News and Updates
Lunches prepared for Greenville homeless by Rotarians
Residents at Community Crossroads Center were recipients of bagged lunches prepared by the Greenville Morning Rotary Club on Thursday.
Rotarians prepared sandwiches, sides, chips, desserts and water for the Greenville nonprofit on Manhattan Avenue. Community Crossroads serves the homeless and those at risk of homelessness by providing safe housing and assisting their development of a long-term plan leading to self-sufficiency.
In its 37th year, the center has maximum capacity of just under 100, serves 14,000 bed nights on annual average and benefits from the Pitt County community through donations, volunteers and awareness. Eighty percent of the annual budget is supplied by individuals, businesses and churches.
Rotarians prepared sandwiches, sides, chips, desserts and water for the Greenville nonprofit on Manhattan Avenue. Community Crossroads serves the homeless and those at risk of homelessness by providing safe housing and assisting their development of a long-term plan leading to self-sufficiency.
In its 37th year, the center has maximum capacity of just under 100, serves 14,000 bed nights on annual average and benefits from the Pitt County community through donations, volunteers and awareness. Eighty percent of the annual budget is supplied by individuals, businesses and churches.
More information, including how to get connected and helps as Rotarians did, is available at CommunityCrossroadsCenter.org.
More than half of the Morning Club’s roster participated in the project.
The Greenville Morning Rotary Club meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 7 a.m. at Egg Yolk, 610-A Red Banks Road in Greenville.
The club supports projects in Pitt County and internationally throughout the year. Those interested in joining can contact club President Chris Young at [email protected].
Caption:
Mary Vincent (right) works the sandwich line in the kitchen of Rosalie and John Hutchens, standing and seated respectively, helping prepare meals for Greenville’s homeless.
Alzheimer’s program manager shares message with Greenville Morning Rotary
Brooke Vallely, coastal program manager for the Eastern North Carolina Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, was guest speaker for the Greenville Morning Rotary Club No. 24258 of District 7720 on Thursday.
Vallely, graduate of East Carolina University and D.H. Conley High, shared warning signs for Alzheimer’s, community education programs and how the workplace is impacted.
Seven million Americans are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, with about 210,000 in North Carolina. Vallely shared information on the risk factors, in particular for women, Blacks and Hispanics.
Vallely, graduate of East Carolina University and D.H. Conley High, shared warning signs for Alzheimer’s, community education programs and how the workplace is impacted.
Seven million Americans are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, with about 210,000 in North Carolina. Vallely shared information on the risk factors, in particular for women, Blacks and Hispanics. She explained how hereditary concerns and confirmations have evolved. She also talked about the impact of lifestyles, environments and simply normal aging.
Vallely has a background in communications, working toward strategic management, community partnerships and marketing campaigns. She was presented a gift on behalf of Rotarians for sharing her time and knowledge with the group.
More information on Alzheimer’s is available at ALZ.org.
The Greenville Morning Rotary Club meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 7 a.m. at Egg Yolk, 610-A Red Banks Road in Greenville. All are welcome.
The club supports projects in Pitt County and internationally throughout the year. Those interested in joining can contact club President Chris Young at [email protected].
Caption:
Brooke Vallely of the Eastern North Carolina Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association shares information with the Greenville Morning Rotary Club on Thursday.
GMR welcomes district governor
District 7720 Governor Gene Foster stressed leadership continuity, public relations, and a willingness for adaptability in his address to the Greenville Morning Rotary Club No. 24258 on Thursday.
Foster, a Rotarian from New Bern, congratulated the club on its success dating to a charter on Jan. 12, 1987. Included are two past district governors, collaboration with other Rotarians and leadership representation at the district level.
Foster, a Rotarian from New Bern, congratulated the club on its success dating to a charter on Jan. 12, 1987. Included are two past district governors, collaboration with other Rotarians and leadership representation at the district level.
He talked about the mission of Rotary, its magic, and the message and goals of Rotary International President Stephanie Urchick.
Rotarians were reminded of inspiration, motivation, encouraged to make smooth transitions in leadership and to strengthen the club.
“The magic of Rotary is what happens in this room, at the club level,” Foster said.
He echoed Urchick in saying to focus on the club experience, finding a way to improve, fostering a spirit of innovation and honoring the Morning Club’s traditions. The goals from the president and governor are to increase impact, enhance emerging leaders and to adapt without fear to change.
Foster’s district governor project in 2024-25 will be focused on stopping human trafficking and women’s health.
In addition to Foster, the club welcomed as a guest Jack Brueckner, the assistant district governor and member of the Greenville Noon club.
The Greenville Morning Rotary Club meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 7 a.m. at Egg Yolk, 610-A Red Banks Road in Greenville. All are welcome.
