Welcome to the Sunrise Spirit –
the Weekly Newsletter of The Rotary Club of Arcata Sunrise
We hope that you will attend one of our lively Friday meetings,
whether or not you are interested in joining Rotary.
Usually, we meet on most Fridays at 7 am in the Plaza View Room
at Arcata’s historic Jacoby Storehouse,
however, due to the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are again meeting online.
Please visit the RCAS Website for the meeting links.
Rotary Vision:
Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change
– across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.
The Calendar …
RISE: “Rotary Involvement Strengthens Everyone“
- September 12 – Out of the Darkness Community Walk to raise Suicide Awareness
- November 11-14 – The Zone Institute, tentatively scheduled for Tuscon, Arizona
- October 8, 2021 – The North Coast Ethics in Business Awards
- June 4-8, 2022 – The 2022 Rotary International Convention in Houston, Texas.
- The Sunrise Scramble has been postponed for now …
For Openers …
We congratulated “Grandpa” Cam Appleton, honoring the latest addition to the family – Fallon! And although he was off fishing, we recognized Craig Newman for being a member of the 14-Gallon Club, which means that he has donated that much blood to the Northern California Community Blood Bank!
We also learned that Lisa and Chris Hemphill recently visited their grandchild, and Jeff Stebbins helped his daughter Adora settle in for her first year at UC Berkeley. Karen Burgesser told us that she had the chance to see her mother and her sisters in person for the first time in two years! And Charlie Jordan announced that Kinetic Koffee has opened a retail location in the HSU Depot.
Susan Diehl-McCarthy told us that she is participating in an effort to encourage more people to get vaccinated, and she said that they will be creating PSAs for both TV and radio.
President Ian checked in with us to see how we are faring with his Presidential Challenges – to join a Rotarian Fellowship, to shop local and BIPOC businesses, and to become the first Club in our District to be 100% vaccinated against COVID-19.
Steve McHaney reported that he has joined (or at least made a donation to) the International Travel and Hosting Fellowship. There is a home share component that really appeals to him.
Romi Hitchcock Tinseth joined the LGBT+ Fellowship in support of members of her family.
Romi also reported that she made a point to visit the thrift store in Sunny Brae that is a BIPOC business, and Maggie Kraft reported that she has stopped buying cat food and vitamins online, opting instead to purchase those items locally.
President Ian reported that it has been more than six months since the last wild polio case was reported. We really are “this close”!
Arcata House Partnership
Darleen Spoor is the Executive Director of the Arcata House Partnership, and she was our Featured Speaker. Darleen has been with Arcata House since 2016, and she said that she is proud of her organization, especially her staff. The Partnership provides services to people who are homeless in Arcata and throughout Humboldt County, including offering shelter, meals and snacks, and case management services.
Darleen told us that in 2020, Arcata House had a difficult time keeping up with the needs of the folks they serve due to the obstacles created by the pandemic. However, she said that “in 2021, it seems like more people need [our help] than ever.” The organization helped 339 people in the first six months of this year, but not all were homeless – some were experiencing housing insecurity. The Partnership offers rental and mortgage support to help keep people from becoming homeless. Despite their efforts, Darleen notes that there are “more homeless on the streets than ever before”. Unfortunately, various restrictions mandated in the wake of the COVID pandemic have made it more difficult to offer shelter to homeless people. She did note that there is a low rate of COVID transmission among homeless populations, which may be due to the fact that they are not generally in confined areas.
Darleen said that she is grateful for the support and cooperation they receive their partners – medical providers, law enforcement, and people who donate coffee and food.
The Arcata House Partnership is celebrating its 30 years of service to our community with an online celebration, which will take place Thursday, August 19th, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm. The even will be streamed on Facebook and on Access Humboldt Cable Channel 12. There will be discussions with the founders, service recipients, and volunteers, among others. For a link to the group’s Facebook page, click on the Arcata House Partnership logo below the video clip.
President Ian’s Closing Haiku …
Look beyond yourself
Help people transform their lives
We reap what we sow