News & Updates
Public Image Committee
We are excited to build a Public Image Team for our club. This team will work to build our club's brand as "People of Action" and tell the story of who we are and what we do. This team will focus on internal communication amongst club members as well as external marketing to our community. If you are interested in being a part of this committee, please reach out to Kathryn Kroll (kathrynk@gbcc.me) or Nicole Virant (nvirant@greenbayhabitat.org).
One way or another
Our very own Rotarian, Sarah Sugden, president nominee and executive director of the Brown County Library, was recently featured in Insight Magazine discussing reading proficiency rates, the changing role of public libraries, future plans for the library system, and more. Check out the article here!
Welcome, Morgan!
We are excited to welcome Morgan Orlando to our club! Morgan was a Rotarian in the Cross Timbers Rotary Club in Texas and currently works in Business Development at IMA Select LLC. Please introduce yourself to Morgan at an upcoming club meeting and welcome her to our club!
Sunshine Committee
Tom H. and Tom G. have joined together to form a Sunshine Committee for our club. This committee will respond to and acknowledge events in our club members' lives, sometimes happy ones and sometimes sad ones. They may send flowers or cards expressing sympathy, joy, and everything in-between. If you are aware of club members needing or deserving acknowledgment, or would like to join the committee, please reach out to them.
Dentist Visit Becomes a Celebration
The amazing team at the Oral Health Partnership has helped a record 10,000 kids and counting this year have better oral health, less tooth pain, and more smiles! Our club, along with a dedicated group of community volunteers, helped form the Oral Health Partnership in 2005. Read the full story here.
Salvation Army Bell Ringing
Thank you to our club members who volunteered to ring bells for The Salvation Army this past weekend! If you missed out, there's still time to sign up to ring on The Salvation Army's Register to Ring website. Donations to the red kettle stay local – directly impacting the lives of our neighbors by helping them in their time of need. When you ring the bell, you’re making change happen!
Community Service Award
This quarter's Community Service Award recipients were Green Bay Police Department Evidence Technicians Nate Kolinski and Jean Rakers. Nate and Jean make up a cohesive team that is not only responsible for all evidence and property held at our main police department, but also manage a very large “off-site” facility that houses large items of evidence including vehicles and other items that require secure storage that cannot be accommodated at the police department.
Evidence is a key aspect of the criminal justice system, and how that evidence is handled can make or break a case. In a typical case, a police officer or forensics technician will collect evidence at the crime scene. The technician analyzes the evidence, by testing an item for the presence of blood or other biologicals, collecting fingerprints, or verifying that a substance collected at the scene is, in fact, an illegal drug. The forensic technician must document any tests that were performed on the evidence. When they have finished testing the evidence, it is turned over to an evidence technician, Nate and/or Jean, who then stores the evidence until it is needed for another test or to be presented at trial.
The amount of evidence and property that Nate and Jean handle and manage on an annual basis is quite impressive. In a recent year (2020), the following numbers were documented and were solely the responsibility of the two evidence technicians:
- 9,055 Evidence items catalogued
- 8596 Evidence Items disposed
- 428 Firearms in inventory
- 20,360 Drug and Drug Related paraphernalia in evidence
- 64,000 Exhibits in total inventory
The high quality of work and the enormous amount of work asked of Nate and Jean does not go by unnoticed. It is easy sometimes to take for granted the huge undertaking that Nate and Jean accomplish daily. Those who work closely with the Evidence Team truly appreciate their efforts and are grateful for the fantastic job they do. Thank you both for your hard work and dedication to your profession.
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MLK Day of Service
Our club is participating in a pilot program with local Girl Scouts to collect items for formerly homeless people who are helped through the Ecumenical Partership for Housing on Martin Luther King Day weekend (January 13-15, 2023) MLK Day is a national day of service that honors the memory of the work of Dr. Martin Luther King and provides us all with an opportunity to give back to a cause that was important to him (homelessness). At this point, we are looking for Rotary members who personally have a connection with a local Girl Scout Troop and an interest in participating in this fantastic opportunity. The time commitment will be a couple of hours and will be work hour friendly. If this is you, please email or text club member Wendy Woodward (wwoodward@hotmail.com or 847-814-5168) to move this initiative forward.
Advancing Women and other underrepresented people in Green Bay
Club members Toni Loch and Wendy Woodward are working to organize affinity group activities that advance and support women and other underrepresented people groups within the Green Bay workforce. If being a part of these activities interests you, please let Toni or Wendy know. They would love to have you join the fun!
Holiday Card Project
Michael S. is coordinating a project to send Christmas and holiday greeting cards to nursing home residents at Woodside Lutheran Home. This can be a simple project if we all lend a hand!
