An estimated 500 million people worldwide became infected. Many cities closed theaters and cinemas, and placed restrictions on public gatherings. Rotary clubs adjusted their activities while also helping the sick.

This is how Rotary responded to the influenza pandemic that began in 1918 and came in three waves, lasting more than a year.

The Rotary Club of Berkeley, California, USA, meets in John Hinkel Park during the 1918 flu pandemic.

Photo by Edwin J. McCullagh, 1931-32 club president. Courtesy of the Rotary Club of Berkeley.

Rotary and the United Nations have a shared history of working toward peace and addressing humanitarian issues around the world.

During World War II, Rotary informed and educated members about the formation of the United Nations and the importance of planning for peace. Materials such as the booklet “From Here On!” and articles in The Rotarian helped members understand the UN before it was formally established and follow its work after its charter. 

Many countries were fighting the war when the term “United Nations” was first used officially in the 1942 “Declaration by United Nations.” The 26 nations that signed it pledged to uphold the ideals expressed by the United States and the United Kingdom the previous year of the common principles “on which they based their hopes for a better future for the world.” 

Every hero has an origin story. “I was 10 years old when the entire journey started,” explains Binish Desai. It began with a cartoon called Captain Planet, an animated TV series from the 1990s about an environmentalist with superpowers. Desai can still recite the show’s refrain: Captain Planet, he’s our hero / Gonna take pollution down to zero! “That tagline stuck in my mind,” he says. “I wanted to do something to help Captain Planet.”

In early 1919, Rotarian Roger Pinneo of Seattle, Washington, USA, traveled to the Philippines to try to organize a Rotary club in Manila. Leon J. Lambert, a Manila business leader helped Pinneo establish the club. Several months later, on 1 June 1919, the Rotary Club of Manila was chartered and became the first Rotary club in Asia.

The club would be the only one in the country for more than 12 years. Eventually, Manila club members organized Rotary clubs in the Philippine cities of Cebu (1932) and Iloilo (1933). Iloilo club members then started a club in Bacolod (1937), and Rotary continued to expand across the country.

Club members Sam J. Kennedy, Dick Schmidt and joined by Dennis Kennedy finish delivering library books to Roberto Clemente Learning Academy in Detroit.

On behalf of Roberto Clemente school, we would like to Thank You and the Rotary Club of Plymouth AM for your assistance with us receiving this wonderful donation from Stepping Stone.

Ms. C. Howell
Pathways to Potential-MDHHS
Roberto Clemente Learning Academy

Our second Little Free Library was delivered to Mariners Inn today. Mariners Inn is located in Detroit and serves as an anchor for those struggling to navigate the treacherous waters of homelessness and substance abuse through a wide range of social service programs that achieve the best possible outcomes for adults, families and youth affected by addiction.

They have already had a lot of excitement from the guys over seeing the little free library.

If you want to help feed children who are hungry or in need, the 2018 Greater Plymouth Service Project is looking for volunteers for their food packaging event to benefit the “Kids Coalition Against Hunger” (KCAH). Volunteers will be packaging food on May 12th from 8am-3pm at the Plymouth Arts and Recreation Complex in Downtown Plymouth.

“The goal is to recruit 1,550 volunteers,” says Doug Wallace of Plymouth Township, the membership director for the Plymouth Community Chamber of Commerce. “All ages are welcome.”

Volunteers are needed to package more than 500,000 meals that are planned. The event benefits several organizations as they help supply children with the essential food they need in life.

All of the packaged meals are distributed to three different sources. One-third of the meals goes to local communities and various food pantries such as food banks, soup kitchens, and backpack programs at schools. The next third is distributed to over 18 countries that “Kids Coalition Against Hunger” supports. The last third goes to and is stored in the KCAH Michigan Warehouse for disaster relief support.

“Our mission is to significantly reduce the number of hungry children in the USA and feed starving children throughout the world,” says Nick Schultz, Chairman of the event. “We accomplish this by delivering a highly nutritious meal that was developed by food scientists to provide a rich source of easily digestible protein, carbohydrates, and vitamins needed by an undernourished child’s body and mind.”

Here’s a list of organizations that have helped raise money for this year’s meals:

-Local Service Clubs, such as Rotary, Kiwanis, and Lions.
-The Churches of NorthRidge and Our Lady of Good Counsel.
-The Chamber of Commerce.
-The Community Foundation.
-Plymouth Arts & Recreation Complex.
-Many local businesses.
-Private Citizens, like The George & Mary Smith Family, who donated $10,000 paying for 35,714 meals.

If you want to or know someone who would like to volunteer or donate, sign up at cfplymouth.org/may12 or call (734) 453-1540.  You can see an overview video of last year’s event here.

The Month of December in Rotary is Disease Prevention and Treatment.

This is one of the Foundations Areas of Focus and one in which many of us would be aware of the numerous projects around the world supported by clubs and the Foundation.

I urge you all to look at your role in promoting improved health at home and abroad and supporting these vital programs that contribute not only to healthy communities but peaceful communities.

