February is Peace and Conflict Resolution month in the Rotary world
It seems as though from the dawn of time there has been war and conflict. Today, over 70 million people are displaced as a result of conflict, violence, persecution, and human rights violations. Half of them are children. We refuse to accept conflict as a way of life. Rotarians around the world increase the opportunities for peace by being:
Practitioners - Fighting disease, providing clean water and sanitation, improving the health of mothers and children, supporting education, and growing local economies helps to build settings for peaceful societies.
Educators - The Rotary Peace Fellowship program is one-way the organization works to bring about lasting change in our communities and around the world. Our Rotary Peace Centers have trained over 1,300 peace fellows to become effective catalysts for peace through careers in government, education, and international organizations. For more information about Rotary’s Peace Fellowship Program, visit Rotary International
Mediators - Our members have negotiated humanitarian ceasefires in areas of conflict to allow polio vaccinators to reach children who are at risk.
Advocates - Our members have an integral role as respected, impartial participants during peace processes and in post-conflict reconstruction. We focus on creating communities and convening groups that are connected, inclusive, and resilient.
Rotary creates environments where peace can happen.
Please give a warm RAH welcome to one of our newest members, Eileen McGuine!
Like many, Eileen McGuine looks forward to traveling and live music when the pandemic ends. Like her new colleagues in RAH, she says she always enjoys helping people and stands ready and willing to volunteer.
Eileen comes to La Crosse as a Media Coordinator at Mayo Clinic Health System – Franciscan Healthcare. Originally from Sauk City (home of the original Culver’s restaurant), she majored in Communication Technologies at the UW-Platteville.
While in college, Eileen ran cross country and track & field. Perhaps it’s not surprising then that her hobbies include hiking, biking and running on area trails. When she does slow down, Eileen said she enjoys sewing and graphic design projects. In a normal world, you might also find her having a beer with friends and family.
Help Eileen hit the ground running in RAH by offering her a warm welcome!
New RAH member Kate Bickett is all about making connections!
Although connecting with friends for drinks may be on hold due to COVID, Kate (not Katie) wants to connect with other professionals through service.
Her professional life sees her helping better connect the community with the good work being done by the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the 7 Rivers Region. Not only does Kate enjoy volunteering with kids, but she also works hard to represent the organization's work connecting children with mentors.
The Savage, MN native came to La Crosse for school, graduating with a major in Communication Studies and a double minor in Leadership Development and Digital Media Studies and Design from UW-L. To unwind, Kate enjoys cooking and watching the reality series “Below Deck”.
To make a connection with Kate puts you one degree away from some pretty big names in entertainment. Next time you see her at a RAH event, be sure to ask about her autographs from stars like Matthew Broderick, Zack Galifinakis and the incomparable Betty White!
Who savors the moment aroma from a delicious, hot meal hits your senses? Especially when you are hungry!
At 11 a.m., with the lunch hour approaching, fellow RAH members set off to deliver mobile meals. And the meals smelled fantastic. Mobile Meals of La Crosse needed help with deliveries from the Mayo clinic kitchen to serve a healthy, nutritious meal to those in need, including seniors, disabled, or home-bound individuals. RAH stepped up the week of January 18-24. Delivering meals to people who really need and appreciate it is a wonderful feeling. It’s also a chance to contemplate all that we have. All that we sometimes take for granted. When a door cracks open and hands reach out for the food delivery, there is a connection. A connection of community. A need fulfilled. To have RAH step in and help fill that need makes us who we are! We are a club committed to helping people.
Thank you all who helped with deliveries and all who are a part of RAH!
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We will be partnering with Mobile Meals of La Crosse again to provide volunteers to deliver lunchtime meals during the week of March 22nd - March 28th. We are looking for 1 or 2 volunteers each day that week to deliver meals together on our designated Route 5, which has stops spanning from downtown La Crosse to French Island. Meal pickup is at 10:45 a.m. at Mayo Clinic on Market Street between 10th and 11th Streets at a door marked "Mobile Meals". Delivery takes about 1.5 hours. Volunteers will be provided with more detailed instructions before their shift.
