Thirty-two members attended our meeting last week. We had one guest, Ann Barr who is on the board for Porchlight Counseling Services.
REMINDER: Bob Baker reminded us that next week we will be holding our meeting at the Takiff Center at 999 Green Bay Road in Glencoe. We have held several meetings at this facility when the Winnetka Community House was unavailable. The meeting will be held on the 2nd floor.
Barb Tubekis and Kristen Leahy of our Community Service committee announced our next service project. We will be collecting nonperishable food, such as canned veggies, peanut butter, pasta, cereal, coffee, etc. to create food baskets for the Good News Partners community in Rogers Park. The goal is to fill 150 laundry baskets with these types of food and deliver them to GNP on Thanksgiving morning. Cash contributions are also welcome. A $50 gift can fill one basket. Let us help those less fortunate than ourselves; we have three weeks to help make a difference.
Rich Lalley reminded the Club that we are also trying to provide new winter jackets to needy children in the Chicagoland area through Operation Warm. Just think of the happiness and warmth your $20 contribution can provide to a child whose parents cannot afford to purchase a new coat for their child.
Gina Sich announced that the Community House would host this year’s Veterans Day ceremonies.
Happy Buck$ -Our president, Bob Baker for finishing 3rd in the recent Pumpkin Run. -Wes Baumann threw in a dollar for each member who was voting Yes on the New Trier referendum. -Barb Tubekis on the occasion of her son’s engagement. -Dave Gotaas for his trip to and safe return from Dubai. -Marie Kuipers who is looking for storage for an old car.
Randy Reeves celebrated his 2nd anniversary of Rotary membership
This week’s speaker was Diana Newton, the Executive Director of Porchlight Counseling Services. The organization was started in 2004 by a group of community members who were very concerned about the high incidence of sexual assault among college students. They offer free counseling services for up to six months to victims of sexual assault on college campuses. Because so many victims do not tell their parents they are unable to access their parent’s insurance benefits that cover them. They serve students attending Chicago area colleges and residents of the area who may have attended college elsewhere. They are based in Evanston but the actual counseling services occur throughout the region. All of their counselors are private therapist who are certified and offer their services on a contractual basis to PCS. Under provisions of Title IX colleges are under pressure to provide sexual assault information or risk the loss of federal funding. In her Power Point presentation, Diana showed are large list of universities who are under investigation, including several high profile institutions.
Diana pointed out that 99% of their clients are women with an average age of 21, while their ages range from 18 to 31. They include graduate students, recent graduates, students who have dropped out as well as current students. It is not uncommon that some students come to them a year after the assault.
There are many lasting effects of rape; the most common are depression, PSTD and anxiety. Most victims tell no one. If they tell someone it is usually a female friend, their mother, sister or male friend. Some do not want their parents to find out for fear of being pulled out of their college.
Some of the amazing statistics are that 1 in 5 females will be assaulted while in college. Yes, one in five! 90% of the women assaulted know the perpetrator. It is very difficult to prosecute sexual assault cases since it is so hard on the victim. There is a need for special training for this type of prosecutor. According to the FBI only 2 – 8% of rape accusations are false. 63% of those committing rape are repeat offenders who assault as many as seven women. It is not uncommon for rape victims to remain silent for fear of losing friends or family or being made to return home.
Diana Newton has a background in non-profit fundraising, journalism and public relations. Diana is committed to raising awareness about the epidemic of sexual assault on college campuses. Through her work in the non-profit sector, Diana has witnessed the devastating effects of violence. However, she also has been privileged to know many courageous people who have demonstrated that healing is possible after trauma, especially with the support, guidance and love of community. Porchlight Counseling Services was started in 2004 by a group of community members who were very concerned about the high incidence of sexual assault among college students. These community members gathered together and began discussing what could be done about this problem. They partnered with a Psychologist and conducted a feasibility study to find out what college sexual assault survivors most needed. They also formed a small Board of Directors and became a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation. Once the feasibility study was completed, it was clear that many college students did not seek out the services they needed. Why? The students feared that their peers would see them going into the college counseling office and might start asking questions. Thus the shame they felt about what happened to them kept them from seeking the very services that could ease their pain. It was then decided that Porchlight Counseling Services would offer off-campus advocacy and services to this underserved population. - See more at: http://wnrotary.org/Speakers#sthash.uCdLBqEI.dpuf
The meeting was one of the best-attended meetings of the year with 36 members in attendance. We had two guests join us; former member Chuck Young, President of Hadley School for the Blind and Colleen Wunderlich, his Director of The Forsythe Center for Employment and Entrepreneurship. Chuck said that he was interested in a corporate membership for Hadley. We look forward to once again having Hadley represented at our weekly meetings.
President Bob Baker introduced Marie & Jim Newman who own Prosperáre Enterprises, which has started a wholesale gelato company. They brought two employees, including the gelato barista, and offered samples of about six of their 120 flavors, which the members seemed to enjoy.
Joe Fell spoke of his one-month trip to England and the warm welcome he and his wife received from a local Rotary club.