The club supports projects in Pitt County and internationally throughout the year. Those interested in joining can contact club President Chris Young at [email protected].
Caption:
District 7720 Governor Gene Foster, right, addresses the Greenville Morning Club No. 24258 on Thursday at Egg Yolk on Red Banks Road.
Scholarship winners visit Greenville Morning Rotary
Babacar Niass and Caleb Spruill, spring recipients of the Greenville Morning Rotary Club Scholarships for 2024, were featured guests and addressed the club on Thursday at the Egg Yolk Cafe.
The East Carolina University students by way of Pitt Community College shared their stories of transition from high school to college, with a hint on what they know now regarding future plans. They also gave a hearty thank-you to the members for their fiscal support.
The East Carolina University students by way of Pitt Community College shared their stories of transition from high school to college, with a hint on what they know now regarding future plans. They also gave a hearty thank-you to the members for their fiscal support.
Niass left Pitt with an associate’s degree in engineering and science. He plans a career as a mechanical engineer. Spruill completed his associate’s degree in science and is pursuing a biology and public health major at ECU.
The Morning Club’s scholarship focuses on “a student’s commitment to service, and their prioritization of personal growth for themselves and those around them.” It is awarded to a Pitt Community student who will matriculate to a four-year college in 2024 in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree. Applications and selection each happen in the spring.
In addition to the two students, the club welcomed as guests a couple of Greenville Rotarians – Jack Brueckner, the assistant district governor and member of the Greenville Noon club, and Bill Myers from the Greenville Evening club.
The Greenville Morning Rotary Club meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 7 a.m. at Egg Yolk, 610-A Red Banks Road in Greenville.
The club supports projects in Pitt County and internationally throughout the year. Those interested in joining can contact club President Chris Young at [email protected].
Caption:
Babacar Niass (left) and Caleb Spruill brought the guest messages to the Greenville Morning Rotary Club on Thursday at the Egg Yolk Cafe.
Two from GMR graduate from Rotary Leadership Institute
Keisha Gray and Alan Wooten, board members of the Greenville Morning Rotary Club No. 24258 in District 7720, graduated Saturday with completion of the third of three parts in the Mid-Atlantic Rotary Leadership Institute.
Held in Trent Woods at the Garber Methodist Church with all three parts offered, they were joined by three others from the Greenville Evening Club at RLI.
RLI is a grass roots, multi-district leadership and Rotary development program using facilitation and activity-based learning in a small group setting.
Held in Trent Woods at the Garber Methodist Church with all three parts offered, they were joined by three others from the Greenville Evening Club at RLI.
RLI is a grass roots, multi-district leadership and Rotary development program using facilitation and activity-based learning in a small group setting. It is not an official program of Rotary International or under its control. The mission is to help Rotarians find their passion through Rotary, and to engage them to make their clubs stronger.
The Morning Club duo were with others from throughout the Mid-Atlantic RLI includes Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia, West Virginia, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
Part I takes participants through sessions on “The Rotary Club Member,” Part II is “The Club,” and Part III is “My Rotary Journey.”
The Greenville Morning Rotary Club this year meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 7 a.m. at Egg Yolk, 610-A Red Banks Road, in Greenville.
The club supports projects in Pitt County and internationally throughout the year. Those interested in joining can contact club President Chris Young at [email protected].
Caption:
Keisha Gray (left) and Alan Wooten became graduates of Rotary Leadership Institute in Trent Woods at the Garber Methodist Church.
Young succeeds Baldwin leading GMR
Chris Young, instructor in the paralegal faculty at Pitt Community College, was installed as president for fiscal year 2024-25 of the Greenville Morning Rotary Club No. 24258 in District 7720.
Young succeeds Shea Baldwin, president the past two years who led the club through and out of the challenging COVID-19 era. Bill Little, past club president now a part of the Swansboro Rotary Club, gave meaningful words of wisdom as installing officer.
Jack Brueckner, assistant district governor overseeing Area 6, was special guest and provided encouraging words to the group.
The ceremony included the formal installation of the Board of Directors: Baldwin is the immediate past president, Alan Wooten president-elect, Robin Mitchell treasurer, Vickie Ogden secretary, Pamela Baldwin sergeant-at-arms and Mary Vincent member of the board. Anita Tyre will also serve as a sergeant-at-arms.
Baldwin was honored with a plaque and passed the gavel to Young.
Abby Schwartz, Keisha Gray and Wooten were recognized as members who joined, or transferred in, and remain with the club in the past year.
The club does not meet formally in July and August and resumes meetings on the second and fourth Thursdays in September.
