After a brief pause for two weeks in March, the Rotary Club of Nepean-Kanata (RCNK) has come back to service via ZOOM online video meeting in early April. It is an absolute pleasure to see most members join in and find out that all are healthy and well including their family and friends. For most of us, it was a new experience to attend club meeting online from the comfort of our own house, nevertheless all were very excited and enthusiastic on what we as a club can do to help communities in need.
Below is the list of highlights.
A) We have all come to realize that there is a tremendous shortage of face masks, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and essential food and services in Food Bank at every communities. RCNK has quickly moved and donated $5,000 to Ottawa Food Bank this last week.
B) Bingo is one of the main fund-raising activities in our club that we do to fund the club’s various projects. Since bingo is temporarily closed for a month for obvious reasons and we do not know when it will open, a few members of the club have stepped up in donating their dinner money that we normally pay during our club meetings to the club. One member is donating a gym membership fee to the club while it is shut down. As our various ideas of raising funds for the club is up in the air due to COVID-19 isolation, we are brainstorming different ideas to raise funds.
C) Club members are doing some volunteer work at Caldwell Family Centre with their Food Bank program and they need more volunteers. Due to restriction in bulk buying essential food items at stores, they have distributing gift cards to the families in need.
D) The club has recognized that graduating high school students may have challenge in getting jobs during this social distancing which will impact for their college / university funding. Keeping this in mind, the club has approved funding for eight high school graduating students with bursaries, however, the club will not be hosting banquet.
E) Once the club has registered and signed up with ZOOM, we requested members to join via Facebook. It was such a pleasure to find out having Rotary members join in from New Zealand, Australia, St. Thomas, and Arizona. Online meeting has taken us beyond our club to share ideas.
F) The club has discussed the Ottawa Rotary Home’s request for sewing masks. Members are reaching out to see if anybody can help. A member of our club is capable of making protective gear and is reaching out.
G) During this physical distancing period, I have suggested that the Area Governor consider hosting the president council meeting online once a month at evening instead of in the morning.