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April 17, 2007 No. 28 Vol. 85
Today’s Program:
Division 13 Meeting with Lt. Gov. Eddie Lee
Last Week at Kiwanis
Our speaker Tuesday
was Al Soto, the Center Director for The Louise Graham Regeneration
Center. The Louise Graham Regeneration Center is a 501 C (3) nonprofit
paper recycling center that provides employability and life skills
training to developmentally disabled adults. LGRC was founded by Louise
Graham, a St. Petersburg native and the daughter of a slave, who
observed that developmentally disabled adults were better served by
being taught basic living and job skills than by being coddled and
unchallenged. She began training a young man to stock shelves and found
him a job in a grocery store. Her work expanded to other developmentally
disabled adults and the Louise Graham Regeneration Center has now served
the developmentally disabled as an adult day training center for over
fifty years. The adults trained there work in the recycling arm of the
Center and draw a paycheck. The Center is located in the Midtown
redevelopment area of south St. Petersburg and employs community
residents in addition to the employment vocational training provided for
its developmentally disabled clients (referred to in the field as
consumers).
Al Soto, a
career-long social worker explained that after a stint in Viet Nam it
was important to him that he spends his life in meaningful work that
improved the world we live in. After years spent working with children,
the disabled and the elderly, Soto has found at the Center the right mix
of mission and social entrepreneurship (as a means of creating a
sustainable program). The disabled “consumers” in his program learn
personal hygiene, how to deposit a paycheck and cash checks, go on
recreational/social outings and participate in community service
efforts. They enjoy arts and crafts, computer and music classes and are
helped to develop appropriate social skills. In this way, and by
participating to whatever extent each is able in employment training and
employment, disabled adults lead richer, more fulfilled lives.
Mr. Soto described
the recycling end of the organization. Paper collectors drive to area
businesses and pick up every kind of office paper and cardboard, which
is then taken to the Center to be baled. The bales of paper are sent to
paper mills which are then recycled into toilet paper, tissues and
bathroom towels and sent back to the Center. The Center sells its
recycled products to city, county and state agencies and some area
businesses. The sale of the recycled products helps support the Center,
which is a non-profit organization. Soto said that consumers also sort
and bag items for businesses, like the key lime “Florida treats” company
he mentioned.
Soto said he used to
read social work journals, but now reads publications devoted to
recycling business issues and has learned to repair paper balers and
other machinery used at the Center.
Kiwanians interested
in speaking further to Al Soto about having paper picked up or in
purchasing paper goods for their companies can reach him at
asoto@louisegraham.org. Or
you can visit the Center’s website at www.louisegraham.org.
Guests and Visitors
We had only one
guest Tuesday, Mitch Cochran’s sister-in-law, Danna Klemner. Please join
us again!
Eggs-travaganza At
Sallie House
Our Kiwanis Club
chose as its One Day Event to host an Easter Eggs-travanganza for the
children of Sallie House on Saturday, April 10th. Sallie House is
operated by the Salvation Army providing shelter and care for children
ages 0-11 (most are 5-7) who have been removed from their homes because
of neglect or abuse or both and are being moved into the foster care
program. Cyndi Mulligan reported that eighteen children enjoyed a day of
crafts (making Easter bonnets, bunny masks or hand-print bouquets),
coloring or playing tag with adult volunteers, all culminating in an
Easter egg hunt on the Salvation Army playground. Many thanks to David
Neely, owner of the local Chick-fil-A, who provided Kids’ Meals and
sandwiches, chips and cookies and to Ed Stillo, DJ, who provided
kid-friendly music for the day. Volunteers included Angie Bosewell,
Debbie Deeb, Bruce McKelvey, Susan Doll, Jane Baldwin and her
boyfriend Dave Millard (as well as Jane's daughter Jennifer and
her friend Josh), Jeff Francis, Cynthia Mulligan and her
boyfriend, Joe Frisbie, Dennis Sitarevich, Patrick Kraujalis,
Cathy Swanson, her daughter Amy and her friend, Nicole.
Jack Collins
(who played like a ten-year-old most of the day!), Bob Piplitz
and his son, Joey, Richard Carpenter and his wife Robin,
Maryanne Lynch, and Dr. Ron O'Neal. Other volunteers
included Bob Piplitz' friend, Lorraine Dlugosz, Cyndi Mulligan's friend,
Theresa Jones and her two sons, Christian and Jeremy.
Cyndi (and all of
us) send special thanks to: Debbie Deeb for shopping, Angie
Boswell for putting together 18 Easter baskets and filling 180
plastic Easter eggs, Dr. Ron O'Neal for his help in securing
donations of entertainment and food, and Maryanne Lynch for
photographing the event.
Extra-special thanks
to: DJ Ed Stillo for providing gratis the musical entertainment, and,
David Neely of Chick-Fil-A for donating delicious food for
all of the children
and the adult volunteers ~
Thank you, Ed & David! Kiwanis Club members please remember their
gracious support of our event and consider them for future DJ or
catering needs (You can reach Ed Stillo at 546-4723 and Dave Neely’s
Chick-fil-A at 4241 4th St N) you may have in the future!
And The Rest Of The
News…
Scott Boyle
reminded us
about getting our nominations in that day; we’ll hear the results of
that in today’s meeting and Lorin Bridge reminded us once again
about the fun coming up at the Vinoy May 31st when we have
our golf tournament (it’s a scramble, so no need to stress!). Bob
Piplitz made a pitch for volunteers for Bluesfest, our last big
community service event before summer. Please sign up to help out on
Saturday through Monday, May 4th – May 6th. It’ll
be fun, it’ll be cool, it’ll be smooth.
What’s Happening?
Jim Fischer
Scholarship Birthday Bash
The annual Kiwanis
birthday bash to raise funds for scholarships is coming up on June 16th.
Mark your calendar and plan to attend. Many silent auction items are
needed so ask your vendors and the restaurants, hair salons, golf clubs
and florists you frequent to donate an item or gift certificate to help
us help children.
April Fast Facts
April is National
Poetry Month, among other things. Check out
www.poets.org.
Did you know? No
word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, and
purple.
TODAY’S QUIZ:
1.
Where did the term “cracker” – to describe poor whites in Florida and
Georgia – come from?
2.
What does the “O” mean when used as a prefix in Irish surnames?
3.
Which state is the only U.S. state to grow coffee?
4.
Which is saltier –
the Atlantic Ocean or the Pacific Ocean?
LAST WEEK’S QUIZ:
1.
About 41% of
our garbage is paper.
2.
Franklin D. Roosevelt was the
first president to speak on
television.
Roosevelt spoke at the opening session of the New York World's Fair on
April 30, 1939.
Who was the first
U.S. president to speak on TV and in what year?
3.
Since Hindus don't eat beef, Indian burgers
are 100 percent vegetarian. The McDonald's in New Delhi makes its
burgers out of potatoes, peas, and carrots, with a little Indian
spice thrown in.
4.
Bagpipes were originally made from sheepskin.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Eternal Wisdom,
source of life and grace,
bless all who are seeking
the meaning of life.
Endow them with courage
to risk the unknown.
Bless them with wonder
to be still and rejoice.
Anoint them with wisdom
to understand the potential
of their dreams.
Blessed is your name,
now and evermore. Amen.
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