Thirty-two members attended our November 20 meeting.  No guests were in attendance.
 
There is a change in speakers for our next meeting on December 4th.   Courtesy of Sam Badger we will hear from Jim Homan, a 31-year Marine vet who was a bombardier navigator in the Viet Nam war and a contractor in Iraq and Afghanistan.  We received a nice thank you from A Just Harvest for the coats they received from our club through Operation Warm.  You might remember that our club received an appeal for warm clothing and our club raised sufficient funds to supply 34 winter coats.  They will be given to new refugees from the Congo.   Keith Reed announced that he is looking for a new home for used clothing that is clean and in good condition.  Several members suggested some worthwhile organizations.
 
Happy Buck$ this week came from the following:  Sam Badger, for the accolades and special recognition on Veterans Day.  Dave Gotaas, in honor of his parents 67th wedding anniversary as well as his own 30th anniversary.  Barb Tubekis, for the success in the Cards for Kids project where donated sports collectors cards were packaged and given to children and veterans in hospitals.  David Birkenstein, for Northwestern’s stunning football upset of Notre Dame.  And finally, by Heidi Sibert, for her company’s successful fundraiser that supported Wounded Warriors.
 
The main part of the meeting was spent with members putting together bags of food for A Just Harvest located in the East Rogers Park area on Chicago’s far north side.  The project was organized by Barb Tubekis and Kristen Leahy of our Community Service Committee.  Some of the non-perishable food was donated and the rest was purchased with special monetary donations to this project by the membership.  Barb first gave the club a brief history of the organization that was started at the Jonquil Hotel.  Good News Partners primary mission is to reduce homelessness, especially in the Rogers Park area of Chicago by providing temporary housing and helping people obtain and maintain their own residences.  A Just Harvest’s mission is to reduce hunger via daily feeding programs and a food pantry.  It was formerly a soup kitchen run by GNP.