Byesville Rotary provides Christmas food baskets to 197 families

Pictured: Front: Rotary members ready for the first family to pick up their Christmas food basket: front--Dennis Harding, Marty Patchen, Don Valentine, Myrna Valentine, Bob Long; back--Evelyn Spring, Chuck Fair, Larry Miller, Jamie Hopps.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!!


The Byesville Rotary Christmas food program provided food baskets to 197 families in the Rolling Hills School District. Bob Long, Chair of the Food basket program, and other club members reported on the successful completion of this year’s service project. The club has been providing Christmas food baskets to families in the Rolling Hills School District for over 20 years.
Club members and over 30 students from the Byesville Rotary sponsored Meadowbrook Interact Club worked Friday to sort non-perishable food items and to begin filling boxes in preparation for distribution on Saturday. Students volunteered to pick up donated food items that had been collected at each of the schools in Rolling Hills. As the canned goods and other non-perishable food items arrived at the Main Avenue Methodist Activity Center, Rotary members and Interact students sorted the food by type and began filling boxes with cans of soup, baked beans, canned vegetables, canned fruit, boxes of mac and cheese, Ramon noodles, and bags of cookies.

Early Saturday morning, members arrived to accept delivery of the perishable items destined for the food baskets—turkey, milk, bread, eggs, oleo, potatoes, onions, and oranges. Once the food arrived, a production line was set up to stock boxes and distribution began as families arrived to pick up their food baskets. Volunteers helped families load the food baskets into their cars.

During the meeting, club members also discussed various ways they could improve the program for next year. Club Board members recommended that the club donate $600 to the Salvation Army to help the Army with their Angel Tree effort.

In the Rotary calendar, December is Family Month. During December, Rotarians take time to consider what family means and to celebrate the family of Rotary. It is a big family which includes individual Rotarians from all over the world as well as everyone who becomes involved in Rotary work including people working in the Rotary Foundation as well as every student participating in Rotary youth programs.

Byesville Rotary celebrated the month by inviting speakers who were involved in supporting strong, healthy families. This week the speaker was Pastor Steve Leathley who spoke to the club about family values
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The club meets 7:30 am every Tuesday at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Anyone interested in learning more about the Byesville Rotary can call Membership Chairs Marty Patchen, 740-685-3828, or Randy Launder, 740-801-0017

Byesville Rotary donates books to Bright Beginnings

Pictured: Wanda Hockenberry Bright Beginnings, and Tanya Hitchens, Byesville Rotary President.

Reminders:

• The board meeting has been rescheduled to Wednesday, December 14, at Plus 1 Pizza in Byesville.


• Breakfast with Santa was a success thanks to the members of the committee headed by Phyllis and thanks to Santa Claus. Seventy-four adults and 24 children purchased a breakfast. Thirty-seven children under five also attended the breakfast.


• The Salvation Army needs help sorting gifts. The Byesville gifts are now located at Bill Hartley's house. These gifts will be sorted at his house. Call him for more information.


• We have 195 families registered for food baskets. We will begin packing on Friday, December 16 at 7:00am at the Main Street Methodist Activity Center.


• Food baskets will be distributed on Saturday, December 17, at the Activity Center.


• Bob still needs people to volunteer for bed bucket bell ringing. Call him to volunteer.


• Phyllis announced that the club will elect a President Elect and a Board member at the next meeting. Dennis Harding and Travis Craig are on the ballot for President-Elect, and Nellie Bichard, Mary Patchen, and Scott Lojas are running for board member.


• Nellie announced that Debbie Robbins will be hosting a reception for the Irwins at the County Administration Building on Wednesday, December 28, at 3--5:00pm.

Wanda Hockenberry, representing Bright Beginnings Preschool and the Ohio Valley Educational Service Center, accepted a gift of 250 books from the Byesville Rotary. One of the services provide by Bright Beginnings is home visits to help prepare children for classroom work. The books will be given to the children being visited.

Tim Welch, Public Information Officer for the Guernsey County Department of Job and Family Services, presented an overview of the services provided by this agency. The agency provides a wide variety of services aimed at promoting independence and well-being for all individuals and family members. In 2010, Job and Family Services provided help to 1500 people.

The Child Support office can help locate a non-custodial parent or help establish who a child’s father is. Staff members can also help establish and enforce child support and medical support orders. This service includes ensuring that support orders are followed.

Another arm of the agency is responsible for administering the Medicaid program. The Food Assistance Program is designed to improve nutrition and health for individuals living in low-income households. Another program provides temporary assistance for needy families. The assistance is income based and can require people to participate in work activities in order to receive benefits.

Job and Family Services also operates the Guernsey County Opportunity Center currently located at the Job and Family Services main office. The Opportunity Center provides workforce services to employers and to people seeking training or employment. Staff will help job seekers write a resume and/or develop interview skills. They also maintain a list of job opportunities in the Guernsey area.

