mr. Curole has testified before the U.S. Congress after Katrina, providing information about the successful levees he established in his part of the Gulf. Last year he was a member of and consultant to Louisiana’s official clean-up team during the BP spill.
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This program features a powerful discussion of teenage eating disorders and one parent’s journey to help her daughter. The principal eating disorders are anorexia nervosa (self-starvation) and bulimia (binges followed by purging). The interview ranges from the early signs of the illness to the difficulties of finding effective cures. Included in the discussion are the painful effects of the illness on the child and on all family members. Most important, this remarkable parent shares her success in finding help.
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Enjoy interviews with students participating in Rotary International’s Youth Exchange Program, including current Inbound and next year’s Outbound students. Rotary’s Youth Exchange program began in the 1920s, enabling students to learn firsthand about life in another country, while planting the seeds for a lifetime of international understanding and gaining a deeper understanding of themselves. These programs are directed for Rotary District 7210 by Inbound Co-Chairs Nan and David Greenwood and Outbound Chair, Donna Bemiss, who are also interviewed on the program. Students applying to the program do not have to have family affiliated with Rotary.
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On-site interviews at the 2011 New Orleans Rotary International Convention include Rotarians from around the world and discussions with representatives from PolioPlus (explaining the existing threat), ShelterBox (describing tents and equipment for survival after a disaster), Diveheart (Jim Elliott, Founder and President, explaining therapeutic diving and snorkeling experiences for everyone, especially those with disabilities), and Single Rotarians (meeting like-minded humanitarians).
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Rotary Foundation Chair for District 7210 Knut Johnsen (past District Governor 2003-04) explains the work of The Rotary Foundation, describing it as the “engine that drives the work of the clubs.” He provides many examples of describe the plight of those being helped by the Foundation and the aid it provides. For example, the Foundation’s humanitarian and education projects include medical centers staffed by volunteer Rotarian doctors, dentists, and surgeons who perform cataract surgery. In addition, he describes the work done to eradicate polio so that the world is no longer at risk. Mr. Johnsen finally said it this way: the folks we see here in our Soup Kitchens would be considered quite rich by those being helped by the Foundation.
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Rotary International President Ray Klinginsmith, known for his “Cowboy Logic” philosophy, discusses his next pursuits (you’ll laugh at one of them). Other interviews include the Rotarian Action Group for Diabetics; Microcredit, which provides small loans to families worldwide to achieve economic independence; and the Learn/Grow project, which meets the challenge of food shortages through diverse food plants conducive to different environments.
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Rotary District 7210 Scholarship Chair Bill Bassett (District Governor Nominee for 2012-13) discusses the various scholarships supported by the Rotary Foundation that are available to the public on both the graduate and undergraduate level, either locally or abroad. Depending on the degree sought, students can undertake programs in the areas of focus supported by Rotary International, such as peace and conflict resolution, disease prevention and treatment, water and sanitation, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy, economic and community development, or other suitable subject matter.
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n this first broadcast of on-site interviews at Rotary International’s Convention, co-hosts Sarah O’Connell and Jonah Triebwasser talk to Rotaracters and other humanitarians from around the world who are working on projects such as Guitars for Troops, maternal health, mercy ships, and artificial limbs.
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Peter Muir is the Director of the Institute of Music and Health, a nationally recognized center pioneering in the use of music for well-being, especially for people with disabilities. Although he grew up in England, Dr. Muir has become an acknowledged authority on American jazz and ragtime music, authoring numerous scholarly articles and the book Long Lost Blues: Popular Blues in America 1850-1920. His passion for American jazz and ragtime inspired him to move to the United States.
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Vivian Hardison, Membership Chair of Rotary District 7250 and member of Glen Cove Rotary on Long Island, NY, discusses the benefits for people of all ages of joining a Rotary club. Among her personal reasons for joining Rotary, Ms. Hardison emphasizes how she found soulmates who share her passion for humanitarianism. Ms. Hardison also tells of the issues potential members should consider before deciding to join a Rotary club.
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Dr. Richard Ostfeld discusses the results of his extensive research on Lyme disease. Dr. Ostfeld is a Senior Scientist at Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY. In addition to debunking long held myths about Lyme, Dr. Ostfeld tells how to prevent Lyme disease, how to reduce the tick numbers in the environment, the role of white-footed mice, and much more. His book, Lyme Disease: The Ecology of a Complex System, is available for more detailed information.
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Dr. Sherre Wesley describes various education and job programs provided by Dutchess Bureau of Cooperative Services (BOCES) for adults. The literacy program helps adults get their GED (high school equivalency diploma), and ESL (English as a second language) classes help adults improve their proficiency in English. The career program, which consists of hands-on training on state-of-the-art equipment in numerous fields, helps those seeking a new career. Students leave BOCES prepared for jobs in the work force.
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Principal Mitchell Shron discusses the Dutchess Board of Cooperative Education Services (BOCES, pronounced “BOH-sees”), a cost-effective education solution unique to New York State. BOCES programs provide career and technical education, special and alternative education, and professional development. The Career and Technical Institute (CTI) is for students, mainly in 11th and 12th grades, to learn occupations that have a strong job potential, such as plumbing, welding, auto mechanics, electrical programs, communication technology, and health. After graduation, students are prepared to enter the work force or to attend college.
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In this club close-up of the Rotary Club of Red Hook, club representatives tell how Red Hook Rotary exemplifies the autonomous and unique character of an individual Rotary Club while yet maintaining the humanitarian goals of other clubs around the world. Past President Niki Weaver describes her club’s support of Therapy Dogs, a program that helps patients in hospitals as well as students with special needs. Current President David Wright discusses various ways his club supports community needs and Rotary International’s worldwide projects.
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Greg Pikor describes Hudson Valley Homes for Heroes, a company that provides discounted real estate to those “who work every day to make our communities better places to live.” “Heroes” include military personnel, firefighters, law enforcement officers, emergency medical technicians, and other every day heroes. Created in Minnesota after the tragic events of 9/11 as a “Thank you” to the heroes who serve our nation and its communities, Homes for Heroes affiliates with realtors and other real estate personnel to provide substantial rebates and discounts when buying a home. In addition, a not-for-profit foundation is also available to help a Hero in need in the program.
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In an on-site interview at the Millbrook Rotary Club, Rotary District 7210’s Past District Governor (2005-06), Doris Obremski (Goshen Rotary), tells how she became a supporter of The Rotary Foundation. Ms. Obremski emphasized the Foundation’s efforts to eradicate polio worldwide, giving specific statistics about the number of lives spared from polio by Millbrook Rotary’s financial contributions alone. As a result of global contributions by Rotarians and others polio is nearly eradicated. Professionally, Ms. Obremski is a marketing expert, fundraiser, and journalist and holds several positions in Rotary District 7210 and Rotary International.
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Rotary District 7210’s District Governor Elect (2011-12), Tansukh Dorawala (Poughkeepsie/Arlington Rotary), discusses how Rotary International prepares all 531 District Governors worldwide with the leadership and specific knowledge necessary to change lives. Mr. Dorawala, a chemical engineer by profession, describes his personal reasons for his strong dedication to one of Rotary International’s major efforts: providing clean water and sanitation to developing countries.
