President Swope brought the meeting to order with a ring of the Rotary bell and led all assembled in reciting the ever-impactful four-way test. Bilky Joda-Miller offered a reflection. Voices united to sing America the Beautiful, accompanied by Earl Reisdorff.
While those attending noshed on Pulled BBQ Pork, Veggie Burgers, Mediterranean Cous Cous Salad, and Carolina Cole Slaw (with Brownie Bites & Lemon Bars for Dessert), Ben Rathbun tossed the cube for several visiting Rotarians and guests.
The health of the club is well as we head into hot cider vs pumpkin spice season. For lessons in vitality, connect with Irv Nichols who is celebrating 101 years of life.
Special Music for the day –Sweet C & the Sunset Riders - was brought to us by Terry Terry, with Mike Schneider and Chris Horvath performing. Catch more music this weekend at BluesFest, four days, 3 stages and 25 acts of top-shelf, best-in-blues talent in Old Town Lansing.
Thanks to Bilky Joda-Miller for serving as Chair of the Month. Linda Sarnelli, Chair of the Day, introduced our speaker for the day, Kelsea Hector. Hector is Executive Director of Punks with Lunch, a harm reduction and mutual aid organization serving Ingham, Shiawassee, and Eaton counties, and the Co-President of Inclusive Justice of Michigan, an interfaith organization advocating for LGBTQIA+ inclusion and equity in faith communities.
Punks with Lunch is a movement of change, driven by a rebellion against injustice and inequality, a DIY ethos, and the creation of alternative spaces and expressions. It’s a non-profit mobile program serving Ingham, Eaton and Shiawassee counties. An every-other-Saturday distribution of supplies – hot food, sandwiches, hygiene supplies, bus passes, harm reduction needs, etc. - is helping meet people where they are and reduce overdoses in the state of MI. HIV/HEPC/STI testing is starting in January and a mobile shower and laundry bus is coming in 2026, thanks to a recently secured grant. Meeting basic needs is vital to improving life conditions. A deep Q&A ensued about challenges, resources, and opportunities. Learn more at www.pwlansing.com. Note: more than a ¼ of the workforce is dealing with substance abuse issues and resources exist for employers to better support needs in this space.Next week we’ll gather at the Irish Pub from 4:30-6:00pm on Thursday, Sept. 25th. Get your guests lined up for October, we’ve got some more awesome speakers coming in! Also, Oct. 3 is Plaidurday (no hyphen) www.plaidurday.com to learn more) – so plan to wear your favorite plaid clothing (Rule 5: IS IT FUN?) YES! P.S. Somebody bring a selfie-stick, we’ll need a group pic for our social pages.
Email for Michelle Reynaert: mreynaert@michfb.com