Editor: Scott Vetter, Assistant Editor: Rosemary Parker
Announcements
Rotary All-Member Survey 2022: check your inbox for an email from Janet Jones/RI. It has a personalized link to the RI member survey. Your responses will help RI to make your membership experience even better.
Bytown Rotary’s car rally was held Sunday September 25, and our very own Jeff and Lisa won first prize!
October 24 is World Polio Day.
Indigenous Ally Day – October 8: Our District DEI and Indigenous Peoples Committee is proud to sponsor the district's first Indigenous Ally Day, Saturday, Oct. 8 with an online event from 10:00am to 11:30am EDT. Attendance is limited, so check out the event page and register today.
RCOS Salvation Army Kettle Day will be Saturday Dec 10 at Loblaws South Keys. Mark your calendar to volunteer and spend some quality time with other members.
Upcoming District Training:
- Saturday, Nov. 12 - Grants Management Training (French) in Montreal
- Monday, Nov. 14 - District Training Assembly - Guest Speaker Ronald Servant - "Heart Led Leadership" 7-8 pm on Zoom
- Saturday, Dec. 3 - Grants Management Training (English) in Cornwall
With no set agenda for our meeting today, members discussed ideas for our seasonal get-together and volunteer activities. With Thanksgiving approaching, we shared our thoughts of appreciation and what we are grateful for.
Speaking with a High School Social Worker
Lisa Barleben M.S.W., is a School Social Worker with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. She has spoken with us before about the Bridges Over Barriers program. Today she provided her perspective on how students are coping with the new school year as things start to "return to normal".
Her experience is that things are certainly not normal. Youth, and many families, are dealing with a high level of stress and anxiety. September is usually a time for school social workers to plan as issues don't start arising immediately. This year, September has presented as an ongoing state of emergency. It is the first time in her career that she has seen such an abundance of issues, including suicide assessments, high needs crisis, homelessness, major addiction, critical mental health, violence and reports of weapons... The beginning of a school year is a time when Lisa would often be counseling students on how to cope with anxiety or to maximize their learning potential, not dealing with life or death situations.
Lisa emphasized the importance of programs such as Bridges Over Barriers in times like this. It provides flexible and fast support that helps make a difference when confronted with an almost overwhelming need.
Amidst the dire cases and problems, Lisa sees daily evidence of youth, parents and school staff, fighting to improve and make a better "normal" for those at school.
There are ways we can help:
raise funds for school programs, such as Bridges Over Barriers
write to your MPP regarding youth social services, education, health
support youth in your life, even if that's simply talking to them and showing you care
.png)