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Millbrook Rotary President (2010-11) Ellie Savoy discusses her background, her Rotary training, and her personal philosophy of commitment, compassion, understanding, thoughtfulness, ability to plan, attention to details, and flexibility. Together these help Ellie lead her club in its many humanitarian activities. Millbrook Rotarians annually publish a free directory of businesses and services in the immediate area, a vital resource to residents and a boost to businesses. The club’s literacy program provides dictionaries for all third graders and a book of choice to all eighth grade graduates. Millbrook’s international exchange programs include high school students and professional adults. Members embark on road clean-ups four times a year and contribute to food pantries and soup kitchens.
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In this heartwarming interview, Peekskill Rotary President and District 7230 Director of Gift of Life Joe Lippolis takes the listener through the steps that saved a 2-year-old’s life. Jostyn Baque, diagnosed in Ecuador as having a congenital heart problem that could not be corrected in his country, would have died within a few years had not Peekskill Rotary and another Rotary club teamed to sponsor Jostyn’s heart operation by a pediatric surgeon in Westchester. Several other groups, including American Airlines workers who generously donated their miles and the Ecuador community in Westchester County, joined to make a difference!
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Ambassadorial Scholar Dr. Christine Guedri Giacalone and DGN Dr. William Bassett, Scholarship Committee Chair and District 7210 Governor for 2012-13, discuss the Ambassadorial Scholarship, which promotes international understanding and goodwill through study in country different from the scholar’s own. Dr. Giacolone describes her experiences in Jordan, both as a student learning Arabic and as a professor teaching language. Her professional background teaching language to cadets in West Point for several years, plus her initial study in Arabic here in the United States, prepared her for her work in Jordan.
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Red Hook Rotarian Rob Latimer, Executive Vice President of Northern Dutchess Paramedic Emergency Medical Services, discusses his experiences as a paramedic in the Hudson Valley. As a paramedic, Mr. Latimer has had over 2,000 hours of technical medical training. His emotional stories cover delivering babies and saving lives in extraordinary circumstances. Ambulance service continually needs volunteer support, so he encourages others to enter this rewarding profession.
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Kingston Sunrise Rotary Co-President Jeanine Lindhorst, Coordinator for Cooking Matters in the Hudson Valley, discusses her organization’s nutritional education program for people on a limited budget. Volunteer culinary and nutrition experts teach Cooking Matters course participants how to select nutritious and low-cost ingredients and how to prepare them in ways that provide the best nourishment.
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Two financial experts, both Red Hook Rotarians, discuss today’s economic environment and the effects of recent world turmoil on investing. In this on-site interview at a Red Hook Rotary meeting Glenn Goldstein, Managing Director of Portfolio Management at Focused Wealth Management, and Susan Simon, Registered Life Planner and Vice-President of Third Eye Associates, Ltd., give their opinions about what to consider when investing for retirement and about the changes investors should make in the current market.
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Leah Feldman, Project Coordinator of Universal Response to Domestic Violence, and Kathy Graham, Director of Battered Women’s Services of Family Services, Inc., discuss the Family Service agency’s 24/7 free domestic violence crisis intervention program. This program includes a hotline, counseling, advocacy, support groups, childcare, emergency transportation, youth domestic violence prevention education, community outreach, and education. Their agency provides services primarily in Dutchess County, but similar agencies with these services are available in all counties in the Hudson Valley and beyond.
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Prominent attorney and Rotarian Charles Goldberger, Esq. (White Plains Rotary) shares his experiences teaching in law schools around the world, including those in Eastern European countries. Mr. Goldberger, who has visited more than 75 countries, discusses the differences in law between America and the developing countries and the progress towards constitutional law that these countries are making.
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Rotarian Lenny Nathan (Congers/Valley Cottage Rotary), Chief Executive Officer of HealthSav, explains how easy it is to learn the mechanics needed to help save a life through cardiopulmonary resuscitation, better known as CPR. He describes how methods for performing this life-saving function have been updated by the American Heart Association. He also discusses why more schools should teach CPR to all students and the importance of administering aid in the first four minutes when the heart stops. In the program, station manager Don Verity and the co-hosts also celebrate RadioRotary’s second anniversary on the Hudson Valley Talk Radio Network.
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Sal Gambino, Carmel Rotary President, Carmel Rotarian George Knoechel, Food Bank Project Coordinator, and Judy Callahan, Executive Director of Putnam Community Action Program, one of four Food Bank programs supported by the Carmel Rotary project, discuss how Carmel Rotary has in a few years raised about $100,000 worth of food to benefit those in need. Another $50,000 worth of food is expected in 2011. This successful humanitarian Rotary project, which has helped thousands of families, began when the club partnered with the local ShopRite. From there, the club developed publicity for the Food Banks, collection methods, and distribution teams. They helped conduct research into the four Food Banks that the project serves. The details involved in making this Food Bank project a success, from start to finish, can be duplicated anywhere but — we won’t kid you — with much effort. It’s worth it!
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Thom Johnson, author and historian, discusses the fascinating history of Bannerman’s Castle, a dramatic ruin located on an island in the Hudson River in the Hudson Highlands State Park. Travelers on Hudson Line trains are familiar with the view of the remaining portions of the imitation Scottish castle, built in 1901. The nonprofit Bannerman Castle Trust, Inc. is restoring the castle as well as its exquisite original gardens. The Trust is dedicated to preserving Bannerman Castle as an educational, cultural, historical, and recreational facility that promotes heritage tourism in the Hudson Valley. Several ports along the river provide enjoyable, informative cruise tours to the castle by kayak or passenger boat. Mr. Johnson relates many interesting little known facts about the history of it island and castle as well as bonus information about the Catskill Mountain Railroad.
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Sharon Irving and Lisa-Marie Birdsall of Cortlandt Manor Rotary (District 7230) discuss their club’s sponsorship of a Rotary Community Corps (RCC) at the Keon center in Peeksill, NY. A Rotary Community Corps is an organization for non-Rotarian men and women who share Rotary’s commitment to service. Although the Cortlandt Manor Rotary is less than a year old, with Sharon Irving as its founder and first president, it has been able to start the RCC at Keon. Cortlandt Manor Rotary and the RCC of Keon work on projects together. For example, Ms. Birdsall discusses how the RCC team helps her rescue-dog adoption program, which has placed over 1,600 dogs in 18 months, and Ms. Irving discusses how the RCC helps the Salvation Army with food distribution.
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Habitat for Humanity builds and restores homes for low-income families. Steve Biolsi, Project Manager of Putnam County’s Habitat for Humanity, tells of how the organization is supported by local Rotary clubs and other community organizations. Mr. Biolsi also corrects misinformation about Habitat for Humanity. Their projects are not free handouts but help low-income families build, own, and maintain simple, decent, affordable homes–families pay for their homes with zero-interest mortgages and hours of sweat equity.
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Dr. Manoj Abraham (plastic surgeon) with Dana Buffin (New Milford, CT Rotary), Executive Director of Healing the Children, and Kathy Kruger, RN, (Rotary District 7210’s Rotaplast Chair, Pleasant Valley Rotary tell the uplifting stories of how children and adults are helped by corrective surgery, performed by volunteers who donate their time, skills, and finances. These medical teams set up an operating room abroad or in the United States where they can correct cleft palates and other disfiguring conditions in children as young as 2 months old and people as old as 70+ who either don’t have access to or cannot afford treatment.
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Martha Underwood discusses the enormous benefits to everyone, not only those with special needs, that she has witnessed during her years as a riding instructor with the non-profit Winslow Therapeutic Center located since 1974 in Warwick, New York. Ms. Underwood describes how horseback riding improves the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional well being of children and adults when working with the Center’s well trained, caring staff and volunteers.
