ROTARY INTERNATIONAL COVID-19 GLOBAL TELETHON
On May 2, 2020, Rotarians across the globe participated in Rotary International's "COVID-19 #RotaryResponds Telethon to raise critical funds for disaster response. This Facebook Live event was simulcast on the Rotary International Facebook page with the goal to raise funds for grants so local Rotary clubs could accomplish COVID-19 community projects. CLICK HERE TO WATCH RECORDING OF TELETHON
The #RotaryResponds Telethon raised over $525,000 USD, enough to fund at least 21 grants toward Rotary club COVID-19 related efforts around the world. Thanks to everyone who participated and donated!
A video showcasing some of our Houston-area Rotary clubs will be featured. District 5890 here in the greater Houston area was one of only a few videos shown in the telethon! CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO!
Rotary’s 1.2 million members across the globe have taken swift action to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. More than $3.4 million in Rotary Disaster Response Grants have already been put into action on the front lines to battle COVID-19.
Additionally, millions more have been raised by our #PeopleofAction - they have responded quickly and are truly saving lives. Now, we need to do more and the need for additional funding is a priority.
Everyone that joined the #RotaryResponds Telethon event heard stories of hope, inspiration and gratitude from Rotarians, Rotaractors and friends of Rotary from across the globe. Clubs shared what they've done, and plan to do, to help their communities. The telethon also showcased how Rotary's polio eradication infrastructure, PolioPlus, is helping to combat COVID-19.
If you would like to donate as an individual or as a club, here's the link http://on.rotary.org/drf
If you would like to donate as an individual or as a club, here's the link http://on.rotary.org/drf
ROTARY FOUNDATION GRANTS AVAILABLE TO ROTARY CLUBS FOR COVID-19 RESPONSE
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The Rotary Foundation offers several grant options for #Rotary clubs & districts responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. CLICK HERE to read how members are using ingenuity and flexibility to help people affected by the Coronavirus. Have a great project to help your community during this COVID-19 Pandemic? Please discuss your project with your club, and then apply for a grant to help make a difference.
Membership Minute Special Edition: Connecting during the COVID-19 Response
There's lots of great information in Rotary International's March 2020 "Membership Minute" about "Connecting During the COVID-19 Pandemic" - Read Tips, Ideas, Zoom Meetings, handbooks and Links to help everyone, including:
- Connecting During the COVID-19 Response
- Professional and Personal Development
- Connect with Prospective Members
- Maintaining Member Engagement During the COVID-19 Pandemic
CLICK HERE to read the article!
As we always do, Rotarians are among the first to activate whenever there is a disaster. The response to this pandemic is no exception. I am proud of the efforts going on in the district and I am proud of everyone who has stepped forward. This is truly a shining moment for Rotarians.
Below are descriptions of projects in which you as an individual or your club collectively can get involved. The project name, project chair (and contact information) and project description are noted.
Please scroll down this page to read the individual stories, how you & your club can help, and the Chairs of each project:
- District 5890 COVID-19 Response Task Force
- DisasterAid USA Project: Deliver Groceries & Medications to High Risk Senior Citizens
- Order Face Shields (In High Volume Amounts)
- Rotary Club of El Campo Donates 2 Laptops to Senior Facility For Zoom Meetings
- Kinder Institute & Rice University COVID-19 Registry
- Search for Nearest Food Pantry
- Houston Small Businesses, Trade and Resources
- Firefighter/First Responder PPE Needs
- "Rotary Has Heart" Project #1: Thank you notes for Nurses/Medical Staff/Care Givers
- "Rotary Has Heart" Project #1: Thank you notes for Firefighters/First Responders
- Rotary/Medical Bridges Collaboration
- Face Mask Production (Sewing), and Collection
- Rotary Hawaiian Face Masks
- Project C.U.R.E. Houston for COVID-19
- Local Houston-Area Rotary Clubs Doing "Service Above Self" Projects
- Some Positive News! Read How Our Houston-Area Rotary Clubs Are Helping Their Communities And Staying Connected To Their Memers
Read articles immediately below about each of the above topics
Rebecca Maddux, Chair, RMaddux@pmhvac.com
I'm proud to announce that Rebecca Maddux is heading/coordinating the District 5890 Covid-19 Response Task Force. If your club is already involved in a project, please send the information to Rebecca so we can keep track of all the wonderful efforts going on in the district. And, if you are aware of a need out there, that falls into any of the 5 projects noted in the articles below, please pass that information on to the folks responsible for each project.