To participate in this project:
- Purchase holiday cards or use cards you have. You can make cards or ask your children or grandchildren to help bring joy to others.
- Please write a message in the card. Whatever you say will mean so much. Please sign your first name and Rotary Club of Green Bay.
- Please bring your cards to the OHP office: 1245 Main Street, no later than December 20th at 5 p.m. Or, bring your cards to one of our club meetings.
- Michael will deliver the cards to Woodside on December 21.
To make this even easier for everyone, Judy N. has put together a list of appropriate messages for the elderly that can be hand written in the cards to make them more personal.
- Wishing you a day filled with Love and Sunshine
- May your day be filled with all kinds of bright sunny things
- Just wanted to say Hello and tell you I’m thinking of you
- Sending cheerful thoughts to brighten your day
- Sending lots of hugs your way
- I’m sending thoughts and prayers your way today
- Just sending a note and a smile to you today
- Thinking of you and how special you are
- Peace and Joy to you and yours this Christmas season
Read More
Honoring K.C. Stock
K.C. Stock, 1999 Free Enterprise Award recipient, passed away on November 28th, 2022. K.C. was a strong, gentle man who loved the gift of life and business. He was a true entrepreneur. K.C. always believed in giving back to the community. One of his favorite sayings was, "You're only as good as the people you surround yourself with."
In lieu of flowers, K.C. would be honored to have donations directed to one of his favorite charities: HSHS St. Vincent's Foundation. This provides Christmas presents to all the children in the Pediatric Oncology Unit. K.C. loved to do this and bring families a bit of joy and happiness during the holiday season. Our Rotary Foundation has made a donation in his honor.
You can read the full obituary here, or an article from the Press Gazette here.
Leadership Green Bay Speaking Team
Our speaker on August 15 was a team from Leadership Green Bay who received a grant from our club's Foundation. As their team project, they are renovating the program space for We All Rise, an African American resource center in downtown Green Bay. The vision of We All Rise is to create and help restore a vibrant African American community. Through uplifting, skill building, and intentionally targeting root causes of systemic oppression, they actively promote the healing of all. Click to learn more about We All Rise and Leadership Green Bay.
Speaker Monica McClure
Sunday, August 14, 2022 By: Kathryn A Kroll
Our speaker on August 15 was Monica McClure, Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast WI. Monica discussed the great need their organization has for "bigs", especially men, as they have a large waiting list of "littles" looking for a match. Click here to learn more about BBBS and how you can get involved!
Speaker Sarah Sugden
Our speaker on Monday, July 11 was Sarah Sugden, Executive Director of the Brown County Library. It was easy to see the passion Sarah has for her work, and our community is lucky to have her at the helm of our library system. Sarah gave us a behind the scenes look at all the library does in our community and gave us the inside scoop on upcoming library projects. Click here to learn more about the Brown County Library.
Speaker Steve Dorosz
Our speaker on April 18 was Steve Dorosz, Director of Resource Development for NeighborWorks Green Bay. Since their founding in 1982, NeighborWorks has served Green Bay neighborhoods and the broader community with homeownership preparation services, down payment and closing cost assistance lending, community-interest real estate development, and other services.
Over the years, they have educated and counseled 19,678 aspiring home buyers and existing homeowners and have helped 3,661 families achieve their dream of homeownership. They have renovated or built 440 homes and apartments and developed more than 50,000 square feet of nonprofit office, service, or retail space. In total, since their founding, through real estate development and homeownership services, they have leveraged modest resources into $537 million of investment in our community! To learn more about NeighborWorks Green Bay and how you can get involved, check out their website.
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Speaker Lydia Davison
Our speaker on April 11 was Lydia Davison, Circles Recruitment Coordinator at Green Bay Community Church. Circles is an effective poverty reduction initiative that revolves around building intentional relationships across income lines. After 18 months, participants achieve an average 71% increase in their income.
Circles participants are called Circle Leaders because they lead themselves out of poverty. Each Circle Leader is matched with two Allies, middle-and upper-income volunteers who help Circle Leaders use their unique gifts and skills to reach their personal and financial goals.
Social capital is often the missing link between short-term relief and long-term stability. Many who live in poverty are hardworking and motivated, so when two Allies join them, advice is offered, social networks are shared, and the obstacles that keep people in poverty start to disappear.
There were great questions asked by Rotarians about poverty statistics. The Circles USA website is a great resource for stats on a National level. You can also check out Circles USA Impact Report for more statistics.
To learn more about Circles Green Bay and opportunities to get involved, check out their website.