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Rotary District 7210’s PolioPlus Chair, Bunnee Webb (Congers/Valley Cottage Rotary Club), provides us with the most current detailed information about progress by Rotary and the United Nations in eradicating polio worldwide. She also discusses her personal heartfelt experiences inoculating children against polio in India, and she ends with a very moving poem about Rotary’s promise to the children of the world. A special interview, for sure!
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Two of Rotary District 7210’s Past District Governors, Jim Yarmus and Jeffrey Keahon, describe recent successful clean water projects implemented by District 7210 clubs in Central America. These are already saving countless lives from water-borne diseases. They discuss how Rotarians provide on-site technical expertise with professional engineers, such as Dr. Yarmus, and actively facilitate other projects, such as a school roof project, to improve the quality of life in communities around the world.
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Ms. Fredlee Ann Kaplan (Chairman’s Council, Gift of Life International) and Mr. Bill Currie (International President, Gift of Life International), both members of The Rotary Club of New York, discuss how Gift of Life has saved more than ten thousand children’s lives by addressing the medical needs of children who suffer from congenital heart defects and other similar conditions. Starting with heart surgery on one girl from Uganda in 1975, supported by the Rotary Club of Manhasset in New York, the program grew to become Gift of Life International in 2003. The Gift of Life International is still largely run through the efforts of Rotary clubs throughout the world, such as The Rotary Club of New York, with help from humanitarian foundations and much of the worldwide medical community.
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RadioRotary host Jonah Triebwasser interviews Rotary’s humanitarians from around the world at Rotary International’s 2010 Convention in Montreal, Canada. Among the many featured guests are Rotarians from the Jaipur Limb Project, which provides inexpensive and long-lasting leg prostheses, and ShelterBox Founder Rotarian Tom Henderson.
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Eva Corredor, Emeritus Professor of French and German and a Rotarian since 1989, discusses how her involvement in Rotary’s international service programs provides an opportunity to work towards world peace and understanding. A member of The Rotary Club of New York, Professor Corredor explains why she joined Rotary and describes the many international projects with which she has been engaged, including Youth Exchange, Group Study Exchange, and Gift of Life.
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Manuela Roosevelt discusses the humanitarian organization called Soroptimist International, a worldwide organization for women in management and professions, who work through service projects to advance human rights and the status of women. Most recently, Soroptimist International has placed special emphasis on clean water projects, a Rotary International effort as well.
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Kevin Voisin, an 8th generation Louisiana oysterman and Terrebonne Parish Councilman, discusses current events concerning the Gulf oil-spill and fishing situation, false impressions about the Gulf and its seafood, and his optimism about the future, despite the setback caused by the man-made spill.
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This year’s Rotary International President Ray Klinginsmith (Kirksville, Missouri, Rotary Club) covers a broad range of Rotary topics. Here are just three: – The significance of his early experience as a student in Cape Town, South Africa, as part of Rotary’s Scholarship Program; – The positive (and uplifting) statistics about polio eradication; and – The meaning of President Ray’s theme for this year (“Building Communities, Bridging Continents”): Encouraging Rotarians to take pride in what they accomplish and acquainting non-Rotarians with Rotary’s work on both local and international levels.
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Author Barbara Allen, mother of four young sons, discusses her book, Front Toward Enemy, about her husband’s murder by a fellow soldier in Iraq and how the military court allowed the killer to escape punishment. Snowball Express, an organization founded by Rotarians in California and supported by Rotary clubs all over the country, provides unique support to children of fallen soldiers and has been and continues to be supportive of Ms. Allen and her children during their recovery process. Ms. Allen and two of her sisters are former Youth Exchange students. Her parents, Doris and Ken Obremski, are both past Rotary District Governors.
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Rhinebeck’s Interact Club (high school Rotary) students who participated in the Nicaragua Project — Sarah Turpin, Sean Phelan, and Anna Katomski — discuss their humanitarian work in Nicaragua. The project took a year to plan and was implemented this summer, 2010, primarily by Rhinebeck Interact students who helped build a classroom, provided clothing and school supplies, brought clean water treatment, and established gardens in a Nicaraguan community in need.
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Louisiana professionals from several fields provide the latest information on the Gulf oil spill and reactions from the residents of Grand Isle, called “The Sportsman’s Paradise.” Environmental expert Windell Curole (Golden Meadow Rotary), General Manager of South LaFourche Levee District, discusses the most recent regional events. Richard Augustin (Grand Isle Rotary), Principal of the Grand Isle School System, discusses the effects of the oil spill disaster on the schools, his students, and their families. Carroll Allemand (President, Grand Isle Rotary) corrects some of the common misinformation about the oil’s effects on Grand Isle and explains the concerns of Grand Isle residents after BP leaves the area. Grand Isle is located in Jefferson Parish at the southern tip of LA. Hwy 1. Located on the Gulf of Mexico, the primary businesses for island residents are tourism, the seafood industry, and oilfield related professions.
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Terry Laibach, Recycling Coordinator of New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation, discusses the latest information about waste reduction and recycling, the state’s new solid waste plan and electronics recycling law, single stream/dual stream recycling, personal responsibility, and loads more.
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In the second set of on-site interviews at Rotary International’s 101st convention, RadioRotary co-host Jonah Triebwasser interviews humanitarians from around the world, including Rotarians from Arkansas’ Medical Supplies Network and New Mexico’s drug prevention program . Very moving interviews. “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” sung by the Rotary World Choir at the end of the interviews, will bring tears to your eyes.
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John Lyons, President and CEO of MetroPool, discusses this unique organization, which provides employers and commuters with free services to encourage transportation options –car/vanpooling, walking/biking, bus/train/ferry travel, telecommuting, compressed work weeks and pre-tax commuter benefits. MetroPool’s services are available in New York City and Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam, Dutchess, and Ulster Counties in New York. Services are provided under contract to New York State Department of Transportation.
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Louisiana Gulf experts from two Louisiana Parishes are featured in Part 2 of the Gulf Series on RadioRotary: Windell Curole (Golden Meadow Rotary), General Manager of South LaFourche Levee District; Terrebonne Parish President Michel Claudet (Houma Rotary); and Michael Ferdinand (Houma Rotary), CEO of Economic Development. Topics discussed include correcting public misinformation about the spill, the spill’s impact on business, the impact of the Moritorium, and much more.
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Deborah Gruendle, Supervisor of Volunteer Resources, at Vassar Brothers Medical Center, discusses volunteer opportunities for friendly, caring individuals in several capacities, including greeters, patient and family support, gift shop help, and tons more.
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Everyone at the station had a rollicking good time with Don Verity, Station Manager of Hudson Valley Talk Radio (Pamal Broadcasting). Don, a Highland Rotarian, discusses Highland Rotary’s now famous Ribfest with vendors from all over the country competing in food competitions, as well as lots of inside info about talk radio.
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Dr. William H. Schlesinger, Biochemist and President of Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, discusses current environmental problems facing the Hudson River Valley, including global warming impacts, urban sprawl, and the changing water quality of the Hudson River.
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Fred Schaeffer was the catalyst for the unique and popular park and trail attraction in the Hudson Valley called Walkway over the Hudson. In his interview, he discusses his 7 years as chairman of this project and his work today to develop the full potential of the Walkway as a “way of life.” Mr. Schaeffer received the 2009-10 Rotary District 7210 Vocational Service Award to a non-Rotarian.
