The Rotary Club of Boston is pleased to announce this year's Honorary Chairperson of the Governor's Prayer Breakfast, former First Lady, Rosalynn Carter. The forty-sixth annual Governor's Prayer Breakfast was held May 8th, 2009at 7:15 a.m. in the Imperial Ballroom of the Boston Park Plaza Hotel.

Last year's event was a tremendous success and we were even more enthusiastic about this year's program that included an ecumenical reflection with Lt. Governor Tim Murray, Mayor Thomas Menino, and many of Boston's business, political and religious leaders. We served a full breakfast, followed by a speaking program .

The proceeds of this year's Governor's Prayer Breakfast were donated to the Judge Baker Children's Center, locally, and Water for People, internationally, in keeping with Rotary Club of Boston's global network.

Water for People helps people in developing countries improve their quality of life by supporting locally sustainable drinking water resources, sanitation facilities and health and hygiene education.

Judge Baker Children's Center provides a spectrum of services for vulnerable children, adolescents, and their families, carries out an array of distinguished mental health research programs, and provides both research training and clinical training to child mental health professionals in multiple disciplines.

ROSALYNN CARTER

8 May 2009

Dear Friends,

I am very pleased to serve as honorary chairperson of the Rotary Club of Boston's 46th annual Governor's Prayer Breakfast. Your selection of Judge Baker Children's Center as one of your featured charities this year is especially gratifying to me.

For 90 years the Baker has been at the forefront of efforts to improve mental health care for children and adolescents. This issue concerns me deeply, for I firmly believe that all children must be provided with every opportunity for a healthy start in life. Failure to help those vulnerable ones struggling with mental and emotional issues can only lead to more serious problems later in life, exacting a terrible toll not only on the children but on their families and our society as well.

These are especially challenging times for those of us who seek a better future for our young people. We know so much more today about how to achieve healthy development, and yet families all over our country are straining to cope with the tremendous stresses of our age. It has never been more important than now for government, business, religious and the nonprofit sectors to find new ways of collaborating to support families in all our communities.

Judge Baker Children's Center is one example of how innovative partnerships can improve services in both schools and community mental health centers. The 46th annual Governor's Prayer Breakfast is a wonderful opportunity to recognize all those in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts who work on behalf of children and to encourage leaders from all sectors to make children our first priority. I congratulate the Rotary Club of Boston for sponsoring this important event.

                                                          Sincerely,

                                                                 Rosalynn Carter

 

 

Sincerely, Stephen G. Demeranville
David Manzi
Governor's Prayer Breakfast Co-Chairmen