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, while we are under the Shelter In Place order, we are 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“
- October 2nd – Backpacks for Kids returns!
- October 14th – Sunrise Swednesday – Details to follow
Opportunities and More!
A lot of information came our way last Friday. We were encouraged to continue to donate to the Rotary District 5130 Disaster Relief Fund to help victims of the fires that continue to rage near us. Checks should be made payable to the Rotary District 5130 Disaster Relief Fund, and sent to District Treasurer (and Sunriser) Ashliegh Diehl at 1315 Fourth Street, Eureka, CA 95501.
President Maggie also told us that the local Red Cross is seeking volunteers to drive supplies to displaced individuals.
Although he wasn’t able to join last week’s meeting, we still gave Ed Christians a hearty round of applause – he volunteered to serve as the Webmaster for our website!
The Kevin Ebbert Memorial Trail Run will be held from September 12th through the 20th. No, you don’t have to run all that time, but you can go online (https://healthsport.com/kevin-ebbert-memorial-trail-run/), select a distance you want to run or walk, and make it happen when you can. All proceeds will go to the PacOut Green Team in Kevin’s name. Kevin was killed while serving our country in 2012. His mother, Charlie Jordan, has been an RCAS member for many years.
Alissa Pattinson was a guest last week, and she told us about the Open Door Community Gardens Program. President Maggie highlighted it as one of our “Doors of Opportunity”.
Past President AJ Gonzales will give an OLLI Brown Bag Presentation on October 19th from Noon to 1:30 pm. The talk will take place online, and here’s the link for more information: https://extended.humboldt.edu/event/financial-literacy-and-changing-technologies.
A Place for Elders (And Others)
The Featured Speaker at the RCAS Meeting on September 11, 2020 was Dr. Ann Lindsey. Dr. Lindsay practiced medicine in Humboldt County for many years before helping to develop the Coordinated Care Clinic at Stanford University. She is the Clinical Advisor to the Open Door Health System in Humboldt County.
Ann joined us to discuss a new venture – Life Care Humboldt. This is a concept that seeks to solve the number one housing problem in Humboldt County – elder care.
The organization hopes to build 150 independent living residences, 36 assisted living units, and 36 memory advanced nursing units.
Currently, she said, many elders are faced with the prospect of leaving the area for safe housing. Some alternatives include finding someone you trust to move in with you, or possibly a paid caregiver. However, at $15 to $30 per hour, 24-hour care can cost upwards of $14,400 per month. Stand-alone assisted living facilities or skilled nursing facilities cost between $3,000 to $10,000 per month.
The Life Care concept envisions a community that allows for independent living arrangements or assisted living. Ann noted that many people opt to move into life-plan communities when they are younger, so they have a chance to integrate into their surroundings, generating social connections and mutual support.
(Click here to view the video of the full meeting.)