And yes, the lines of all these project blend together in many cases. We are all in this together! Thank you for all that you do!
Rotary 5890 District Governor,
Gary Gillen
Wayne Beaumier, Chair, wayne.beaumier@disasteraidusa.org
Zoom Meeting Topic: "Disaster Aid USA: COVID-19 Response Team"
Date & Time: June 18, 2020 06:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87645427156
Meeting ID: 876 4542 7156
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District 5890 is joining forces with other districts in our Zone and with District 7620 (Central MD and DC) in an initiative to provide high risk individuals in the District and the Zone with essential grocery and medicine delivery. Its initiative is open to all of Rotary for volunteers. The project, however, helps all at-risk people in our community, not just Rotarians. Wayne is both the District 5890 and the Zone chair for this project.
HOW IT WORKS
Between 9 am-6 pm EST, any high-risk individual (elderly, disabled, or severely injured person) unable to leave their home can call a designated number to coordinate grocery and medicine pick-up.
Interested volunteers and supporters are encouraged to:
- Share the hotline number with people in need
- Sign up to volunteer for ground support (pickups and deliveries) or remote support (participation in the call center, logistics, marketing).
- Donate to the GoFundMe campaign
- Follow and share the efforts of the team on Instagram and Facebook
VOLUNTEER TEAM SIGN-UP FORM: CLICK HERE
VOLUNTEER TEAMS & AVAILABLE ROLES:
REMOTE ROLES:
- Communications: Answer phone calls remotely and conduct in-take requests from people in need
- Non-profit partnerships: work with other non-profits to collaborate on our project and create
efficiencies
- Marketing & PR
IN-PERSON ROLES:
- Driver: pickup supplies and deliver products to individuals in need
Coordinators of this project are committed to the health and safety of the Ground Support volunteers. All necessary precautions, including social distancing and personal protective gear, will be taken to ensure Rotary supports communities without risk of spreading.
To volunteer as a individual member or a Rotary Club, contact Wayne Beaumier at wayne.beaumier@disasteraidusa.org
Jeff Applegate (Downtown Rotary Club of Houston) Texas Injection Molding; 281-489-4292; www.texasinjectionmolding.com
Jeff is a Rotarian with the Downtown Rotary Club and owner of Texas Injection Molding, and he has invested in tooling to manufacture high volume Face Shields. He does not have a sales and distribution network is trying to get the word out to institutions that need high volumes. He will donate a portion of each sale back to Rotary.
- High volume.
Currently he can make 5,000 units per day. With 4 weeks lead time he can scale to 15,000-25,000/ day. He is not a fulfillment facility so he would not want to sell a box here or there. Ideally, 50,000 – 100,000 are solid as they are 2 – 4 week production runs. At the present time, he would need a 10,000 minimum order. 100 parts per box. - Contact Jeff so he can track an association with Rotary. He wants to donate a portion of any sales back to Rotary. His office number is: 281-489-4292.
- Cost per unit – Pricing attached. We are still negotiating cost with component vendors and are seeing cost come down. I would ask that they contact me for current pricing.
- Turn around. I can make 5,000/day. First come, first serve.
Contact: Jeff Applegate; Texas Injection Molding; 281-489-4292; www.texasinjectionmolding.com
"This whole thing came about because my mother, who is 103 years old is at S.P.J.S.T. Senior Living in Hlije, Texas. Richard (Young) and I were talking and I told him how frustrating is was that we haven't been able to visit her," said El Campo Rotary Club member, Glenn Frels, "My sister says she prays every night that my mom does not die before we get to see her again."
Their Rotary club purchased two laptops for $2,000 which are now being used so families and friends can now talk to their loved ones. According to the Rotary Club president, the $2,000 approved for this project is worth every penny and a model is in place to coordinate with other nursing homes in the future to help loved ones see each other through a difficult time.
As is the case in the world of Rotary, a great service project is usually the brainchild of one Rotarian that sees a problem, decides to solve that problem, and his fellow Rotarians accomplish the project. That Rotarian is Glenn Frels, and his idea is helping families stay in touch with their loved ones. This Rotary service project is calming the fears and anxiety that other families are also feeling.
With their wonderful community service project, the Rotary Club of El Campo is helping senior adults living at the S.P.J.S.T. Senior Living facility stay connected with their loved ones.
The COVID-19 Registry is a research study that provides real-time information on the spread of COVID-19, who is being affected and how. Visit the COVID-19 Registry to take the survey: https://registry.rice.edu/covid19.
