Volunteering at the Gathering Place is so rewarding and fun!

Starting in November the Gathering Place will go back to inperson meal service (guests will be invited in to eat).

• Time to volunteer is now 4:30-6:30 p.m.
• Masks are now optional.
• Please provide 5-6 volunteers on your assigned night if you are the only group to serve that night. If you are combined with other groups on your night provide 2-3 volunteers.
• Be adaptable. We are trying new ways of reducing the lines and crowd size as we are serving more people than we ever did before the pandemic. It might change as we get better at it and it might not look like it used to. 
• Volunteers should use their PIN to clock in/out on the iPad or sign in/out using the paper sheet. Pre-registration is still encouraged.
• We are allowing groups to bring deserts again! We are currently serving between 100 and 180 people per night. Once we get the flow and numbers routine, we will allow groups to bring meals. No group is required to do this, it is completely optional. Please let us know ahead of time if you plan to bring a dessert.
• Volunteers must be at least 12 years old. EACH volunteer under 18 years old must be accompanied by their own adult supervisor. While we love our youth volunteers, we can’t have an entire group of young people volunteering without adults.
• The Gathering Place is closed on the Friday after Thanksgiving (November 25) and Christmas Day (December 25). We are open on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.

Kelly Ross is from Lincoln, Nebraska, and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in Spanish. Since college, she has been working with refugees and immigrants in a variety of ways, as a caseworker, paralegal, citizenship instructor, and ESL instructor. Through her work, she has developed a passion for those new to the United States and insight into the unique barriers they face. In 2020, Kelly founded ECHO Collective as a way to empower New American women to achieve their entrepreneurial and artisanal dreams. After claiming to be a “cat person” for years, Kelly finds herself with two dogs that bring her so much joy. She also loves to read and watch trivia shows her with husband.

“A Pandemic’s Impact on Classroom Volunteering”

Junior Achievement of Lincoln reached its 50^th anniversary of continued growth in our community in 2021.  Yes, the year of hybrid learning when dedicated JA volunteers Zoom-ed into classrooms to talk about real-life experiences related to financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and workforce readiness skills.  Currently, JA reaches over 30,000 K-12 students annually in more than 1,400 classrooms thanks to 1,000+ volunteers including Rotarian Randy Bretz, who will immerse you in a first grade classroom and share his volunteer experience before introducing JA’s Vice President, Toni Rupe.  Tuesday’s presentation will be a surprising look into JA’s long-term partnership with Lincoln’s private and public schools and the not-so-surprising impact a pandemic had on volunteer involvement at a time when the need for adult mentors and role models could not be any greater for our youth.

Andrea Phillips is the coordinator for school social workers at Lincoln Public Schools. Before becoming a coordinator, she was a school social worker with LPS for ten years and prior to that she worked in a youth mental health program and ran a private practice. She has an undergraduate degree from UNL and a Master of Social Work degree from UNO. Andrea is a licensed mental health practitioner and the current board president of the National Association of Social Workers in Nebraska. Andrea understands the great importance of connections and supportive relationships for students. She will be speaking with us about the impact of the pandemic on mental health and how supportive relationships and mentoring make a difference.

Jim Hansen has been the Outreach Coordinator for Sandhills Global since 2019. At Sandhills Global, Jim oversees Sandhills philanthropic activities in the Lincoln community. Prior to coming to Sandhills, Jim was an educator and coach at Pius X high school, and still coaches football there, just completing his 36^th season. He is also the commissioner of Lincoln Babe Ruth baseball, on the boards of Lincoln Independent Business Association, the Southeast Nebraska Career Academy program, the Nebraska State Board of Work Force Development, the Lincoln Football Coaches Association, and the Lincoln/Lancaster County First Responders Foundation. He and his wife Teresa have four grown children and three grandchildren, and they love making Lincoln the great community it is!

Held at Nebraska Innovation Campus, you and your guests will enjoy a delicious brunch, bottomless mimosas and Bloody Marys, a silent auction, a raffle, and much more.

How can you participate in Rise.Shine.Give. and support HopeSpoke and the Rotary Club 14 Foundation?