Non-Rotary volunteers are welcome! If you volunteer with another person, I would encourage you to coordinate beforehand whose car you will be taking -- RAH is assigned one route per day, so volunteers will be driving the same route together.
All meals are planned and prepared by Mayo Clinic and are delivered by volunteers to senior, disabled, or home-bound individuals in our community. Your support is crucial to sustaining Mobile Meals and makes a huge difference to the individuals served.
Click on Sign Up to view available slots and book yourself directly online.
Cabin-fever was high after days and days of sub-zero temps
After the weather got to 20 degrees for the first time, RAHtarians took advantage of the warmer temps and hit the snow for some fun and exercise snowshoeing on the Black River. Hot chocolate and a bonfire awaited those who ventured out. Many thanks to Stef Kline for organizing and to Island Outdoors for hosting us. It was great to see so many Rotarians, friends, family and guests in person! RAH may have a new winter tradition!
After an exhilarating presentation at our last club meeting by Josh Mansee on proposed Bylaw changes, we jumped into one of our club’s favorite meeting formats - member vocational presentations.
Vocationals offer a chance to learn more about RAH members personally and professionally – and are always entertaining in their own way.
Below are some highlights. Did you know the interesting facts below about your fellow RAHtarians?
Morgan Stittleburg – Loan Officer, Co-Op Credit Union
Favorite outfits: spandex, camo
Favorite cold-season beverage: peanut butter whiskey hot chocolate
Originally from Black River Falls, WI and has 2 twin brothers
Applies the 4-Way Test (plus Fun) to her work, including dropping “truth bombs” and reading books to kids
Played volleyball at Augustana College (IL)
Loves all things active and outdoors – hunting, fishing, hiking, live music, weightlifting, traveling (after extensive monitoring for cheap Google Flights)
Member of sorority that included one male (ask her for details)
Recent realization: likes gardening, but needs to get better at weeding
Memorable presentation quote: “I air fry anything I can these days…if you’re on the fence, get one. We can share recipes and ideas.”
Liz Evans – Community Impact Director, Great Rivers United Way
Known for “sassy” cross-stitches (hit her up for a samples too (borderline) inappropriate to share in this article)
Could easily become a hermit with her pup – Trixie
Originally from Sparta, but moved a lot (OK, IL, VA)
Lives in the same house she grew up in (with a living room full of (hilarious) cow pictures)
Work motto (credit: Josh Mansee?): “Grants big and small, Liz is an expert through it all”
Her job includes coordinating the Compass Community Needs Assessment, helping non-profits with networking, education, and grant administration (she manages a BIG checkbook)
Childhood dream job: Astronaut (until discovering Astronauts need “too many shots”)
Spent early career as a server, and in the “lucrative” job of Video Rental Clerk
Memorable presentation quote: “Being a mom is the best job in the world.”
Enjoys fishing (especially on her kayak), camping, gardening (in her 3 gardens), adventures with her dog, hunting
One of her favorite hobbies (and superpower) is napping (especially in her deer stand)
Dun-uh. Dun-uh. Dun-uh. Back by popular demand, iiittttt'sss sHARk Tank Time!
Will you swim with the sHARks and find a worthy project to make our community or world a better place? We are hoping several RAHtarians will take the plunge.
Starting NOW, seek out/work to identify a project that could help improve our community or greater world. Find a partner(s), build a team! Working together is encouraged.
Total price of project can be up to $10,000. The club will contribute $5,000 of our club funds total but the project must qualify for a District Grant (e.g. Rotarian Involvement, Club Eligibility, Eligible Activities – No operating costs, In partnership with receiving community, Keep receipts!). When you have a an idea or a project identified, please let Josh and/or Marissa know what you are thinking about!
All projects will be pitched to the RAH sHARks (all members in attendance) at our April 13th meeting! Each RAH shark will vote for their top choice project to support for the next year.
Stay tuned for more information on our meeting location! A hybrid (in-person/virtual) meeting is in the works.
