Chartered 1921                       Distinct 7570, Area 1, Club                                 March 13, 2025

OUR PROGRAM THIS WEEK

Chief Ronnie Lewis  – Winc. Police Dept.

WHAT’S COMING UP. . . .
Mar 13th – In-House March Service Project
Mar 20th –  BOARD MEETING – 6 PM
Apr 26th    –  RUMMAGE SALE
Apr 3-6th  –  District Conference

ROTARY MEANS BUSINESS FELLOWSHIP

The Membership Committee wants to help Rotarians learn about their fellow members on a personal and professional level. A new sub-committee has been formed to determine ways we can better learn about what each of us does professionally. Doing so may allow us to find business opportunities or providers of services we were unaware

were in our Club. To kick start this process, Co-Chairs Justin Rowling and Don Louque are asking any Club members who would like to promote their business to reach out to them with their interest. They are working on ways we can help members promote their business to other members. There are several plans in the works, but they need to understand who might be interested.

If you would like an opportunity to promote your business at a Rotary event in the future, please send an email to Justin (justin@dirtydogcleaning.com) or Don (don_louque@hotmail.com) and let them know. More information to follow.

EarlyAct

John Kerr EarlyAct was welcomed for lunch and did a brief presentation of the volunteer work they had done.

EarlyAct is a school-wide service club for students from ages 5 to 13. It is sponsored by one of the local Rota- ry clubs in the township in which the school is located.

The mission and operation of  EarlyAct

are closely linked to the ideals of Rotary and provide the foundation and

natural succession into Interact.

OUR PROGRAM LAST WEEK

Sam Rogers, the Community E n g a g e m e n t  D I r e c t o r  o f the Winchester Rescue Mission (WRM), briefed the club on the amazing work they are doing for individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty in the Northern Shenandoah Valley. As luck would have it, Sam’s daughter, Eloise (one of his five kids), was in attendance at the meeting – unbeknownst to him!

The WRM was founded in 1973—exactly 10 years prior to Sam’s birth—as a men’s emergency shelter and now offers comprehensive residency programs for both men and women, with personalized case management to promote healing and independence. They average 43-45 residents at a time. They also provide counseling and job training to help every client realize their full potential.

Beyond housing, WRM’s second ministry is to provide essential food assistance through Cameron Market and Cafe on Cameron, which serve hundreds of people daily. The café is open year-round and the market is open 5 days a week, which serves an average of 35 families per day. All the food and money the WRM uses to operate is donated, and they receive no government or federal funding. About 30-35 volunteers per day collect the donated food and goods used in their ministry and operate the café and market.

Rooted in the Christian faith, WRM honors the dignity and value of every person, serving all in need regardless of belief. The mission extends beyond basic needs, fostering a supportive community through its “Ecosystem” culture — built on trust, dignity, and personal responsibility — where residents, volunteers, and staff collaborate for lasting transformation.

The number one cause of homelessness is broken relationships, and those are often rooted in childhood trauma. That, in term, leads to drug addiction, mental illness, poverty, and other traditionally-identified causes. As Sam put it, the reason most of the rest of us will not become homeless is because we have family and community ties that would provide us with food and shelter. What the WRM strives to do is help clients understand those connections and rebuild those relationships.

The WRM is building an intentional culture of belonging, self-management, and timelessness. The latter concept means that while the average stay for a WRM resident is 12-18 months, they can stay as long as needed to re-establish ties and build confidence and self-esteem.

To meet the area’s growing needs, WRM is expanding with a new facility on Valley Avenue, which will hopefully open as soon as June. The new facility will help more individuals find stability and hope. The current facility serves only about 10% of the current homeless population on a first-come, first-served basis. Sam suggested calling by 9 am each day to see if space is available. He closed by encouraging club members to contact him to volunteer and support the mission in other ways.

MARCH SERVICE PROJECT

This month’s service project will be a one-time event to benefit children at the Winchester Medical Center’s Pediatric Ward. We will be doing a very simple project before our meeting begins on March 13th. It is a project that anyone and everyone can do while you are socializing and eating your lunch. Be sure to plan on coming to our noon meeting to help out with this month’s service project. The end products will be delivered to the hospital on St. Patrick’s Day, Monday, March 17th, in time for the kids to have something special on such a fun holiday.

ENJOY ST. PATRICK’S DAY

WITH A SPIRITED CELEBRATION!

Join us for a lively St. Patrick’s Day So-

cial at Vibrissa on Monday, March 17th, from 5:30-7:30 PM! Who says Mondays have to be dull? Let’s shake off the start-of-the-week blues with good friends, great conversation, and a little Irish cheer.

Wear your green, grab a pint, and enjoy an evening of fun and fellowship. Whether you’re sipping a stout or just soak- ing up the camaraderie, this is the perfect way to celebrate! See you there!

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS GRANT PROJECT

To follow up on our District Grant for the KofC soup kitchen, we are providing volunteers every Tuesday morning from 9:30-2pm to help Chef Maggie Peterson prepare the frozen meals that are delivered later in the week to over 100 families in our community

who need food assistance. To volunteer, click on the following link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B45A8AF22A4FBCE9

-54305202-knights#/

OR contact Tootie Rinker (tootie1222@gmail.com).

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIR OF FOOD AND WINE

Mark your calendar for March 27, 2025 to attend the International Affair of Food and Wine to be held at Fox Meadow Barn. An International Affair of Food and Wine is a cocktail fundraising event held annually in our community. Our Rotary Club created this event to raise money to support community non-profit organizations. This fun-filled evening is in its 9th year and in- includes international and U.S. wines poured by winery representatives, internationally-inspired hors d’oeuvres prepared by local, independent restaurants, plus a silent auction and a wine pull. Make plans to join your fellow Rotarians for a wonderful evening!

CIVIC CLUB APPRECIATION RECEPTION

Thursday, April 10 from 6-8pm Chapel at the Village at Orchard Ridge The RSVP is below:

https://www.thevillageatorchardridge.org/civic/

TREX BENCH – WE DID IT!

Pat Kofelt told us we reached our goal of 1,000 pounds of stretch- able plastic collected – enough to earn a Trex Bench for the Winchester Day School!

Congratulations to all in our Rotary Club and to our partners: Winchester Day School. John Kerr Elementary School Early Act Club and Signet Marketing for making this happen. This is our third bench! Please continue to bring used stretchable plastic to our weekly meetings. Our Club will continue working with Trex to convert the plastic into Benches for placement throughout our community. Our next beneficiary is the Winchester Rescue Mission. Trex recycles this non-biodegradable plastic into useful products and helps us all contribute toward the Rotary Peace Building Goal of enhancing our environment.

Thank you Pat!

HAVE YOU REGISTERED FOR DISTRICT CONFERENCE YET?

Picture this: A weekend of inspiration, fellowship and fun, plus dueling pianos, a Beatles night, and a little AI talk to keep things interesting.

The District Conference is April 3-6, 2025, at the Inn at Virginia Tech, and if you haven’t registered yet, what are you waiting for?  Rotarians,  family, and friends are all welcome! Don’t miss out on the most exciting event of the Rotary year—plus, let’s be honest, where else can you mix a scotch tasting with a service project?  First-time attendees may have their registration paid. Please see President John if interested.

A SPECIAL THANK YOU

President John thanked Ed White, Tricia Simpson, Gary Chrisman, and Dave Kelly for planning a wonderful, successful Awards Banquet.