The club supports projects in Pitt County and internationally throughout the year. Those interested in getting more information to work alongside in projects, or to become a member, can contact Young at [email protected] or Wooten at [email protected].
Caption:
Seated and ceremonially passing the president’s gavel for Greenville Morning Rotary Club 24258 are Shea Baldwin to Chris Young. Others recognized and installed on June 27 were (back, from left) Alan Wooten, Mary Vincent, Abby Schwartz, Robin Mitchell, Vickie Ogden and Pamela Baldwin.
Niass, Spruill awarded GMR scholarships
Babacar Niass and Caleb Spruill have been awarded Greenville Morning Rotary Club Scholarships for 2024.
Each has been a student at Pitt Community College and will continue their higher education at East Carolina University.
Spruill this spring completed his associate’s degree in science and will pursue a biology and public health major at ECU. He plans to become a physician and work in a specialty allowing him to perform complex procedures and form long-term patient relationships.
The Morning Club’s scholarship focuses on “a student’s commitment to service, and their prioritization of personal growth for themselves and those around them.” It is awarded to a Pitt Community student who will matriculate to a four-year college in 2024 in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree. Applications and selection each happen in the spring.
Niass is an alumnus and ambassador of the Youth Exchange and Study program and has given much time to volunteer work and community service. Spruill has been involved with the local food bank, Health Sciences Academy and an internship at ECU Health Medical Center.
The Greenville Morning Rotary Club meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 7 a.m. on the campus of Pitt Community College, in the conference room adjacent to the Bulldog Café and Registrar’s Office in the Goess Student Center off Reedy Branch Road.
The club supports projects in Pitt County and internationally throughout the year. Those interested in joining can contact club President Shea Baldwin at [email protected].
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Caption: Niass (left), Spruill (right)
Tedi Bear outreach helped by GMR
Children helped by the Tedi Bear Children’s Advocacy Center in the Brody School of Medicine were gifted teddy bears and Play-Doh by the Greenville Morning Rotary Club No. 24258 in District 7720.
Kia Glosson, training specialist and community educator with the outreach program, accepted on behalf of Tedi Bear following a presentation to the club on Thursday. The center is a partnership between the Department of Pediatrics at Brody at East Carolina University and the James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital at ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville.
Tedi Bear serves 16 counties in eastern North Carolina and has a multi-disciplinary team in eight.
“We hope it’s a place of communication between DSS and law enforcement,” Glosson said, referring to the Department of Social Services. “Tedi Bear tries to be a neutral place.”
The center is one of more than 900 nationwide, and more than 30 in North Carolina. Glosson said about 700 to 800 children are seen each year. She said 1 in 10 children experience sexual abuse by age 18, yet the average age to tell someone is 55. Ninety percent are known to family.
The top two sources for reporting are educators and medical providers.
The Greenville Morning Rotary Club meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 7 a.m. on the campus of Pitt Community College, in the conference room adjacent to the Bulldog Café and Registrar’s Office in the Goess Student Center off Reedy Branch Road.
The club supports projects in Pitt County and internationally throughout the year. Those interested in joining can contact club President Shea Baldwin at [email protected].
Graduating Baldwin, three others from GMR at RLI
Shea Baldwin, president of the Greenville Morning Rotary Club No. 24258 in District 7720, graduated Saturday with completion of the third of three parts in the Mid-Atlantic Rotary Leadership Institute.
Held in the Russell Building on the campus of Pitt Community College with all three parts offered, he was joined by three others from his club at RLI. Keisha Gray and Alan Wooten completed the second part, and President-Elect Chris Young the first part.
The Morning Club quartet were with others from throughout the northeastern North Carolina district, and a Rotarian from Greensboro in District 7690. The Mid-Atlantic RLI includes Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia, West Virginia, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
Part I takes participants through sessions on “The Rotary Club Member,” Part II is “The Club,” and Part III is “My Rotary Journey.”
The Greenville Morning Rotary Club meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 7 a.m. on the campus of Pitt Community College, in the conference room adjacent to the Bulldog Café and Registrar’s Office in the Goess Student Center off Reedy Branch Road.
The club supports projects in Pitt County and internationally throughout the year. Those interested in joining can contact club President Shea Baldwin at [email protected].
Two from GMR at RLI on Outer Banks
Keisha Gray and Alan Wooten, members of the morning Greenville Rotary Club No. 24258 in District 7720, attended Mid-Atlantic Rotary Leadership Institute in Kill Devil Hills on April 27.
RLI is a grass roots, multi-district leadership and Rotary development program using facilitation and activity-based learning in a small group setting. Gray and Wooten were with other Rotarians from the Manteo, First Flight and Kitty Hawk clubs at the Beachside Bistro in Sea Ranch Resort. They completed Part I of the three-part coursework, which centered on the basics of being a Rotarian.
