Marana Rotary Club
Meeting minutes Aug. 17, 2021
This was a hybrid meeting with attendees currently chiming in from such romantic locals such as Virginia, Washington, and Utah. The club welcomed our guest speaker, Abby Rosen, Executive Director of the Marana Community Food Bank.
Happy Bucks (we seemed to have had to dig deep today!)
- Sulee started by saying she had lots of things to be happy about
- John D. followed by reporting that he had nothing to be happy about. Nobody believed him. It was suggested that his mountain bike spill has lingering effects
- Harold was happy that he didn’t have to walk to the meeting in the rain
- Richie was happily sinking into 4” of water in his backyard.
- Laura was happy for the majestic green mountains
- Peter was having his house lifted preventing it from sliding into the wash, but not happy about the cost
- Beckie took her first trip to Sierra Vista and happy for the green mountains
- Bob was happy about lots of things, including his visitors with whom he was having a great time.
- Andy was looking forward to the monsoons which will dissipate the fire smoke
- Don was also looking out over the water. Not the standing flood waters of Tucson, but the Puget Sound
- Randy was enjoying his and Deb’s extended stay in Virginia with Bob before heading to Nashville, presumably to audition
Announcements
Shelter Box- Harold will determine if the $1,000 donation has been submitted by the Foundation. Don reported that Shelter Box assessment teams were already on the ground in Haiti. As soon as it is determined to be safe, more teams will be deployed to aid in the disaster.
Randy announced that a young lady will be interviewing the following day for support from the Rotary Vocational Fund of AZ
John D. and Harold reported that we need to start thinking about the next contribution for the Cobijo Project in San Carlos, Mexico.
Randy pointed out that only 17 people have registered for the upcoming Conference and asked for more to consider attending.
RILA- Randy reminded that he would like to see two candidates put forth for support from our club for RILA. He asked that any candidates be brought forth by the end of this week so that interviews can be scheduled for the following Monday. Nominees will not be considered beyond the end of the week. Sulee made the motion that the club fund up to $900 ($450/student), Laura seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.
Speaker
Abby Rosen gave an outstanding presentation on the Marana Community Food Bank’s vision and functions. The scope and reach of this organization were likely under-appreciated by most of us. Besides over 2,200 meals prepared daily, the organization provides support for acquiring GED’s, has a learning garden, manages a five-acre farm and provides a drive-through service supplying 3-5 days’ worth of food in the form of emergency meals. Its partnerships serve 5 counties in S Arizona. The Food Bank is also involved in broader policy issues such as advocating the increase of minimum wages to $15/hour in Arizona. The main purpose of the Food Bank is to provide food assistance in a way that allows for community members to participate with dignity. The Bank has 160 employees and thousands of volunteers.
Randy noted that the Marana Rotary Club had supported the Marana Food Bank for as long as 30 years through meeting collections up until the Pandemic. He suggested that continued support should be discussed at the Club’s next Board meeting.
Andy Swarthout, Secretary