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In a series of on-site interviews at Rotary International’s 101st convention, RadioRotary co-host Jonah Triebwasser interviews humanitarians from around the world. Some examples in this first broadcast: Dollywood Foundation (Ontario Rotary), Mercy Ships (Texas Rotary), End Polio Now (all Rotary clubs around the world, with Guersey Rotary, Great Britain, as an example), Diabetes Awareness (Florida Rotary), Sleeping Children around the World (Ontario Rotary club), much more.
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International professionals from the Hudson Valley and Taiwan describe their experiences after participating in Rotary International’s exciting professional exchange program, called Group Study Exchange (GSE), in 2010. The program was taped on site at Rotary District 7210’s annual Conference in May, 2010 in front of an audience of Conference attendees. Rotary International’s GSE program pairs Rotary districts around the world and provides all travel expenses for a team of non-Rotarians (with a Rotarian Team Leader) from a variety of vocations. Rotarian hosts organize a four to six week itinerary of educational, vocational, and cultural points of interest, and participants learn how their profession is practiced in other countries. Since 1965, more than 52,000 individuals (almost 12,000 teams) from 102 countries have participated. With the exception of the Team Leader, each participant must be between the ages of 25 and 40 and have at least two year’s experience in his/her profession.
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Windell Curole (Golden Meadow Rotary) is General Manager of South Lafourche Levee District. He is one of Louisiana’s leading coastal environmental experts and currently is a member of and consultant to Louisiana’s official clean-up team. In his interview, he provides the latest updates.
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A Director at the Mid-Hudson Workshop for the Disabled, Bill Del Tosta discusses his organization’s important purpose: to offer meaningful work for Hudson Valley’s physically and medically handicapped.
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Rotary clubs in Region One (Cairo, Catskill, Coxsackie-Athens, Greenville, Hudson, Northern Columbia, Philmont, Windham) share their humanitarian projects with the audience. Some topics include the 4H group, the work of the Cairo/Durham Interact group, and the way Rotary clubs in Region One meet local needs.
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Fishkill Rotarian Pat Usifer (One Child at a Time) and Elaine Trumpetta, Executive Director of the Council on Addiction Prevention and Education, discuss the C.A.P.E. Marathon Project with the Project’s Director, Michael Carozza. The Marathon Project is a successful teen running program organized to prevent drug addiction. Strong mentoring is among the many features that make this program work.
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Carol Wolf, Executive Director of Mill Street Loft, discusses a multi-arts, not-for-profit educational community center servicing children and adults throughout the mid-Hudson Valley. The center offers a wide range of arts, exhibits, courses, camps, and painting skills and provides Outreach and Career Exploration programs.
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Jesse Saperstein, a successful writer and humanitarian volunteer, discusses his experiences living with Asperger Syndrome. His interview describes some common challenges while giving hope and inspiration to those with this disorder and to their family and friends. Mr. Saperstein has been a guest speaker at many Rotary meetings.
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Aired on 6/4/10 – Dr. Peter Groffman, Microbial Ecologist and senior scientist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, discusses current research about the environment including the importance of research behind environmental solutions, the key current environmental issues, and why there so much controversy about climate change. Dr. Groffman also describes his experience as an Interact parent.
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Arlington Rotary President Nicole Peluse, Manager of Saint Francis Home Care Services, describes independent living, home care, and current home care technology. Ms. Peluse covers requirements for various levels of home care jobs and describes the recent increase in available jobs in this field that has resulted from more and more patients choosing to remain at home.
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Wendy Maragh Taylor, clinical social worker, discusses Liberia’s strong connection to the U.S., beginning when the nation was founded by freed slaves from the U.S. to Africa. She focuses on efforts by the Liberia West Africa Project to rebuild what Liberia’s civil war has destroyed. Her group saw a need and decided to meet it, hoping to build a school and a church, and to help a people, a community, and potentially, a nation. In this light, Ms. Taylor emphasizes the importance of service and volunteerism in general, and highlights the need to encourage young people to learn the rewards of participating in humanitarian projects.
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Andrea Shiffman, a member of Comprehensive Disaster Response Services, gives an eye witness report about conditions in Haiti as of May, 2010 and about past and current Rotary support, which includes ShelterBoxes, used not only for family shelter but for immediate hospitals. Andrea provides powerful examples of conditions in Haiti and the need for ongoing aid. She describes the effectiveness of smaller, non-political agencies such as Rotary, with members able to go out into the field to attend to the many victims still in their villages–worlds away from the centralized relief camps. The smaller size of these agencies means that their volunteers can distribute food, medicine, and so forth as soon as it arrives in Haiti since their are fewer problems with customs, paperwork, or logistical issues.
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Rotarian Lenny Nathan, President and CEO of HealthSav, discusses the importance for everyone, including students, to learn how to save a life in an emergency by knowing how to use defibrillators, apply CPR, give first aid, and lots more. Mr. Nathan discusses ways to maintain a healthy heart, warning signs if something is wrong, and the need for prompt attention to save a life.
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Dr. Barbara Corona, psychotherapist and President of the Board of Hudson Valley Home Matters (HVHM), and Ruth Kaba, a member of the Board, discuss their nonprofit “aging-in-place organization,” dedicated to helping those over 50 remain in their homes. Many senior citizens for various reasons need help to continue living active, independent lives but do not want to move to an assisted living facility, away from their local friends and family. Home Matters recognizes the importance of retaining senior wisdom and other contributions in the local community. HVHM is part of a national movement modeled after Beacon Hill in Boston, Staying Put in New Canaan, Connecticut, and Capital Hill Village in Washington, DC, all well established organizations.
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Roger Risko, Special Education Job Coordinator at BOCES and Rotary District 7210’s Interact/Rotaract Advisor and Elderact Chair, and Kathy White, business teacher at the BOCES Alternate High School, discuss many projects developed and implemented by students. These include Interact’s service activities, such as an anti-bullying project and serving food in soup kitchens. Both guests describes how much these young humanitarians personally benefit from the experiences, and they provide heartwarming examples. Mr. Risko discusses his work as District Interact Chair and Advisor for many years, and how he facilitates support for these students through his Arlington Rotary Club. (Roger Risko was the concept originator of RadioRotary.)
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Representing Rotary, two members of the Haiti Team, Jim Kushner (Past President of Inwood Rotary in Manhattan) and Andrea Shiffman (Comprehensive Disaster Response Services), describe their experiences as they help to ease the incomprehensible suffering after the Earthquake: a man digging for his wife and baby for three days, women gang-raped because of lawlessness and lack of security, amputations. A temporary breakdown among some staff members after witnessing horrific situations was not unusual. However, Ms. Shiffman’s words are a tribute to all humanitarians when she says: “…nothing can overcome the willpower and tenacity of people who are determined to help.” In addition to the Podcast you can learn more about this expedition from a YouTube video (see first link under “Learn More.”
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Featured guest Bob Cohen, musician, humanitarian, and Cantor, discusses interfaith projects, his rehabilitation work with ex-convicts, and his unique personal story. Truly an amazing journey and fascinating interview.
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Executives from New Horizons Resources, Inc. (NHR) Regis Obijiski, Executive Director, and Sam Laganaro, Human Resources Director, discuss NHR facilities and programs for the developmentally disabled, which help them lead happy, productive lives. Founded in 1974 by a group of parents seeking alternatives to institutionalized care for their sons and daughters, New Horizons today offers services to 450 people with disabilities where they need them most: in their homes, at their work sites, or in our community-based residences.
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Featured guest Paul Banner, expert bankruptcy attorney, discusses current debt relief programs and the effects of bankruptcy on credit. Mr. Banner explains when to file for bankruptcy, when to contact an attorney, and what bankruptcy can and cannot accomplish.
