One Day, One Focus: Ending Polio.

On World Polio Day, October 24, the spotlight is on our top goal of eradicating polio. 

Polio
Poliomyelitis, or polio, is a paralyzing and potentially fatal disease that still threatens children in some parts of the world. Poliovirus invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis in hours. It can strike people of any age but mainly affects children under five. Polio can be prevented by vaccines, but it is not curable. Unlike most diseases, polio can be eradicated.

PolioPlus
For more than 30 years, Rotary and our partners have driven the effort to eradicate polio worldwide. Our PolioPlus program was the first initiative to tackle global polio eradication by vaccinating children on a massive scale. As a core partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Rotary focuses on advocacy, fundraising, volunteer recruitment, and awareness-building.

“I am from a generation who has witnessed the devastating effects of polio. When I discovered how close we were to eradicating polio, I was very motivated to be a part of this movement. It is so rare when you can accomplish something so spectacular.”

— Angelique Kidjo, singer-songwriter

Rotary members have contributed more than $2.1 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect more than 2.5 billion children in 122 countries from this paralyzing disease. Rotary’s advocacy efforts have played a role in decisions by governments to contribute more than $10 billion to the effort.

Polio Today
When Rotary and its partners formed the GPEI in 1988, there were 350,000 cases of polio in 125 countries every year. Today, we have reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent, and just two countries continue to report cases of wild poliovirus: Afghanistan and Pakistan. Because of the efforts of Rotary and its partners, nearly 19 million people who would otherwise have been paralyzed are walking, and more than 1.5 million people are alive who would otherwise have died. The infrastructure we helped build to end polio is also being used to treat and prevent other diseases (including COVID-19) and create lasting impact in other areas of public health.

Challenges
Rotary and our partners have made tremendous progress against polio, but eliminating all cases is going to take even more progress and perseverance. Afghanistan and Pakistan face unique challenges, including political insecurity, highly mobile populations, difficult terrain, and, in some instances, vaccine refusal and misinformation. With sufficient resources, the commitment of national governments, and innovations that improve access to remote areas, we are optimistic that we can eliminate polio.

Ensuring Success
Rotary has committed to raising $50 million per year for polio eradication. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged to match that 2-to-1, for a total commitment of $150 million each year. These funds provide much-needed operational support, medical workers, laboratory equipment, and educational materials. Governments, corporations, and private donors all play a crucial role in funding.

Rotary in Action
More than 1 million Rotary members have donated their time and money to eradicate polio, and every year, hundreds of members work with health workers to vaccinate children in countries affected by polio. Rotary members work with UNICEF and other partners to prepare and distribute informational materials for people in areas that are isolated by conflict, geography, or poverty. They also mobilize to recruit fellow volunteers, assist in transporting the vaccine, and provide other logistical support.

Celebrity Support
Rotary has a growing list of public figures and celebrities who support our fight against polio, including Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; actresses Kristen Bell and Archie Panjabi; actor and wrestling superstar John Cena; supermodel Isabeli Fontana; Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu; action-movie star Jackie Chan; actor Donald Sutherland; boxing great Manny Pacquiao; pop star Psy; golf legend Jack Nicklaus; conservationist Jane Goodall; premier violinist Itzhak Perlman; Grammy Award winners A.R. Rahman, Angélique Kidjo, and Ziggy Marley; and peace advocate Queen Noor of Jordan. These ambassadors help Rotary educate the public about the disease and the fight to end polio for good.  

From Rotary International…. please visit: endpolio.org to learn how you can get involved.

Rotary Club of Philadelphia receives Citation with Presidential Distinction

By Jay Pennie

In one of the most challenging years for most organizations around the world, members of the Rotary Club of Philadelphia received the most significant award a club can achieve for their extensive work to unite people and take action in 2019-20.  

Each year, Rotary International’s president sets strategic goals for the 35,000 clubs around the world. “In 2019-20, it will be our challenge to strengthen the many ways that Rotary Connects the World, building the connections that allow talented, thoughtful, and generous people to unite and take meaningful action through Rotary service,” said President Mark Maloney.

Recognizing the importance of members and the vital work that they do around the world, Maloney set two groups of strategic priorities. 

On the first priority, Uniting People, our club was recognized for achieving goals such as increasing the number and diversity of our membership and support of youth initiatives including establishing a new Interact Club at Liguori Academy, located in the Kensington section of Philadelphia. . 

Why is this important? 

Because we need a growing, engaged, and diverse group of members to do the good work both within our club and in our community. We need members in our youth clubs to become trained at an early age to give back, embrace service, model positive civic engagement, and learn to organize and mobilized to help their community. The more hands we have, the more good we can do. 

Rotary Club of Philadelphia members pack boxes for needy families during St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children’s Turkey Drive

Even more notable was in the achievement of Taking Action where our members logged in more than 290 volunteer hours this past year on service activities such as: preparing meals at Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance for people with medical conditions; cleaning up the Schuylkill River Banks Trail; distributing Thanksgiving dinners to the community at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children; fundraising events to help eradicate polio, stock a food bank in Kensington, and support Rotary Australian Bushfires Appeal. Our Foundation supplied grants that provided nearly $30,000 to 15 local and international charities.   

