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November 2023

Volume 23 Issue 11

The Rotary of Richmond Club Maui Fundraiser

Raises More Than $37,000


The Rotary Club of Richmond partnered with the Rotary Club of Maui and Lahaina to support the victims of the devastating fires.


The devastation of these fires was felt from Lahaina to Richmond as many members of our club had ties to family and friends, who were impacted by the loss of the community, history and personally devastated, inspiring the club to respond in a meaningful way.


Due to the generosity of our club members' the response to this appeal has been more than outstanding with the Rotary Club of Richmond raising $37,037.76, which will be contributed to The Rotary Club of Maui and Lahaina.


John White, President, said, "Club members unhesitatingly stepped forward to help a community in dire need."


The Mission of the Rotary Club of Richmond is to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through our fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.


Geoff McDonald, to whom the club owes a debt of gratitude after his outstanding leadership, fundraising and guidance, along with Marshall Orr and Bob Hicks have all agreed to add funds from their organizations.


Geoff McDonald, E. M. Miller and David Chewning among other members shared stories of family and friends who experienced the devastation and need to start over.


McDonald speaks to his home which holds artwork from the now devastated galaxies, burnt to the ground, in Lahaina from visits to his uncle and aunt, who live in Makawao. The fire in Kula missed them by less than a mile.


Chewning and Miller also had family and friends who were safe, yet devastated by the fire. Some made the difficult choice to move and start over and others made the equally difficult choice to stay and rebuild.


These are just some of the stories shared by our own club members, which added to the club's motivation for response.

Rotary Club of Richmond Workforce Development Project

9/30 Report

 

Rotary is now supporting 16 member with ReWork Richmond

 

At the end of September two additional members were enrolled as Rotary sponsored members with ReWork Richmond, taking us past our target of 15 members for 2023. Our newest members are entering the fields of IT and healthcare.


While several of our sponsored members from the start of our partnership are nearing or completing their apprenticeship, many are first time employees in the career fields of healthcare, information technology, transportation, as well as logistics, electrical and HVAC, legal service, and childcare.


Several established Richmond businesses and corporations have employed these participants through their support of the ReWork workforce program, including Estes Transportation, Davis and Green, VCU Health, Marks and Harrison, Colonel/Webb, Envera Health, VA Department of Health, Shipper’s Choice, ACTS, City of Richmond, Chippenham Hospital, and T Force Freight.


ReWork continues to enroll new candidates into their programs with 4 potential candidates in the pipeline as of the end of September.

All members were stable in September with two members moving into permanent housing at the end of the month, thanks to Rotary funding.


Volunteers from our Rotary Club engaged as financial and resume coaches include; William Cabell, Scott Coffield, Jennifer Cubitt, Bob Hicks, Joe Kelleher, Mike Little, and Todd Martin. 


Beginning in October, Rework is adding an additional staff person, and a portion of their duties will be engaging with the coordination and communication between volunteers and Rework case management staff. Todd Martin, a member of the Workforce Advisory Committee, has agreed to coordinate three key volunteer service activities involving participant progress, club talks, and participant graphics. 

 

ReWork continues to utilize the support funds provided by Rotary to stabilize their members as they progress along their career pathway. The bulk of expenses involve housing assistance, education, and childcare. For the 3rd quarter of 2023, $8,585.60 was spent on these supports to allow the recipients to stay focused and engaged in their learning and employment track.

The Rotary Club of Richmond Builds 80th Ramp with Project Homes


View pictures HERE of the 80th ramp, built by The Rotary of Richmond Club Members, as part of Project Homes! This project was beneficial to all, by supporting a member of the Richmond community to provide a safe and accessible entrance and exit.

