ADG David Wells, Ellsworth Rotary, Wheelchair Project
Buckets on the Table are for the Shields Mission project.
Speaker David Wells, Ellsworth Rotary PP, current ADG for 7790, PHF shared a video about the wheelchair project that he first saw at District Conference. He shared a presentation about wheelchair projects from 2015 to the present, to address the need to improve basic mobility for people in the world. 3% of the world's population have mobility challenges, and half do not have access to wheelchairs.
Missions involve training of volunteers by physical therapists, and their first trip was to Panama where they took 100 chairs. He shared stories of some of the people who received them, the mechanics of wheelchairs, the afflictions and accidents that result in people needing help with mobility to participate in family, school, work and daily community activities. They also brought school supplies and clothing to help other impoverished communities. They went to Belize, providing wheelchairs at a senior home and around the community. For many people, they are otherwise confined to bed, or a hammock or staionary chair, 24 hours a day. The group also went to Honduras to distribute wheelchairs. He shared that an average of 10 people are impacted by one person receiving a wheelchair. While on these trips they were able to visit other Rotary projects, like a well in Panama, raising of laying and meat bird chickens at a school. In March they will visit the Dominican Republic with 125 wheelchairs to La Romana. A shipping container can hold 125 wheelchairs that are manufactured in Asia.
Mary Sargent presented the contributions to area organizations from the West Bay Rotary Foundation.
Camden Area Christian Food Pantry; One Less Worry (feminine hygiene and toilet paper); Megunticook Rowing; Look for Helpers, an organization that helps people like police understand how to communicate and interact with autistic people and other non-verbal people by providing trainings and books to police and first responders; Knox Clinic, providing uninsured adults and children with health and dental care to support the dental program; and Midcoast Recovery Coalition. The next deadline for grant applications is April 1, and the application is available on the westbayrotaryofmaine.org website.
Ron Hall recognized people for participation in EREY, Every Rotarian Every Year; Tom Chester, Bill Hartman, Jane Lafleur and Tim Lawson.
Peter Berke announced the planning for Duck Derby beginning. There will be a planning meeting soon.
Deb Fink shared a slideshow of photographs of club activity in December. https://youtu.be/2l1ykELhFNU is the link to view.
Steve Dailey has sign up sheets to cover the time slots for parking on February 10 and 11.
Chili Challenge plans are coming along, and people can sign up to help serve chili.