Why is this important?

Well, because we’re more than a social club. Yes, we’re that too. That’s a really important benefit to our members. But, we are part of one of the largest humanitarian organizations in the world. We actually do things.  

Finally, our club was recognized for its efforts to communicate its humanitarian and charitable efforts to the public by utilizing Rotary International’s branding materials to completely redesign our website, create a new promotional video, and significantly increase our social media presence on multiple platforms. 

Why is this important?

We need to tell the world about the good work we are doing and the opportunities that we have in Rotary so that our membership grows. It’s that simple. 

If you are a member of the Rotary Club of Philadelphia, take a few minutes to celebrate your remarkable achievements this past year. Thank you all for your good work and support! 

If you are not yet a member, contact us to join.

Find out how you can become a member of the Rotary Club of Philadelphia or make a donation to the Rotary Foundation of Philadelphia.

A Force for Good in our World

By Joseph Batory

Most people are not aware of what Rotary is or what it has been doing.

So here is a bit of information: There are 1.2 million Rotary members in 34,000 Rotary Clubs in 200 countries.  In addition, there are more than 10,000 Rotary-affiliated “Rotaract” Clubs,” comprised mostly of university students (200,000+) as well as nearly 15,000 Rotary-affiliated Interact Clubs, comprised of high school age students (340,000+). Each one of those Rotary organizations, many of them local, is dedicated to humanitarian causes, doing “hands-on” caring outreach projects in their communities and beyond by providing support where needed. This adds up to many thousands on caring and meaningful efforts each year.

BUT…beyond that, Rotary’s umbrella organization, Rotary International, has its own Foundation which annually distributes hundreds of millions of dollars (mostly contributed by Rotary’s 1.2 million members each year) to save and improve lives internationally. 

What follows are short summaries of where Rotary International has been focusing, highlighting its goals and some remarkable achievements.

Polio Eradication
Rotary International has been working to eradicate polio for 30 years. When Rotary’s involvement began, 1000 people, mostly children, were paralyzed with the polio virus each day.  Remarkably, since becoming a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Rotary International, with its partners (including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) has helped immunize a staggering 2.5 billion children in 122 countries. As a result, polio cases worldwide have now been reduced 99.9%.

Peace Building
Today, over 70 million people have been forced from their homes because of conflict, violence, persecution, and human rights violations. Half of them are children.

To confront this situation, Rotary International has created its own unique fully-funded peace fellowships and scholarships which each year train 130 leaders to better enable them to address the underlying causes of conflict, including poverty, discrimination, ethnic tension, lack of access to education, and unequal distribution of resources.

Since the program began in 2002, the Rotary Peace Centers have trained and enhanced the skills of more than 1,300 fellows who now work in more than 115 countries. Many serve as leaders in governments, NGOs, the military, education, law enforcement, and international organizations like the United Nations and the World Bank.

Just in 2018,*** Rotary International supported these programs with $3.5 million.

Fighting Disease
400 million people in the world do not have basic health care.

Disease results in misery, pain, and poverty for millions of people worldwide. Rotary leads efforts both to set up temporary clinics, blood donation centers, and training facilities in underserved communities struggling with outbreaks and health care access. Rotary designs and builds infrastructure that allows doctors, patients, and governments to work together.

Rotary’s programs combat diseases like malaria, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and polio. Prevention is also stressed with a focus on health education and bringing people routine hearing, vision, and dental care.

Just in 2018,*** Rotary International contributed more than $35 million to fund international projects fighting disease.
And Rotary International has recently contributed millions of dollars to support 65 projects worldwide which are addressing the Covid 19 pandemic.

Providing Clean Water and Sanitation
When people have access to clean water and sanitation, waterborne diseases decrease, children stay healthier and attend school more regularly.

Through water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programs, Rotary International’s people of action mobilize resources, form partnerships, and invest in infrastructure and training that yield long-term change.

Just in 2018,*** Rotary International funded nearly $19 million for projects to improve sanitation and create clean water worldwide.

Literacy
More than 17% of the world adult population (775 million people) are illiterate.

Rotary’s goal is to strengthen the capacity of communities to support basic education and literacy, reduce gender disparity in education, and increase adult literacy.

Just in 2018,***Rotary International supplied $11 million to support education and literacy programs for children and adults in a myriad of ways.

Maternal Health Care
Rotary International has been significantly expanding access to quality care, so mothers and children everywhere can have the same opportunities for a healthy future. An estimated 5.9 million children under the age of five die each year because of malnutrition, inadequate health care, and poor sanitation — all of which can be prevented.

Just in 2018,*** Rotary International supplied $7 million for initiatives to improve maternal health and childcare.

Economic Development
Nearly 800 million people live on less than $1.90 a day.

The Rotary International Foundation continues to work to strengthen local entrepreneurs and community leaders, particularly women, in impoverished communities.