With a primary focus on Houston and the surrounding region, data from the COVID-19 Registry provides health care professionals and researchers with first-hand, real-time information about the COVID-19’s spread across the Houston area and helps them better understand both the disease itself and its short-term and longitudinal impact on health and the economy in the region. Participation also can help health care professionals advance treatments and allow researchers to design better studies on a particular condition, including the development and testing of new treatments.
In addition, registry data will also improve health care providers’ knowledge of the disease’s drain on the capacity of local health care systems — the availability and shortage of key resources — which can be used to better prepare and manage those resources as the pandemic unfolds.
Data from the registry will be stored in a highly secure system built by Rice University. Things that we learn from the registry will be published, but will not include any information that would identify you or any other participant.
The COVID-19 Registry will help to:
- Track virus spread over time and across geography
- Measure economic and health impacts
- Anticipate healthcare needs as the pandemic unfolds
- Understand behavior in response to policy changes
- Identify popular and effective sources of information
Once you join the COVID-19 Registry and take the initial survey, you will be asked to participate in follow-up surveys to update your health and economic situation. This information will help monitor changes over the duration of the pandemic.
Ed Pettitt, Chair, edpettitt@gmail.com
Nile Dixon, Rotaractor, niledixon475@gmail.com
Individuals are able to search for the closest food pantry in the Greater Houston Area with a chatbot created by Nile Dixon, a member of the Rotaract Club of Houston Innovation Corridor. We have over 200 pantries in the database right now. Text FOOD to 855-308-2282 to find the nearest food pantry in the area. You can search for the closest one to you, or you can search for the earliest available food pantry in a 20 mile radius. You can also receive directions to the food pantry. For more information on how you can support this initiative, please visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/food-pantry-chatbot
Essi Kwabi, Chair, essi.kwabi@freiheitsolutions.com
Mark Ennis, menis@openkeygroup.com
They have created the Facebook group "HOUSTON SMALL BUSINESSES, TRADE AND RESOURCES" to connect small business owners. Per Essi, “Since everyone is tight on cash, but potentially rich in products or services, this platform will allow us all to post (and/or seek) products and/or services you are willing to trade or share. No 100%monetary transactions please. No one person has the answers, but collectively we can brainstorm solutions. In times like this and in recessions, what has been shown to work is creativity.
We're not promising we can help everyone, we just know that during this time it's up to all of us to step up and help each other. If you are a small business owner, please click here HOUSTON SMALL BUSINESSES, TRADE AND RESOURCES" and join (you will be asked a couple screening questions), and please invite other small business owners you know that would benefit from the group. Or just call or email one of us. This effort is purely to give back and no one is being compensated for their time.
If you are not a business owner, and are in need or want to support other individuals in need in the community, please join my amazing friends Peta-gay and Heather's group of which I'm one of the moderators, it's called COVID 19 RESPONSE HTX ASKS/NEEDS (No Judgement)".
Contact Essi with any questions at essi.kwabi@freiheitsolutions.com
Irene Hickey, Chair, hickey.irene@gmail.com
The goal of this project is to help firefighters and first responders in terms of their protective gear. There are 66 Fire Departments in Harris County, including HFD.
As you are aware, supplies are scarce. Unfortunately, firefighters/first responders fall below the hospitals in terms of the pecking order of obtaining supplies (and yes, this includes even the big fire departments). We have reached out to these fire departments to determine their needs.
Of those that have responded so far, there is the usual need for small hand sanitizers (pocket size), gloves, gowns, thermometers (infrared) and the N95. Some of these smaller fire departments do not have a budget for the volume of PPE supplies which they now need/or will need.
Irene is working directly with the firefighting community to determine the need (on going) and to find supplies to fill the need.
WHAT IS NEEDED
Individual clubs to act as “patrons” for some of these smaller fire departments and to establish a relationship with them (these include the smaller fire departments (i.e. West University, Bellaire, Jacinto City, etc. and the City of Houston fire stations) …to fund the purchase of PPE supplies or a portion thereof.Note:even HFD is struggling to keep the supplies on hand, so it’s need is to find the supplies (it has its own budget).
We know that firefighters/first responders are there for us 24/7.This is a club’s (or an individual’s) opportunity to actually establish a relationship with them and to help them in this time of dire need.
Or if you would prefer, make a monetary donation which will then be used directly for the purchase of the supplies.Irene does have at least one legitimate vendor identified who has some supplies on hand.
Contact Irene if you or your club can help with this, or would like to donate: hickey.irene@gmail.com
Nurses don’t get a lunch hour. They rarely get breaks. They are on their feet for 12 hours, sometimes more. Now they are expected to care for patients who might be carrying a very easily transmittable virus.