Read More
Speaker Denise Misovec
Our speaker on April 4 was Denise Misovec, Vice President for Program Services at Curative Connections.
For more than 70 years, Curative Connections has been there to help families, seniors, and people with disabilities find support and care due to aging, dementia, brain injury, or other disability.
They meet each person – no matter where they are in their journey – and help them navigate options that support their goals for independence. Allowing them to build skills while providing enriching opportunities for healthy aging.
Curative offers a proactive approach to care and a clear focus on individual needs. Where people are engaged in activities that help maintain their independence and improve and extend their quality of life, while doing things they enjoy and value.
To learn more about Curative Connections, and how you can get involved, please visit their website.
Read More
Speaker Sarah Griffiths
On Monday, March 28 we heard from Sarah Griffiths, Staff Attorney at LOTUS Legal Clinic. LOTUS Legal Clinic empowers survivors of sexual violence and trafficking. They provide direct, comprehensive legal services, advocacy and community education, and they invest in survivors as change agents.
Sarah is a staff attorney based at LOTUS’s Fox Valley office at Reach Counseling in Neenah. Prior to joining LOTUS, Sarah worked in human services, higher education, and private law practice that focused on the immigration needs of vulnerable populations. A graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School and St. Norbert College, Sarah holds membership in the State Bar of Wisconsin and the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). She serves as secretary of the volunteer board of directors for Literacy Green Bay, a non-profit organization that supports adult learners in the community. Sarah is fluent in Spanish. In her free time, she loves spending time outdoors with her family and their dog, running, traveling, and trying new recipes.
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Classification Talks - DeJuan & Anthony
Sunday, March 27, 2022
This week we got to learn a little more about two of our newest club members - DeJuan Plummer Jr. and Anthony Tremblay.
DeJuan was born in Gary, Indiana. His goal is to have an impact on the healthcare industry. DeJuan is very empathetic and likes to relate to people and understand the source of who they are. He joined Rotary to build a network, join others who enjoy serving people, and create a brighter future for himself and others. DeJuan works to inspire people that it they want to change the world, it starts with yourself. He's currently readying The Man Who Tapped the Secrets of the Universe by Glenn Clark.
Anthony grew up going to Catholic school, where he learned respect from the nuns who taught him. He's currently in school full-time online taking 19 credits this semester. Anthony's currently developing brief, immediate surveys for the restaurant industry to solicit more relevant feedback. In his free time, he enjoys playing hockey with his brother. Anthony joined Rotary to connect with like-minded individuals that want to impact their community. He's currently reading How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.
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Speaker Mayor Boyd
Monday, March 14, 2022
Our speaker on March 14 was City of De Pere Mayor, James Boyd. Mayor Boyd gave us the state of the city, with information and updates on the resiliency of the city throughout covid, the Mulva Family Cultural Center, Nelson Family Pavilion, significant business and residential growth, and of course discussion around the highly anticipated Southern Bridge project.
Speaker Police Chief Chris Davis
Friday, March 11, 2022
Our speaker on March 7th was City of Green Bay Police Chief Chris Davis. Chief Davis discussed his background, how he got into and why he has stayed in policing, and his vision for the Green Bay Police Department.
Chief Davis has spent 28 years in policing and, prior to Green Bay, was the Deputy Chief in Portland, Oregon. Davis took a break from earning his Bachelors of Science in Justice Studies at Arizona State University to become a police officer with the university's Police Department.
Chief Davis has stayed in policing because of the value good police service can have. He illustrated this concept with a story of a man he arrested for drug possession who later told him "when you arrested me, you saved my life." After being arrested, the man went through recovery programing and became a successful photographer. Davis hopes we don't lose sight of the value of good police service, while still holding space for things the department needs to do differently.
Chief Davis' vision for the Green Bay Police Department is a department that works with our community to solve problems and address the root cause of those problems. Two major root causes Chief Davis identified were addiction and mental health. Davis was adamant that responsibility for this vision falls on everyone in our community. He envisions an organization that respects people and promotes and protects the rights of everyone in our community. Chief Davis wants to look in terms of what the department promotes, not what it prevents.
Davis believes we have the opportunity to set the example in Green Bay of how 21st century policing can be done. Davis and the department will always be looking for new and better ways to work, and the Chief acknowledged we have tremendous people to get the job done. It is important to Davis to take a restorative, corrective orientation to police misconduct and be intentional in how the department promotes the wellness of its employees so officers can be in the best head space possible to provide the best service.
Click here to learn more about Police Chief Chris Davis.