And Rotary provides training and access to well-paying jobs and financial management institutions.

Just in 2018,*** Rotary International funded more than $10 million to create economic development sites where desperately needed in the world.

All of this is the ongoing daily miracle of Rotary Clubs, Rotaract Clubs, and Interact Clubs and Rotary International….A continuing presence for more than 100 years, helping those in need and creating hope in our turbulent world.

*** 2018…latest available data via the Rotary International Foundation website.

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Joseph Batory is the author of three books and has been widely published on politics and education. Joe has received Rotary International’s highest award of Meritorious Service for his work with scholarships and other humanitarian outreach activities.

Originally published on October 5, 2020 in The Delaware County Daily Times, the daily newspaper of Delaware County, PA., covering local, regional, and national news.  

Find out how you can become a member of the Rotary Club of Philadelphia or make a donation to the Rotary Foundation of Philadelphia.

Jennifer E. Jones makes history, becomes first woman named Rotary president-nominee

Jennifer E. Jones, a member of the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland, Ontario, Canada, has been nominated to become Rotary International’s president for 2022-23, a groundbreaking selection that will make her the first woman to hold that office in the organization’s 115-year history. Jones will officially become president-nominee on October 1st, if no other candidates challenge her.

Jennifer E. Jones

Jones says she sees Rotary’s Action Plan as a catalyst for increasing Rotary’s impact. “As we reflect upon our new strategic priorities, we could have never envisioned that our ability to adapt would become our North Star during what is inarguably the most profound time in recent history,” Jones said in her vision statement. “Silver linings rise out of the most challenging circumstances. Using metric-driven goals, I will harness this historic landscape to innovate, educate, and communicate opportunities that reflect today’s reality.”

As the first woman to be nominated to be president, Jones understands how important it is to follow through on Rotary’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Statement. “I believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion … begins at the top and for us to realize growth in female membership and members under the age of forty — these demographics need to see their own reflection in leadership,” Jones said. “I will champion double-digit growth in both categories while never losing sight of our entire family.”

Jones is founder and president of Media Street Productions Inc., an award-winning media company in Windsor. She was chair of the board of governors of the University of Windsor and chair of the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce. She has been recognized for her service with the YMCA Peace Medallion, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, and Wayne State University’s Peacemaker of the Year Award, a first for a Canadian. Jones holds a Doctor of Laws (LL.D.).

The group of Philadelphia Rotarians, Rotaractors, and Interactors above attended a gala dinner celebrating 30 years of women in Rotary and had the opportunity to meet Jennifer Jones in 2017.

A current Rotary Foundation trustee, Jones has been a Rotary member since 1997 and has served Rotary as RI vice president, director, training leader, committee chair, moderator, and district governor. She played a lead role in Rotary’s rebranding effort by serving as chair of the Strengthening Rotary’s Advisory Group. She is the co-chair of the End Polio Now Countdown to History Campaign Committee, which aims to raise $150 million for polio eradication efforts.

Jones recently led the successful #RotaryResponds telethon, which raised critical funds for COVID-19 relief and was viewed by more than 65,000. Jones has also received Rotary International’s Service Above Self Award and The Rotary Foundation Citation for Meritorious Service. She and her husband, Nick Krayacich, are members of The Rotary Foundation’s Arch Klumph Society, Paul Harris Society, and the Bequest Society.

Excerpt from rotary.org

Rotarians mobilize, work together to take action to combat hunger

By Jay Pennie

Exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis, nearly 14 million children in the United States went hungry in June, as the economic fallout from the pandemic continued to batter families. That’s an increase of more than 10 million since 2018, and nearly three times the number of children who went hungry during the Great Recession, according to an analysis of Census data released by the Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institute. 

Rotary cannot solve this problem alone. But we can help.  

In less than a 24-hour period this past weekend, Rotarians worked together to help fight hunger both from behind the scenes and on the front lines in two Philadelphia communities. 

First, on Friday evening, the Rotary Club of Philadelphia conducted its inaugural on-line fundraising event, Bingo Night, to provide funding for the Community Center at Visitation’s food bank located in the Kensington section of Philadelphia. Kensington lies within the congressional district as having one of the highest poverty rates in the country. As of the last census, 26% of the residents in that district live below the poverty level and ranked 431 of 435.

But, according to the Census Reporter, the primary zip code that the Center serves, 41% of the residents live below the poverty level. Kensington is also the 2nd hungriest District in the U.S and 70% of the children are obese which leads to development and social problems among the youth Crime in Kensington is triple the national average and it is considered the “Heroin Capital” of America. The neighborhood is riddled with crime, drugs and prostitution.

We are also learning that the COVID-19 crisis is affecting the population unevenly. Many of the community’s low-income resident’s who work in the service industry have been laid off due to the shutdown of hotels, restaurants, and other non-essential businesses. Or they are working in the retail or senior care industry where they must go to work and risk their lives without adequate protection from the virus. 