Job and Family Services is located at 324 Highland Avenue in Cambridge. Office hours are Monday-Friday 7:30am—4:00pm. Offices are closed Saturday and Sunday. The office can be contacted at 740-432-2381. More information can be found at www.gcdjfs.com.

Meadowbrook High School Interact club members attending the meeting were Jessica Haught, Colin Harding, and Samantha Roe.

Bob Long reported that club members are still needed to bell ringing through the week of December before Christmas. He needs volunteers to help with bell ringing through the week before Christmas. Donations from bell ringing are used to support the Byesville Rotary Christmas Food Basket program. Anyone willing to work should call him at 685-2630.

Byesville Rotary meets every Tuesday, 7:30 am, at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Anyone interested in learning more about the Byesville Rotary can call Membership Chairs Marty Patchen, 740-685-3828, or Randy Launder, 740-685-8294

Byesville Rotary Club ready for Santa Claus’s arrival

Pictured: Byesville Rotary Club members donate gifts to Secret Santa program.

Byesville Rotarians are busy preparing for their Christmas projects. On Saturday, December 10, between 8:30-11:00, at the Stop Nine Senior Center in Byesville, club members will welcome Santa Claus to town with their annual pancake breakfast. Santa will be at the breakfast to talk to the children attending the breakfast.

The club will be serving pancakes, eggs, sausage, juice, milk, and coffee. Cooking again this year are Rich Dair, Head Chef, and Larry Miller, Pancake Specialist. Breakfast is $5.00. Pictures with Santa are complementary with the purchase of breakfast. Funds raised at the breakfast will be used by the Rotary to support local service projects such as providing dictionaries for every third grader in Rolling Hills or supplying Christmas food baskets.

Club members celebrated the spirit of Christmas by bringing toys to the Tuesday meeting. The toys will be donated to the Secret Santa program. Tanya Hitchens, Club President, passed out a list of important dates for December. Because of the holiday, the board meeting has been rescheduled for December 15. She encouraged members to participate in the Salvation Army Angel Tree program. There are still tags available on the Angel Tree in K-Mart. She reminded members that Christmas food Basket preparation will begin on Friday, December16. Food baskets will be distributed on the following day.

Bell ringers are still needed to help raise funds for the Christmas Food Basket program. Anyone willing to volunteer can call Bob Long, 740-685-3620, to schedule a shift. Donations to support the food basket program are still being sought. Anyone wishing to make a donation can contact Bob Long, 740-685-3620, or Chuck Fair, 740-685-2069.

The club meets 7:30 am every Tuesday at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Anyone interested in learning more about the Byesville Rotary can call Membership Chairs Marty Patchen, 740-685-3828, or Randy Launder, 740-801-0017.

Byesville Rotary learns how Chamber of Commerce nurtures youth leadership

Pictured: John Janczarek, Interact member and Youth Leadership participant; Jo Sexton, President Cambridge Chamber of Commerce; Taylour Kidd, Youth Leadership participant; Dalton Singleton, Interact member and Youth Leadership participant; Rachael Jirles, Interact member and Youth Leadership participant; and Tori Sullivan, Youth Leadership Participant.

Jo Sexton, President of the Chamber of Commerce in the Cambridge area, described the Leadership Guernsey program to club members. The goal of the 10 month program is to improve leadership skills in local community members. One of the unique features of this program is that both adults and students are invited to participate. Several of the training sessions are held jointly allowing adults and students to learn from each other.

Training programs begin in September with a retreat which serves as an orientation to the program. Programs are developed by a 15 member Steering Committee. Members of this committee are drawn from graduates of the Leadership Guernsey training program.

Ten programs—one a month--are held. Topics covered by the training sessions include economic development, government and connections with the outside world, business and innovation and technical expertise, law enforcement and problem solving, communication and media, health care and championing change, educations and establishing “stretch” goals, and community service and relationships. The final session combines project presentations with graduation.

At the end of each session, participants are asked to write down answers to three questions: “What three things did you learn today?”, “Which of the three things do you consider the most important?”, and “What would you like to learn more about?”

Rachael Jirles, Dalton Singleton, John Janczarek, all members of the Meadowbrook High School Interact Club and Leadership Guernsey participants, plus Taylour Kidd and Tori Sullivan, Leadership Guernsey participants spoke to club members about what they enjoyed most about program. Rachael stated that she “…liked to be surrounded by people who really cared about what they are doing.” Tori liked working with adults, and John enjoyed planning for the capstone project. Taylour stated that she was impressed by “…learning about what goes on behind the scenes,” while Dalton liked seeing how all the different organizations came together.

Due to the holidays, the club board meeting will be held December 15. Nominating committee members are to attend. Club members will be bell ringing during the week in Byesville. Donations collected will be used to support the Byesville Rotary Christmas Food Basket Program. The club is responsible for providing food for about 200 families.

The club meets 7:30 am every Tuesday at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Anyone interested in learning more about the Byesville Rotary can call Membership Chairs Marty Patchen, 740-685-3828, or Randy Launder, 740-801-0017.