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Arnie Halling, Chairperson of the Dutchess Chapter, describes how SCORE provides important information for small business owners interested in free and confidential mentoring. SCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated to educating entrepreneurs and helping small businesses start, grow, and succeed. Training is provided by professional counselors who are experienced business owners or managers. Mentors volunteer their experience and knowledge to help small business owners and potential small business owners achieve success.
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Rotary District 7210 Governor for 2010-11, Phil Schunk, a prominent attorney, discusses the mission of Rotary and District 7210’s goals for his Rotary year. He describes the role of district governor (there are about 540 Rotary DGs in the world), why he has been an active Rotarian for over 40 years, and the successful humanitarian work Rotary does here and abroad to promote peace and understanding.
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Architectural historian Susan Roth, AICP (American Institute of Certified Planners) and Principal of Hudson Valley Planning and Preservation, provides ideas to help residents understand their community assets and to build upon these assets, making their community a better place for residents, businesses, and the environment. Ms. Roth’s extensive professional background in such areas as municipal land use, planning and zoning, historic preservation, environmental review, and grant writing all come into play in this useful interview.
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Medical Response Corps (MRC) Coordinator Cathi Tegtmeier discusses local response to disasters and ways to make our homes and communities safer places. Ms. Tegtmeier describes some of her experiences, including emergency support administered during helicopter rescues. The MRC mission is to assist the First Responders of Dutchess County and local municipalities to prepare and respond to natural and human-caused emergencies in their communities. Volunteers are of vital importance in this organization.
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RadioRotary presents a compilation of on-site interviews with humanitarians from around the world, recorded at Rotary’s United Nations Day. Guests include Hudson Valley Rotarian Bunnee Webb, discussing polio eradication worldwide, and a representative from the ShelterBox response team, a Rotary affiliate. ShelterBox responds instantly to disasters that leave people homeless by delivering aid to those who are most in need. Each ShelterBox supplies an extended family of up to ten people with a tent and essential equipment to use while they are displaced or homeless. Other interviews include representatives from school service clubs sponsored by Rotary clubs: Interact, a high school service club for young people ages 14-18, and Rotaract, a college service club for young professionals and students ages 18-30. Both provide young people with opportunities to train for leadership and to promote international peace and understanding through service.
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Debra Bonnerwith, Deputy Commissioner of Dutchess County Social Services, and Donna Robinson, Foster Parent Liaison, discuss how Foster Care Services of Dutchess County improves the lives of children and families. The goal for each child is safe, nurturing temporary care with return to family if possible, or adoption if the family cannot be reunited. If neither is possible the agency provides preparation for independent living or discharge to another resource. They describe the entire process, which starts when the agency learns about a child in need of its services, includes screening, and concludes with the joy of foster parenting as well as the benefit to the child. Despite the rewards, there remains a need for more foster parents in Dutchess County.
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In this fun-filled celebration of RadioRotary’s first anniversary on the Hudson Valley Talk Radio network, Co-hosts Jonah Triebwasser and Sarah O’Connell along with Station Manager Don Verity and Technical Producer Jay Verzi have a good time, often at each other’s expense. RadioRotary features Rotarians and other humanitarians in the Hudson Valley and beyond who help make the world a better place. During this show, the co-hosts describe stories, many moving and some amusing, that aired during the past year. RadioRotary is sponsored by Rotary District 7210 and several Rotary clubs in the district.
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Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum Executive Director Ed Glisson and Rena Hill, Director of Development, discuss the newest attraction at the fabulous museum on the Hudson waterfront. The new exhibit is built around the Hyde Park Mastodon, a fossil skeleton found in Hyde Park. Children are able to learn what life was like in the Hudson Valley during the last Ice Age, 14,000 years ago, when elephant-like mastodons roamed North America. Fishkill Rotarian George Supan is on hand to discuss his club’s fundraising efforts that help maintain this interactive and hands-on museum, a Poughkeepsie institution that keeps children intrigued for hours as they learn about science and their environment.
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In a lively interview, sibling teen humanitarians, Gwenn and Roan Gideon from Rhinebeck, discuss their recent projects, which have helped thousands in developing countries. They describe how they organized and implemented fundraisers to raise awareness of human rights abuses around the world and to raise money for humanitarian efforts. Coming from a theatrical family, Gwenn created her own theatrical company, Act to Act, which has produced summer theatrical productions with proceeds supporting a school in Ethiopia and relief efforts in Darfur. Roan helps his sister in the theatrical world but has also organized his own humanitarian project: a soccer tournament fundraiser involving several schools in the area to support a hospital in Ethiopia.
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Tansukh Dorawala, Rotary District 7210’s District Governor for 2011-12, discusses the world’s water crisis and the way Rotary specifically addresses water filtration in developing countries. Unsanitary water is responsible for about 80 percent of the diseases in developing countries and a huge number of deaths, especially among children. Specific devices provided through Rotary projects, such as easy-to-use, inexpensive water filtration units, can clear water of disease-causing microbes. Rotarian volunteers fan out across the world to visit countries in need, especially in their outlying areas. Their mission is to convince residents that clean water will improve the health of their community and to set up such units.
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Helen Reisler, the first woman President of the Rotary Club of New York, discusses “the magic of Rotary” and her club’s powerful response to 9/11. Her leadership after 9/11 organized club members to give immediate aid to victims and rescue workers and to effectively coordinate contributions in a 9/11 Disaster Relief Fund, contributions that have assisted victims to this day. As a result of her leadership, Ms. Reisler and her club were highlighted in The Rotarian magazine (with a 1.2 million member distribution) and received coverage in other media. She is Past District Governor of Rotary District 7230 and is presently a Rotary International Representative to the U.N. Ms. Reisler is a contributor to The Rotarian magazine as well as a Vice President of Membership of the Rotary Global History Internet Fellowship, which preserves the history of Rotary. Professionally, Helen Reisler is a consultant in public relations and publicity, with a background in business, media, and education.
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Diego Aviles, Chief Operating Officer of the Hudson Valley Council of Boy Scouts, discusses how the organization helps build character, leadership, and personal responsibility. Mr. Aviles describes the origin of the Boy Scouts in England and in America, age levels of scouting, Merit Badges, and outdoor and indoor life skills that become the tools to succeed. Many interesting facets of Scouting are discussed, including well-known leaders who attribute their success to Scouting; statistics about numbers of scouts here and in the world; how scouts become Eagle Scouts and part of Order of the Arrow; a scout whose motto of “Be prepared” helped save lives in the Hudson Valley; and much, much more.
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Professional educators Tom and Sue Mounkhall, volunteers for Teachers across Borders (TAB), discuss the valuable work done by this nonprofit organization. TAB’s original purpose was to assist Cambodia in reconstructing its teaching corps, which was destroyed by the country’s turmoil. TAB provides teacher workshops with expert educators from Australia, the U.S. and the U.K., inspired by the belief that education is key to solving many of the world’s problems including poverty, disease, and child trafficking. The Mounkhalls describe their experiences teaching Cambodian colleagues in Battambang best classroom practices, collaboration techniques, and content.
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Volunteers for the Good Dog Foundation bring their trained dogs to health facilities and elsewhere to improve recovery rates through canine uplift. Rachel McPherson, Founder and Executive Director, discusses humanitarian tasks these specially trained dogs do for people. Some even work in classrooms with students having difficulty learning. Ms. McPherson became interested in this subject while producing a documentary on therapy dog services several years ago. She dropped the film project and created The Good Dog Foundation, which helped change New York State law to allow therapy dogs into health care facilities.