Twelve hours later, members of the Rotary Club of Philadelphia joined the Rotary Club of Southwest Philadelphia-Eastwick to pack and distribute food for their drive serving over 100 area families in need. Similar to Kensington, their community has a 30% poverty, 17% unemployment, and 12% food insecurity rate even before the pandemic.

However, the story is more remarkable because of how Rotarians worked together through friendship and service to help these two communities. Let me summarize by giving thanks to the people who mobilized and made it all happen:

First, Rotary International District 7450 Governor, Peter Mardinly with District Foundation Chair, Dawn deFuria quickly put together a COVID-19 Relief Grant program that provided $25,000 to the 50 area clubs focused on food banks. Both clubs applied for and received $500 each for their respective projects.

Rotary Club of Philadelphia Fundraising Chair, Kelly Feighan and committee members Oscar Armas-Luy and Sandy Goldberg planned and developed a successful Bingo Night that was fun, engaging, and informative. Scott Grande, Past Rotary Club of Philadelphia President served as Emcee for the night keeping 30 players engaged with his jovial manner. In addition to the organizers and guests, participating Rotarian donors included: Rosana Anchando, Joe and Joan Batory, Dr Vicki Bralow, Dr Jeff Cabot, Ryan Igbanol, Dan King, Lisa Leonard, Karon Massado, Alex Snyman, and Kurt Stroemel. Sponsors included Queen Village Dentistry, Dr. Jeff Cabot, and Haefele Flanagan, David Gill, With District funding, ticket sales and sponsorship, the event raised more than $1,500 for the Center.

Rotary Club of Philadelphia’s Bingo Night online fundraiser for the Community Center at Visitation’s food bank located in the Kensington section of Philadelphia.

At a virtual meeting in June, Past District Governor, Joan Batory introduced the Rotary Club of Philadelphia members to the leadership of the Rotary Club of Southwest Philadelphia-Eastwick’s, President Jonathan Fullenwellen, Immediate Past President, Cheryl Burkett, and Service Projects Chair, Paulette Cunningham. As a result of the meeting, the Southwest club applied for a grant from the Rotary Foundation of Philadelphia. Because of the tight deadline, the Foundation’s President, Kurt Stroemel with the ten foundation board members acted quickly to review the grant application, provide the award, and issue the check for $1,000 just in time for the Southwest club to purchase food for the upcoming distribution day.

On Saturday morning, July 25, Rotary Club of Philadelphia members Krysta Lee Halye, husband, David Houtz, member Rotary Club of Chichester, Meghan Miller, Olusola Fadaka, and prospective members, joined Rotary Club of Southwest Philadelphia-Eastwick leadership and volunteers to set up, pack, and distribute food. 

Rotary Club of Philadelphia members teamed up with Rotary Club of Southwest Philadelphia-Eastwick leadership and volunteers to set up, pack, and distribute food.

Once more, the kindness and generosity of Rotarians to mobilize and work together for a common cause never ceases to amaze me. I’m proud to be a Rotarian. If you are a Rotarian, I hope you are proud too! If you are not yet a member, contact us to join.

Find out how you can become a member of the Rotary Club of Philadelphia or make a donation to the Rotary Foundation of Philadelphia.

A “Twin Cities” Club Friendship in Two Countries Continues for Almost a Century

Over the past century, the Rotary Club of Philadelphia and the Rotary Club of Nottingham, England maintained a friendship that continues through today. On July 16, 2020, 1 p.m., members of the Rotary Club of Philadelphia will conduct a joint virtual meeting with members of the Rotary Club of Nottingham, England. 

The two "twin" clubs have a long and storied history which dates back from the first Rotary International Convention in England in 1921, through World War II, and up to the present day. Among the more notable collaborations, the Rotary Club of Philadelphia bought two “Rolling Kitchens” for the Nottingham club to use in disaster areas during World War II. 

The early period and beginning of the relationship 
In the spring of 1921, the first Rotary International convention outside the United States was held in Edinburgh, Scotland, with a large number of Philadelphia Rotarians in attendance. Sixty-three years were to pass before the second convention would be held in the United Kingdom, that one in Birmingham England in 1984. The Edinburgh meeting afforded opportunities for Philadelphians to meet Rotarians from Great Britain and Ireland and France and was a great step forward for Rotary.

“From the heart of England your fellow Rotarians send this message of sincere appreciation. Deep gratitude is felt in the Rotary Club of Nottingham for the wonderful gesture of goodwill expressed by members of the Rotary Club of Philadelphia in offering to take care of our children for the duration of the war. Circumstances that proved insuperable denied us the pleasure of availing ourselves of such generous hospitality.

Your magnificent gift of dollars to provide two Mobile Feeding Units for the relief and sustenance of those in dire distress will remain as an outstanding feature of the real friendship between us.”
—Rotary Club of Nottingham, 1940
”

During the course of the convention, Philadelphia Rotarians were especially entertained by the Nottingham England delegates. The bond which drew them together was the similar manufacturing industries of the two cities, and ever since that time the cities have had close and cordial relations. In recognition of its adoption by the Philadelphia club, the Nottingham club presented a beautiful bronze emblem mounted on a handsome wooden base as a symbol of friendship. The Philadelphia Club reciprocated with what was then a novel lectern -the first of its kind to be built so far as is known- designed to stand on the head table of the presiding officer and to accommodate his notes, a clock, and a reading light.

