Anne Gordon is the Executive Director of a local non-profit organization, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) for Kids. Anne joined the CASA team back in 2022 as a Program Coordinator and then later, the Program Director prior to becoming the Executive Director when the organization achieved 501c3 in November of 2023. Before CASA, Anne came from healthcare and higher education positions finetuning her skills in human services, development and advancement, board and foundation logistics, and federally funded programs serving low-income, first generation, and persons with disabilities. Anne has always had a passion for child advocacy as someone who comes with many lived experiences. The CASA for Kids program roots were established in the La Crosse community in 1999 by a local judge and a steering committee. They identified the need for court appointed child advocacy in open CHIPS (Children in Need of Protection/Services). The program was placed under YWCA La Crosse and remained there until October 2023. As local CASA programs within the state grew, the national reach was over 340 programs, and the best practice was to be an independent organization to have the greatest impact in our communities. CASA for Kids began serving Monroe and Vernon counties in its most recent years and its need for growth in our communities became a priority to serve more children in our surrounding areas with a waitlist of over 100 children. CASA for Kids primarily recruits, trains, screens, and oversees volunteers assigned in open child abuse cases. This process of consistent volunteer advocacy provides effective and accurate reporting to our local judges in order to make the best determinations in the child(ren)'s outcomes, giving these children a voice in their case and advocating for their best interests.
Last Week: Terry Glenn Lilley, PhD
The vision statement of Rotary is to imagine a world “where people unite and take action to create lasting change” and those actions, as well as what we think or say, are subject to the Four-Way Test.
Is it the TRUTH?
Is it FAIR to all concerned?
Will it build GOOD WILL and BETTER RELATIONSHIPS?
Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
We reimagined the Four-Way Test and use it to evaluate the things we do not think, say, or do.
Terry Glenn Lilley is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Race, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. His research and teaching focus on public policy and collective movements related to a variety of social justice issues.
Lunch this week: Applewood bacon cheeseburgers with chips.
Mushroom burgers for vegetarians.
Coffee, ice tea, and water available.
Guests are ALWAYS welcome! RSVP in advance to Niki Pohnl if know you are bringing guests but last minute invites are also welcome!
Club Information
Rotary Specific Announcements
How about a visual for your Rotary specific announcement? You are welcome to provide one or reach out to Niki Pohnl with the information and our Public Image Committee would be happy to help! Slides due by 9am the day of the meeting.
Youth Exchange Calendar
CLICK HERE for the 2024-2025 Youth Exchange Calendar of Events.
Thank you Julia Behrenbeck for creating this calendar for us to follow.
Avenues of Service - Registration and Raffle
Don't forget to register for the Avenues of Service Event, August 21st! Event is held at the Cargill Room, begins at 5:30pm with dinner and program to follow. This even honors all area Rotary Clubs and celebrates how we have all helped our community and world. Registration closed on Monday, August 5th.
Each area club provides two raffle baskets for this event. All proceeds go to Rotary Works Foundation. Our baskets this year are "Sweet and Salty" and "Margaritaville".We will be collecting monetary donations the week of August 1st and 8th at our club meetings. You are welcome to donate via Venmo if you would like as well! See Niki Pohnl for more details if you wanted to contribute items rather and funds.
A contingent of 12 very active Rotarians arrives Tues. Sept 24 from the central part of the Philippines, District 3850, in the return of a Rotary Friendship Exchange.. Among them are hosts for Mark and Sharon Jolivette in May. There are both men and women in the group, including a past district governor, attorney, architects, call center owner, educator, doctor, teachers, and a number of club presidents. They speak English well, will be with us until Sunday September 29, and will expand and grow our world understanding of Rotary. We have hosts for 3 in the group already, and the district would like hosts assigned by the end of July. Then we can begin to correspond person to person.
Hosts should provide breakfast and supper. Daily activities are planned, and the hosts are not expected to attend, but certainly are invited. This is Oktoberfest time. Hosts can work together on shared activities at the Fest. Please let President Mark Jolivette know of your hospitality and openness, how many you can house, and what gender you prefer: mjolivett@aol.com or 608-385-7659
Here is a direct link to order: https://preview.chipply.com/store.aspx?eid=300455&apid=8694893
Deadline is July 31st! Items will be delivered to a club meeting in August.
SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
Community Ambassadorship - Viking Cruises
Viking River Cruises has three new shore excursions in La Crosse for their guests this season. Each needs a local host/ambassador to accompany the guests on the motorcoach. The three excursions are: (1) The Dahl Auto Museum tour and Antique Car Ride; (2) The Guadalupe Shrine tour; and (3) the Taste of La Crosse + Rivoli Theater tour. Between August and October, Dahl Auto Museum and the Guadalupe Shrine will each be visited 10 times; the Taste of La Crosse/Rivoli Theater tour will occur 3 times.
What are the specific duties & expectations?
Greet the guests at their coach down on the levee where the ship will be docked.
Wear your Rotary badge to identify yourself; dress in business casual and/or Rotary garb.
Introduce yourself to the coach driver, and deliver clear driving directions to him/her once you leave.
Follow the script that will be provided, but feel free to add any additional information or personal anecdotes you may have about life in La Crosse.
Represent our city and our club in a positive way.
Behave as if you were hosting an informal reception at your home. Make everyone feel welcome.
A popular adage insists that, “ charity begins at home….”; well, since D6000 is the home of Foundation Minute, this week’s report celebrates the achievements of FM’s home district. Culled from D6000’s newsletter, the following are selected samples of successful projects funded in part by the district and TRF:
Annually in Brazil, Mexico, Bolivia, Colombia, Argentina, and Ecuador, more than 7700 children born with clubfoot abnormalities will have their conditions corrected and disabilities prevented by orthopedic surgeons trained in the Ponseti Method by vocational training teams funded by Rotary Foundation Global Grants.
Six global grants, totaling $550,000, were sponsored by Rotary clubs in Districts 6000 and 5970 and supported by the Rotary Action Group for Clubfoot, organized by Iowa Rotarians.
The Rotary Club of Ankeny in collaboration with Blessman International, an NGO founded by Iowan Dr. Jim Blessman sponsored a $200,000 global grant to construct 35 non-polluting sanitation facilities in early childhood development centers in disadvantaged rural communities surrounding Polokwane and Mokopane, South Africa. The facilities are providing for basic human dignity by replacing open defecation and eliminating the horrific danger of drowning in pit latrines for more than 1,000 children. To multiply the benefits of the project and to assure its sustainability, the grant also funded training in the use and maintenance of the facilities for the school staffs and instruction for the children on hand washing to improve hygiene
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