Recap from the 2024 March 25, 2024 Meeting.
Meeting run by: President, Megan Francis
Thought of the day: Taylor Thorpe
Online Participation: We continue to offer a hybrid meeting each week. Members are invited to attend via Zoom or watch the recorded presentation anytime.
Happy News/Announcements: All Happy News funds go towards our scholarship awards.
Frank Iliff: Friday evening, Rebuilding Together hosted a retirement party honoring Frank, and it was nice. So Frank is officially retired for the second time. If you need a Rebuilding Together contact, Alan Millage. Alan is stepping into the Director role. Holly Peterson: Last week, Holly gave a shout-out to the MPD, and she is happy to do that again. She personally thanked Steve Snider for coming to her home with an IT guru and looking at her cameras. Kim Warren: Kim gave $5 to celebrate swim season finally ending. Her son went to state and earned 2nd place and Gold medals. Regionals were this past weekend, and he took 2nd and 3rd place. Not to leave her daughter out, she ranked up in taekwondo! Lisa Heckman: Habitat for Humanity broke ground on Saturday for our new build on Hope Ave. The Journal had a great article, please check it out. Naomi DeWinter: A postcard is on the tables for our Legends Celebration next Thursday. We will recognize two retired faculty members who continue to engage in the community, Paul Maize and Jan Phillips.
Club News:
- Follow the Rotary Club of Muscatine's Facebook page, @MuscatineRotaryClub.
- ACH forms are available for easy dues payment.
- Mobile Food Pantry Volunteer Opportunity: Use the link below to sign up for the next Mobile Food Pantry on April 2nd. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rmtNfi25shfn2S1LYG0e56iVwcMj2VA9X6FB5WU_vS4/edit
- April 13th: Trivia Night for Sleep In Heavenly Peace. We are still accepting silent auction items.
- Sign up for the Sleep in Heavenly Peace Bed Build event on Saturday, April 20th. Shifts are 8:30-10:30 am or 10:30-12:30 pm. https://x.gldn.io/e/t4TXTFocBHb.
- Barth has been working with the City of Muscatine to secure trees for an Arbor Day tree-planting project. Rotary will match a $2,000 grant. Donald Consulting, CBI, and Rotary have committed $500. Looking to secure the rest, please talk to Barth.
- Steve set a date for the garage sale fundraiser. All proceeds will support Rotary projects. May 11th, 8 am-3 pm. Donations can be dropped off at Crossroads the week prior and will be held there. We will have a pricing event on May 10th. See Steve and Lindsey to get involved.
Presentation-United Way, Reading Mentors.
Kim Warren- AIM Coordinator. Data showed a need for improving reading based on FAST scores. Teachers and principals identified a need for more bodies in classrooms to help with small groups. The United Way- Educate United group responded to the need.
Hilary Henke- Community Engagement Manager. Programming in Grant, Madison, Jefferson, and (next year) McKinley. Also serving Wilton Elementary. Additionally, we have a math group at Jefferson. Grant's Kindergarten class has the bulk of volunteers. Reading scores increased by 33% in that class from fall to winter. This program is important; we know that kids in 3rd grade reading proficiently are 4x more likely to graduate.
Josh Bair- Reading Mentor. Josh shared his experience and why it is important. Kids are reading more confidently and speaking up in class when they haven't done that in the past. Josh shared that it makes him emotional seeing what kids go through and the lack of support some of them have.
Q&A
Do you send books to participants? Not yet, however. We do have events that Rotary will be helping with, such as where we are making literacy kits. Those kits will be going to Jefferson Elementary.
Is this 1-on-1? It depends on the school. We really take their lead. Most schools have asked that volunteers be part of their group's rotations, so volunteers meet in the classroom and host a station reading or doing sight words and meet with every student. Other schools, like Jefferson, have requested more one-on-one or two-on-one situations.
What is the application process? Email Hilary Henke at United Way with your availability and preferred school. (1 hour a week) and she will assign you. Each school has its own screening process, so they do not do that. Just take your ID to the school, and they will run you through their systems.
Missed today's presentation? Use the link below to watch the recording.
Passcode: Rotary#1
Next Meetings: April 1st- TBD, April 8th- Non-Profit update from Sleep in Heavenly Peace and Senior Resources Senior Center Project, April 15th- Chamber Update, April 22nd- Alzheimer's Association