Grosse Pointe Rotary Club
Grosse Pointe

Service Above Self

We meet In Person
Wednesdays at 5:30 PM
The Village Grille
16930 Kercheval Ave
Grosse Pointe, MI 48230
United States of America

Our meetings are Hybrid Meetings.

Members will receive email invites each week to join in person and a link to join virtually.

If you wish to be a guest please contact a member or Email us at GrossePointeRotary@gmail.com

Our Stories
Maria Miller, CEO of the War Memorial
 
Ms. Miller is very excited about the recent renovations at the War Memorial, with the ballroom capacity at 300-350, and opening it all up will accommodate up to 600. Over 100 wedding receptions have taken place there this year.
 
Contrary to popular belief, they are not flush with cash and are trying to grow the endowment. There are many capital needs as the 113-year-old home has water problems and an aging roof. To raise funds, there are many historic preservation and veteran focused grant requests outstanding.
 
Ms. Miller is invested in making sure the building’s rich history is shared with the community, especially as it pertains to veterans. In addition to Memorial Day and Veterans Day events, there is an existing veterans club, and they collaborate with other veterans’ groups to provide support.
 
The War Memorial offers 100 unique classes, 70 events, and has 40 partnership collaborations. Ms. Miller is looking at legacy and. historic events to see if any, such as Lawn Games Day, Battle of the Bands, or Summerfest should be brought back. To find out all that it offers, go to www.warmemorial.org.
Dean Dauphinais – Families Against Narcotics and Angel Program
 
Mr. Dauphinais’s son has been in treatment 9 times, with his longest recovery time being two years, and he is currently 31 days clean. His addiction started at age 15, when he started to self-medicate his depression, escalating from marijuana to heroin.
 
Families Against Narcotics was formed in 2007 and is a grassroots organization, based in Macomb County, that continues to educate individuals, school personnel, and law enforcement about the dangers of drug use and addiction. Mr. Dauphinais joined FAN four years ago and is now its operations and communications manager.
 
One of its programs is Hope Not Handcuffs, where participating law enforcement agencies allow those seeking drug addiction help to walk in their lobby, ask for it, and FAN will be contacted. A “volunteer angel” will meet the individual and, through FAN, begin the treatment process for them. All of the Grosse Pointes participate in the program. A Common Perspective on Vimeo.
 
Volunteer Angels are needed and there is a virtual training session scheduled for 9/11 at 6:30pm. Information about this and other FAN programs can be found at www.familiesagainstnarcotics.org.
Six Rotarians volunteered at Crossroads of Michigan today, to feed local families during Crossroad's summer lunch program. Dino Valente, Mark Brooks, Bob Lucas, John Mozena, and Philip MacKethan under the leadership of David Colton prepared tacos with side dishes of coleslaw and fruit. 
Kim Towar -- Rotary International Foundation

Kim talked about the importance of the RI Foundation with a story from her year as District Governor (2010-2011).
 
Attending District Governor training in San Diego, Kim met an incoming DG from Australia and the two of them decided to take part in a RI Foundation pilot program where two countries partner to address an area of concern in their respective districts. This led to a team of local midwives heading to East Timor, a fourth-world country, that had a 60% infant mortality rate.
 
After this three-week educational visit, the mortality rate has consistently dropped over the past 10 years. The Australian district then sent a team of educators to train adult literacy tutors in Detroit, where 50% of the adults read at a 4th-grade level or lower.
 
As Kim always says, “it’s not about the money but about what the money can do”. She shared two short videos that showed all of the good the Foundation does around the world.
 
 
This past meeting we were joined by Dennis Hyduk (right) and John Brooks Jr. (left) who are both members of the Sunrise Rotary Club. 

Dennis Hyduk is a Charter member of the Grosse Pointe Sunrise Rotary and has 32 years of perfect attendance. Dennis has been President of the Club two time: and a Past Assistant District Governor. He has chaired the scholarship committee as well as the fundraising committee. He is currently Club Administrator and on the foundation board for the Club. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus and is a 4th degree Knight.

John Brooks Jr. has been a Rotarian since 1991 and a charter member of the Grosse Pointe Sunrise Rotary Club. He has been Club President twice and Assistant Governor under PDG's Michael Browne, his father John Brooks, and Ed Shulz. Currently, he is Club Treasurer and Grosse Pointe Run Race Chair. John is a lifelong Grosse Pointer, who raised his two adults here, and resides in Grosse Pointe Park.
This past Wednesday, Jake Nellis from Zeppelin Cleaning Services shared with us the importance of maintaining household systems and having them serviced by professionals. Professionals such as Zeppelin Cleaning Services provide air duct cleaning, dryer vent, carpet & upholstery, tile, and commercial cleaning. They also emphasize the importance of customer care and quality cleaning. 

By having your household systems professionally cleaned you benefit from a variety of factors such as reduced irritants, improved airflow, HVAC Equipment protection, elimination of odors, cleaner space, better dryer performance, improved dryer efficiency, reduced fire hazards, and peace of mind. 

Zeppelin Cleaning Services are a professional team that caters to not only households but also offices, medical facilities, and local businesses. Doing it yourself is an option however Zeppelin has the right tools to properly and efficiently clean your system.
 
They have almost 1,000 five-star reviews on Google reviews which is reflective of their quality of work and the way in which they value their customers' time. Zeppelin Cleaning Services ensures their customers an arrival time within 1 hour of their expected appointment.
Tonight we were joined by Tim Killeen the Wayne County Commissioner, who shared with us the inner workings of how our district is successfully cared for. 

Tim represents the 5 Grosse Pointes, Harper Woods, and a part of Detroit. He has been on the boards of several major community projects such as the morose greenway initiative. 

Being up to date on all issues within his district is of utmost importance to Tim. One of the issues was managing the juvenile detention facility which Tim has played a major role in its rearrangement. The reconstruction of the sea wall off lakeshore was another thing that Tim took upon himself to see carried out. 

Tim emphasized the importance of bonding with all the people he represents and being a voice for his voters. Standing for the voters and the people of his district is a priority for Tim. 

The best way to ensure the success of our community is by ensuring the success of other surrounding areas such as Indian Village, Harper Woods, and parts of Detroit. Tim drew attention to the growth of the east side as a whole and not just of individual areas. 
Tim concluded his presentation by saying, “What’s good for the east side, is good for all the east side.”
Tonight we were joined by two members of the Family Center, Jennifer Bingaman executive director (left) and Mary Jo Harris director of programs and administrations (right). 

They shared with us the different ways in which the Family Center has impacted the community. Their overall goal is empowering families, enriching lives. 

So far they have hosted 101 different programs in the area which have helped build healthier families. They focus on people’s mental health and all services/programs which they offer are free. Some of these programs include Narcan rescue training, QPR training, ACEs, Public Safety night, addiction panel, and women’s health night. 
The family center is also a part of the special needs resource alliance where they put together the first annual special needs resource fair. 

The family center has been able to offer mental health support to the Grosse Pointe school district as well as the Harper Woods district and several other schools. They have been able to bring in service dogs for kids and provide schools with chill rooms for kids to take a mental break from school and relax. 

The family center continues to be an immersive part of our community and provides mental health services to people of all ages. 
Join the family center at the Grosse Pointe Woods community center on Mon. 6/26 for training on how to administer Narcan.
Up and Coming Speakers
League of Women Voters - Judy Florian
Oct 04, 2023
New Voter Rights Under Prop 2
Dr. Steven Kahn, PhD
Oct 18, 2023
Math Corp
Pay Dues Online
 
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