The morning Greenville Rotary Club No. 24258 in District 7720 meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 7 a.m. on the campus of Pitt Community College, in the conference room adjacent to the Bulldog Café and Registrar’s Office in the Goess Student Center off Reedy Branch Road.
The club supports projects in Pitt County and internationally throughout the year. Those interested in joining can contact club President Shea Baldwin at [email protected].
Extension director for horticulture visits GMR
How the North Carolina Cooperative Extension in Pitt County helps agriculture, food, youth development, and educational programs was explained by Matt Stevens at a recent meeting of the morning Greenville Rotary Club No. 24258 in District 7720.
Stevens, the county’s extension director for horticulture, explained just what the cooperative extension is and means to residents. It takes information developed at the two land grant universities, N.C. State and N.C. A&T, and shares it with the community.
Master gardeners, Steve said, work with horticulture and share what they’ve learned. This allows Stevens to reach even more people through them. About 70 are in the county, with a primary role to educate home gardeners.
The morning Greenville Rotary Club No. 24258 in District 7720 meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 7 a.m. on the campus of Pitt Community College, in the conference room adjacent to the Bulldog Café and Registrar’s Office in the Goess Student Center off Reedy Branch Road.
The club supports projects in Pitt County and internationally throughout the year. Those interested in joining can contact club President Shea Baldwin at [email protected].
Sickle cell disease information shared with GMR
Awareness and information about the chronic and painful impact of sickle cell disease was recently shared by Asiya Khaatoon and Mac Bell to the morning Greenville Rotary Club No. 24258 in District 7720.
Khaatoon, sickle cell account manager for the American Red Cross Eastern NC Region out of Greenville, shared personal testimony for how sickle cell has been handled in her family. Bell, account manager for the Donor Recruitment Department in the Eastern NC Region, offered insights on blood donation drives.
Nonsurgical blood transfusions are the most effective treatment for a disease with no cure.
Khaatoon and Bell encouraged blood donations, and shared information on how the Red Cross can partner with groups to make it a fundraiser.
The morning Greenville Rotary Club No. 24258 in District 7720 meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 7 a.m. on the campus of Pitt Community College, in the conference room adjacent to the Bulldog Café and Registrar’s Office in the Goess Student Center off Reedy Branch Road.
The club supports projects in Pitt County and internationally throughout the year. Those interested in joining can contact club President Shea Baldwin at [email protected].
Greenville Morning Rotary partners with Saving Graces to help place animals
The Greenville Morning Rotary Club recently completed a project to support Saving Graces 4 Felines in their mission to find loving homes for as many animals in need as possible in Greenville and the surrounding area.
Saving Graces 4 Felines is a non-profit organization serving Greenville and the surrounding areas formed to help stray, abandoned, and feral cats. They provide trapping and spay/neutering services for community cats and seek to find loving homes whenever possible. Those animals that are identified as possible candidates for adoption are housed in foster homes where they learn to become integral members of human families. While in foster care, their medical and emotional needs are tended to as they prepare to find their forever homes.The Greenville Morning Rotary Club recognizes the importance of the work that Saving Graces is doing, not just for the welfare of these animals in need but also for the mental health benefits to families who expand with their new, furry members! The club provided some helpful new equipment and funding for Saving Graces' work, along with some funding toward the continual spay and neuter costs. We also built some customized cat furniture for the foster animals to carry with them on their journies.
Dr. Vivian Mott shares insights on the Rotary Foundation
The morning Greenville Rotary Club No. 24258 in District 7720 welcomed Dr. Vivian Mott and received a presentation on the Rotary Foundation at its most recent meeting Thursday.
Mott and Mary Vincent shared information on the Foundation and how the impact is delivered in Pitt County and around the world. Mott, retired from East Carolina University, has been a member of Greenville’s noon club since 1994 and in Tennessee was the first female Rotarian in 1987.
She served as district governor in 2008-09.
Mott shared the pioneering story from Tennessee. On several occasions, she said her pin for the “service above self” themed organization has led to conversations, visits and projects with fellow Rotarians.
“Rotary has a way of drawing people together,” she said.
Mott engaged the group discussing past projects by the Morning Club, and how district grant money is beneficial to the community. She also shared a Rotary success story she came upon, a ground water well built several years before in Africa, while traveling abroad on an academic trip.
Greenville’s Morning Rotary Club meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 7 a.m. on the campus of Pitt Community College, in the conference room adjacent to the Bulldog Café and Registrar’s Office in the Goess Student Center off Reedy Branch Road.
The club supports projects in Pitt County and internationally throughout the year.
Those interested in joining can contact club President Shea Baldwin at [email protected].