Bringing Life-Giving Water to Stella's People

For most people who have lived in poverty, it is enough to break out of that past and reach for a better life for themselves.  Having grown up in a tiny village in western Kenya, Stella Lugalia did not even know if there would be water.  Indeed, the women walked for many hours, carrying heavy jugs on their heads in order to just have enough water for cooking.  Last spring Stella gave a heart-felt presentation to the Club about her desire to help her village with a new well.  She could have walked away.  She has a good job for the State of Washington, her girls are in school, she has even brought her mother here from Imasaba, a world away.  Instead, she has asked us for help for the villagers left behind, still struggling with daily living.  Walt Washington led a response to her call for help. Recently, a few members from the Club met with Stella and her mother to discuss how we can help.  We will be starting the discovery process as soon as Stella is able to reach someone in the village who can provide us with information to determine what the villagers need regarding the water for their village.  We are looking forward to learning more from Stella.

Local Rotarians Join Hugh and Brenda Prowse in Southern France

For those of us who want to visit Paris this time of year and can't, there is a wonderful, picturesque substitute:  Hugh and Brenda Prowse's blog.  The latest installment starts, "Last week, we had the pleasure of joining friends from Poulsbo, Karl and Kelly Hadley, Jim and Sharon Moore and the former Rotary exchange student Flora Midiou and her boyfriend Julien Plubel on a wonderful barge trip on the Canal Du Midi in Southern France.  Now I better understand the song from Camelot, 'It's May, the lusty month of May!'"

Their beautiful description of this trip will put you there and the amazing slide show will too.  It can be read by visiting http://muchadoaboutparis.com/parisblog/.

2013 Stamp Out Hunger Drive Brings Thousands of Pounds of Food to Fishline

Because of  the efforts  of over 140 volunteers, 11 Rotarians, 30 postal workers and over 1,000 community members who donated food, this year's Stamp Out Hunger food drive was a success for the clients who need Fishline's services to provide for their families.  13,400 pounds of food were gathered that day, which equates to about 350 banana boxes full of canned goods, boxed meals, peanut butter and even dog and baby food.  Though this result was a little less than last year, it was not nearly the drop experienced by all other county food banks, some of which had a 60% reduction from last year. 

Thanks to all the Rotarians, their family members, and friends who gave up their Saturday to drive routes to pick up food, joined the crew at the Post Office dock to sort through the incoming donations or left a bag filled with donations next to the mailbox.  Special thanks to Ann Pyles who organized the Rotarian involvement. 

The MultiClub Fireside is scheduled for May 29th.  Rotary International consists of 34,000 clubs and 1.2 Million members, with a commitment to Service Above Self.  We make a huge difference in our communities and the world.  Enjoy fellowship with fellow Kitsap Rotarians and here past Rotary International President (2001 - 02) Rick King speak.  How can WE make a difference? 

Tim and Naomi Nichols Honored as Exemplary Foster Parents

On Monday, April 29, supporters and families gathered at Amara’s luncheon From Hope to Home to celebrate the joy of finding lifelong families and the positive impact for children in foster care who have been  abused or neglected.

One constant of the luncheon for the last six years has been the presentation of the Stella Mae Carmichael award. Stella Mae was a mother from Bellingham and hero in the world of fostering. She positively influenced the lives of hundreds of children she fostered in her lifetime. Her eponymous award honors foster and foster‐to‐adopt families in Washington who open their hearts and homes in exceptionally kind and selfless ways to our community’s children in foster care.

This year’s honored family, the Nichols of Kitsap County, was nominated and selected from many compelling entries. Their journey to becoming a family with two sons and two daughters, who came to the family through adoption, is an inspiring tale spanning several years with many characters involved. (If you missed the luncheon, watch this moving 5-minute video [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GafDSg5Wnno] and catch yourself up on the family’s story.)

Both girls fought for their lives at young ages—one as a premature infant who spent the first months of her life in the hospital before the Nichols adopted her. The other girl, a very determined toddler, emerged from a month-long coma after being abused. Her resulting near blindness and struggles to walk didn’t stop her from thriving in her Amara forever family.  When this inspiring family of six stepped on stage to accept their award, the room of 600 supporters honored them by standing and applauding joyfully. The strong sense of community was palpable.

