Recap from the June 10, 2024 Meeting.
Meeting run by: President, Megan Francis
Thought of the day: Clint Christopher
Quote:” The bad news is time flies, the good news is you’re the pilot.”
Welcome Guests: None
Virtual Attendees: Carol Webb, Melanie Alexander, Barth Donald
Happy News/Announcements: All Happy News funds go towards our scholarship awards.
Frank Iliff: It is good to be back after a long absence. Naomi DeWinter: $3 in recognition of Megan’s last 3 Mondays as president.
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 tomorrow, June 11. The next panty will be in August. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rmtNfi25shfn2S1LYG0e56iVwcMj2VA9X6FB5WU_vS4/edit
- Everyone is invited to The Muscatine Kiwanis Club 100-year Celebration Open House on Thursday, June 13th from 5-7 pm at the Art Center.
- The Chamber is looking for volunteers to serve as block captains at this year’s 4th of July parade. Duties will include helping groups find their spot in the lineup and keeping them in the correct order, as well as acting as an extra “eye” for the staff. Block captains will meet at 1:45 PM at the check-in area (10th and Iowa Avenue) and will be released as soon as their block clears. If you are interested and can help, please reach out to Dena at dferreira@muscatine.com!
Presentation-
Jen Craft, MAED- Director of Public Health
Jo Herr, RN- Communicable Disease and Health Education
Lead-Free Living: Safeguarding Health Through Testing and Education
The 2021 Muscatine County Lead Report Card states that of all Muscatine County children aged 0-6 years old only 22.78% were tested for lead. We have a lot of work to do.
The most important thing to know is there are no healthy levels of lead in the body. High levels of lead exposure can permanently damage a child's brain and nervous system, which can affect their development.
Some of the barriers to testing are education on all levels (parents, teachers, doctors), patients having to travel to the hospital for testing, and misunderstanding of all the places lead comes from. Even knowing we let things slip through the cracks. We need to be aware and ask questions.
The good news is high levels, if caught early, can be reversed with a healthy diet, removing the source of the exposure, and diligent hand hygiene. Lead testing is free at Public Health or request a test from your primary care doctor. The City of Muscatine received a grant to help with lead abatement.
Next Meetings: June 17th- MUSCO update, June 24th- Gavel Passing, July 1st- Junior Achievement, July 8th- Scholarship winners.