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Recorded at the 2009 U.N. Day in New York City, RadioRotary co-hosts Jonah Triebwasser and Sarah O’Connell interview Rotary International President, Scotland’s John Kenny (2009-10) and others. President Kenny discusses his Rotary background and his emphasis during his tenure on water and sanitation, health and hunger, and literacy, emphasizing the importance of Rotary clubs to carry out these projects to make our world a better place. Other humanitarians interviewed include: Millbrook Rotarian David Greenwood, Inbound/Outbound Youth Exchange Coordinator from the Hudson Valley; exchange students from France and Brazil; Rotarians from Smiles for Children, who discuss helping children get better dental care; and representatives from the Boy Scouts.
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Highland Rotarian Stephanie King discusses the need for clean water around the world. Explaining that one billion people in the world today are without safe drinking water, Ms. King describes the sand filter water system that saves thousands of lives, especially the lives of children. It is through the efforts of individual Rotary clubs around the world that fundraisers, such as Highland Rotary’s Ribfest, will generate money to send Rotary teams to places like El Salvador. Once there, Rotary teams travel, often under great hardship, to reach remote villages in order to give families easy-to-use sand water filter systems that will provide 20 gallons of fresh water daily.
Highland Rotary estimates that over 5,000 people to date are drinking safe water, some for the first time in their lives.
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Wappingers Rotarian Louise Quartuccio, Director of Social Services at Elant, and Fishkill Rotarian Pat Usifer, Corporate Director of Activities at Elant, discuss Elderact, an important recent humanitarian component of Rotary in local District 7210. Designed for people in assisted living residences, skilled nursing facilities, or group homes, Elderact members meet monthly to work on humanitarian projects. Some projects discussed here are dog treats needed for the SPCA and over 400 hot cocoa packages for our troops in Operation Santa.
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Community Foundations of Dutchess County (CFDC) officers, Andrea L. Reynolds, president and CEO, and Nevill Smythe, vice-president of programs, discuss how the various foundations within CFDC and its affiliates help to enhance the quality of life of individuals and towns in the Hudson Valley. CFDC supports a broad and diverse range of areas including the arts, education, community development, conservation, health, and human services. Ms. Reynolds and Mr. Smythe provide numerous examples of donors who have accomplished their philanthropic dreams and communities that have become a strengthened as a result.
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LaGrange Rotarian Frank Evert, president and founder of the nonprofit organization Water without Borders, describes how his organization provides sustainable sources of safe drinking water to locations in the United States and throughout the world. Mr. Evert began Water without Borders after working in an international water-filtration company and learning that a lack of safe drinking water is the leading cause of disease, civil strife, hunger, and birth defects in the world. Today, Water without Borders is involved with installing sustainable long-term solution water filtration systems in developing countries and in America and is ready to deliver clean drinking water in the event of a disaster in the United States.
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Group Study Exchange (GSE) is a cultural and vocational exchange opportunity open to the public for nonRotary businesspeople and professionals between the ages of 25 and 40. The program provides travel grants for teams to exchange visits in paired areas of different countries where participants experience the host country’s culture and institutions, observe how their vocations are practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas. Millbrook Rotarian and GSE Chair of Rotary District 7210, Heather Malcom is a former GSE Professional—a biologist–who visited New Zealand for a month as part of the GSE program prior to becoming a Rotarian. Ms. Malcom describes her experiences as she exchanged ideas with other scientists. Many of the exchange professionals return from their visit and join Rotary shortly thereafter. In some Rotary districts Group Study Exchange is being replaced by a similar program called Vocational Exchange.
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Plastic surgeon Dr. Manoj Abraham discusses how he and his dedicated medical teams change the lives of children needing plastic surgery through a humanitarian project called Healing the Children Northeast. The nonprofit’s mission has been to heal children with burn injuries, cleft palates, and other deformities whose families don’t have access to or cannot afford treatment. Many of these children are shunned by their community until they are treated. Since its inception in 1985, Healing the Children Northeast has arranged treatment for more than 33,000 children in the United States and abroad.
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Maureen Taylor, Executive Administrator in Dutchess County’s Habitat for Humanity, discusses how home ownership is made possible for low income families with the ability to carry the responsibilities of the home once it is built. Ms. Taylor describes potential recipients’ qualifying requirements for ownership, the required contribution of “500 hours of sweat equity,” contributions by licensed electricians and plumbers, and successful stories.
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Dave Dobson, Executive Director of Rebuilding Together in Dutchess County, and Rhinebeck Rotarians Mike Mazarella and Mike Frasier, discuss their joint volunteer efforts to help repair homes for those in need. Rebuilding Together, a leading nonprofit organization working to preserve affordable home ownership, revitalizes communities through its network of more than 200 affiliates, providing critical repairs to the homes of low-income Americans. Believing in a safe and healthy home for every person, Rebuilding Together helps disabled and aging homeowners remain in their homes for as long as possible, and helps our
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Salvation Army Captain Doris Gonzalez (whose brother is a Rotarian in Puerto Rico) and Salvation Army Advisory Board Chairman Bob Outer discuss various programs in this important humanitarian organization as well as interesting information about themselves. The Salvation Army today is providing services for more people than ever before, as more Americans today are facing problems obtaining the basic necessities of life–food, shelter, and warmth. Programs include prisoner rehabilitation, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, elderly services, housing and homeless, disaster relief, and loads more. Like Rotary International, the Salvation Army makes the world a better place.
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Kathy Kruger, co-chair of Rotary District 7210’s Domestic Violence Ended (DOVE) and Pleasant Valley Rotarian, and Judy Lombardi, Executive Director of Grace Smith House, discuss the various ways victims of domestic violence can get help in the Hudson Valley. Both Grace Smith House and DOVE assist thousands of victims of domestic violence each year through 24-hour hotlines, emergency shelters, and community services. Working with individuals, families, and communities, they help victims/survivors of abuse make healthy choices about their lives and also educate the community about domestic violence and ways to prevent it.
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Susan Davidson, Founder and Executive Director of Friends of Seniors, discusses how volunteers in this nonprofit humanitarian organization make a huge difference in the lives of those in need. The organization provides basic support services to the older adult community, age 60 and older, such as transportation to medical appointments, assistance with grocery shopping, visiting services, respite for primary caregivers, and lots more.
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Millbrook Rotarian Scott Meyer and novelist Eileen Charbonneau, Administrators of the nonprofit George Byrd Grinnell American Indian Fund, dedicated to maintaining the cultural integrity of American Indian communities. The interview covers ways the Fund helps Native Americans, most recently members of Montana’s Blackfoot Nation, and local exchange programs. Serving Native Americans throughout the United States for over sixteen years, the Grinnell Fund’s activities strive to “honor, celebrate, empower, and increase opportunities for American Indian children, adults, families, and communities” through various earning programs and scholarships for adults and students from elementary school through college.
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Founder of the nonprofit organization, Semper Fi Parents of the Hudson Valley, Paula Zwillinger discusses how her organization supports the families of those in the military as well as the military itself. Various forms of support provided by Semper Fi Parents include an providing emotional outlet for Marine/military parents of those in boot-camps, active, or reserve status and for those who have been recently discharged, raising funds to help offset the cost of the many boxes sent to troops, holding educational workshops for parents and troops, helping parents find resources for additional emotional/educational assistance, and more.