The National Veterans Golden Age Games is the premier senior adaptive rehabilitation program in the United States, and the only national multi-event sports and recreational seniors’ competition program designed to improve the quality of life for all older Veterans, including those with a wide range of abilities and disabilities. The VA Challenges and encourages senior Veterans to be proactive in embracing a healthier lifestyle.

The games are open to Veterans, ages 55 or older, who receive health care from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Dates:

The 2016 National Veterans Golden Games will be held Sunday, July 10 – Thursday, July 14, 2016 in Detroit, Michigan

More information on the Games and Volunteer opportunities can be found here - http://www.va.gov/opa/speceven/gag/index.asp 

Coverage by fellow Westland Rotarian Julie Brown from the May 1, 2016 Plymouth Observer on the Greater Plymouth Service Project

Kids Against Hunger focus of May 7 Greater Plymouth Service Project

Isabelle Schultz is a great cook, something her son Nick knows well.

“She came from a family of 10 Italians,” he said of his morther, who recently marked her 60th wedding anniversary with husband Carl. “She knows how to do it.”

The senior Schultzes of Plymouth Township were a key part of Wednesday evening at the Plymouth Arts & Recreation Complex, 650 Church St. The Greater Plymouth Service Project, to benefit the Kids Against Hunger Coalition, is approaching there Saturday, May 7.

That day, some 1,200 volunteers will gather at PARC to package meals for the hungry. On Wednesday, Isabelle Schultz prepared meals for about 30 people from the package, which serves about six people each.

“It really isn’t that hard,” she said, after transporting her home-cooked food to PARC for dinner. “It’s really a pretty quick meal.”

For the 30 guests, Schultz added onions, red and yellow peppers and garlic. She sauteed the vegetables and used a little Worchestershire sauce, along with celery, “just whatever I had around.”

“Especially in this, the olive oil helps,” she said. “But there’s a lot in there to begin with.”

She agreed a basic dinner — with a protein, starch and vegetables — is already in the package and just needs boiling and serving.

“It’s a healthy meal for a family,” husband Carl added.

A committee chaired by Dave Siegrist of Plymouth Township was meeting down the hall to work out details for May 7’s initiative at PARC, a first-time endeavor. Some $35,000 has been raised in support, with food for about 126,000 meals ordered, Siegrist said.

“Everybody loved it,” Siegrist, who chairs the Community Foundation of Plymouth, said of the food Wednesday. “I know I went back for seconds.”

Siegrist and Carl Schultz are both active Kiwanians. “They’re the ones that got involved very early with Kids Against Hunger,” Nick Schultz noted about Kiwanis, which is among service clubs, student groups, the Plymouth Community Chamber of Commerce, Community Foundation of Plymouth, Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, Plymouth-Canton Schools, Wilcox Foundation and other supporters.

Checks or money orders payable to Community Foundation of Plymouth are welcome at: CFP-GPSP, P.O. Box 700866, Plymouth, MI 48170. CFP is a 501(c)3 nonprofit entity.

Volunteers are also still needed; to volunteer, send an email to douglas@plymouthmich.org by Thursday, May 5.

Committee member Nancy Caviston said, “From what I understand, there’s going to be a lot of people” May 7. She’s in the Kiwanis Club of Colonial Plymouth and noted Kiwanis’ extensive work with Kids Against Hunger.

“I’m going to be there” May 7, Caviston said: “I may be manning the information table. The actual packaging is going to be huge, from what I understand.”

Isabelle Schultz had prepared such a meal at home years earlier for charity work and this time Dave Siegrist said, “Isabelle, you’ve got to come and cook up a meal,” Nick Schultz said.

A couple of side salads and dessert were added for the occasion Wednesday, with leftovers going to Plymouth Opportunity House. It was back down the hall at PARC for committee members to work out final details before heading home for the evening.

“We’ve got the full community involved,” Siegrist added.

jcbrown@hometownlife.com

Twitter: @248Julie

Teamwork’s the key to success for the upcoming Greater Plymouth Service Project.

“It’s about all of us as a community that are coming together for a service project,” said steering committee member Nick Schultz of the Saturday, May 7, event at the Plymouth Arts & Recreation Complex, PARC, in downtown Plymouth.

Organizers are focusing their efforts on Kids Against Hunger, with plans to work three shifts that day, two hours each, on an assembly line to pack meals. Schultz in a recent interview showed the bag which contains six meals, feeding those six people at a 28 cents a meal price.

Our Club will be packing meals this Saturday, May 7 between 8:30 am and 10:30 am - you can sign up here - http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0b49aaa62da0fa7-may7th

or if you can't make that timespot you can sign up here - http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0b45aeac2aa6fa7-volunteer

More information can be found at all of these links:

http://www.hometownlife.com/story/news/local/plymouth/2016/03/03/service-project-puts-focus-fighting-hunger-locally-worldwide/81274764/

http://www.aaacf.org/sites/default/files/GPSP%20brochure.pdf

http://kidsagainsthunger.org/