INSPIRATION – Anthony Hollingshead

Despite the many losses we have suffered in the past several months, Anthony takes encouragement from the new life he sees as a robin builds a nest and cares for her chicks outside his window. He reminds us of the Victor Hugo’s words, “Be as a bird perched on a frail branch that she feels bending beneath her, still she sings away all the same, knowing she has wings.”

 

As District Governor Steve Albright noted in his email Saturday, Rotary is falling $15 million short of its annual $50 million pledge to the campaign to End Polio NOW. That’s why Rotary International has issued a special appeal to all members to Take Out Polio by donating at least the amount of money you would have paid for lunch at this week’s meeting if it had been held in person. (We’ve missed nearly a dozen meetings so far, so you could consider donating some multiple of the weekly lunch cost…) Make your donation this week at www.endpolio.org/donate  Every dollar you give will be matched with two dollars from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

 

Meet Marco Marinelli! At this week’s meeting (at noon Monday, June 8 on Zoom) Marco will give his member introduction talk about life and Rotary in his native Italy.

 

Providence Rotary Meeting

Time: Jun 8, 2020

11:45-12:00 Social Time

12:00-12:45 Meeting

 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82156162339?pwd=VW9USzBMZXhCMWRzWFNYY1Q1VXludz09

Meeting ID: 821 5616 2339

Password: Club22

 

Joining by phone, call

        +1 929 436 2866

Meeting ID: 821 5616 2339

Password: 561294

 

Jim Gilcreast is happy that he attended the recent District meeting and for Tony Mendez’ appointment to the Rhode Island Foundation Board of Directors.

 

Karen Mueller is happy to celebrate her father-in-law’s 100^th birthday this weekend.

 

Mary Brewster gave $5 for the Rotary’s work at the Kizirian School- Rotarians being part of the solution and not the problem.

 

Kris David welcomed Marion Avarista to the meeting.

 

Art Norwalk had a buck for his uncle’s 100^th birthday, unfortunately he is not related by blood, so no longevity boost! He recognized Christy Clausen’s tremendous work in distributing one million meals in Providence.

 

Wendy Marcus is happy that Barbara Harris and Barbara Kenerson are back from Florida.

 

Anthony Hollingshead has $3 to welcome Marion, for seeing Wendy on Zoom, and for the important leadership of the governors and mayors across the country.

 

Geoff Gaunt is happy that he cooked a batch of ribs for Memorial Day.

 

Wendy led the group in acknowledging June birthdays: Nondas Voll, Avram Cohen, John Buffum and James Scott.

 

 

Liz Messier shared how she’s chosen to live her life, “Dream as if if you’ll live forever, live as you’ll die today.”

 

She grew up in an Irish family with five children. Her mother came here from Dublin when she was 18 years old and Liz credits her with raising her children to be positive and determined. Liz needed this strength when she was widowed at 34 years old and needed to support her two young children, Dennis and Kate. They are a tight knit family and Liz is proud of their accomplishments; Dennis is the head designer at Vineyard Vines and Kate is a senior manager at the YMCA.

 

Liz’s career ranges from corporate training to real estate and relocation services. In 1995 she accepted an offer from her close friend, Holly Applegate, to join her dream real estate team at Residential Properties in Cumberland. Liz is currently the Vice President of Corporate and Relocation Services at Residential Properities in Providence where she and her team assist businesses and individuals with national and international relocations.

 

For over 40 years Liz has been involved with The Players in Providence where she has acted in 30 shows, producing and stage managing many more. Rotary is important to her because she values being involved with a kind and generous community of individuals who share her the desire to make the world a better place for those who are less fortunate. As she goes forward, she’ll continue to dream, work with Rotary and never forget that tomorrow is never guaranteed.

 

 

Nondas Voll grew up in NY and Cleveland and graduated from Marymount College and Fordham University. She worked in publishing and taught high school in NYC before moving to RI in 1961.

 

Nondas totally enjoyed the 14 years she spent at home raising her four children and working as a community volunteer. She began her career in public relations at the Gordon School, went on to work at Roger Williams College as director of public relations and publications and served as the deputy press secretary in the governor’s office, where she found she loved working directly with reporters.

 

Nondas joined Rotary in 1994 when she was the executive director of The Fund for Community Progress, an organization of 26 grassroots agencies focusing on social justice and poverty issues. She identified a number of Rotary service projects that hold special meaning for her including the Habitat for Humanity home that the club built in Olneyville. The project took two years of Rotarians working every Saturday building, painting, organizing and feeding hungry workers. The Club donated $50,000 to the project and members solicited many donations.

 

Nondas is a lifelong debater and organized a series of public policy debates at Rotary meetings. These were very popular with members because of their fairness to both sides. She helped organize The Providence Rotary Street Painting Festival that raised awareness of Rotary’s work in the community and money for arts programs, like City Arts.

 

She is an enthusiastic and original member of the Rotary Book Club that has just had its 196^th meeting – via Zoom!

 

Nondas encourages newer members to become involved in projects like these because going beyond meetings and working together on community programs is the way to build lifelong friendships through Rotary.