They are short of supplies, not because the hospital doesn’t want them to have the personal protection equipment they need, but because the hospital doesn’t have enough to give them.
Nurses will risk their health, maybe their lives, to care for the sick. They will sacrifice time with their families. They will work then self-quarantine then go back to work again. They have to assume every surface they touch, every person they contact has the virus. It must be stressful, exhausting and it is dangerous, but they do it anyway.
HOW CAN YOU, YOUR FAMILY, AND YOUR CHILDREN HELP?
Do you have students schooling at home?Add an assignment. Write a note to “Nurse” and tell them they are our heroes. Tell them we appreciate what they are doing.Let them know we appreciate their sacrifice for us all.
Ask the children to draw pictures of the nurses or their hospital. Make the notes uplifting and positive. Give these nurses something to smile about. Grown ups can write notes too. What better way to teach than by example.
No kids at home, that’s ok, write your own note...and draw some hearts to share your appreciation to the nurses.
SEND YOUR HEARTFELT NOTES, CARDS, AND ARTWORK TOO!
Send them to the "Chief Nursing Officer" at the hospital(s) of your choice.If you Google your local hospital you may be able to find the name of the Chief Nursing Office (CNO), and the mailing address.Learning to research can be a lesson too!
Send it to your local hospital or to the hospital that cared for you or family members.The important thing is to write send them to hospitals of your choice.The Chief Nursing Officer will see that the notes get to the nurses on the frontlines of this war on the COVID-19 virus!
Let’s start a wave that spreads appreciation and love to these heroes!
Irene Hickey, Chair, hickey.irene@gmail.com
THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT
Create and send personal thank-you notes to firestations/firefighters within the District. Covid is still with us and as such, these men and women continue to put their lives on the line when responding to calls.
WHERE, AND HOW?
There are 66 Fire Departments in Harris County, (including HFD). Within HFD alone, there are many fire stations. If you or your club is interested in sending thank-you notes contact Irene (hickey.irene@gmail.com) and she will provide names and contact information as to where to send the cards.
Vicki Brentin, Chair, vicki@brentin.com;
Stacy Brevard, Coordinator Home Made Masks – Stacy.Rotary5890@gmail.com
Rotary has a long history with Medical Bridges. Vicki and her team are working directly with CEO Walter Ulrich in two ways:
- To source supplies for Medical Bridges from the community and vendors (both donated and to purchase)
- To respond to the needs of hospitals and medical facilities, especially the smaller or outlying Houston facilitiies and rural hospitals across Texas. Some of those facilities are at risk to close if they do not have supplies.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Donate any supplies you have. Check your closets, garages and attics (especially if you helped with the Harvey recovery effort) to see if you have N95 masks (open packages are fine, but masks need to be unused), boxes of gloves, etc.
Refer Industry or Business sources with a supply they would repurpose for medical use.
Note: While we are focusing on PPE equipment at this time, Medical Bridges is always in need of medical supplies which it repurposes and distributes across the state and the world.
DONATE TO MEDICAL BRIDGES, HOUSTON
CLICK HERE to donate funds, products, or volunteer your time!
Stacy Brevard, Coordinator Home Made Masks – Stacy.Rotary5890@gmail.com
FACE MASKS PRODUCTION AND COLLECTION
In addition to medical supplies, Medical Bridges will accept all home-made masks. Want to help sew masks? If an individual, Rotary Club, or organization/church has the resources needed to make these masks (sewing ability, fabric and other related supplies, and would like to support our Rotary effort, Stacy and Kimberly will gladly share best practices/patterns/video instructions for what best serves our community. Needs and solutions continue to be fluid, and we will adjust accordingly.
THE COLLECTION
Stacy will provide instructions to mail or deliver your donation. If it is not possible for you to deliver then they will arrange for a Rotary volunteer to pick up.
Irene Hickey, Chair hickey.irene@gmail.com
When the RI Conference was cancelled, the vendor making the Hawaiian shirts wound up with extra material. DG Gary ordered several yards of the material to be used for face masks.Irene Hickey and Bhuvana Kirshnan have been making these masks.
We have yardage of the yellow, black, red and blue fabric. If you would like to order one of these colorful masks (that have the word Rotary as part of the print), contact Irene at hickey.irene@gmail.com. Cost is $5 per mask (to cover the cost of the fabric). There is a limited amount of material available. They are only taking orders for small quantities of masks.