Need ideas or inspiration? Check out our District's Foundation page for projects other Rotary clubs in Distict 6250 have done or spend some time in Rotary International's Project Showcase to see countless projects Rotarians have done to change the world! It even lets you explore by an Area of Focus if one of the seven are of particular interest to you!
Our La Crosse Community Foundation provides a list of area non-profits. Check it out! They all could use our help.
We are still looking for volunteers to help with the WAFER Food Fair event!
If you haven't already signed up, click on Sign Up to view available slots and book yourself directly online.
From WAFER Executive Director, Erin Waldhart: We will assist with loading vehicles, so be prepared to be outside. Wear layers and good shoes. If possible, bring box cutters. Everyone will wear masks.
Feb 27, 2021 at 9:30 AM - Feb 27, 2021 at 12:00 PM
403 Causeway Blvd. La Crosse , WI 54603 United States of America
Thank you to all who have donated or pledged to our Rotary Mobile Clinic. If you haven't done so and want to be a part of this exciting and transformative project for St. Clare's Health mission, there is still time to donate.
Here is the update of the project.....
We launched the fundraising for the Rotary Mobile Clinic about two months ago. Our initial goal was to raise $80,000 and divided that into two parts, a community outreach and a Rotary clubs commitment, each in the amount of $40,000. That goal seemed ambitious but, in our optimism, deemed doable, because after all, when Rotarians come together, we get er' done! In very short order the community goal was achieved with significant major donors from our community stepping forward with pledge commitments. The Rotary involvement meant that the approximately 500 members of the eight clubs involved would, on a pro-rata basis need to contribute $80. That means that our club with 61 members set a goal of $4,800. To date we have pledges from 14 of our members, in excess of our club goal at $7,000!!!
While we have met our club goal we do not want to close the door to those who want to be a part of the Rotary Mobile Clinic and will accept donations made through the Rotary Works Foundation. We want as many Rotarians who see the mobile clinic driving down the road to serve those less fortunate, to feel they had a part in making it happen. Every dollar raised will go to benefit the Mobile Clinic.
If you do wish to donate, please do so before the end of the month We will present a close out report to the club at a future meeting.
On behalf of the committee, we want to thank everyone for their investment in this project! Simply Amazing!
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Thank you to everyone who has donated to the Rotary Foundation's Annual Fund this year! With a goal of $10,000 for our 10th Birthday, we are making good progress. A special thank you to RAHtarian Jeremy Moritz for offering matches for new signups or increases in monthly giving! Signing up for Rotary Direct and choosing the Annual Fund- my.rotary.org/rotary-direct or help us achieve our Polio Plus goals by choosing "Polio Fund."
Every year on International Women's Day, March 8th, we celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievement of women.
This day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality around the globe. This year, ShelterBox is hosting their first ever virtual International Women's Day panel and you are invited to attend! Monday | March 8, 2021| 3 pm EST/2 pm CST/12 pm PST
Join them live online to hear from an inspiring and diverse panel of female leaders as they share their personal experiences and insights into the daily disparities and challenges women face and the ways in which we can collectively work together to change that narrative by empowering women around the world.
Panelists: Kerri Murray, Moderator, President, ShelterBox USA Valarie Wafer - Rotary International Director, 2020-22 Marie Kagaju Laugharn – International Development and Corporate Social Responsibility Elizabeth Silva – Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality at The Asia Foundation Andrea Sreshta – LuminAID Co-Founder
We are excited to announceour Public Image Committee has launched a YouTube channel and have uploaded our first videos!
Were you unable to attend a meeting and want to catch up on what you missed out on? Several of our club meetings have been recorded and are stored on our Rotary After Hours YouTube Channel! Subscribe to our channel so you don't miss any of our future videos.
New Members: Welcome Eileen McGuine & Kate Bickett!
Rotarians Leaving Us: 0
Challenge: Invite a friend, co-worker or acquaintance to join a RAH event to check it out! There may be an entire group of individuals in our communities who would make great Rotarians… but could not find a comfortable way to join in person. Perhaps now is the time…