(From King 5 Blog, written by Danielle Hermeler, Amara Communications Director)

Rotary Career Pathways Initiative (CPI) program

The Career Pathways Initiative (CPI) is a Rotary District 5020 effort to raise the awareness of students to the multiple pathways to education and career success; alternatives to going directly to 4-year universities following high school. This awareness formally begins in middle school.  Doug Segur, national board certified counselor at Kingston Middle School, presented the Navigation 101 program, an education and career readiness program for grades 6 to 12. Students explore their interests and aptitudes, potential vocations and careers, and develop portfolios to track their middle school performance and guide their high school course decisions.  The result has been an increase in college admissions, reduction in high school drop-outs.  www.Navigation101.com .

As important as college admission is the ability of low-income students to afford it.  Pat Jensen is Regional Director for the College Bound (CB) Scholarship program. Low-income and foster youth apply for the CB scholarship in the 7^th or 8^th grade, and have to maintain a 2.0 GPA through high school.  The goal is to improve high school graduation rates and college enrollment for low-income students. 130,000 students in Washington are enrolled. In 2012 4,200 received CB scholarships to colleges and vocational/technical schools.  Based on 2012 data, CB scholarship students graduated at a 79% rate, versus 60% for eligible but un-enrolled students.  www.collegebound.wa.gov

On Thursday June 6, the Rotary CPI program is sponsoring a Career Information Day at Kingston Middle School, 8:30 to 10:30 AM.  We need 10-20 Rotarians from various vocations to share their careers and education experiences with 200 middle school students, and answer their questions. For planning purposes, we need to know by this Friday May 17^th if you are interested in this opportunity.  Contact Gary Nakamura for information on this event. nakamura@berkeley.edu , 206 201 3416.

Profitability with a Conscience a Winning Formula

When Clif McKenzie of Watson Furniture speaks, people listen, and that was certainly true when Clif addressed our Friday Rotary meeting.  While leading a prosperous manufacturing facility, carving out a niche for specialized office furniture that has become a leader in its field, he has done so in a way that benefits people and planet.  Clif has found the perfect synergy of stewardship and profitability, and he doesn't believe them to be mutually exclusive.  The success of Watson furniture can be tracked back to fundamental principles that guide strategy and day-to-day operations, all the while looking to the future where "we return this world in better condition than we found it."  A near-zero waste percentage is just one way that Watson's shows its commitment to practical conservatism.

His organization focuses on people ("We believe in the dignity of the working man and woman."),  responsible leadership (”The frontier is our home. We continually forge new ground and set standards that raise the bar of excellence in our markets.") and customer service ("We strive to astound and delight every customer. No level of service short of this objective is acceptable.”).  Watson's hires the best, provides a healthy working wage with good benefits and expects hard work from each employee.  But Clif is working right there beside his team, leading by example and through his visionary ideas. 

To learn more about Watson Furniture and its guiding principles, visit them at www.watsonfurniture.com.

Boys and Girls Clubs Help Youth Find Their Potential

What if you could increase a young person's chances of graduation from High School and then increase their potential in higher education?  What if you could keep our youth from getting into trouble or using drugs?  What if you could help a young person explore their potential and feel part of something important and worthwhile?

These are not questions for the Boys and Girls Clubs, this is the reality.  By offering a teen center open every day after school, where kind and caring youth leaders teach character development, career choices, healthy lifestyles, culture and the arts and sports and fitness, local youth are offered the mentorship they need to grow up strong.  Kristin Shiplet talked to our Friday meeting about the good work done by this club throughout our country and in our neighborhoods. 

Karlee Cossette, a member of the Boys and Girls Clubs and 2013's Youth of the Year, told her riveting and touching story about being a mother at 16 but, thanks to the help of this club, went on to graduate with her peers in 2013 and will pursue her goal of a doctorate in physical therapy. 

Kristin showed a wonderful video that you can see again at:  http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2013/04/pajaki-chandelier-diy.html

Contact Kristin at shipletk@bgcsps.org to learn more about the Boys and Girls Club.