A total of $45,000.00 was approved by the Rotary Club of Lansing Foundation Board for International Grants from the committee.  Each week we will highlight one of the non-profits receiving our checks.
 

Spartan Global Development Fund is staffed by MSU students and supervised by faculty. We aim to educate, inspire, and enable tomorrow’s agents of global change by raising funds locally in order to offer interest-free microloans to aspiring entrepreneurs throughout developing regions of the world. We use a team approach, in which our three student-led teams, finance and fundraise, market and communication, and new members and donor relations, work together to make a cohesive organization that reports to our alumni board. Our organization addresses the lack of available credit for entrepreneurs and everyday working people in developing countries. We would use the funds provided in the grant from the Rotary Club of Lansing to make direct, interest-free loans to entrepreneurs in Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Colombia.

 

For example, recipients have used our loans in the past to purchase a sewing machine to make locally manufactured clothing, a coffee roasting machine to provide their community with freshly-roasted coffee beans, and equipment to make baked goods. Our loans generate productivity within the communities our recipients serve, we estimate that for each project loan, there is a direct impact to the recipient (typically one person or an entire family) and the multiplier effect of that recipient providing necessary services to an entire community (typically several hundred). We are seeking a $2,500 grant which will allow us to make five (5) loans of $500 to those in need of a reliable line of credit. If Spartan Global Development Fund were to receive the fund from this grant, we would be able to fund 5 new loans, as our average loan is typically around $500). Because our current donation turnover rate is 424%, meaning that each dollar we have received in donations has been lent out over four times over, this grant would continue to serve the purpose of our organization beyond only the initial loans. Therefore, if we fund a loan of $500 for 5 recipients, there is the potential to impact over 20 groups in need of financing, making an estimated impact of over $10,000. Because recipient groups range in size, we estimate the exact number of individuals impacted from the project is around 50. Spartan Global received a check for $2,000.00 in January, 2025.

Rotarians and guests were warmly greeted by Casey Jacobsen. Participants enjoyed a lunch of grilled chicken, sweet potato & chickpea curry, mandarin salad, and lemon bars while Ben Rathbun was at the piano playing delightful background music.

 

President Rebecca Bahar-Cook, wearing MSU gear, (and accessorized with glitzy gold sneakers and an awesome green handbag), called the meeting to order. In a wonderful demonstration of fellowship and shared values, all recited the Rotary Four-Way Test.

 

Kim Garland, in pretty springtime pink, provided a reflection inspired by a recent college trip with her son who expressed excitement about meeting new people with different perspectives. Recognizing different perspectives provides opportunities to innovate, challenge assumptions, and build stronger communities. Listening to and respecting each other’s different experiences moves us beyond tolerance, fosters a sincere appreciation that enriches us, and makes life more vibrant and meaningful.

 

“The Star-Spangled Banner” was sung by all, and then Lisa Smith in her cool black glasses passed around the microphone, (A regular microphone… no blue cube today!), for Rotarians to introduce their guests including Dave Moss, an architect from Colliers; Suzanne Greenberg, Executive Director of Michigan Children’s Trust; Wilson Snyder, Kate Snyder’s 8 year-old son; Merritt Frey, Potter Park Zoological Society’s donor engagement specialist; and President Rebecca’s daughter, Sara.

 

Michelle Lantz, in a “Rosie the Riveter” red polka-dot head scarf, announced today’s Rosie the Riveter Day Celebration at the Capital Region International Airport, featuring real Rosies, WWII aircraft, and some of the remaining Tuskegee Airmen.

 

Lisa Smith introduced very distinguished musical talent arranged by Terry Terry: vocalist Sarah Wallace and pianist Liudmila Bondar. They performed “Somewhere over the Rainbow” from the Wizard of Oz, and "O Mio Babbino Caro" ("Oh, My Dear Papa"), a famous soprano aria, from Puccini's opera Gianni Schicchi.

 

Announcements:

Chair of the Day/Month, Julie Pingston, shared that the Rotary Clock Tower, donated to the City of Lansing in 1997 at a cost of $150,000 and commemorating the City’s 150th anniversary, has needed repairs, and those repairs took place this past week. Then she introduced today’s speaker, Potter Park Zoological Society Executive Director Amy L. Morris-Hall.

 

Amy has been with the zoo since 2013. She is responsible for the Zoological Society operations including fund raising, planning, fiscal management, membership development, marketing, public relations, and community relations.

 

Amy shared the following information…

 

2024 was the Zoo’s best year ever:

The Zoo’s mission is to inspire conservation of animals and the natural world.

 

A new Animal Health Care and Quarantine Facility under construction will open this summer and play a major part in this mission. It will allow for greater animal care and research, and it will help the Zoo maintain its accreditation by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA). The facility will provide much needed space, meet ADA requirements, and give the Zoo greater opportunities for education. Cameras will be mounted over the operating/treatment tables so students can see the procedures being done.

 

The State has allocated $10M to improve the Feline & Primate Building which is incredibly old and doesn’t meet the needs of the Zoo’s large cats. Improvements are needed to maintain the Zoo’s AZA accreditation.

 

Federal funding of $1M will be used to improve the Zoo’s farmyard to ensure that animal waste doesn’t run off into the Red Cedar River.

 

There are a number of new species at the Zoo, and Amy’s favorite is an Okapi named Elombe. There have also been some new babies born, including a Red Panda cub and a Bongo calf.

 

The Zoo’s goals are:

The Zoo is proud to be a part of the community, have a role in placemaking, and to have a positive economic impact on the Lansing region:

Events, projects and programs, at the Zoo have been designed to achieve their mission and goals. Examples include…

The Zoo also produces a number of conservation efforts and events, including…

Amy’s Favorite Fun Facts about the Zoo in 2024…

After a lively Q&A session, during which Bilky expressed her concern regarding the Zoo’s rattlesnake conservation efforts, President Rebecca brought the meeting to a conclusion with a ring of the bell. Next meeting: Thursday, March 27, at the Irish Pub starting at 4:30 p.m.

 

Email for Phyllis Riley:  phyllisriley@msn.com