From Edinburgh, the Rotarians visited the London Rotary Club, held in the historic old guild hall and received from the London club a gavel and it’s presentation box made from wood from the tree that grew on the residence property of William Penn at Jordans, England. Philadelphia’s first president, Glenn Mead, spoke movingly in accepting the gift.      

World War II and post-war period
The advent of the war in Europe changed the whole atmosphere of Rotary International, emphasizing the service facet as a challenge to Rotarians in America, which was at first not directly involved. For example, the Philadelphia club offered to “adopt” for the duration of the war, children from Nottingham, England, to free their parents from the fear of injury to them from German bombs or the havoc of an invasion. The Philadelphians were earnest in their offer but the hazards of the ocean crossing made it advisable to abandon the project. 

Nottingham Club Mobile Feeding Unit

A thank you message was received from the Nottingham Club in 1940, “From the heart of England your fellow Rotarians send this message of sincere appreciation. Deep gratitude is felt in the Rotary Club of Nottingham for the wonderful gesture of goodwill expressed by members of the Rotary Club of Philadelphia in offering to take care of our children for the duration of the war. Circumstances that proved insuperable denied us the pleasure of availing ourselves of such generous hospitality.”

The Philadelphia Club bought two “Rolling Kitchens” for the Nottingham club to use in disaster areas. “Your magnificent gift of dollars to provide two Mobile Feeding Units for the relief and sustenance of those in dire distress will remain as an outstanding feature of the real friendship between us,” said a 1940 message from the Rotary Club of Nottingham.   

In this country, a mobile canteen was donated to the Salvation Army for use in the service of men and women in the U. S. Armed Forces. Due to the complexities of the war, Rotary in Japan was discontinued, as it had been in Italy and Germany.

In 1949, the Nottingham club in England, held a special luncheon commemorating its anniversary. On October 10, its sister club, Philadelphia, realizing that rationing was still a very necessary part of life in England, had the pleasure of providing a complete, bounteous luncheon, frozen or otherwise preserved, and flown from Philadelphia to Nottingham to assist in their celebration.

The Rotary Centennial celebration to today
The Centennial Rotary International Convention was held in Birmingham England from June 21 to June 24, 2009. More than 20,000 Rotarians from over 150 countries came to the city including about 10 Philadelphia club Rotarians.

Prior to the convention, Rotary members Joan Batory and Kirsty Halliday (an Edinburgh Scotland native) began researching the Nottingham club with the intent of meeting them at the Birmingham convention. We located the club and began planning our meeting. 

During the convention, our group met with about 12 Nottingham members at a small hotel in Meriden near to Birmingham. The first meeting was extremely cordial, like old friends reconnecting. That meeting resulted in our members attending a dinner hosted by our sister club where the entertainment was a handbell choir. We parted ways with the pledge that we would meet again online. 

We fulfilled that pledge within a year, we arranged a joint meeting online. The Philadelphia club sent chocolate TastyKakes, a Philadelphia specialty, to the Nottingham club for their dessert at their dinner meeting. The meeting went very well, and everyone enjoyed it. We then held two additional online meetings. At this juncture, we would like to renew our friendship with our sister (twin) club and plan another joint meeting so that all of our members can meet our brothers and sisters in Rotary. 

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Excerpt from the History of the Rotary Club of Philadelphia edited November 14, 1985 by George A. Koehler, Past Rotary Club of Philadelphia President (1960-61). 

Updated history from the Centennial Celebration to today prepared by Joan Batory, Past Rotary Club of Philadelphia President (2004-05) and Past Rotary International District 7450 Governor (2010-11).

A father’s example opens opportunities to connect with Rotary ideals today

By Jay Pennie

The following is my address to the members of the Rotary Club of Philadelphia yesterday at our virtual meeting:   

Welcome everyone. I’m honored to serve as your club President again next year. 

With Father’s Day approaching, I’m devoting my short talk today to my late father. Here’s why:

I grew up in a working-class neighborhood in Philadelphia, the youngest of six children. By any measure, my family was poor and in fact my parents did not own a house, car, or very many possessions. For a time, six children and two adults lived in one small row house with three bedrooms and one tiny bathroom. Do the math. However, my parents provided everything a child really needs— food, shelter, fun, discipline, and of course, love. 

Among the attributes that my father possessed, and which had a profound impact on me, was his strong work ethic and sense of volunteerism. Though he worked tirelessly every day at a printing company for more than 45 years (he never called out sick), he actively helped my mother raise a family of six from changing diapers to washing dishes. Yet he still found the time and energy to volunteer for our church three times a week and regularly helped feed the homeless at a mission house in Center City Philadelphia. 

Until my early thirties, my motto was more the reverse of Rotary’s—“Self before service.” I prioritized money, career, and enjoyment as number one. But, by my late thirties, I felt something was missing in my life. That is also the point at which I decided to leave the for profit business sector for the nonprofit world. Although my father has passed away many years before, I think his influence was already imprinted on me.   

