Club Meeting Featuring Veronica Cruz, Breaking Barriers for Kids and Families

The Livonia AM Rotary Club meeting was opened  with a meditative thought given by Nancy Darga. Pastor Dave reminded members that there will be a board meeting right after the business meeting.  

Our club’s biggest fundraiser of the year is the Carnival at Sears parking lot at 7 Mile and Middlebelt Road. Please plan on going to support the carnival and have some carnival type food.  It ends on the 8th of June.

Update on Rebuild Rotary Park was given by Nancy Darga. The current donations are $17,825.  Pastor Dave reminded Nancy that there was some cash given at the meeting but not accounted for.  This will be checked into. Our club will be giving 5,000 to the rebuild fund. Another 5,000 will come later when we can withdraw it from funds, when it comes due.  A big thank you was given to Wayne Kinney for all the help in producing the Rebuild Rotary Park promo video that was filmed May 3rd when the Cherry Trees   were planted. Discussion on how to promote the video though the Chamber of Commerce, and “Live in the D” were suggested. The Carnival should be promoted on Facebook and then shared with family and friends to help spread the word.

Update on Our Club’s bylaws.  Dave Stechholz said he looked through his papers but couldn't find those papers. Someone found a digital copy of the bylaws.  A committee is being formed to rewrite our bylaws.

Update on Livonia Spree: both Rotary clubs will be working together on a beer and wine tasting on firework night, June 29th. Sign up genius was sent out to volunteer.  Both Clubs will be working on this from now on as a fundraiser for both clubs.

Our speaker for today is Veronica Cruz, director of Breaking  Barriers for Kids and Families.  Veronica works closely with  non-profit organizations to help them obtain funding sources through grants, fundraising events and community partnerships. We were involved with her in the joint project of the Food Pantry Cooler at Clarenceville High School.  A film was presented that showed  two new projects that take place at Garfield School for  older students. These are a green house where students grow plants and a culinary program where they prepare food. All their programs are run by cognitively impaired students. They just received a $5,000  grant through 3M. This will be a STEM program at Emerson School.  One of their big fundraisers is the Tour de Livonia in the summer and the Hockey game in January.

Susan Paluchniak