WELCOME to the newsletter of the Rotary Club of Livonia AM. Our club meets weekly to socialize, discuss the needs of our community and the world around us, and take action to address those needs. Please consider visiting our club or joining us on a service project.

All Are Welcome!

Meeting Notice and Club News

Coming Up This Week

Club President Erin H. Dobbins invites you to a Hybrid Zoom meeting scheduled for Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at 7:30 AM.

Our speaker this week will be Diana Brda, Owner/ Therapist, Blackbird Counseling Center, Mental Health Awareness. Invocation by Peter Dale

Empowering Mental Wellness

"Navigating life’s challenges can be tough, but you don’t have to do it alone. At Blackbird Counseling Center, we provide a compassionate, safe space where you can explore your thoughts, process emotions, and take the first step towards healing."

GroupMe App

July 20, 2026

Why Our Rotary Club Is Moving to GroupMe for Communication

Clear, reliable communication is essential for keeping our Rotary club connected, informed, and engaged. As our membership continues to grow, traditional text messaging has become increasingly difficult to manage. Most mobile carriers limit the number of phone numbers that can be added to a single group text, which means messages don’t always reach everyone. Members may be left out of updates, reminders, or last‑minute changes simply because the group text cannot support our full roster.

To solve this, our club is transitioning to GroupMe, a free and easy‑to‑use group messaging app that ensures every member receives every message. GroupMe allows unlimited participants, organizes conversations cleanly, and keeps all Rotary communication in one place—no more scattered text threads or missed updates.

If you are not already using the GroupMe app, please follow the link below to sign up. Once signed up, the club will send you an invitation link to join our GroupMe channel. Please direct your questions to Bill Friske.

GroupMe Installation Instructions

Club Meeting Featuring Annual Financial Report Presentation

July 18, 2026

President Erin H. Dobbins opened the meeting with the ringing of the bell at 7:34. The members then recited the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by the Invocation given by Greg Greene. There were 12 members present and 1 member on Zoom. Sharon Pommerville then happily collected Happy Bucks.

Some announcements were made:

If you would like to volunteer to give the Invocation, you can fill out the Volunteer application on our website or turn in to Erin.
Bob Carris will send out the Sign-up Genius for Touch a Truck. Claude Kendrick, Erin Dobbins, and Nancy Darga suggested Marlene Katafias should contact Bill Joyner to see what kind of assistance he would need for organizing and setting up the Hot Wheels handouts.
Tammy Bonifield gave a short update on how great the Lake House Party was on Saturday and the great attendance. Several other members also spoke about it being the best one so far.

Nancy Darga talked about how moving and fun the Livonia 250 Celebration was last week, with several members dressed in period costume and how much fun her nephews had.
Also mentioned was gardening at Greenmead every Tuesday from 9 to 11 am.
Victoria Haltom mentioned that the club was paying for business cards for all the members and we need to provide our names, cell phone, Home phone if we want to, posts held in the past on AM Rotary, and current position if any.
Greg Greene reminded us about the 5 Mile Road cleanup on Saturday.
Claude Kendrick reminded everyone to let him know where and when you want to work at Touch a Truck and he will need any extra coolers and bring a chair.

Past President Nancy Darga then gave a report on the Club Budget. The Rotary year runs from 7/11/25 to 6/30/26, and dues are $350 annually, $71 goes to the District, $116 goes to International, and $116 stays with the club. Meeting room fee is $1,900 annually and the storage facility is $1,800 annually. Misc expenses are bank fees, accounting, promotions, and supplies.

Livonia AM Rotary has awarded grants to 92 organizations since we started. Nancy also had a chart that broke down expenses to various events, etc and income. Questions and answers followed the presentation.

Greg Greene shared 3 jokes; the Members recited the Rotary 4 Way Test, and President Erin Dobbins adjourned the meeting with the ringing of the bell at 8:30 am.

President Erin wanted the following items added to the discussion list next Wednesday:

5 organizations helped plant the Rotary Trees, and they should all share in the watering.
Discuss what we want Bob to get for breakfast every week.
How the grants that the Giving Committee approves are funded and who the Legacy groups are.
When and where to put the Peace Pole in Rotary Park.
Discuss possibly sharing our storage facility with the Noon Rotary.

Marlene Katafias

Upcoming Meetings

07/22/2026 - Diana Brda, Owner/ Therapist, Blackbird Counseling Center, Mental Health Awareness. Invocation by Peter Dale.

08/19/2026 - Dennis Howie, Director of Development, The Living & Learning Enrichment Center.

Join Us

VISIT OUR CLUB IN PERSON

We meet at the

Livonia Senior Wellness Center

32001 Five Mile Road

Livonia, MI 48154

Every Wednesday, 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM

ALL are Welcome!

Visitors and friends are welcome to sign on and participate with our meeting on ZOOM.

Please introduce yourself to the
group when recognized at the
start of the meeting.

Upcoming Events

07/22/2026 - Concert for Peace - presented by the Rotary Action Group for Peace-Great Lakes Chapter, Trinity House Theater, Doors Open 6:30 PM, Concert 7:00 PM, Tickets $30, Purchase Tickets HERE.

07/31/2026 - Rotary Impact Tour, from Barrow to Bermuda - Zone Director, Rotary International Marty Helman, Plymouth Cultural Center, Lunch $20, Register HERE.

09/13/2026 - 9th Annual Good Old‑Fashioned Neighborhood Corn Roast, Bicentennial Park, Details to Follow.

11/12/2026 - District 6400 Foundation Dinner, Crystal Gardens, Southgate, 5:30 to 9:00 PM.

Upcoming Committee Meetings

09/21/2026 - Giving Committee Meeting via Zoom, 6:00 PM.

12/21/2026 - Giving Committee Meeting via Zoom, 6:00 PM.

03/15/2027 - Giving Committee Meeting via Zoom, 6:00 PM.