President-Elect Kris David presided over the meeting.
Pledge
George Babcock led the group.
Inspiration
Second-Vice President, Cap Willey gave a sobering inspiration on Kristallnacht - Crystal Night or The Night of Broken Glass.
The name Crystal Night comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after the windows of Jewish owned stores, buildings, and synagogues were smashed.
84 years ago on November 9 to 10, the Nazi Party in Germany in conjunction with the SS and the Hitler Youth movement carried out a horrific program to ransack and destroy Jewish homes, hospitals, and schools with sledgehammers. Historians view Kristallnacht as the prelude to the murder of six million Jews during the Holocaust.
Cap listed off many other atrocities in the modern era and closed with “Man’s inhumanity to man raises its ugly head from time to time. We must see it sooner rather than later and stop it at all costs.”
Guests
Kevin Oates welcomed Raymond Hull to the meeting.
Get Well Announcements
- Jim Gilcreast had recent hip replacement surgery
- Ken Conde is home after foot surgery
- Maury Ryan is feeling under the weather
- Margaret Kane is still recuperating from a stroke
Announcements
Bob Murphy announced the continued planning for the Holiday Party for the San Miguel students on Tuesday, December 6 at 12 pm at The Marriott. He encouraged everyone to attend this very special event. We are looking for someone who would like to play Santa.
The Providence Rotary Club is hosting an Ugly Sweater Holiday Party on Thursday, December 15 from 4 pm to 7 pm in the Grey Coale Room at Swan Point. $20 a person. The North Providence Rotary Club will be joining us as well.
Kris David also announced an upcoming speaker, Eliza Sutton from A Beautiful Day.
Induction
President Elect Kris David inducted Raymond Hull into the Rotary Club of Providence. Ray has a background in law and criminal justice and is currently a RI state representative. Kevin Oates is Ray's sponsor.Happy Bucks
- Alex David collected and gave a Happy buck for his Dad who is having surgery on Friday. Wishing him a good recovery.
- Kris David gave a Happy buck for her husband’s 75th Birthday on Thursday followed by surgery on Friday. Also Kris said that Ken thanked the club for the flowers that were sent.
- Mary Brewster gave 10 Happy bucks to thank our Rotary Club for the beautiful flowers for the passing of Rob’s father. Mary Brewster announced a work-force clothing drive in December, details to follow.
- Bill Applegate gave 5 Happy Bucks for a wonderful weekend that he and Holly enjoyed seeing their new grandson and their daughter, Burgundy, who travelled here from England to visit her nephew.
- New Member, Samuel New (via Zoom) gave 10 Happy Bucks in honor and celebration of his father’s life who was a proud Rotarian.
- Don Saracen gave a Happy Buck for his son, Mike who is Vice-President of a Global Marketing and New Technology firm in California. He has worked with Katie Couric.
Speaker
President Elect Kris David introduced our speaker, Barbara Haynes, Executive Director of McAuley Ministries, which includes McAuley House, McAuley Village, and The Warde-Robe. Barbara is an accomplished business leader who had a successful career in radio broadcast management for over 30 years. Active in the Rhode Island community, Barbara has served as interim President and on the Board of Trustees at Bay View Academy, the Board of City Year Providence, the Advisory Council of Hasbro Children’s Hospital, a mentor and tutor to students at Year Up and has been active in public relations and community organization work for the RI National Guard and the military community in Rhode Island. She graduated from URI.
Barbara highlighted their commitment to homelessness and racial and social inequities in our communities. The Sisters of Mercy originating in Dublin, Ireland came here to Rhode Island to carry on the work of Catherine McAuley in RI educational institutions such as Bay View Academy, Mercy Mount, and Salve Regina.
Forty-seven years ago, under the leadership of Arlene Violet, McAuley house was started offering food and shelter. In 1990, the ministries started the village of 23 units of transitional housing for women and their families who have suffered from domestic violence providing food, shelter, clothing and a sense of community and love and respect. Barbara spoke about how housing is a solution for everything such as health, happiness and family unity. She also talked about the challenges of needing affordable housing in our communities.
She gave some recent statistics from January 26, 2022 which reported that there were 992 people in emergency housing, 146 people in transitional housing and 246 people living outside. More recently, the number of people living outside jumped to 504. Also, it was reported that 61 people call daily for emergency housing.
Barbara also shared a new video highlighting the work they do.
