Top marks to the Team that put together today's Regina Eastview meeting at the Regent Family Restaurant. Past President Jeff Barber handled the meeting officiating component of the Luncheon, while President Elect Jayna Amadasun served as the ZOOM Technology coordinator. The latter role allows those watching proceedings on their computers opportunity to appreciate our guest speaker, recognizing that watching served people eat is something one can easily miss.
Acting President Jeff Barber called the 19 people in attendance to order at 12:05. Before inviting the waitress to take our lunch orders, Jeff welcomed guests and members, and shared our Land Acknowledgement statement and drew attention to this expression aligns with Rotary's Mission, Vision and Values. Once orders were placed Jeff introduced our Guest Speaker, Evelyn Creda, who is Vice President of Impact and Partnerships at the Regina Food Bank.
From Evelyn we learned:
The Regina Food Bank has been operational for over 40 years which began as an emergency service;
The program has been growing at a rate of 20% year over year for some period of time;
People keep coming and asking for help, and this is both good and bad. The bad news is that people have to come because they are hungry. The good news is they are coming to us where they receive healthy food;
Sending children to school hungry and undernourished cannot be tolerated, so the Food Bank and its partners step up to address this challenge;
The Regina Food Bank feeds more people each year and they are able to do this because of the supportive community in which we live;
The Community leads this program, as there is no money provided by the government, and donations are stretched to fill in the gaps - $0.92 of each dollar donated goes to the cost of food, making this an effective efficient charity;
Volunteers are key to the ongoing operation of the Food Bank and are the back bone to the 23 Food Bank employees;
Partners give us food at cost - Food Bank is able to achieve 3 meals for $1.00;
A number of partners give "in-kind" donations, i.e. AGT Foods at cost; Viterra 100 lbs of lentils;
The Food Bank is creative in how they serve their clients, and will soon be growing their own produce through hydroponics;
The Downtown store front is a big deal to clients as they can come and pick what is appreciated and acceptable to their family. Staff are pleased to see the children’s excitement at being able to take home broccoli, ice cream and yogurt;
It has changed the way they serve their clients, believing themselves to be nimble and quick to change their approach;
There is a significant change in their demographic - 4 years ago they saw 500 clients per month, they are now seeing 4,000 clients a month;
Previous clients return to the Food Bank as volunteers and donors;
They are looking to partner with food preparation agencies;
Partners, donors, volunteers are a Community of good;
Consistent and ongoing work is to have clients move from need to self-assurance.
Evelyn closed her presentation by inviting questions. Her responses to some of these are is included in the above points. In response to, "What are the Food Bank's current challenges?" Evelyn thought the challenge is similar to what it has been from the beginning - How do we feed the increasing number of people in our community with consistent commitment to enhancing what we do to serve people in their time of need while encouraging and moving them to being self reliant.
Thank you, Evelyn, for your encouraging presentation, and the
important role you play in making Regina a place where no one is left behind.
Evelyn Cerda, Vice President of Impact and Partnerships
WATER IS LIFE:
The Transformative Power of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene
Hand washing with soap is one of the best ways to prevent disease transmission. Many rural communities in low-income countries lack access to soap or do not know how to use it properly. Rotary’s WASH initiatives aim to address this gap. That’s why we call it WASH – Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene together build healthier households and communities.
Access to clean water and proper hygiene ensure safer childbirth, reducing the risk of infections for newborns and mothers. In healthcare settings, WASH significantly lowers the chances of hospital-acquired infections, benefiting patients undergoing surgery or recovering from accidents.
For education, clean water and sanitation make a tremendous difference. Girls are more likely to stay in school when they have access to hygienic washrooms during their menstrual cycles. Female teachers also experience fewer absences when proper facilities are available.
Beyond personal well-being, water is crucial for economic growth. Many businesses rely on a clean water supply—whether for cooking, baking, or operating hydraulic equipment. In some regions, water shortages due to climate and environmental changes have led to conflicts over this valuable resource.
According to Stew Martin, WASH-RAG Technical Officer, Rotary investments in water, sanitation, and hygiene provide 4 to 10 times the economic return in the communities we serve. Providing WASH in clinics and hospitals saves millions of dollars spent treating avoidable illnesses – over US$120 million in Malawi alone, per the World Bank.
Today we were saddened to learn that Tokayoshi Ono, a former member of Regina Eastview, passed away in February. Takayoski was an appreciated member of our Club taking part in our activities and events, as they fit into his family activities where his Grandfather role was key;
Today was another occasion to appreciate the role The Rotary Foundation plays in the lives of members of Regina Eastview, as Acting President Jeff Barber presented Sam Berg with his Paul Harris Fellow (PHF) + 3 Pin;
Then it was Allen Hillsden's turn to be recognized, as Jeff Barber called on him and presented Allen with a PHF + 4 Pin;
Allen Hillsden was then spun around and Jeff presented him with a pin to recognize Allen's contribution to Rotary for 45 years of service through Rotary;
Congratulations, Sam, Allen, and your respective families, for demonstrating 'service above self' in so may ways;.
FELLOWSHIP HIGHLIGHTS
Regent Park Family Restaurant plus Rotarians
Dining at the Regent Park Family Restaurant, where the fellowship was great, the food was great, service was A1 and the conversations enlightening;
We were tempted by rumors of a door prize - and winner Peter Neufeldt went home smiling;
Ann Grahame had Saint Patrick's Day quiz, which participants took seriously to the extent of turning to Google for assistance and with this support correctly interpreting 13 of the 15 questions - coming in a close 2nd were the response from 2 other participants who were correct on 11 of the 15 questions;
We learned from Jeff Barber that some time ago, a grade 3 student in a classroom he visited, thought he was Donald Trump;
Enjoy Spring - Hope to see you next week at the Royal Regina.
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“Some people have food but no appetite; others have appetite, but no food; I have both. God be praised.”
Oliver Cromwell
Today's guests
We had 2 Guests at today's meeting, which included Guest Speaker Evelyn Cerda, Regina Food Bank; and, Greg Baca, Dignity Memorial Funeral Service, who recently relocated to Regina from Ottawa.
We almost recognized a member of the Regina Club, but the invitation was deemed out of order. The expectation being, members of the RC of Regina are not visitors at Eastview on the 3rd Thursday of the month, like Eastview members are not visitors at the Regina Club's meetings on the first Monday of each month. Thank you all for making this feel like a wonderful spring Rotary day.
Next Meeting Responsibilities
Remember it is a Fellowship Evening at Royal Regina Golf & Country Club for Indoor Golf and/or Appetizers and Beverages. There will also be the induction of new members - a meeting you do not want to miss.
Allen Hillsden (PHF +4) & Acting Pres., Jeff Barber
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