In addition to the above mentioned projects, Project C.U.R.E. held a drive to collect PPE items
Project C.U.R.E. Houston, Janet Thomason, Spokesperson, janetthomason@projectcure.org
HOW TO HELP PROJECT CURE
While Project C.U.R.E.’s mission is to strengthen health systems in under-resourced countries, our first priority is to our own country. Project C.U.R.E. is already working with local Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in the C.U.R.E. Communities where we have Distribution Warehouses.
CLICK HERE to visit our "Project C.U.R.E. - Houston" website.
The hundreds of boxes of aid which have been leaving all of our warehouses, including here in Houston, are leaving without regard to sponsorship. We need the support of our Rotary friends to help sustain us financially.
In conjunction with the City of Houston COVID-19 Community Report on Wednesday, April 8th, Project Cure accepted donations of PPE items & supplies at Minute Maid Park, Houston: https:/projectcure.org/houston-ppe-drive. Special thanks to the Rotarians and Rotary clubs that volunteered and donated items at this event.
WANT TO DONATE TO PROJECT C.U.R.E.? CLICK HERE
And so, you can see by all of the above, there are a variety of ways you or you club can help.
And yes, the lines of all these project blend together in many cases.We are all in this together!Thank you for all that you do!
Rotary 5890 District Governor
Gary Gillen
From supporting their local FFA to help fill the pantries at a local food bank, to writing encouraging words, to helping those in stress, these are excellent stories about "Service Above Self". Is you club involved with a great project? Please email District Governor Gary so we can add it to our list of ways that "Rotary Has Heart."
CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO ABOUT OUR ROTARY CLUB'S COVID-19 PROJECTS!
Also, read how one of Rotary's partners, ShelterBox USA, is helping on a global scale.
CLICK HERE to read the stories!
Recently, our District 5890 Governor Gary Gillen recently asked our Rotary clubs to share their stories to connecting with each other, and their communities. Below are some of the responses he received.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO ABOUT SOME OF OUR PROJECTS!
Since the end of March, the Katy Rotary Club has divided up their membership roster between their Board and they call everyone on a weekly basis to check up on them and their families and offer assistance if they or family members are in need. They'll continue doing this until the end of this pandemic as we know it.
They also purchased a pallet of rice from Rise for Hunger and will begin distribution of 50 40lb bags to charities in need in the Katy area. They have distributed over 4,000lbs of processed meat to local charities for distribution to those in need in the Katy area. They have partnered with a local distillery in their area and the Brazosport Rotary Club to produce 960 25.36 ounces bottles of hand sanitizer that each partner will distribute to their respective first responders in their immediate areas. Lastly, they donated money to two local food truck vendors in the Katy area who will be distributing hamburgers and chicken sandwich plates to area first responders and health workers on Friday on a drive by basis.
They also purchased a pallet of rice from Rise for Hunger and will begin distribution of 50 40lb bags to charities in need in the Katy area. They have distributed over 4,000lbs of processed meat to local charities for distribution to those in need in the Katy area. They have partnered with a local distillery in their area and the Brazosport Rotary Club to produce 960 25.36 ounces bottles of hand sanitizer that each partner will distribute to their respective first responders in their immediate areas. Lastly, they donated money to two local food truck vendors in the Katy area who will be distributing hamburgers and chicken sandwich plates to area first responders and health workers on Friday on a drive by basis.
Katy Rotary Club, Sugar Land Rotary, and Brazosport Rotary: Partnered with Shire Distillery in Brookshire to bottle hand sanitizer for donation to local first responders, nursing homes, food bank, and non-profit organizations. Click Here for video.
Sugar Land Rotary is doing lots of create projects to help the community. Click here to learn more about their "yard sign fundraiser".
Highlands Rotary has provided lunch to their local firefighters!
1. Several members have been reaching out to one another. When they have a pause or break during working from home time, they call one or two folks and see how they are doing, how's business, etc.
2. They have their weekly meeting now on Zoom and are very fortunate to have 50+ members attend. They'll have their first digital speaker each Thursday at 7:30 a.m., and are going to try a virtual happy hour soon.
3. With the additional time at home, a couple of members have volunteered to revitalize their ClubRunner page.
2. They have their weekly meeting now on Zoom and are very fortunate to have 50+ members attend. They'll have their first digital speaker each Thursday at 7:30 a.m., and are going to try a virtual happy hour soon.
3. With the additional time at home, a couple of members have volunteered to revitalize their ClubRunner page.
The Harrisburg Rotary Club held their first Electronic meeting today! Thanks for keeping your members engaged and connected! Their topic: How is the virus affecting you and how can we help! Great idea Harrisburg! Rotarians helping Rotarians! Thanks Rebecca Maddux for the news.