My first introduction to Rotary came from one of our former members, Lynmar Brock who was a bit of a legend in Rotary. I remember well his elaborate induction ceremonies that he held. After a few weeks attending meetings as his guest, he asked me to join the club. Lynmar is a great salesman and he is hard to say no to. So, I joined the club in August 2010. 

What impressed me most about that first lunch meeting still stands today. The Rotary Club of Philadelphia members were smart, accomplished, generous, and friendly. One member, Sandy Goldberg, asked me right away to join her on the fundraising committee and I said, sure, why not. It was the best thing for me because it helped me get to know the members and got me involved. I had no idea what I was doing.   

In addition to volunteering for Rotary, I serve as a Panelist and Grant Reviewer for the Philadelphia Cultural Fund, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and as a visiting evaluator for the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. So, I try to keep myself busy.   

The theme for the New Rotary Year is: “Rotary Open Opportunities.” For me, that means an opportunity to lead, serve, and help our community both here and around the world. 

When I was asked last year if I would consider serving as President, like anyone, I tried to anticipate what challenges I might run into. I can tell you that I never planned on a global pandemic, economic cratering, and international social unrest. Like many people, I have concluded that the pandemic did not cause these issues. It shined a light on the problems that were already there.        

Philadelphia has the highest poverty rate of any large city in the U.S. at 26% compared with the national average of 16% or over 400,000 residents.  The poverty rate is considered at $19K household income with one adult and two children. Poverty is linked to many other problems: unequal access to quality education, increased homelessness, poor diet, inadequate healthcare, hunger, neighborhood violence, mass incarceration to name a few. 

At the same time, Philadelphia has tremendous wealth concentrated in areas such as Center City Philadelphia and the suburban Main Line areas. These local issues create a tremendous need in which the Rotary Club of Philadelphia can continue to help and perhaps help more. We could use 100 Rotary Clubs right here in this area to just put a dent into the problem.  

We are also actively working on challenges in our own club. We surveyed the membership last year to obtain a candid opinion on the club’s strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats. Our strengths and opportunities are many. But, we also have to evaluate our weaknesses and potential threats to better plan for the future and position ourselves to maximize our impact into the community. We need to plan farther out than just next year. We need to think both tactically and strategically.

So, MY vision for the upcoming year is OUR vision. Otherwise, it will go nowhere. Our club’s vision statement reads:    

“The Rotary Club of Philadelphia focuses its outreach on those in need and those less fortunate primarily in its community and also via international activity. Our goal is to be one of Greater Philadelphia’s most active humanitarian organizations that improve lives.” But how to we realize this vision? I have five ideas. 

1. We need to continue to develop and implement service projects that actively engage the membership and the community while enhancing and spreading the mission of the club. We need to be known in the community for our work, perhaps a signature project? That brings me to the next point. 

2. We need to tell people about what we are doing. We need to enlist the members to enhance public image to share Rotary ideals and the vision and activities of the club. We all need to do a better job of this. This is not just the responsibility of the Pubic Image Committee. To do this, we need to invest time and a little money in our digital media efforts. 

3. We need to engage both our current and prospective members to want to come to Rotary for fellowship and togetherness.

4. We need to develop a culture and process for attracting future high-quality club leadership who will support the vision, mission, and plans. We need to do a better job of training and cultivating future leadership. I am really very optimistic about this point because fresh new leadership has already stepped up to serve as President. 

5. We need to establish a growing and sustainable group of highly engaged members, who are representative of our diverse community and passionate about our mission and vision. We have made some strides, but we have a long way to go. 

I promised last year that I would be a uniter, not a divider. I will continue to make mistakes and I’m sure someone will inform me and hopefully guide me along the way. We still have a lot to do. But, I am only one person. I am blessed with a tremendous board of directors and committee chairs that I know will make good things happen again this year. I need every member to serve on at least one committee. We all have to work together as Rotarians and pitch in and help the club for the good of our community. They need us. Now is our time. 

I asked for help from so many people this past year. What is so remarkable is that not one person said “no.” For that, I will be forever grateful. 

My one overall goal as club President next year has not changed. When I come to the end of my term this time next year, I want to have made our club stronger and a better organization than when I began. With your help, I know we can achieve that goal. 

Rotary’s founder, Paul Harris said: “Whatever Rotary may mean to us, to the world it will be known by the results it achieves.” Let’s work together to achieve some results through our actions. 

Thank you all for your continued service and your confidence in me as club President.    

Jay Pennie
President, 2019-20, 2020-21
Rotary Club of Philadelphia    

The Generosity of Rotarians Continues

By Jay Pennie

After the Rotary Club of Philadelphia’s foundation awarded nearly $30,000 to 15 local and international charities this year, there is one more reason to be proud to be a member of the Rotary Club of Philadelphia. Adding to the list, our club issued a $1,000 grant this week to support student scholarships at our partner school Liguori Academy. 