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Speaker Andrea Jorgensen
Monday, February 28, 2022
Our speaker on February 28 was Andrea Jorgensen, Marketing & Communications Director for the Greater Green Bay Habitat for Humanity. Habitat's mission is seeking to put God's love into action. Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope.Greater Green Bay Habitat for Humanity was started in our community in 1987. In its 34 years, they've built 126 homes in Brown County, impacting over 200 adults and over 360 children. They will dedicate their 127th home to the Smith family this week Wednesday.
Greater Green Bay Habitat for Humanity operates two programs; their homeownership program and The ReStore. Through their homeownership program, Habitat builds homes and sells them to qualified applicants at no profit. A common misconception is that Habitat gives away homes for free, but that is not the case. Homeowners benefit from simple, decent, affordable housing, and the community benefits from an increase in tax revenue. ??The ReStore is a retail operation that collects and sells donated home goods and building materials. Profits from the ReStore are used to build homes in Brown County.
Habitat for Humanity has a great impact on our local community. Their homeowners pay $335,402 in property taxes each year, adding a total of $13 million to the tax base since 1987. Habitat spends $1.9 million annually with local suppliers and contractors. Since 2009, 10,317,527 pounds of material has been diverted from landfills.
Housing is central to ending the cycle of poverty and it can play a key role in positively influencing a family’s education, employment, and health opportunities. Habitat surveys their local families and has found that 97% of surveyed families reported feeling better about their children's future and 90% of surveyed families felt that their children are safe since moving into their habitat home.
For more information on the Greater Green Bay Habitat for Humanity, and to find ways to get involved, please visit their website.
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Speaker Emily Tyner
Monday, February 21, 2022
Our speaker on February 21 was Emily Tyner, Director of Freshwater Strategy at UW-Green Bay. Emily is currently leading an initiative to receive designation as a National Estuarine Research Reserve System, or NERR.NERR is a national network of 30 sites across the coastal US, including the Great Lakes, designed to protect and study estuaries and their coastal wetlands. The mission of the NERR System is, “To practice and promote stewardship of coasts and estuaries through innovative research, education, and training using a place-based system of protected areas.”
Green Bay is the world's largest freshwater estuary and the concept of siting a NERR in the Bay has been in discussion for some years. At the local level, a Green Bay NERR will offer a coordinating force to manage, restore, and protect the Green Bay ecosystem, with a programmatic focus on four sectors: research, education, stewardship, and training.
New National Estuarine Research Reserves are designated through a six step process that typically takes 4-6 years to complete. The first step was taken with a letter from the Governor’s office to NOAA on March 25, 2019. A response from NOAA was issued July 19, 2019, advancing the initiative and completing step one of designation. The Green Bay NERR is currently in step two of the designation process, the evaluation of potential sites. This stage includes broad-reaching public outreach and stakeholder engagement; establishing the criteria used to select a site; the determination of candidate sites; and the nomination of a final site to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Click here to learn more about this project and how you can get involved.
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Speaker Julie Cook
Sunday, February 20, 2022
Our speaker on February 14 was Julie Cook, Freshwater Fisheries Volunteer with the U.S. Peace Corps in Guatemala. In 2014, Rotary and the Peace Corps developed a global strategic partnership between our organizations. There is similar alignment between the goals of the Peace Corps and Rotary's areas of focus.
During her time in the Peace Corps, Julie was based near Escuintla, which is where our club is working on a water project with a local hospital. Julie worked with freshwater fish projects, building Tilapia ponds to help provide food for families. The goal of these ponds was to increase the consumption of protein, since most families' diet centered around corn tortillas. Outside of her agricultural work, Julie also helped with vaccinations and community health outreach.
To learn more about the Peace Corps, please visit their website.
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Public Image Committee
We are excited to build a Public Image Team for our club. This team will work to build our club's brand as "People of Action" and tell the story of who we are and what we do. This team will focus on internal communication amongst club members as well as external marketing to our community. If you are interested in being a part of this committee, please reach out to Kathryn Kroll (kathrynk@gbcc.me) or Nicole Virant (nvirant@greenbayhabitat.org).One way or another
Our very own Rotarian, Sarah Sugden, president nominee and executive director of the Brown County Library, was recently featured in Insight Magazine discussing reading proficiency rates, the changing role of public libraries, future plans for the library system, and more. Check out the article here!Welcome, Morgan!
