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
We hosted Scholarship Night in which students were presented with the Max Gardner Scholarship and Frank Sladen Scholarship.
 
Kevin Cox, our Interact Liaison, presented the scholarship to Interact President Meredith Tiderington. Ms. Tiderington is looking forward to continuing her community service while studying engineering at Purdue University. Kevin listed the numerous projects the Interact Club participated in the past year and thanked the leadership: President Meredith Tiderington, VP Jane Maxwell, Secretary Mimi Mager, Treasurer Maeve Hix, and Publicist Anamaria Garberding (a few who were in attendance).
 
Frank Sladen Scholarships were then presented, with GP North's Desmond Charlet, who will be studying aviation technology at the MIAT College of Technology. After two years, he hopes to be working at Metro Airport or for Delta. Martin Daher, who will be studying electrical engineering at Notre Dame University. Heavenly Reeves, who will be studying psychology at Michigan State University. GP South's Jane Kuhnlein, who will be studying economics at the University of Michigan. Madison Duff, who will be studying applied mathematics at Brown University. Savanna Cardaris, a co-op student, who is currently training to be an esthetician and make-up artist, will be studying business at Oakland University.
Mary Butler-Moores spoke to the club as the Community Engagement Coordinator for Forgotten Harvest.
 
Forgotten Harvest’s mission is to relieve hunger and prevent nutritious food waste in Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne Counties. It envisions communities that work together to end hunger and increase individual, neighborhood, economic, and environmental health.
 
The organization was formed in 1990 and now operates 50 refrigerated trucks out of a 77,000 square foot facility with 16 truck bays and has 200 emergency food providers that distribute the food to those in need. The service they provide is much needed as 40% of the food (78 billion pounds) in the U.S. is wasted annually and there is an estimated 38.3 million people experiencing food insecurity.
 
Ms. Butler-Moore fell in love with the organization’s work after volunteering at the Forgotten Harvest Farm in 2017 where she learned the “why” and “for whom” the work was being done. Volunteers at the warehouse, farm, and pantries are its lifeblood.
 
www.forgottenharvest.org
Will Owen, Jill McKeown, and Liz Naber spoke representing The Wig Boutique.
 
The Wig Boutique, located in Shelby Township, has been operating since the 1980s with Mr. Owen purchasing the business last year. The company is deeply committed to empowering women seeking alternative hair solutions by offering a large selection of human hair wigs, synthetic wigs, and hair pieces.
 
Although a wig can be purchased for any reason, The Wig Boutique is available to provide private consultations to offer the best alternative hair solutions, and fittings, to women losing their hair for medical reasons. The quality of wigs has greatly improved over the years, whether they are synthetic or human hair.
 
The speakers’ goals are to increase brand awareness, especially at chemotherapy locations, of what they offer and to increase the diversity of wigs available to be able to tailor to each woman’s race. The prices range from $250 to $5,000 and can be paid through insurance with a doctor’s referral. To learn more, please visit www.thewigboutiquemi.com
Dio Rockers was inducted into the club, having recently moved to Grosse Pointe and looking to become involved in the community. He is a retired widower with a love of traveling, having been to all 50 states and 35 countries. Welcome, Dio.
Gail & John Urso spoke to the club as the founders of Kevin’s Song.
 
Kevin’s Song was formed after the Ursos’ 41-year-old son took his life in 2013. It's a charitable organization dedicated to generating public awareness about the causes of suicide, its prevalence in our society and possible preventive measures. Its mission is to empower communities to prevent suicide and offer hope and healing to survivors.
 
It’s important to recognize the factors of those possibly contemplating taking their life. Do they feel like a burden, are they isolating themselves, and do they have the commitment to carry it through? Don’t be afraid to ask “are you thinking of suicide?” as a planting of the idea in the person’s head but knowing that are exposing a possible secret.
 
Suicide is a public health crisis with a far-reaching impact, as each one affects at least 100 people. The organization’s ultimate vision is to have a world without suicide. www.kevinssong.org
Deborah Moffat spoke to the club as the Executive Director of The Arc of Grosse Pointe and Harper Woods.
 
The Arc, operating out of St Michael’s Church in GP Woods, works to ensure that people with cognitive, intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and their families, friends, educators, and medical providers receive the support and services they need, are accepted in their communities, and have maximum control over their own lives.
 
With a budget of $200,000, one full time employee, many part-time employees, and a 15-person van, the organization offers these individuals, from age 9-24, all sorts of after school, weekend, and summer opportunities. Examples include visiting the Riverwalk, the Detroit Zoo, Greenfield Village, Selfridge AFB, and an EMU football game. They also ride two- and three-wheel bikes on Lochmoor Club’s cart paths when it’s closed on Mondays and swim at the GP Shores Park two times a week.
 
All of these activities allow the individuals to interact and help each other. To learn more, visit www.thearcgp-hw.org.
Meet the Merchants of Grosse Pointe was hosted, featuring store owners in The Village.
 
Lanna Young is the owner of Savvy Chic Boutique which has been at its current location since October 2021. It’s a women’s clothing store that offers trendy, and affordable clothes in a smaller setting. A GP resident since 2011, she enjoys The Village for offering a combined city/neighborhood feel. www.cavvychicgp.com.
 
Mary and Maddie Mancus are a mother and daughter team that coowns Glitter & Scotch. They opened in 2021 and described their clothing as “shopping in your best friend’s closet”. Growing up in GP, they have a family history of working in retail (Hudson’s, Pointe Pedlar). www.shopglitterandscotch.com
 
Joe Binkowski is the owner of Ridge Crest Outfitter, which offers men’s and women’s clothing that can be worn in the office or while walking in the woods. His store is trying to fill a niche that Moosejaw can’t provide. He grew up in Grosse Pointe and has a history in retail, working at Hickey’s and Jacobson’s. www.ridgecrestgp.com
 
Kasey Malley is the co-owner of Small Favors Gift Gallery. The store has been in business since 2003, at many different locations. They sell gifts that celebrate “everything” and enjoy knowing that they will be given by the buyer to someone else. www.shopsmallfavors.com.
 
The common theme of the store owners is the desire to fill a need (possibly unique) at a local level for shoppers. They consider their customers to be friends/family and enjoy being able to provide this service. Being locally owned, the money spent at their shops goes back into the community.
Tom Mercer was inducted into the club as a Grosse Pointe City resident. Tom has a wife, Blythe, and four children, and recently opened a Farm Bureau insurance agency located on Mack in GP Woods. He also coaches for the freshmen boys basketball team at GP South. Welcome, Tom.
Up and Coming Speakers
Brian Peterson-Roest
Jun 07, 2023
BEES in the D
Fellow Rotarian, Rev. Susan Mozena
Jun 14, 2023
What Hospital Chaplains Do: A View Inside What Makes for Good Spiritual Health
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