Welcome to mid-winter in Maine!   We’re slowly beginning to see things brightening up. Not only are our days getting longer, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel for the pandemic.  People are starting to get vaccinated, and there is hope that we may be able to return to a semi-normal life in the not-too-distant future.  One of the things that helps us all get through these trying times is the support and fellowship that we receive from each other as Rotarians.  Those of us who attend our weekly Zoom meetings see each other’s faces and get to visit and share, almost like we would if we were meeting face to face at the Shrine Club.  If you’re not attending our Zoom meetings, know that you’re part of our family, so please reach out if you need anything (or just to say “hi”).    

 

Our Club is very fortunate that we are continuing to attract new members.   While many Rotary clubs are losing members, we are gaining members.  We have inducted 2 new members this Fall and there is another new member application pending.  This is a testament to the strength of our club and the attractiveness of what we do as a club.  Our newer members make a strong contribution to our group, and we welcome them warmly. 

 

As you know, our club makes donations every Fall to 7 local food pantries, totaling $10,500.  I’m sure you’ve seen articles in the news recently about the tremendous demands on the area food pantries.  The number of Mainers struggling to feed their families and turning to food pantries for help is rising to new heights as coronavirus cases spike and the state faces its worst loss of jobs in any recession in 50 years.  The need for nutritious food for local families in Waldo County is increasing,  and the local food pantries are desperate for support. The board had a discussion about this at the January board meeting and decided that we should make additional donations now (ideally another $10,500) to respond to the extreme need due to the pandemic.  The Club can come up with about half of that amount, but we need your donations to meet our goal.  The goal was for our membership to raise about $7500, with the Club providing the rest from various accounts.  As of the writing of this, we have raised over $10,000!  There are still a couple of weeks to go in this Food Pantry Drive.  For those of you who have already donated, thank you very much for your generosity.  If you have not yet donated and want to, please send a check (made out to Belfast Rotary) to Jill Goodwin at 116 Union Street, Belfast 04915, and mention “Food Pantry Drive” in the memo field.  Thanks to all of you, we may be able to donate even more than $1,500 per food pantry without depleting our club accounts as much as we had planned.  I am personally blown away by the generosity of our members, and I know our community is very grateful for what the Belfast Rotary Club does for people in need. 

 

Please stay safe, keep in touch, and enjoy the snow!

 

Yours in friendship and service,

 

Richard