 Wednesday, July 11th, our speaker, a Ft Collins native is Melisa Esposito, now Director of Grants for Project C.U.R.E. This organization is the world's largest distributor of donated medical supplies and equipment. My experience in medicine reminds me there is an abundance of durable, usable items from our medical system because of Federal regulations requiring disposable and single use. Multiple hospitals participate in this program including ones in Northern Colorado. Distribution is based on expert assessment of needs in locales. Specific donations were illustrated for a few of these projects-eg, OB delivery tables, hospital beds, water purification, and surgical supplies. Rotary International currently provides grants for 6 projects in this organization. Highlights with photos were shown for a few active projects. For example-
"Saving Mothers" partners with other NGO's and local governments to improve perinatal care in a number of countries (think AIDS) and has resulted in a 40% decrease in infant/maternal mortality where this has been in use. A project in Tanzania addresses the needs of medical provision in prisons (often neglected in African countries) with supplies for in-house dispensaries. The needs (eg, 6 deliveries per day) of a large refugee camp in Rwanda seemed overwhelming where there are 3 medical doctors per 50,000 inhabitants. (Melisa listed the UN definitions for the terms "migrant", "asylum seeker" and "refugee"-terms all too familiar to us on the daily news reports). Seemed to me, a David and Goliath story, in this world of seemingly overwhelming problems. Organizations like this remind us that "David" can prevail. |
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HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!! No RCFC Meetings this week. We'll see you all next Wednesday, July 11. .jpg)
"When in the course of human events it becomes necessary... We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
RCFC Community Grants Co-Chairs Kathy Nicol and Rob Marschke presented a $3000 grant to Homeless Alliance (Homeless Gear Inc.), to assist the One Village One Family program supporting five families. Accepting the award was Development Director Pam Brewer and Development Coordinator Fulvia Serra. Homeless Gear's mission is to empower individuals and families who face homelessness to survive, move forward and thrive.
Larry Salmen, member of the newly formed IT Committee, announced the addition of a Calendar function to the RCFC home page, and gave a demonstration of how to access, and how members can logon and update their own profile. If anyone needs help with their logon or password, please contact Larry, or IT Committee members Chuck Ulfers or Stacy Plemmons. All 2018-19 Committee Chairs will be given "Editor" status for the new calendar, and a brief training how to access and add new events. 