We are excited to welcome Morgan Orlando to our club! Morgan was a Rotarian in the Cross Timbers Rotary Club in Texas and currently works in Business Development at IMA Select LLC. Please introduce yourself to Morgan at an upcoming club meeting and welcome her to our club!Sunshine Committee
Tom H. and Tom G. have joined together to form a Sunshine Committee for our club. This committee will respond to and acknowledge events in our club members' lives, sometimes happy ones and sometimes sad ones. They may send flowers or cards expressing sympathy, joy, and everything in-between. If you are aware of club members needing or deserving acknowledgment, or would like to join the committee, please reach out to them.Dentist Visit Becomes a Celebration
The amazing team at the Oral Health Partnership has helped a record 10,000 kids and counting this year have better oral health, less tooth pain, and more smiles! Our club, along with a dedicated group of community volunteers, helped form the Oral Health Partnership in 2005. Read the full story here.Salvation Army Bell Ringing
Thank you to our club members who volunteered to ring bells for The Salvation Army this past weekend! If you missed out, there's still time to sign up to ring on The Salvation Army's Register to Ring website. Donations to the red kettle stay local – directly impacting the lives of our neighbors by helping them in their time of need. When you ring the bell, you’re making change happen!Community Service Award
This quarter's Community Service Award recipients were Green Bay Police Department Evidence Technicians Nate Kolinski and Jean Rakers. Nate and Jean make up a cohesive team that is not only responsible for all evidence and property held at our main police department, but also manage a very large “off-site” facility that houses large items of evidence including vehicles and other items that require secure storage that cannot be accommodated at the police department.Evidence is a key aspect of the criminal justice system, and how that evidence is handled can make or break a case. In a typical case, a police officer or forensics technician will collect evidence at the crime scene. The technician analyzes the evidence, by testing an item for the presence of blood or other biologicals, collecting fingerprints, or verifying that a substance collected at the scene is, in fact, an illegal drug. The forensic technician must document any tests that were performed on the evidence. When they have finished testing the evidence, it is turned over to an evidence technician, Nate and/or Jean, who then stores the evidence until it is needed for another test or to be presented at trial.
The amount of evidence and property that Nate and Jean handle and manage on an annual basis is quite impressive. In a recent year (2020), the following numbers were documented and were solely the responsibility of the two evidence technicians:
- 9,055 Evidence items catalogued
- 8596 Evidence Items disposed
- 428 Firearms in inventory
- 20,360 Drug and Drug Related paraphernalia in evidence
- 64,000 Exhibits in total inventory
Read More
MLK Day of Service
Our club is participating in a pilot program with local Girl Scouts to collect items for formerly homeless people who are helped through the Ecumenical Partership for Housing on Martin Luther King Day weekend (January 13-15, 2023) MLK Day is a national day of service that honors the memory of the work of Dr. Martin Luther King and provides us all with an opportunity to give back to a cause that was important to him (homelessness). At this point, we are looking for Rotary members who personally have a connection with a local Girl Scout Troop and an interest in participating in this fantastic opportunity. The time commitment will be a couple of hours and will be work hour friendly. If this is you, please email or text club member Wendy Woodward (wwoodward@hotmail.com or 847-814-5168) to move this initiative forward. Advancing Women and other underrepresented people in Green Bay
Club members Toni Loch and Wendy Woodward are working to organize affinity group activities that advance and support women and other underrepresented people groups within the Green Bay workforce. If being a part of these activities interests you, please let Toni or Wendy know. They would love to have you join the fun!Holiday Card Project
Michael S. is coordinating a project to send Christmas and holiday greeting cards to nursing home residents at Woodside Lutheran Home. This can be a simple project if we all lend a hand!To participate in this project:
- Purchase holiday cards or use cards you have. You can make cards or ask your children or grandchildren to help bring joy to others.
- Please write a message in the card. Whatever you say will mean so much. Please sign your first name and Rotary Club of Green Bay.
- Please bring your cards to the OHP office: 1245 Main Street, no later than December 20th at 5 p.m. Or, bring your cards to one of our club meetings.
- Michael will deliver the cards to Woodside on December 21.
To make this even easier for everyone, Judy N. has put together a list of appropriate messages for the elderly that can be hand written in the cards to make them more personal.
- Wishing you a day filled with Love and Sunshine
- May your day be filled with all kinds of bright sunny things
- Just wanted to say Hello and tell you I’m thinking of you
- Sending cheerful thoughts to brighten your day
- Sending lots of hugs your way
- I’m sending thoughts and prayers your way today
- Just sending a note and a smile to you today
- Thinking of you and how special you are
- Peace and Joy to you and yours this Christmas season
Read More
Honoring K.C. Stock
K.C. Stock, 1999 Free Enterprise Award recipient, passed away on November 28th, 2022. K.C. was a strong, gentle man who loved the gift of life and business. He was a true entrepreneur. K.C. always believed in giving back to the community. One of his favorite sayings was, "You're only as good as the people you surround yourself with."In lieu of flowers, K.C. would be honored to have donations directed to one of his favorite charities: HSHS St. Vincent's Foundation. This provides Christmas presents to all the children in the Pediatric Oncology Unit. K.C. loved to do this and bring families a bit of joy and happiness during the holiday season. Our Rotary Foundation has made a donation in his honor.