• Become an event sponsor
• Donate an auction item
• Purchase a raffle ticket
• Make a financial contribution

A fourth-generation Nebraskan, born in Grant and raised in Imperial, Norman is a veteran journalist-turned copywriter-turned nonprofit professional. He’s the co-founder and executive director of Rabble Mill — a 501(c)3 nonprofit that provides alternative youth programming in Lincoln and Omaha. Under moonlight, he co-operates a talent management company called Ride Home MGMT, and an indie publishing company called Take it Home. He and his wife Angie live with their son, Townes, in Omaha’s Benson.

LAURIE FRASER
Laurie Fraser is the CEO of Doorstep Diner Catering and Country Sliced Ham and Cafe, but more importantly she is a Lincoln community member who believes in giving back. A resident since 1984 she's been active with Habitat for Humanity, March of Dimes, United Way and more. She joined Rotary to be in a group where her donations, paired with others, can do greater good. Laurie's head chef expressed an interest in raising money for relief efforts in Ukraine. After an inspiring presentation by Viktor Khanzhyn, Laurie knew the money had to be raised and what better way then to give Lincolnites a taste of Ukraine. Her head chef created meals and worked with Victor to perfect them, and they offered them for weekly family-style meals. All funds were donated to the International Rotary Foundation, earning Laurie her Paul Harris Fellow +1, but Laurie is quick to point out that all recognition truly resides with Chef Nestor and his inspiration.

Brett Neely
Brett moved to Lincoln in the summer of 2021 to join the UNL College of Business as an assistant professor in the management department.  He teaches organizational behavior and researches leadership and diversity in organizations, with a particular focus on understanding how leaders can promote positive outcomes of diversity and inclusion efforts in their organizations. He has been involved with Camp Kesem, a student-led organization serving families impacted by cancer, for several years and now serves as faculty advisor for the UNL chapter. Brett’s wife, Giorgia, also works in academia, and they have three pets: a golden doodle named Marko and two cats named Soleil and Bijou.

AMBER NORE
Amber C. Nore is the Community Relations Manager and Friend Fundraiser for Mosaic in Southeast Nebraska. She made a career change to the non-profit world in 2021 after many years as a highperformance business builder, talent developer and retail manager in the "for profit" world. Amber is the proud mom of a 24 year-old daughter named Chloe. Together, they participate in many performing and visual arts organizations/events. Amber lives in an art gallery in the Historic Haymarket District and loves to share the many wonderful things to do in #LNK. Amber's partner, Patrick Hargon, is the Director of Student Success for University of Nebraska Kearney. Amber is a volunteer Lasagna Chef for Lasagna Love and a book club leader for the Nebraska Girl Gang. Her band, Andy Pappas with Jukebox Gyro, released their debut album "Inside Voices" last year.

STEPHANIE STEARLEY

Stephanie is currently Vice President, Group Customer Connections – Administration & Licensing at Ameritas Life Insurance Corp.  She has been with Ameritas for 30 years.  She grew up in Hampton, NE, earned a Business Management degree from Bellevue University and holds several professional insurance designations.  She was a member of the Leadership Lincoln, Class XXX and is an active Junior Achievement Volunteer.  She is married to her husband, Mark Stearley and they have two daughters:  Skylar, a student at Pace University (New York City) and Makenna, a Senior at Southeast Highschool.

Jane Olson has dedicated her career to promoting international peace, justice and humanitarian work. She chaired the International Board of Trustees of Human Rights Watch, the largest US-based international human rights organization, from 2004 to 2010, having worked on behalf of HRW since 1988. She also chaired the board of Survivor Corps for 12 years since its founding as the Landmine Survivors Network. LSN and HRW were among the five organizations to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 for the International Landmine Ban Treaty.

Olson is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Science and a board member of both the National World War II Museum in New Orleans and Direct Relief, based in Santa Barbara, CA. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Pacific Council on International Policy. She served as co-chair of the Women’s Refugee Commission in New York and continues to support the WRC as a commissioner.

Olson has received numerous awards, including the 2010 inaugural Alison Des Forges Award from Human Rights Watch, and the inaugural Eleanor Roosevelt Award from Feminist Majority in 2005. California Senator Barbara Boxer presented the “Women Making History” Award to Jane in 2010. She received Public Counsel’s Community Achievement Award and the Silver Achievement Award from the Los Angeles YWCA. A 1964 graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communications, Jane is being honored this week as an Alumni Master.

