Rotary Club of Kenosha George W. Taylor Scholarship applications are now being accepted!
100 Years Young in 2021!
Nearing 100 Years of "SERVICE ABOVE SELF" in Kenosha!
The Rotary Club of Kenosha was chartered in 1921 by Rotary International. Our over 50 members are active citizens devoted to service. As a major service organization in Kenosha, we annually distribute grants to local organizations, provide hands-on service to the community, and sponsor youth programs.
Please consider joining us in service to the community, district, and world.
We are back in person and meeting on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month at Kemper Center. Come join us from Noon - 1:00 pm for fellowship, friendship and fun!
Stay tuned as we work on our club's Strategic Vision Planning and find new ways to serve our community when & where we are needed in the next decade!
Nancy Reese, Dean of Nursing at Carthage College spoke to us today about their mission trip to Honduras. They traveled along with World Gospel Outreach in June and plan to go back in January. These mission trips are dedicated to impacting health of the those in Honduras. In just 4 days they saw 816 people for medical and dental, washed the hair of 169 children combing out for lice. Each volunteer brought with them 2 bags of medicines and supplies, but there is now an embargo on meds/supplies, and they must be purchased in Honduras and not allowed to be brought in. This does help to stimulate the Honduras economy. They set up clinics at a church and a school, they provided eye exams and eyeglasses, and brought an autoclave to sterilize instrumentation for procedures/dental work. Students learned how to autoclave. #1 cause of death for children is dental caries and the infection that comes with them. Polygamy is common and men do not stay with families leaving moms to fend for their self and children. People of Honduras live on $1.00/day, eating Chicken they raise, root vegetables and tortillas they make during the day. They are a very faithful community, with 97% some form of Christianity. The students also assisted with providing clean water units to 2 families and assisted in the Rotary Garden. Rotary supports three initiatives there: clean water, hygiene and fruits/vegetables through their Garden. If interested in helping cover supplies/medications for their next trip, contact Kate Keenen, Nancy Reese or Paul Martino our Carthage Corporate members. Thank you Nancy for your dedication to the people in Honduras.
Kris Keckler, CIO for KUSD spoke to our members today. KUSD is facing a transformation like never before due to the declining birth rates. The first of many difficult decisions to come was the closing of Wilson School – which did not have enough students enrolled to support 1 grade/class period. A Rightsizing Committee was formed made up of community members/leaders. They meet every 3-4 weeks to review data and provide feedback to the board to assist with the difficult decisions that lie ahead for them. We have many “choice” options in KUSD and over 1/3 of students do NOT attend their neighborhood school, so simply re districting is not the only answer. KUSD is the 3rd largest district in the state, and all are addressing the same issues. Green Bay is discussing the potential closure of 5-11 schools. Racine is also amid planning on closures, creation of K – 8 schools, etc. These are difficult decisions that must be made soon.
Karisa Wenberg, Executive Director of 1Hope spoke at our luncheon today. Their movement began in 2015 when over 30 Kenosha churches worked together at a Convoy of Hope event. Based on our success and mutual goals, we decided to come together and work towards the collaborative purpose of restoring hope and transforming lives in our community. This event led to multiple meetings with local Churches, government representatives, and business professionals. We listened and learned about the social and economic challenges facing our city. Throughout these meetings, we solidified and focused our collective energy in the areas of church unity, foster care, and neighborhood transformation – all areas that have been historically overlooked. Focused on uniting, fostering and transforming communities. 1HOPE believes in the power of the Churches of Kenosha and their collective ability to unify, gather, pray, and serve together. United, we can ensure that foster children and families have the love and support they need, children are being mentored to become the next generation of leaders, and neighborhoods provide a better quality of life by transforming into safe and prosperous communities. www.1hope.community
Kenosha, WI 53143-5111
United States of America