You can read the full obituary here, or an article from the Press Gazette here.
Leadership Green Bay Speaking Team
Our speaker on August 15 was a team from Leadership Green Bay who received a grant from our club's Foundation. As their team project, they are renovating the program space for We All Rise, an African American resource center in downtown Green Bay. The vision of We All Rise is to create and help restore a vibrant African American community. Through uplifting, skill building, and intentionally targeting root causes of systemic oppression, they actively promote the healing of all. Click to learn more about We All Rise and Leadership Green Bay.Speaker Monica McClure
Sunday, August 14, 2022 By: Kathryn A KrollOur speaker on August 15 was Monica McClure, Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast WI. Monica discussed the great need their organization has for "bigs", especially men, as they have a large waiting list of "littles" looking for a match. Click here to learn more about BBBS and how you can get involved!Speaker Sarah Sugden
Our speaker on Monday, July 11 was Sarah Sugden, Executive Director of the Brown County Library. It was easy to see the passion Sarah has for her work, and our community is lucky to have her at the helm of our library system. Sarah gave us a behind the scenes look at all the library does in our community and gave us the inside scoop on upcoming library projects. Click here to learn more about the Brown County Library.Speaker Steve Dorosz
Our speaker on April 18 was Steve Dorosz, Director of Resource Development for NeighborWorks Green Bay. Since their founding in 1982, NeighborWorks has served Green Bay neighborhoods and the broader community with homeownership preparation services, down payment and closing cost assistance lending, community-interest real estate development, and other services.Over the years, they have educated and counseled 19,678 aspiring home buyers and existing homeowners and have helped 3,661 families achieve their dream of homeownership. They have renovated or built 440 homes and apartments and developed more than 50,000 square feet of nonprofit office, service, or retail space. In total, since their founding, through real estate development and homeownership services, they have leveraged modest resources into $537 million of investment in our community! To learn more about NeighborWorks Green Bay and how you can get involved, check out their website.
Read More
Speaker Lydia Davison
Our speaker on April 11 was Lydia Davison, Circles Recruitment Coordinator at Green Bay Community Church. Circles is an effective poverty reduction initiative that revolves around building intentional relationships across income lines. After 18 months, participants achieve an average 71% increase in their income.
Circles participants are called Circle Leaders because they lead themselves out of poverty. Each Circle Leader is matched with two Allies, middle-and upper-income volunteers who help Circle Leaders use their unique gifts and skills to reach their personal and financial goals.
Social capital is often the missing link between short-term relief and long-term stability. Many who live in poverty are hardworking and motivated, so when two Allies join them, advice is offered, social networks are shared, and the obstacles that keep people in poverty start to disappear.
There were great questions asked by Rotarians about poverty statistics. The Circles USA website is a great resource for stats on a National level. You can also check out Circles USA Impact Report for more statistics.
To learn more about Circles Green Bay and opportunities to get involved, check out their website.
Read More
Speaker Denise Misovec
Our speaker on April 4 was Denise Misovec, Vice President for Program Services at Curative Connections. For more than 70 years, Curative Connections has been there to help families, seniors, and people with disabilities find support and care due to aging, dementia, brain injury, or other disability.
They meet each person – no matter where they are in their journey – and help them navigate options that support their goals for independence. Allowing them to build skills while providing enriching opportunities for healthy aging.
Curative offers a proactive approach to care and a clear focus on individual needs. Where people are engaged in activities that help maintain their independence and improve and extend their quality of life, while doing things they enjoy and value.
To learn more about Curative Connections, and how you can get involved, please visit their website.
Read More
Speaker Sarah Griffiths
On Monday, March 28 we heard from Sarah Griffiths, Staff Attorney at LOTUS Legal Clinic. LOTUS Legal Clinic empowers survivors of sexual violence and trafficking. They provide direct, comprehensive legal services, advocacy and community education, and they invest in survivors as change agents.Sarah is a staff attorney based at LOTUS’s Fox Valley office at Reach Counseling in Neenah. Prior to joining LOTUS, Sarah worked in human services, higher education, and private law practice that focused on the immigration needs of vulnerable populations. A graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School and St. Norbert College, Sarah holds membership in the State Bar of Wisconsin and the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). She serves as secretary of the volunteer board of directors for Literacy Green Bay, a non-profit organization that supports adult learners in the community. Sarah is fluent in Spanish. In her free time, she loves spending time outdoors with her family and their dog, running, traveling, and trying new recipes.
