Rotary Club of Port Jefferson (Oct 04, 2022)

News of the Meeting of October 4th

Posted by Yvette Hohler

President Michael was joined at Cafe Spiga by 16 members and 2 guests, Will Dzvonar,Sr. and our speaker, Michael Christian, Executive Director of Sunrise Assisted Living of East Setauket.

Michael welcomed us and thanked all who attended last Thursday's quite successful Past President's Dinner. He began the announcements portion of the meeting with a request to hold a Club Assembly meeting once a month. The intention would be for our members to keep the momentum going and to work at increasing membership and participation in club activities and events. He asked for a list of the usual past activities and was told that the Donations Committee could be helpful with this. Rob will forward to Michael a list of the existing club committees and members in each. Each member should be a member of at least one committee. Reminding us of this year's Rotary theme, Michael told us, "Imagine what you can do to help the community!" Furthermore, he reminded us that we want to make sure everyone is benefitted by club membership. Mike S. added that we should remember that Rotary is community, family, and business.

Dennis invited all to attend the Port Jeff Historical Society's 34th Annual Auction on Saturday, October 15th on the Mather House Museum grounds- 115 Prospect Street, with previews beginning at 9 AM and the auction under the tent starting promptly at 9:30 AM, rain or shine. Breakfast and lunch foods will be on sale at the event all day, too. He then asked for club members who can help him before the event's start to bring up from the museum's basement items to be auctioned off. Contact Dennis if you can be of service.

Mike S. reported on his visit with Judi and asks that we keep her in our thoughts and prayers.

The Rotary Golf Outing Committee will meet on Tuesday, October 18th at 8:30 AM via Zoom. All members are invited to attend.

Jenn announced that we will be participating in the Annual Fall Cleanup at Camp Pa-Qua-Tuck on Sunday, November 6th, with breakfast being served at 8 AM. We'll work (mostly raking- bring your own rake) until 12:15 PM, at which time our chefs will have prepared a wonderful lunch on the BBQ. BRING YOUR FAMILY! Also, remember: Daylight Savings Time ends and we'll be falling back to Eastern Standard Time on the 6th!

Jenn next handed out a summary page on the 2022 Port Jefferson Rotary Gary Giles Memorial Raffle. 859 tickets were sold! Our gross profit was $24,442, which after $9,390 in expenses yielded a net of $16,231.58. Kudos to Al, who sold the most tickets- 103! Sharon sold the 2nd most, 78 tickets, and Bob H. sold 62! And the winners were: 1st prize, $5,000, won by Tony Intelisano (ticket sold by Kevin); 2nd prize, $3,000, won by Julia Kopcienski (ticket sold by Al); 3rd prize, $1,000, won by Andrew Kopcienski (ticket sold by Al); 4th prize, Winter Golf Classic Foursome, won by Erin Diamantakis (ticket sold by Pat); 5th Prize, Golf at Spring Lake, won by Susan Hanson (ticket sold by Sharon); 6th Prize, $150 Cafe Spiga, won by Sharon Brennan (ticket sold by Sharon); and 7th Prize, Large Wine Basket, won by Tara Scully (ticket sold by Tara). BRAVO, All!

You are invited to Mather's "PaintPortPink" fundraiser on October 6th, 6-8 PM, at the Po'Boy Brewery, 200 Wilson St., Unit E3, in Port Jeff Station. Celebrate cancer survivors and learn about breast health, breast cancer screenings, treatments, and support groups as you sample local craft beers and ciders at this event. The $25 fee entitles guests to one drink, light dinner, and registration to the 2023 Northwell Health Walk in Port Jeff. Proceeds support the Health Walk for the benefit of Mather's Fortunato Breast Health Center. Go to paintportpink.org for more information.

Yvette renewed her invitation to you to participate in Hope Children's Fund's 18th Annual KENYA/USA Bi-Continental 5K Run/Walk that will take place on Sunday, October 16th. This event, now named The Larry Hohler Memorial, will be an occasion to compete against Kenyans who will be running/walking simultaneously on the other side of the world in Meru, Kenya. Here, it will begin at 10 AM at the Port Jeff Station end of the Port Jefferson Station-Setauket Greenway Trail. (Enter the parking lot at the Hallock Ave. traffic light- between Enterprise Car Rental and the 7-11 on Rte.112.) Registration for the competition will begin between 9:00- 9:30 AM at the western end of the parking lot and the trail's beginning. There is a suggested donation of $30.* Runners/walkers who can secure more than $100 in pledges can participate for free.