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ShelterBoxes is a UK-based disaster relief organization supported by Rotary clubs around the world. In Rotary District 7210 Suffern Rotarian Larry Palant is ShelterBox Coordinator and Disaster Relief Chair. For this interview, Mr. Palant details how the ShelterBoxes function. Each box is filled with critical necessities for keeping at least 10 victims of disasters alive for a minimum of six months. The usual contents include a 10-person tent, sleeping mats, mosquito netting, a stove and cooking implements, emergency water purification supplies, and hand tools, but tot total weighs only about 110 lbs. A Disaster Relief Team comprised of highly skilled specialists accompanies the Boxes until they reach their destination. Each ShelterBox is often able to utilize the international communications network of local Rotary clubs to bypass red tape that can hinder effective emergency response.
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A Rotary member for 23 years, Walden Rotarian Mike Martin, is Rotary District 7210’s Co-chair of Domestic Violence Ended (DOVE). In this interview, he discusses the problem of domestic violence in today’s environment. DOVE works with other domestic violence agencies, such as Safe Homes, to protect victims and their children. Mr. Martin explains how he first became involved in DOVE 15 years ago and describes the many services offered by DOVE, such as a hotline where victims can call for assistance.
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Two guests from Highland Rotary, Steve Laubach, the assistant governor for District 7210 Region 2, and Don Verity, Station Manager of Hudson Valley Talk Radio, have lots of laughs discussing the now-famous Hudson Valley Ribfest, attracting thousands of visitors each year. The Ribfest has become the Hudson Valley’s largest barbecue event for the whole family. Held in the Ulster Country Fairgrounds, usually in mid August, it includes fantastic food, lots of entertainment, and loads of fun. A major event each year is the Empire State Barbecue Championship competition in several food categories.
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RadioRotary co-host Jonah Triebwasser interviews humanitarians in the House of Friendship at the Rotary International Birmingham Convention, where 17,000 Rotarians have gathered. The interviewees include John Byrne from Wales discussing the good works of a Welch Interact club; Patricia Smith from Pennsylvania discussing Youth Exchange and its purposes; a representative of PolioPlus, who is displaying an antique iron lung to show what happened to polio victims during past epidemics; and many more with tales to tell of Rotary humanitarian activities.
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In the first of a two-part series, RadioRotary co-host Jonah Triebwasser interviews humanitarians from around the world in the House of Friendship at the Rotary International Birmingham Convention, where 17,000 Rotarians have gathered. Featured speaker at the Convention, humanitarian Dr. Jane Goodell, gives a fascinating interview. Rotarian Heather Merrian from San Francisco, California discusses Rotaplast (Rotary + Plastic Surgery) whose purpose is to support teams of surgeons who perform cleft palate surgeries overseas. Rotarian Chris Lewis from Los Angeles, California discusses the Wheelchair Foundation, the largest wheelchair relief organization, which provides 10,000 free wheelchairs per month to the needy around the world. This project, funded by Rotarians and private donors, have so far sent wheelchairs to 150 countries.
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Dr. Suresh Chandani, President of Southern Dutchess Rotary, and Neha Chandani, President of Marist College Rotaract, discuss their local and international humanitarian efforts. Rotaract is a service club for young professionals and students ages 18-30. Sponsored by local Rotary clubs, Rotaract clubs provide young people with opportunities to foster leadership, responsible citizenship, and promote international peace and understanding.
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Steven Pressman, Executive Director of Mid-Hudson Addiction Recovery Centers (MARC) in Poughkeepsie, and Sue Tallardy, Program Director of the MARC Crisis Center, discuss successful approaches and services in treating addictions. MARC operates the Crisis Center, two halfway houses for recovery, a transitional residence program, and nearly twenty sober apartments. Mr. Pressman and Ms. Tallardy explain how MARC helps individuals and their families during the time that addicts and alcoholics proceed through the recovery process.
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Helen LiMarizi, Rotary District 7210’s Literacy Chair and Director of Literacy Connections for Putnam County, discusses interesting – and sometimes surprising — information about literacy here and around the world. Ms. LiMarizi describes Rotary’s emphasis on basic literacy as a pre-condition to the prevention of poverty and the development of peace. The majority of Rotary clubs around the world include a literacy component as part of their humanitarian efforts.
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Millbrook Rotarian Rev. Dr. Doug Fisher (Rector of Grace Episcopal Church, Millbrook, NY) discusses how Hudson Valley Rotarians and other humanitarian organizations support Food Pantries, a vital resource for those in need in today’s economic environment.
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Distinguished guest Doug Hovey is the recipient of the NYS Senate’s 2006 prestigious Achiever’s Award, which recognizes accomplishments on behalf of the community while overcoming personal challenges, and the recipient of the Red Cross 1995 Humanitarian of the Year Award. Dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for persons with disabilities, Doug Hovey is founder and Executive Director of Independent Living, Inc. in Newburgh, N.Y., serving more than 2,500 annually. Independent Living, Inc., offers programs and services dedicated to ensuring universal access and opportunity in every aspect of community life to those of any age with disabilities of any kind.
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Wayne Johnson, Youth Exchange Chair for Rotary District 7210 in Rotary Year 2009-10, shares important information for parents and teens interested in Rotary’s excellent international exchange program. The Rotary Youth Exchange program provides thousands of young students with the opportunity to meet people from other countries and to experience new cultures, planting the seeds for a lifetime of international understanding. The program offers numerous benefits to its young participants and their Rotarian hosts and mentors, as well as to the community at large.
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Rotary District 7210’s Past District Governor (1990-91) Chet Sawyer, International Medical Relief Foundation Co-Chair with Nuise Prewphan Bhitiyakul, discusses how his organization of dedicated Rotarians in the Mid Hudson region of New York State collects surplus medical supplies and equipment for distribution to developing countries around the world. The distribution in the receiving country is supervised by volunteers through the Rotary International network. This assists in the reduction of medical waste while improving the health of communities around the world.
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David Green, District Governor Elect (2009-10), discusses what Rotary means to him and his plans and hopes for his district next year. Among the topics he explores are polio eradication worldwide and Rotary’s capacity to provide service to local communities, the nation, and the world. This moving interview provides insight into the serious responsibilities of a district governor.
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In a unique RadioRotary program, doctoral candidate Ed Kalinka discusses his research for his thesis on the topic of Why Rotarians Volunteer: An examination of Their Motives and Incentives. Mr Kalinka, a Florham Park (New Jersey) Rotarian, provides interesting summaries of studies and statistics about Rotary clubs in the U.S. and around the world and lots of information about what motivates people to become humanitarians.
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Roger Risko (Arlington Rotary), Rotary District 7210 Advisor to Interact, Rotaract, and Elderact, describes each of these humanitarian clubs and explains the importance of attracting people of all ages to humanitarianism. Jimmy Lyles, Interact President of John Jay High School, describes his club’s community service such as recycling, clean-up, and awareness projects and talks about how he became involved in Interact. George Supan from Fishkill Rotary, the club that co-sponsored John Jay’s Interact, explains the responsibilities of sponsorship and gives examples of life skills that he and his club teach to Interacters as they work on service projects beyond their school community.
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In this riveting interview, Nate Almeida describes his ultimately successful journey, from living on the streets to becoming the President and founder of a Rotary community Rotaract organization, called Nubian Directions. Darnell White, Head of Technology and Computer Science Instructor at Nubian Directions, and Mr. Almeida explain the mission of Nubian Directions, which is based in Poughkeepsie, New York: to provide high quality workforce skills for all ages, especially in the area if technology. A very uplifting interview.