Richmond Charities Fund Announces Grant Recipients


Marshall Orr and the Richmond Charities Fund are proud to announce the most recent round of grant recipients:


FeedMore $5,000

Shalom Farms: $5,000

Project Warm: $5,000

Relationship Foundation of Virginia $3,500

Northern Neck-Middlesex Free Clinic: $10,000

Project Homes $5,000

Hawaii Community Foundation to support Maui Strong Fund $10,000

Meals on Wheels is such a great community service, bringing much needed food to the needy, many of whom are unable to leave their homes easily. The Rotary Club of Richmond supplies drivers every Thursday, come rain or shine.

Volunteer Opportunities

SERVICE ABOVE SELF

Volunteer Opportunity:

Meals on Wheels


Grab a buddy or make a new friend! Meals on Wheels is back up and running. Deliveries are in full force. Sherry Peterson is heading up this effort. Sign-up sheets will be available at our meetings. Drivers are needed for November and December dates! Reach out to Sherry directly at sepete@verizon.net.  

Volunteer Opportunity:

Rework Richmond


Volunteer opportunities range from resume preparation for employment consideration to financial coaching with participants.


Contact John Purnell via email, purnelljc@comcast.net, or Charles Layman via email, laymanc@comcast.net, and let them know how you can help.

Volunteer Opportunity:

Project Ramp


Build a ramp and join your fellow Rotarians for a morning of fun and community service. Accessibility is critical for safety and quality of life. John Delandro is heading up this effort. Reach out to John directly at johndelandro3@gmail.com.

Volunteer Opportunity:

Blood Drive


Mark your calendar for the next Blood Drive hosted by THE Rotary Club of Richmond on January 24, 2024 at the Bon Air Baptist Church.


More details to come!

2023-2024 Board of Directors!


President 

John White

President-Elect

Pam Kelleher

Secretary 

William Cabell

Treasurer 

Ken Nachman

Immediate Past President 

Paul Neumann


BOARD MEMBERS

Chuck Coreth

Scott Coffield

Warren Aldrich

Jim Davis

Laurie Shipley

Toddy Immel

Joe Kelleher

EM Miller

Sherry Peterson

William Schroeder


Tabasco Editor

Katie Hellebush


Club Photographer

Khizar Wasti

CLUB #69 

SERVING THE RICHMOND 

COMMUNITY SINCE 1913


The FOUR-WAY TEST of the things we think, say or do:


1. Is it the TRUTH?


2. Is it FAIR to all Concerned?


3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?


4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

Upcoming Speakers

November 7th - Rotary Club Member Classification Talks

November 14th


Damon Jiggetts, CEO Henrico Education Foundation


"Empowering Teachers, Inspiring Students, Engaging Communities"


Damon Jiggetts, Chief Executive Officer for HEF, has made a career of servant leadership. Prior to joining HEF in July 2023, Damon served as Executive Director of Peter Paul for over 11 years, where he and his team of educators and community development professionals served children, families, and community members in the east end of Richmond. During his tenure, the organization expanded its footprint from one to six locations, completed a $5.5 million campaign, eliminated debt of over $1 million, and partnered with an array of organizations to support the needs of its students and families.

Damon’s career began with Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Richmond and Boys & Girls Clubs of the Roanoke Valley, where he was responsible for establishing school-based clubs. His experience with the Clubs shaped his purpose for supporting youth initiatives and launched his profession in youth development. He served as Vice President of Operations for Communities in Schools (CIS) of Richmond, the national organization’s first fully accredited affiliate. During his time there, CIS expanded its reach throughout Richmond Public Schools and into Henrico County Public Schools.

Damon has founded or co-founded numerous initiatives, organizations, and networks: Red Wagon Youth Transportation Services, Ujima Legacy Fund, and the African American Nonprofit Leaders Coalition. He is a recipient of Leadership Metro Richmond’s Servant Leadership Award in 2017, the Wallace Stettinius Award for Non-profit Excellence in 2014, and the Virginia Center of Inclusive Communities Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2020.

November 21st


Lacy Huszcza, Executive Director, Richmond Symphony


“Behind The Scenes at The Symphony.”



