After reviewing applications from more than two dozen local non-profit organizations, the Lewisville Noon Rotary Donations Committee last month approved $32,500 in grant funds to go to 25 charities serving Denton County. Committee chair Audrey Stansbury presented checks to representatives of three non-profits at last week's meeting, including Christian Community Action, Behind the Badge, and Cross Timbers YMCA. The club will be awarding grant funds to other recipient organizations at each meeting for the next several weeks. As Rotarians, we are proud and honored to be able to support these worthwhile charities through our fundraising efforts. By working together, we can make a tremendous impact to reach people in need in Denton County.

Registration is open and sponsors are needed for this year's Big Fore Charity Golf Tournament on May 4th. The tournament is the Lewisville Noon Rotary club's biggest fundraiser of the year, and all net proceeds go to support more than two dozen local non-profit organizations. You can help make this year's event a big success by sharing the information with friends and colleagues, and bringing in sponsors at any level. (Pro tip: Right mouse-click the image below to save it to your computer, then use it to post on social media along with the link.) For more information, please contact Karen Johns or Rich Muller, or click on the image below to go to the web page with more details.

 

Last week's program featured guest presenter Alicia Barker of Our Daily Bread (ODB), a local non-profit that helps the homeless find a pathway back into society. Working in collaboration with Monsignor King Outreach Center and other national and community service organizations, ODB provides food and shelter for people without a place to live, and helps them take the necessary steps to regain their independence.

 

“Denton is inundated with homeless,” Barker said. Some people are struggling with schizophrenia, addiction, and other mental health issues, she explained, whereas others are coming out of prison, an abusive home environment, or a domestic violence situation. Our Daily Bread was born in 2000 through a collaboration of area churches with the vision to feed the hungry and homeless in our community, and today operates the largest community kitchen and homeless shelter in North Texas. The non-profit serves more than 700 meals daily to the homeless and at-risk in Denton County, including breakfast and lunch six days a week at the St. Andrew Presbyterian Church community kitchen, as well as dinner at the shelter seven nights per week. In addition, ODB provides meals each weekday for guests in a transitional housing program located at a local motel.

 

Our Daily Bread currently is working with the city of Denton to move the emergency shelter, enhanced shelter, and community kitchen onto a single campus in a former nursing home facility. Said Barker, “We want to be able to put all our clients in the same building, so we don’t lose them.” The new campus also will have laundry and shower facilities and a medical clinic, as well as mental health counseling services. To learn more about Our Daily Bread, including volunteer opportunities, or to make a donation, visit ourdailybread.org.

Lewisville ISD recently announced the return of the Grand Ball, a fun-filled prom for special needs high school students. This year's event is scheduled for April 30th at Lewisville High School on Main Street and volunteers are needed to serve dinner to the students attending the event. (Dinner is generously donated by Chef Morris Salerno of Bistecca.) If you are interested, please contact Mary Jennings.  

 

A volunteer is also needed to help check in registrants from 1pm - 3pm at the club's blood drive at the Flower Mound YMCA on Wednesday, March 30th. If you are available to be a friendly face for those who have signed up to donate blood, please contact Dr. Michelle Martz. And if you'd like to help save a life, be sure to visit the Red Cross Blood Donation website and enter zip code 75028 to find the blood drive for March 30th and reserve a time between 9am - 3pm for an appointment Donating blood usually takes about an hour.

If you want credit for a make-up, contact LNR Membership chair Terry Russell to let him know when and where you attended another Rotary club meeting, or the date and service activity that you participated in to count as a make up. You have two weeks before and two weeks after a missed meeting to make up for your absence. Make-ups are a great way to meet Rotarians from other clubs and become more engaged with the outreach activities we do in the local community!