Congratulations Sealy Rotary Club! Their local Good Samaritan thrift shop needed two clothing racks. The club “passed the hat” to raise funds for the materials and they are constructing the racks tomorrow. These will replace ones made from an old bed frame from the 70s! Thanks Russ Rainwater for sharing!
Washington County Rotary Club meets at a non-profit restaurant that helps people in time of need. Washington County is not meeting in person right now but they are continuing to pay the restaurant as if they were meeting so the restaurant’s income remains the same and they can continue helping those in need in the Brenham area. Bravo Washington County Rotary! Thank you, Kurt Podeszwa for letting us know!
The Rotary Club of Houston Skyline is keeping spirits up with a recent visit to a local park for fellowship. They assure me they stayed several feet apart as the Burke’s and Vicki Brentin watched Rick and Jessica Demko’s son play. “Good times building friendships!” Thank you Dona Burke for the update.
Houston Westchase Rotary Club has suspended in person meetings because the restaurant where they meet is temporarily closed. They will have a conference call next week in the place of the meeting. Thank you Adam Shaw for being President Margaret’s messenger!
Seabrook Rotary Club will have quite a story to tell! President Edna Rice-fresh off a wildly successful fund raiser (Men Who Cook) decided to celebrate with a Cruise. What could go wrong? Well, she will soon regale us with stories of life on a military base in quarantine! She isn’t ill, just quarantined. Thank you Edie Houlden, President-Elect. That’s what we call On-the-job-training! Edie has been keeping up with Edna and contacting their members who cannot get out. Thank you Edie.
Bear Creek-Copperfield Rotary Club cannot meet in person because of the required closure of restaurants. Check out their very informative newsletter!
Rosenberg Rotary Club held their first electronic meeting Wednesday. I hear it was a great success! Thank you Darren McCarthy for being a trailblazer! They will meet electronically through the end of June. Since the restaurant where they meet is not able to host groups the Rosenberg Rotary Club has purchased from them $500 in gift cards to be given to the needy - click here. Look at the awesome "Kindness Rocks" is spreading joy to ICU nurses.
Memorial Spring Branch Rotary Club is now a100% Paul Harris! Congratulations! Foundation Chair Lawrence Barris - a genius at getting money out of people - pushed them over the top! AND Lawrence has completed the fundraising on a Global Grant for a poor school in South Africa that has 450 students and one bathroom. Yes, One. Through this global grant Lawrence will build 15 toilets for them! What a great project! Thank you!
Kingwood Rotary Club has reached out to elderly residents, single parent families, and those in need to provide them with food, pickup of medication, etc. They also place "Thank You Healthcare Heroes" banners at the entrances to two local hospitals, and within Kingwood.
By the Way, there is a site: Facebook.com/ShopRotary where Rotarians can purchase from each other. Thank you Dan Monson, President of the the Memorial-Spring Branch Rotary Club for this effort!
Wayne Beaumier let us know that you can call 211 option 6 for updates on Corona virus.
Rotary educating future leaders- Our Rotary District 5890 Rotary Foundation Global Grant Scholars ready to change the world!
Linda Etufugh
Congratulations to Linda Etufugh on being accepted by Kings College London where she will pursue a MSc in Global Health. Linda is the recipient of a $49,500 Rotary Scholarship from District 5890 in Texas and is a fourth-year Pre-Med student at Texas State University majoring in Biology and minoring in Psychology. She has been actively involved on campus throughout her time at Texas State. She is the current president of the Black Health Professions Organization, a third year Resident Assistant, and a Campus Representative for The Princeton Review. In the summer of 2018, Linda was an intern for the CDU/UCLA Undergraduate Research Training Program where she researched novel prostate cancer treatments and worked with the universities’ outreach program to educate the community about preventative measures and treatments they desperately need. She participated in this program to aid in the improvement of healthcare and to help increase clinical outreach for the severely under served community in Los Angeles. She is also a volunteer at PODER Learning Center where she tutors and helps facilitate activities for elementary aged children in the under served community of San Marcos, TX. Next, she will be pursing her MSc in Global Health through King’s College London. She will then return to pursue her medical degree in the U.S. to later become a Pediatrician. She is interested in mitigating health disparities as well as serving the under served community. She has chosen the “Disease Prevention and Treatment” area of focus for her studies in the U.K. in order to act as a foundation for her future career goals. Linda is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Willowbrook and will be hosted by the Rotary Club of Langley Park in London. This May Linda plans on being a part of a group of students who will travel to Ghana for The Global Medical Brigade which is an international non-profit movement of students and medical professionals working alongside local communities to implement sustainable health systems.She thanks The Rotary Club of Humble and individuals for helping fund this trip. She also thanks Rotarians around the world for contributing to the Rotary Foundation which funds her Rotary Foundation Global Grant Scholarship.