Ms. Huszcza joined the Richmond Symphony as Executive Director on December 1, 2020. She brings significant experience in business development, organizational growth, strategic planning, and digital innovation from the Las Vegas Philharmonic where she served as Executive Director from 2018 - Nov 2020. She previously served in successively more responsible roles at the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra for most of the prior decade, ultimately becoming its Associate Executive Director.

 

She was named one of Musical America’s Top 30 Professionals in 2018 and has been recognized for her efforts to expand the diversity of American orchestras. Lacey is a terrific communicator and has an exceptional track record in patron development, musical education, and community engagement

 

She additionally has served on the Board of the Association of California Symphony Orchestras for more than five years, also holding positions as its Vice President and Secretary. Ms. Huszcza holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in Music and Communications from the University of Colorado and an MBA from Pepperdine University with an emphasis in entrepreneurship.

November 24th


Megan Schultz, COO, Sports Backers

“Sports Backers. Inspiring Richmond to live actively.”


Born in Richmond and raised in Glen Allen, Megan excelled in basketball at Hermitage High School, resulting in a storied career at Randolph-Macon College. She left the Ashland campus as one of the most decorated athletes in school history, setting conference records in career points and assists among both men and women. In 2006, she was recognized as the top Division III female athlete in the country, though you’d never know it from talking with her.

 

In addition to being a great athlete, Schultz was also a gifted student, and a year after graduating cum laude from Randolph-Macon in 2006, she received her Master of Education in sport management from VCU in 2007. That led to an internship with Sports Backers. She was hired as Event Production Assistant and 13 years became Chief Operating Officer in July 2020. Having risen rapidly through the ranks, Schultz currently serves as one of three event directors for Sports Backers. She manages five to six ventures. Schultz’s deep connection to the area, her athletic pedigree and a passion for fitness make her uniquely suited to discuss Richmond’s sports landscape.

 

Her happy place is any Saturday spent outside with her family whether it’s running after her kids, Chase, Gavin and Ashlyn, a trip to the park, a family bike ride, or a morning run…she’s all in, especially if it ends in a trip to the fountain at Westwood Pharmacy for breakfast!

Other Helpful Websites:


Our Website:

http://rvarotary.com/


Meals-on-Wheels Info: 

sepete@verizon.net or

https://feedmore.volunteermatters.org/project-catalog/37


Workforce Development

ReWork Richmond

https://reworkrichmond.org/


District 7600:

https://rotary7600.org


Rotary International

 www.rotary.org

THE TABASCO CONTENT DEADLINE


The Tabasco is sent monthly.


The team requests all content by the 15th of month prior.


Email Katie Hellebush at katie@hellebushconsulting.com

Whether you are relatively new to the club or a long-serving member, the Rotary Club of Richmond has been serving Richmond for more than a century; do you have your copy of this history? Copies are now available; $20 soft copies; $30 hard copies.

Birthdays and Anniversaries

Let's wish our fellow Rotarians Happy Birthday and congratulations on their Rotary Anniversary!

Member

Birthday

Beach, Christopher Edward Sr. (CHRIS)

1-Nov

Bynum, James W. (JIM)

16-Nov

Bedell, Frank C (FRANK)

17-Nov

Tuktur, Wanderimam R (WANDE)

17-Nov

Purnell, John C. Jr. (JOHN)

18-Nov

Cubitt, Jennifer M. (JENNY)

21-Nov

Member

Start Date

Years

Layman, Charles D.(CHARLES)

11/1/1983

39

Innes, Alexander D(ALEX)

11/16/2021

1

Rush, Derek(DEREK RUSH)

11/22/2022

0

Christian, Walter Lee(LEE)

11/24/1987

35

Dillon, Andrew G.(ANDY)

11/27/2005

17

Upcoming Events

November 4


2023 Walk to End Alzheimer's - RVA


Libbie Mill Midtown


November 23


Happy Thanksgiving!


We are grateful for you!



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