Liguori Academy is a private, non-profit high school for grades 9-12 whose goal is to provide high-quality education that is affordable for every family. The school, located in the Kensington section of Philadelphia, lies within the congressional district which has one of the highest poverty rates in the country. According to the Census Reporter, the primary zip code that the school serves, 41% of the residents live below the poverty level and more than 40% of its students have annual household income of less than $20,000. Kensington is also the epicenter of the current opioid crisis.

However, the story is more remarkable because of how Rotarians worked together to help the community beyond one scholarship.

In addition to our members’ contribution, the District contributed to the scholarship through a fund developed at last year’s Rotary District 7450 Conference, when then Governor, Paul Quintavalla, and three extraordinary and dedicated Rotarians joined together to raise $10,000 from area club members. Those funds were then distributed this spring to the 50 clubs in our district for charitable causes in their communities.  

On top of contributing to the Liguori scholarship, the Rotary District 7450 Gundaker Foundation provided $28,291 of additional funding to 35 area Rotary Clubs for COVID-19 relief primarily to help food banks and support various educational causes in underserved communities. With the additional support of the Rotary Clubs, the grants fueled more than $75,000 worth of charitable projects in the area! The foundation, supported by local Rotarians, is named in tribute to the life-long accomplishments of Guy Gundaker, one of the founders and charter member of the Rotary Club of Philadelphia. He was President of our club in 1914-1915 and became President of Rotary International worldwide in 1923-1924.  

Once more, the kindness and generosity of Rotarians and their families around the world never ceases to amaze me. If you are a Rotarian, I hope you are proud too! If you are not yet a member, contact us to join.

Find out how you can become a member of the Rotary Club of Philadelphia or make a donation to the Philadelphia Rotary Foundation. 

The Rotary Foundation of Philadelphia Highlights the Enduring Generosity of Rotarians Past and Present

By Jay Pennie

For more than 100 years, the Rotary Club of Philadelphia members have been known for their hands-on service projects from volunteering to prepare meals for people with medical conditions to purchasing and distributing books to schools in need. 

Lesser known is the outreach work of Rotary Foundation of Philadelphia, which is supported and operated by our members. Established years ago by generous and visionary club members, the foundation grants approximately $30,000 each year to organizations in need, both locally and internationally. 

What separates this foundation from others? 

Mainly, we use our members’ knowledge of local and international matters to identify areas of need, and together work to improve that community. Using the same knowledge and connections, along with a passion for doing good, the foundation provides financial support to nonprofit organizations through its grant program.  

As I think back over this past year, there are dozens of reasons that I’m proud to be a member of the Rotary Club of Philadelphia. Today, I’m highlighting just 15 of them.

In the local community our efforts help to: 

• Provide mental health services for women in crisis situations who are experiencing severe domestic violence and the resulting trauma through Women in Transition’s Therapeutic Services Program. 

• Fund a much-needed home repair project for a Philadelphia family who lives below the poverty level through Habitat for Humanity’s remarkable Home Repair Program.

• Support Musicopia’s award-winning after-school percussion program for high school students at risk of academic failure by developing their musical skills, self-confidence, and a creating a desire to graduate. 

• Provide college preparation to economically disadvantaged high school students through Brighter Horizon Foundation’s program that opens opportunities through academic achievement, mentoring, college preparation, and financial aid, with the goal of ending a cycle of poverty.  

• Start a food pantry with student volunteers at Liguori Academy, an amazing high school located in the Kensington section of Philadelphia, which lies within the congressional district as having one of the highest poverty rates in the country.

• Fully fund four high school students, two each from West Catholic and Liguori Academy for a life-changing experience at the Rotary Youth Leadership Award weekend with over 100 other Philadelphia area students where they developed leadership, communication, problem-solving, and conflict management skills.   

• Purchase book bags and school supplies for students through West Philly’s Conquerors Community Development Corporation’s distribution program for families living in poverty. 

• Teach children to read through a Reading Allowed’s certified after-school literacy program for struggling readers in North Philadelphia.  

• Purchase clothing and toiletries for veterans who are undergoing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder at the VA Medical Center in Philadelphia through the Independence Hall Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution’s program     

• Provide free mental health services to low-income families through the LiveWell Foundation’s community programs. 

• Set up an emergency food bank at S. Weir Mitchell Elementary School in Southwest Philly. 

In the international community, we helped to:

• Provide rheumatology care through Rheumatology for All’s program that trained local doctors in Rwanda where there is only limited treatment for diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus, gout, and osteoarthritis. The program greatly improves the mortality rate and the lives of their citizens.  

• Construct a water tower in Indoinyo, Kenya through the nonprofit Ekenywa’s program that provides clean and safe water for their residents. 

• Complete a sanitation block for the Gituri Primary School in Embu County, Kenya through the Rotary Club of Embu to provide clean, running water for proper sanitation and prevent diseases. 

• Support for Rotaplast, for a medical mission to help children born with facial and palate deformities live a normal life. Teams of volunteers comprised of Rotarians, surgeons, and nurses take part in medical missions every year throughout the world.