Monika Pyarali
Here's aeport from one of our three Rotary Global Scholars studying at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Monika Pyarali is studying for a MSc in Public Health. Monika will return from the UK in a few months before entering her final year of studies at Baylor College of Medicine during which she will apply for a residency in Neurology. She is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Brazosport in Houston and the R..C. of Chislehurst in London.
"Hi Bill!
Good to hear from you. The Coronavirus outbreak in the UK has really started propagating much quicker over the past week. Our school sent out a contingency plan on Friday outlining the locations where summer projects can no longer be carried out and some planning guidance for students affected by travel cancellations. My summer project does not involve traveling outside the UK, so my plans have not been affected yet. However, the school has also asked us to remain alert to changing conditions that may affect classes next term. The UK PM held a meeting this morning to discuss containment in terms of holding classes and sporting events, but it was deemed that the UK is still in the containment phase and classes and events will resume as normal for the time being. Will keep you updated on this, but hoping for the best with this outbreak situation.
How are you doing??
All the best,
- Monika"
Monika Pyarali
Here's aeport from one of our three Rotary Global Scholars studying at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Monika Pyarali is studying for a MSc in Public Health. Monika will return from the UK in a few months before entering her final year of studies at Baylor College of Medicine during which she will apply for a residency in Neurology. She is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Brazosport in Houston and the R..C. of Chislehurst in London.
"Hi Bill!
Good to hear from you. The Coronavirus outbreak in the UK has really started propagating much quicker over the past week. Our school sent out a contingency plan on Friday outlining the locations where summer projects can no longer be carried out and some planning guidance for students affected by travel cancellations. My summer project does not involve traveling outside the UK, so my plans have not been affected yet. However, the school has also asked us to remain alert to changing conditions that may affect classes next term. The UK PM held a meeting this morning to discuss containment in terms of holding classes and sporting events, but it was deemed that the UK is still in the containment phase and classes and events will resume as normal for the time being. Will keep you updated on this, but hoping for the best with this outbreak situation.
How are you doing??
All the best,
- Monika"
Ashley Cooney
Another report from one of our Rotary scholars studying in London.Ashley Cooney is one of our three Rotary Scholars studying at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine on a $36,000 Rotary Scholarship funded by our District 5890 in Texas. Ashley received her B.Sc in Biochemistry from University of Texas in Austin, and she is pursuing the Masters of Science in Reproductive and Sexual Health at LSHTM. Following her year abroad Ashley will return for her final year of Medical School at Baylor during which time she will apply for a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Ashley is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Humble in Houston and hosted by the R.C. of Edmonton in London
"Hi Bill!
Life in London has been an absolute whirlwind. London in the Fall: Moving to London was exhausting and fraught with challenges, but ultimately amazing. It took nearly two months to get settled in a flat, but I love our neighborhood now. I am living in the Notting Hill area near Portobello Road. There are tons of shops and restaurants and a vintage and flea market bigger than any I’ve ever seen every weekend! I commute on the tube to class every day, which makes me feel like a proper Londoner. One of my first purchases when I arrived was a proper raincoat and winter coat. I have never needed a true Winter coat before, but I went shopping with my Finnish friend who assured me I’d made a wise choice. Needless to say she knows a thing or two about Winter. My classmates are incredible. We come from every continent on the globe and have a variety of skill sets. Many, like myself, have a clinical background, while some are social scientists, anthropologists, and public health experts. Interacting with them throughout the course so far has been one of the most rewarding parts of this program. Never have I been exposed to so many different perspectives all in one course, and we are learning so much about our respective parts of the world from each other.
During the Fall semester, I took courses on health policy and power, reproductive health, epidemiology, and statistics for epidemiology. I was also able to do a small trip to Italy just before Venice flooded and well before the virus hit. I also got to visit Portugal, Spain, and the German Christmas markets over our Winter holidays.
London in the Spring;
This semester I have started off with courses on family planning programs, health promotions methods, control of STI programs, and sexual health. So far they have all been extremely interesting, but somewhat disrupted by the global pandemic that appears to be taking over everyone’s lives. As of this week there are nearly 2,000 cases in the UK, and it is spreading fastest in London. Our courses have been moved to online lectures for the rest of the term.