All finishers will receive medals. *All proceeds go to support the Jerusha Mwiraria Hope Children's Home in Meru, an orphanage co-founded by Larry Hohler. ***For those who cannot participate on 10/16, there will be a VIRTUAL RUN/WALK any time up to October 23, 2022. For more information or to receive pledge sheets, contact Kevin Mann at kevinmannmail@gmail.com, Ed Hyshiver at edhysh@optonline.net, or Yvette Hohler at hohlerlj@aol.com . ***To learn about Hope Childrens Fund, go to hopechildrensfund.org

President Michael inducted Mark Snyder as a re-newed member of our club. Congratulations and welcome back, Mark!

President Michael re-introduced our guest speaker Michael Christian, who described Sunrise at East Setauket as a senior living community that provides top level care to its residents. There are Sunrise Senior Living establishments all over the country and in the UK, too. Sunrise has one of the largest networks of elder care homes. Michael told us that these days, hospitals tend to push elderly patients out quicker, sending them to rehab facilities which often next send them to assisted living establishments. These days, assisted living places like his are more of a medical care community staffed by RNs, LPNs, and the like, or staff fully trained for hospice care. Amazingly, there is a waiting list of care givers looking for employment at Sunrise. Sunrise provides on-site services such as physical and occupational therapy, speech, visiting eye care, dental, podiatry, psychotherapy, etc. This facility assesses residents in order to safely provide care throughout the continuum of their life. The staff takes pride in providing compassionate care to the clients, helping them to maintain their independence, dignity, and individuality. Sunrise is a private, paid facility- and it could be considered expensive. It does accept long term care insurance and NY State Special Needs Vouchers which pay 75% of monthly costs. Sunrise East Setauket is a small facility. Michael and his staff get to know all residents and their needs quite well. Sunrise is an ideal solution for seniors who value their independence, yet need some help with daily living (ie., bathing, dressing, & medication reminders). The focus is on individual wellness. This is a different option to consider when a senior doesn't require 24/7 skilled nursing care. Sunrise offers: Long Term Stays, where seniors can maintain their independence in a safe environment (some individuals require minimal assistance, while others require much more); Respite Stays, where clients might stay up to 90 days, providing a rest for the usual family caregivers; and "A Road Home", which provides for those who can't go to rehab, but can stay for up to 60 days at $250 per day and enjoy all the amenities. Michael reiterated that assisted living is a different thing than a nursing home. Michael next answered members' questions, ie., Sunrise does have a "Memory Care Unit", where clients need increased levels of supervision and are unable to communicate their needs consistently.

Many Happy $$$ were collected: thanking Sharon & the committee that planned last Thursday's dinner; thanking Jenn for her service as Raffle Committee Chair; congratulating Mark on becoming a Rotarian again; for the larger than past number of members attending today's meeting; Eric gave $$ as a pre-Yom Kippur goodness gesture; Dennis was happy that he and his family were able to get on the last flight out of Orlando a day early, before the hurricane, but after an enjoyable week with the grandkids and their parents at Disneyland; Will Dzvonar was pleased to see so many past presidents along with our new one at today's luncheon; etc.

Afterwards:

Paul picked the blue raffle ticket that won him the chance to pick a card from the deck and hope for the Ace of Spades to win the pot. He picked the 8 of Clubs; so the pot continues to grow. Next meeting, will you win it? Ya gotta be in it to win it!

REMEMBER: NEXT WEEK IS AN OPEN CUPBOARD COLLECTION DAY!

HERE'S TO A HAPPY, HEALTHY WEEK!

CHEERS!

Remember: If a member would like to send out an email to the membership, use the following email address: pjrotaryclubmembers@googlegroups.com.

Bob Huttemeyer is still seeking volunteers willing to host an evening meeting (5:30 PM-7 PM) at a member's home or place of business. Contact Bob if you'd like to host an upcoming Rotary evening social gathering.

Rebecca invites us to get acquainted with HOMETOWNHOPEPORTJEFFERSON.ORG. Hometown Hope provides resources and support in times of need to all residents of the Village by promoting a movement of spreading kindness. It "strives to uplift through wellness, resilience, and compassionate understanding in our community." Among the services/goods it will provide: meal boxes; home deliveries; and the like for those suffering illness, loss, etc., as well as help for healthcare practitioners during the pandemic. You can also sponsor a family.

Want to volunteer? Contact hometownhopepj@gmail.com .

***If you have ideas or items to be discussed at our next meeting, let Michael B. know. And if you'd like to join one of the club's special committees, let him know this, as well. The more, the merrier!***

*** Watch for Michael B's invitation to our next meeting and plan to join us!***

STAY SAFE AND WELL!