We also received a big boost this year with a gift of $20,000 from Wayne Hughes. Wayne’s father, Eugene, who passed away recently, had been a long-time member of the Rotary Club of Philadelphia. 

The kindness and generosity of Rotarians and their families around the world never ceases to amaze me. If you are a Rotarian, I hope you are proud too! If you are not yet a member, contact us to join.

Find out how you can become a member of the Rotary Club of Philadelphia or make a donation to the Philadelphia Rotary Foundation.

Getting to the heart of the Rotary Story

By Joseph P. Batory

I have been a member of Rotary for more than 30 years, initially in the Upper Darby Club and more recently in the Rotary Club of Philadelphia.  And after all these years, far too many people, including some of my friends, still cannot understand why I have been affiliated with an organization/club which mandates attendance at regular meetings, requires dues, and encourages participation in a wide array of community service and humanitarian activities, many of them on weekends. 

My only explanation is that like the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz, who lacked a heart, some people will never understand Rotary. For the greatest joys in life come from giving, pure and simple, from your heart. 

Rotary has been about caring outreach for more than 100 years.  Rotary’s 35,000 clubs in 200 countries offer a myriad of ways to do just that locally and internationally.  And the only payback in Rotary is the many thousands of annual heart-warming experiences for its 1.2 million Rotary members worldwide. 

I could easily recount hundreds of examples of my Rotary activities over three decades, such as, stocking shelves at Habitat for Humanity’s store, planting trees and doing clean-ups in parks, painting the interior walls of a school, and preparing food for the sick and elderly. There was also supplying toiletries for the homeless, building immigrant literacy, restoration of school music programs in schools, distributing many thousands of books to kids in inner city schools, rebuilding public school libraries, and putting flags on the gravesites of veterans on Memorial Day.

And, what is remarkable here is that I believe that members of the 50+ Rotary Clubs in this area could also build similar lists of their humanitarian outreach. All of that having been said, my fondest Rotary memory involves a mentorship with Makoto Kuwabara, a young man from Japan who came to Philadelphia with a Rotary scholarship to begin his graduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania in 2009. Makoto promptly informed me that his wife (Chihiro) would shortly be joining him to be by his side while he pursued his master’s degree.

Shortly thereafter, after Chihiro arrived in Philadelphia, I inquired how things were going, and Makoto told me his wife was very sick with vomiting and nausea. I knew that Chihiro had given up a good job as a flight attendant for Japan Airways and coupled with coming to live in the USA, I assumed she was reacting to great stress.  I urged Makoto to immediately take her to the University of Pennsylvania Hospital.

On my follow-up telephone call, I was flabbergasted to learn that the medical diagnosis was that Chihiro was very pregnant. On top of that, Makoto was quite upset because the hospital had given them a follow-up appointment several months down the road.

So, I took the extra Rotary step and arranged a private appointment just a few weeks away with a friend of mine who is a Delaware County obstetrician to help the expectant couple. On the way to the doctor, I lectured them about asking many questions. This was their first child…no time to be shy about this!

Once we got there, the Japanese couple begged me to come with them into the examination room. I was terrified and reluctant.  But Chihiro and Makoto “teared up” and then literally dragged me with them to meet the doctor.

I was then very pleased when my Japanese pupils thoroughly quizzed the doctor in many areas. I had trained them well!  However, when the doctor exclaimed “Let’s have a look at the baby!” and instructed Chihiro to pull up her blouse, I wanted to run for cover. I had just met these two young people. But there was no way to escape from the small examining room. I was trapped. And then, through the wonder of modern technology, the parents to be, the attending doctor, and the adopted Rotary grandfather (that’s me) were looking at a fetus.

The ultrasound machine soon showed the “baby-to-be,” but it began beeping loudly and regularly. The two parents, still following my “exceptional training,” calmly inquired about what the machine was telling us. And the doctor answered: “There is no problem. We are listening to and seeing the heart of your child.”

In that marvelously beautiful moment, I had one of the most memorable Rotary experiences of my life, one that deeply touched my heart.

In the picture that’s Manaka (right) who now lives with her parents and a younger sister (Hiroka, left) in Japan. Through Skype and email, my wife, Joan, and I still communicate with the Kuwabara family. Manaka has now become a prominent actress, staring in the role of the young Cosette in performances of Les Miserables across Japan. And her sister Hiroka is her understudy.

This Rotary experience, like so many, was all about heart! Rotary members who have opened themselves up to such experiences understand this so very well….that Rotary outreach always gets rewarded — not with money or riches, but with something much more wonderful.

Joseph Batory is the author of three books and has been widely published on politics and education. Joe has received Rotary International’s highest award of Meritorious Service for his work with scholarships and other humanitarian outreach activities.

Originally published on January 23 2020 in The Delaware County Daily Times, the daily newspaper of Delaware County, PA., covering local, regional, and national news.  

Find out how you can become a member of the Rotary Club of Philadelphia or make a donation to the Philadelphia Rotary Foundation.