• Click here for stories on how Rotarians are providing clean water and sanitation to those in need. https://rotaryserviceblog.org/tag/world-water-day/
• Click here to learn about and join the WASH Rotary Action Group, focused on clean water and sanitation projects. https://wash-rag.org/
• Click here to donate. Be sure to sign into your MyRotary.org account before completing your donation. Choose "Areas of Focus", "Water, Sanitation & Hygiene" to direct you donation for water projects. https://my.rotary.org/en/donate

Our Rotary District Conference is on March 31 and April 1. We are the proud home club of the incumbent District Governor Barb Bartle, and the district conference is the culminating activity of DG Barb's year. President John issued an Executive Order that for every 30 minutes at the District Conference, you get 1 attendance credit, or a potential of 28 attendance credits just for Saturday alone. If you register to start with Yo-Yo Ma concert, through Rotary's Got Talent, and Saturday, you do the math and you just secure your perfect Rotary Attendance/Perfect Engagement this year! Click here to register. 

For questions, please contact President John at John.Gessert@ubt.com.

Join us for the Dictionary Labeling Party! 
If you are new, this is a gathering of volunteers from 3 Lincoln Rotary clubs to place Rotary label stickers. in the front inside cover of almost 4,000 dictionaries.  Then we box them up in the quantities needed for each school and ship them off with the delivery volunteers.  The labeling party is also a great opportunity to come together with Lincoln South and Lincoln East for an evening of connecting, an opportunity to come together with Lincoln South and Lincoln East for an evening of connecting,  collaboration, and fun. We’ll be serving Valentino’s pizza!

Details: Tuesday, March 28, 5:30 p.m., Holy Trinity Church, 6001 A Street (east entrance). 
Sign up here:  Spring 2023 Dictionary Labeling Party
 
School delivery volunteers are still needed! Sign up here:  https://bit.ly/Rotary14-Dictionary

Hotel for event - The Scarlet, Lincoln - 2101 Transformation Drive - Lincoln, NE 68508
$139 Special Rate Wednesday March 29 through Monday April 3
Book by March 3, 2023 - Click Here to reserve your room at the special rate

What: Rotary After Hours
When: Tuesday, April 4, 2023, 5:00 PM. Doors open at 4:30 PM
Where: Lazlo's Brewery & Grill, 210 N 7th St, Lincoln, NE
Cost: $16 includes heavy hors d'oeuvres plus tea, coffee, and water. CASH BAR is available

Come and enjoy an evening with comedian and keynote speaker T. Marni Vos.

T. Marni Vos Biography

Rotary will not have a noon meeting on April 4.

Click here to register for April 4 Rotary After Hours with T. Marni Vos.

Voted “Artist of the Year” in Nebraska, this award winning speaker, former stand-up comedian and educator, now performs keynote speeches from New York to L.A. and every state in between. She has presented her inspiring, motivating and hilarious keynotes to over 10,000 people, in 46 states and Canada. She is a Master Speaker with a wealth of knowledge who is rich in experience and abundant in humor.

“I believe laughter is one of the graces granted to us all. It is a powerful tool that we were given the moment we took our first breath—because we would need it all our days.”—T. Marni Vos

T. Marni Vos became one of only seven women in 20 years to be one of the 5 finalists in the prestigious San Francisco International Standup Comedy Competition, where over 400 comics compete each year. She has performed on Life Time’s “Girls Night Out” as well as the Norwegian Cruise Lines.

Pre-registration for this event is required. Please register by visiting https://bit.ly/LNK14RotaryAfterHours. Tickets are $16 and include heavy hors d'oeuvres plus tea, coffee and water. A cash bar will also be available. This event will take place at Lazlo's Brewery & Grill in the Historic Haymarket.

Our efforts to support Habitat for Humanity continue this spring! With the support of a grant from Rotary District 5650, we have the opportunity to plant trees at two new Habitat homes in Lincoln on April 8th. We need five volunteers at each location to complete the plantings that morning. 

From the Rotary Club 14 Environmental Committee: Spring Roadside Cleanup

Heads-up! Our Rotary Roadside Spring Cleanup is Saturday, April 22nd, at 10 a.m.

Please sign up and provide your safety-vest size. 

NEBRASKAN OF THE YEAR