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Classification Talks - DeJuan & Anthony
Sunday, March 27, 2022This week we got to learn a little more about two of our newest club members - DeJuan Plummer Jr. and Anthony Tremblay.DeJuan was born in Gary, Indiana. His goal is to have an impact on the healthcare industry. DeJuan is very empathetic and likes to relate to people and understand the source of who they are. He joined Rotary to build a network, join others who enjoy serving people, and create a brighter future for himself and others. DeJuan works to inspire people that it they want to change the world, it starts with yourself. He's currently readying The Man Who Tapped the Secrets of the Universe by Glenn Clark.
Anthony grew up going to Catholic school, where he learned respect from the nuns who taught him. He's currently in school full-time online taking 19 credits this semester. Anthony's currently developing brief, immediate surveys for the restaurant industry to solicit more relevant feedback. In his free time, he enjoys playing hockey with his brother. Anthony joined Rotary to connect with like-minded individuals that want to impact their community. He's currently reading How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.
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Speaker Mayor Boyd
Monday, March 14, 2022Our speaker on March 14 was City of De Pere Mayor, James Boyd. Mayor Boyd gave us the state of the city, with information and updates on the resiliency of the city throughout covid, the Mulva Family Cultural Center, Nelson Family Pavilion, significant business and residential growth, and of course discussion around the highly anticipated Southern Bridge project. Speaker Police Chief Chris Davis
Friday, March 11, 2022Our speaker on March 7th was City of Green Bay Police Chief Chris Davis. Chief Davis discussed his background, how he got into and why he has stayed in policing, and his vision for the Green Bay Police Department.Chief Davis has spent 28 years in policing and, prior to Green Bay, was the Deputy Chief in Portland, Oregon. Davis took a break from earning his Bachelors of Science in Justice Studies at Arizona State University to become a police officer with the university's Police Department.
Chief Davis has stayed in policing because of the value good police service can have. He illustrated this concept with a story of a man he arrested for drug possession who later told him "when you arrested me, you saved my life." After being arrested, the man went through recovery programing and became a successful photographer. Davis hopes we don't lose sight of the value of good police service, while still holding space for things the department needs to do differently.
Chief Davis' vision for the Green Bay Police Department is a department that works with our community to solve problems and address the root cause of those problems. Two major root causes Chief Davis identified were addiction and mental health. Davis was adamant that responsibility for this vision falls on everyone in our community. He envisions an organization that respects people and promotes and protects the rights of everyone in our community. Chief Davis wants to look in terms of what the department promotes, not what it prevents.
Davis believes we have the opportunity to set the example in Green Bay of how 21st century policing can be done. Davis and the department will always be looking for new and better ways to work, and the Chief acknowledged we have tremendous people to get the job done. It is important to Davis to take a restorative, corrective orientation to police misconduct and be intentional in how the department promotes the wellness of its employees so officers can be in the best head space possible to provide the best service.
Click here to learn more about Police Chief Chris Davis.
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Speaker Andrea Jorgensen
Monday, February 28, 2022Our speaker on February 28 was Andrea Jorgensen, Marketing & Communications Director for the Greater Green Bay Habitat for Humanity. Habitat's mission is seeking to put God's love into action. Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope.Greater Green Bay Habitat for Humanity was started in our community in 1987. In its 34 years, they've built 126 homes in Brown County, impacting over 200 adults and over 360 children. They will dedicate their 127th home to the Smith family this week Wednesday.
Greater Green Bay Habitat for Humanity operates two programs; their homeownership program and The ReStore. Through their homeownership program, Habitat builds homes and sells them to qualified applicants at no profit. A common misconception is that Habitat gives away homes for free, but that is not the case. Homeowners benefit from simple, decent, affordable housing, and the community benefits from an increase in tax revenue. ??The ReStore is a retail operation that collects and sells donated home goods and building materials. Profits from the ReStore are used to build homes in Brown County.
Habitat for Humanity has a great impact on our local community. Their homeowners pay $335,402 in property taxes each year, adding a total of $13 million to the tax base since 1987. Habitat spends $1.9 million annually with local suppliers and contractors. Since 2009, 10,317,527 pounds of material has been diverted from landfills.
Housing is central to ending the cycle of poverty and it can play a key role in positively influencing a family’s education, employment, and health opportunities. Habitat surveys their local families and has found that 97% of surveyed families reported feeling better about their children's future and 90% of surveyed families felt that their children are safe since moving into their habitat home.