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Past District Governor Knut Johnsen (2003-04) and Rotary District 7210’s Rotary Foundation Chair, discusses Rotary International’s mission to “bring us closer to world peace … through the humanitarian and educational programs” made possible by financing from The Rotary Foundation. Humanitarian projects for those in need here and abroad include issues involving food, poverty, and water. Education projects include foreign exchanges for young people and adults and World Peace Fellows studying conflict resolution. Mr. Johnson clarifies the relationship between the Foundation and the 1.2 million Rotarians around the world who implement these projects: “The (Rotary) Foundation is the backbone of Rotary, and the Rotarians are the heart and soul.”
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Representatives from two Rotary clubs provide insight into how autonomous Rotary clubs are similar yet different, depending on the talent and skills of their members, as they provide humanitarian service locally and abroad. Red Hook Rotarian Niki Weaver describes her Therapy Dog program and her club’s yearly Apple Blossom Community Day event. New Paltz Rotary Secretary Marianne Knulf and New Paltz Rotary President Patrick Fillet speak about a variety of New Paltz events, which benefit many humanitarian causes everywhere.
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We are nearly there, very close. The success of Rotary International’s polio eradication campaign, called PolioPlus, is described by Rotary District 7210’s PolioPlus Chair Bunnee Webb who clarifies why polio continues to be an issue in the world today. Since there are still a few people not yet vaccinated here and abroad, this leaves non-vaccinated people, especially children, open to this infectious, crippling disease. Ms. Webb briefly describes polio’s horrifying history, when many polio victims were either left crippled forever or forced to live out their lives in an iron lung. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has given Rotary International a grant to facilitate the final eradication of polio, which, when successful, will be the second disease to be eradicated from the earth, the first being smallpox.
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Miller, Chair of Rotary District 7210’s World Community Service (facilitated through The Rotary Foundation), discusses this committee’s humanitarian contributions here and abroad. Host Rotary clubs in the United States connect with Rotary clubs in other parts of the world to implement projects that assist people in need. Projects include clean water, literacy, health care, and education. Ms. Miller provides examples of these projects, such as benches for student seating in classrooms in India, water filtration systems in Latin America, new medical equipment for the Women’s Wing in Grenada after hurricanes destroyed much of the hospital, and 10,000 fruit bearing trees in India. Locally in the Hudson Valley, among the many projects World Community Serves
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At the United Nations on November 7, 2009, RadioRotary co-hosts Sarah O’Connell and Jonah Triebwasser interviewed Exchange Students from the Hudson Valley and representatives from young adult Rotary clubs — Interact and Rotaract – from around the world. Rotarians attended from as far away as Pakistan,. In a special interview with Tom Henderson (Cornwall Rotary Club), founder and creator of ShelterBox, Mr. Henderson explained how his team provides emergency shelter and life saving equipment for up to 10 people per box. Tom Henderson has since been appointed an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) for his outstanding contribution to charity and humanitarian work since he founded ShelterBox in 2000. U.N. Day is intended to provide insight into the strong relationship between Rotary and the UN.
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Sue Gould, Executive Director of the Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse in Dutchess County, discusses her organization’s mission: to protect children, advocate on their behalf, and educate the community on how to prevent abuse. The Center partners with local schools, law enforcement agencies, and the Dutchess County Department of Social Services to achieve these goals. Ms. Gould describes how the organization addresses rehabilitation for parents from all economic and social levels who do not know how to care for their children, the various ways she and the Center share information with the public about this problem, and what to look for when identifying child abuse.
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Rotary District 7210’s World Peace Fellow Chair and Past District Governor in 2001-02, Betsy Kopstein-Stuts (Poughkeepsie South Rotary Club) discusses The Rotary Foundation’s World Peace Fellow scholarship program that trains people in conflict resolution. Each year 60 Fellows from around the world are selected for the program and can choose from seven universities to get a Master’s degree related to peace. Available only to non-Rotarians, applicants need a proficiency in a second language, among other requirements. Professionally, Ms. Kopstein coordinates academic internships at Vassar College.
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Environmental advocate and outdoors writer for the Poughkeepsie Journal since 1994, Bill Conners addresses conservation and hunting and fishing issues. He holds numerous leadership positions in such organizations as the Federation of Dutchess County Fish and Game Clubs and the New York State Fish and Wildlife Management Board for Region 3 (covering most of the Hudson Valley). Mr. Conners discusses several successful programs including these: a popular free education program for young people up to 15 years old called the Morgan Lake Fishing Program in effect for 20+ years, which thus far has taught 17,000+ young people how to fish while encouraging a respect the environment; a deer management program; continuous programs supported by hunters, which have distributed over 7,000 pounds of meat in one year, thus providing 21,000 meals to the needy; and his strong involvement in the Hudson Valley’s Resource Recovery Agency, which recycles garbage into electricity without polluting the air.
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Penny Hickman, Vice President of the Conservation Awareness Foundation and member of the Board of Directors of the Federation of Dutchess County Fish and Game, discusses the humanitarian nonprofit group called Hunters Helping the Hungry. Volunteer hunters in this organization safely process mainly venison, but also fish and game birds, according to government standards. Hunters, who have more than they can use, make donations, which are distributed to the needy in outlets such as soup kitchens. In 2009, Hunters Helping the Hungry distributed more than 6,400 lbs. of venison. Ms. Hickman describes the entire process, from volunteers meeting hunters at a drop-off point, to the expert butchering process in a donated refrigeration area, and finally to safe distribution.
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Kathy Kruger, Registered Nurse and Assistant Governor of Rotary District 7210 (Region 3), discusses her role as Rotaplast (Rotary + Plastic Surgery) Ambassador for the district. This program provides cleft lip and cleft palate surgery for children around the world. Besides describing the causes of this medical disfigurement, Ms. Kruger also explains the effects on children, from death caused by malnutrition to psychological problems caused by ostracism by their community. In the U.S., children have medical care to correct this problem. In addition to providing surgery, medical teams — all volunteer doctors, dentists, nurses, and administrators — educate parents about prevention.
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Rotary District 7210’s Past District Governor Dr. Jim Yarmus (2007-2008) discusses his journey from Cuba in 1960 to becoming a U.S. citizen, a Civil Engineer, a Rotarian (Spring Valley Rotary), and a district governor. A Past President of the Society of Civil Engineers, today Dr. Yarmus is a professor of Project, Construction, and Planning Management. As a member of Engineers without Borders, he recently took nine of his students to Honduras for hands-on engineering work in implementing power plants and clean water projects. A few of the projects he is most proud of as Past District Governor are the district’s literacy, publicity, and water and sanitation awards from Rotary International, especially the latter, Dr. Yarmus says, since literacy, clean water and sanitation are part of the “key” to “peace in the world and saving children’s lives.”
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RadioRotary’s first interview on the Hudson Valley Talk Radio Network features Rotary District 7210’s Past District Governor Jeffrey Keahon (2008-2009) from Pearl River Rotary Club. Defining Rotary as “an international network of community volunteers, primarily business and professional people” from around the world, Mr. Keahon explains Rotary’s various Avenues of Service, from global initiatives such as polio eradication and clean water programs, to local community projects, such as scholarships, mentoring high school students based on Rotarian vocations, and raising funds to support community needs. Mr. Keahon emphasizes the high ethics that Rotarians bring to their professions, saying “we are ethically driven,” and he clearly explains why Rotary District 7210 sponsors RadioRotary: to reach out to non Rotarians to let them know what Rotary does and to invite them to consider becoming a Rotary member.
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