Patti Van Cleave made a paid announcement about an upcoming event at the Wilmette Historical Museum co-sponsored by the Winnetka Historical Society. The two organizations are presenting author Dr. Mary Barr who will discuss her new book Friends Disappear: The Battle for Racial Equality in Evanston.
Barb Tubekis reminded members of the Volunteer Center’s Make a Difference Day on Oct. 25.
Rebecca Wolf, Director of Winnetka’s Public Library, proudly announced the opening of the library’s new facility called “The Studio.” This space, in the lower level, is devoted to the arts. The equipment in The Studio includes two 3d Printers, a custom embroidery machine, a laser cutter and engraver, a vinyl cutter, a large format poster printer, 4 sewing machines, slide view, film scanner and film-to-digital converter plus a variety of software programs. The Studio will be open during regular library hours.
The day’s speaker was Alan Berkowsky, Winnetka’s Fire Chief. His presentation was about research into how to deal with fires, some of it conducted at the UL lab in Northbrook. In 1972 the Nixon administration commissioned a study that resulted in the publication, “American Burning,” This document resulted in improved building codes as well as maintenance codes. The Chief went through some of the most disastrous fires in the Chicago area for the past century starting with Iroquois Theater fire where over 600 people were killed. The theater had been proclaimed fireproof but many doors opened inward and many of the victims were piled at the exits. In 1958 the Our Lady of Angels fire resulted in 93 deaths and 77 injured. This fire resulted in eliminating glass transoms. Today in older buildings these have been closed and boarded-up so they do not become a source of oxygen to feed a fire. And, as recently as 2003 the E2 Night Club fire in Rhode Island resulted in 21 young people being crushed to death as some exits were blocked.
As a result of these fires and what current research had revealed we now have stricter building codes. Large public and commercial buildings must have evacuation plans and must conduct evacuation drills. The Chief asked if we felt that we are safer today than in the past. Evidence that we are safer would be that there are fewer fires today, that all commercial and public buildings have elaborate alarm systems, more buildings have sprinkling systems and more homes have smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. Yet, we still have homes that do not have proper detectors or they don't have working batteries, systems are not always well maintained. In the ‘old days’ more of our furniture was made of natural materials such as wood and wool that have a longer flashover time, an average of 29 minutes. Today with so many synthetics being used for furnishings the flashover time has been reduced to less than five minutes. In a typical home as some synthetics are like solidified gasoline.
For commercial buildings Chief Berkowsky urged that they be outfitted with a sprinkler system, that the fire alarm system be well maintained, that trash not be allowed to accumulate and that owners make sure all entry and exit points are clear. He said some business owners are afraid that a fire in one part of the building would set off all of the sprinklers and ruin their entire inventory, but he assured the audience that each sprinkler head is individually activated and that smoke causes far more damage than water. In homes the kitchen is a primary source of fires, he also urged us to make sure all appliances are in working order and that we have working smoke detectors on all floors and in each bedroom. Candles and space heaters should be used with caution. He indicated that his department is very willing to do an inspection at no cost for any business or homeowner. We should also be wary when home repairs are being done as painters, plumbers and roofers are all known to use torches which can start fires, often only smoldering for sometime and then bursting into flames when the worker is long gone.
We are grateful for Chief Berkowsky and his leadership of the Winnetka Fire Department in keeping our community safe.
Please find a substitute if you are unable to fulfill your assignment; Just call or e-mail a fellow member and ask him/her to sub. Tom Evans - tom.evans527@gmail.com- who chairs the service committee, will confirm assignments. Sgt. at arms helps set up and store our stuff, please come 15 minutes early and be prepared to stay a few minutes after the meeting; Greeter greets and announces names of visiting Rotarians and guests; Thought of the Day can be spontaneous or read from a script; Dig 'n Grin can make us laugh or think seriously.
Your contribution will help us provide new winter coats to needy children in Chicago and on the North Shore.
Again this year, we ill be bringing the happiness and warmth of new Operation Warm winter coats to children living in need in the Chicago metro area. In 2013, our club provided new coats to 780 children. This year, our plans are to provide coats to children served by several local organizations:
Inner City Impact who serve youth from low income families in Cicero and Chicago.
When children have a new coat, their self-esteem gets a boost and they are empowered to attend school and partake in outdoor play on cold winter days. This simple and inexpensive gift does so much for a child.
Only through the generosity of our members and their network can we accomplish our goal for providing new coats to 700 or more area children. Please donate generously; each $20 gift allows another child to receive the gift of warmth.
You may donate online via PayPal or by check made payable to Winnetka Northfield Rotary Charitable Foundation (WNRCF) sent to 620 Lincoln Avenue, Winnetka IL 60093.
Our Club's Charitable Foundation is now accepting Community Grants applications for funding for the 2014-15 funding year. Applications are due by November 30, with grants to be awarded in March, 2015. Our Foundation typically funds about 15 organizations, both local and international. Applicants are required to have a club member as a sponsor of their organization. This person can be a board member, volunteer or donor to the organization. Grants are typically $500-2,000. A list of last year's recipients is below.
Again this year, we ill be bringing the happiness and warmth of new