We have almost a month between this term and the next, and the school is working very hard to determine what will happen following the break. As a world-renowned school of public health, they are following the situation very closely, and they are working with experts in the field to do what is safest for the staff and students. The British government has advised everyone to stay at home as much as possible, so that is what we are doing for now. I am fortunate to have my husband and cat here to keep me company. My husband already works remotely, so it’s business as usual for him. We are keeping in close contact with our friends and families back in the States to make sure everyone is doing their part to stay safe. My host Rotary club has cancelled all club events for now to keep everyone safe. They have made it a point to check in with us to make sure we are doing ok and have everything we need to hunker down for the foreseeable future.
As of right now we are planning to stay until September as originally intended. Traveling now would be both expensive and unsafe for everyone involved. We will continue to monitor the situation both here in the UK and in the US, and we appreciate the support we’ve gotten from the school, Rotary, and my classmates. We are so grateful for the time we have had here and look forward to making the most of the time we have left, even if that is primarily from the comfort of our flat.
Regards, Ashley"
Another report from one of our Rotary scholars studying in London.Ashley Cooney is one of our three Rotary Scholars studying at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine on a $36,000 Rotary Scholarship funded by our District 5890 in Texas. Ashley received her B.Sc in Biochemistry from University of Texas in Austin, and she is pursuing the Masters of Science in Reproductive and Sexual Health at LSHTM. Following her year abroad Ashley will return for her final year of Medical School at Baylor during which time she will apply for a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Ashley is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Humble in Houston and hosted by the R.C. of Edmonton in London
"Hi Bill!
Life in London has been an absolute whirlwind. London in the Fall: Moving to London was exhausting and fraught with challenges, but ultimately amazing. It took nearly two months to get settled in a flat, but I love our neighborhood now. I am living in the Notting Hill area near Portobello Road. There are tons of shops and restaurants and a vintage and flea market bigger than any I’ve ever seen every weekend! I commute on the tube to class every day, which makes me feel like a proper Londoner. One of my first purchases when I arrived was a proper raincoat and winter coat. I have never needed a true Winter coat before, but I went shopping with my Finnish friend who assured me I’d made a wise choice. Needless to say she knows a thing or two about Winter. My classmates are incredible. We come from every continent on the globe and have a variety of skill sets. Many, like myself, have a clinical background, while some are social scientists, anthropologists, and public health experts. Interacting with them throughout the course so far has been one of the most rewarding parts of this program. Never have I been exposed to so many different perspectives all in one course, and we are learning so much about our respective parts of the world from each other.
During the Fall semester, I took courses on health policy and power, reproductive health, epidemiology, and statistics for epidemiology. I was also able to do a small trip to Italy just before Venice flooded and well before the virus hit. I also got to visit Portugal, Spain, and the German Christmas markets over our Winter holidays.
London in the Spring;
This semester I have started off with courses on family planning programs, health promotions methods, control of STI programs, and sexual health. So far they have all been extremely interesting, but somewhat disrupted by the global pandemic that appears to be taking over everyone’s lives. As of this week there are nearly 2,000 cases in the UK, and it is spreading fastest in London. Our courses have been moved to online lectures for the rest of the term.
We have almost a month between this term and the next, and the school is working very hard to determine what will happen following the break. As a world-renowned school of public health, they are following the situation very closely, and they are working with experts in the field to do what is safest for the staff and students. The British government has advised everyone to stay at home as much as possible, so that is what we are doing for now. I am fortunate to have my husband and cat here to keep me company. My husband already works remotely, so it’s business as usual for him. We are keeping in close contact with our friends and families back in the States to make sure everyone is doing their part to stay safe. My host Rotary club has cancelled all club events for now to keep everyone safe. They have made it a point to check in with us to make sure we are doing ok and have everything we need to hunker down for the foreseeable future.
As of right now we are planning to stay until September as originally intended. Traveling now would be both expensive and unsafe for everyone involved. We will continue to monitor the situation both here in the UK and in the US, and we appreciate the support we’ve gotten from the school, Rotary, and my classmates. We are so grateful for the time we have had here and look forward to making the most of the time we have left, even if that is primarily from the comfort of our flat.
Regards, Ashley"
Also read a story about another of our Global Grant Scholars that is also studying in London, Samee Hameed, by CLICKING HERE.
Thank you to all of our Rotary clubs that submitted their information, and to all the other clubs that are making a difference in their community!
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