For more information on the Greater Green Bay Habitat for Humanity, and to find ways to get involved, please visit their website.
Greater Green Bay Habitat for Humanity operates two programs; their homeownership program and The ReStore. Through their homeownership program, Habitat builds homes and sells them to qualified applicants at no profit. A common misconception is that Habitat gives away homes for free, but that is not the case. Homeowners benefit from simple, decent, affordable housing, and the community benefits from an increase in tax revenue. ??The ReStore is a retail operation that collects and sells donated home goods and building materials. Profits from the ReStore are used to build homes in Brown County.
Habitat for Humanity has a great impact on our local community. Their homeowners pay $335,402 in property taxes each year, adding a total of $13 million to the tax base since 1987. Habitat spends $1.9 million annually with local suppliers and contractors. Since 2009, 10,317,527 pounds of material has been diverted from landfills.
Housing is central to ending the cycle of poverty and it can play a key role in positively influencing a family’s education, employment, and health opportunities. Habitat surveys their local families and has found that 97% of surveyed families reported feeling better about their children's future and 90% of surveyed families felt that their children are safe since moving into their habitat home.
For more information on the Greater Green Bay Habitat for Humanity, and to find ways to get involved, please visit their website.
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Speaker Emily Tyner
Monday, February 21, 2022Our speaker on February 21 was Emily Tyner, Director of Freshwater Strategy at UW-Green Bay. Emily is currently leading an initiative to receive designation as a National Estuarine Research Reserve System, or NERR.NERR is a national network of 30 sites across the coastal US, including the Great Lakes, designed to protect and study estuaries and their coastal wetlands. The mission of the NERR System is, “To practice and promote stewardship of coasts and estuaries through innovative research, education, and training using a place-based system of protected areas.”
Green Bay is the world's largest freshwater estuary and the concept of siting a NERR in the Bay has been in discussion for some years. At the local level, a Green Bay NERR will offer a coordinating force to manage, restore, and protect the Green Bay ecosystem, with a programmatic focus on four sectors: research, education, stewardship, and training.
New National Estuarine Research Reserves are designated through a six step process that typically takes 4-6 years to complete. The first step was taken with a letter from the Governor’s office to NOAA on March 25, 2019. A response from NOAA was issued July 19, 2019, advancing the initiative and completing step one of designation. The Green Bay NERR is currently in step two of the designation process, the evaluation of potential sites. This stage includes broad-reaching public outreach and stakeholder engagement; establishing the criteria used to select a site; the determination of candidate sites; and the nomination of a final site to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Click here to learn more about this project and how you can get involved.
Green Bay is the world's largest freshwater estuary and the concept of siting a NERR in the Bay has been in discussion for some years. At the local level, a Green Bay NERR will offer a coordinating force to manage, restore, and protect the Green Bay ecosystem, with a programmatic focus on four sectors: research, education, stewardship, and training.
New National Estuarine Research Reserves are designated through a six step process that typically takes 4-6 years to complete. The first step was taken with a letter from the Governor’s office to NOAA on March 25, 2019. A response from NOAA was issued July 19, 2019, advancing the initiative and completing step one of designation. The Green Bay NERR is currently in step two of the designation process, the evaluation of potential sites. This stage includes broad-reaching public outreach and stakeholder engagement; establishing the criteria used to select a site; the determination of candidate sites; and the nomination of a final site to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Click here to learn more about this project and how you can get involved.
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Speaker Julie Cook
Sunday, February 20, 2022Our speaker on February 14 was Julie Cook, Freshwater Fisheries Volunteer with the U.S. Peace Corps in Guatemala. In 2014, Rotary and the Peace Corps developed a global strategic partnership between our organizations. There is similar alignment between the goals of the Peace Corps and Rotary's areas of focus.
During her time in the Peace Corps, Julie was based near Escuintla, which is where our club is working on a water project with a local hospital. Julie worked with freshwater fish projects, building Tilapia ponds to help provide food for families. The goal of these ponds was to increase the consumption of protein, since most families' diet centered around corn tortillas. Outside of her agricultural work, Julie also helped with vaccinations and community health outreach.
To learn more about the Peace Corps, please visit their website.
During her time in the Peace Corps, Julie was based near Escuintla, which is where our club is working on a water project with a local hospital. Julie worked with freshwater fish projects, building Tilapia ponds to help provide food for families. The goal of these ponds was to increase the consumption of protein, since most families' diet centered around corn tortillas. Outside of her agricultural work, Julie also helped with vaccinations and community health outreach.
To learn more about the Peace Corps, please visit their website.
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