Attendance

Members in attendance included Aubree Hanks, Bill Dunnington, Dana Fager, Dave Reed, Dr. Steven Salinger, Dr. Steve Salerno, Elizabeth Grabe, Gary Tree, Heidi Kopras, Melissa Lease, Paul Christiansen, Peggy Zalucha, Sarah Straka, and Susan Smith. Guests included Joan Laundy, director of the Mount Horeb Senior Center; Shawn, activities coordinator at Ingleside; Julia Straka; and Lorelei Lawry.

Ed Futa Event: Reminder

If you signed up for the Ed Futa event last week, please submit your $30 to Peggy or Keith via check or cash.

Announcements and Rotary Business

President Grabe also discussed the importance of being able to clearly explain Rotary's purpose when talking with people in the community.

The Rotary Object was highlighted as a useful framework for describing what Rotary does. Its four elements emphasize building friendships and relationships that enable service, maintaining high ethical standards and respect for all occupations, applying the ideal of service in personal, business, and community life, and working toward international peace and goodwill through Rotary's global network. The intent is to incorporate reminders such as these into future agendas, so members have stronger talking points when discussing Rotary's mission and activities in the community.

Happy Bucks

Sarah Straka contributed a Happy Buck to celebrate Julia Straka and Lorelei Lawry joining the meeting as student Rotarians and to recognize their involvement in Interact.

Dave Reed shared that his daughter recently accepted a position with Milwaukee Tool. He was particularly excited to learn about the company's employee discount and the family benefits that come with it.

Bill Dunnington reflected on a reminder he had recently received that competence, ambition, humor, humility, and kindness can all exist together in the same person.

Peggy Zalucha shared that those who attended the Ed Futa event had a wonderful time. She found the event inspirational and enjoyed meeting members of the other Rotary clubs. There was enthusiasm about finding more opportunities for the clubs to work together.

Susan Smith was happy to have finished her last quart of pickles for the season and joked that she does not want to see another cucumber until 2027.

Gary Tree shared that a former client had given him fresh tomatoes from their garden. He celebrated the simple pleasures of summer, particularly enjoying fresh tomatoes in BLTs. Gary also raised the need to finish the Rotary fence project and encouraged members to help with the next phase of the work.

Fence Project

The Rotary fence project needs to be completed before Labor Day weekend. The next step is to remove the existing top boards and install the new boards. Gary has already removed several boards and determined that the work is manageable but somewhat labor intensive because of the nails and screws.

Members were invited to help on Saturday (8/29) at 1:00 p.m. The group could use up to four people, with some working on removing the old boards and others installing the new ones. Gary and Dave will bring the necessary tools and ladders, including a saw. Volunteers should bring gloves and safety glasses. Jessica has also offered to help with staining once the new boards are installed. The goal is to complete the project so that the fence can be stained and finished before Labor Day weekend.

Interact Students

Julia Straka introduced herself as the Vice President of Club Interact and described her involvement in Letters of Love, a national nonprofit organization. The group meets monthly to create cards for children receiving medical care. The cards are distributed to hospitals, including hospitals in Minnesota. Julia is also involved in cross country, basketball, track, school activities, and work with the school district and Miller's.

Lorelei Lawry, president of the Interact Club, also introduced herself. She is involved in Green Team, student council, band, the band board, choir, the choir board, school musicals, and competitive dance. She has a very active schedule and participates in dance competitions and conventions throughout the year.

The Rotary Club welcomed both students and expressed appreciation for their involvement in the community.

Welcome to Shawn from Ingleside

The club welcomed Shawn, the activities coordinator at Ingleside. Shawn was recognized for the work being done to support activities and community engagement at Ingleside.

Guest Speaker: Joan Laundy, Mount Horeb Senior Center Director

Joan Laundy was introduced as the new director of the Mount Horeb Senior Center. Joan was born and raised in Mount Horeb and attended college in Eau Claire, where she initially studied accounting before moving into social work. Her career in social work has focused primarily on seniors. She has worked in case management in Madison and Dane County and previously worked at Ingleside.

Joan began working at Ingleside in November 2020, during the height of the pandemic. As the pandemic took a significant toll on health care workers, she moved into a human resources leadership role in early 2022. She explained that she wanted to support the staff more directly and help ensure they had what they needed to provide quality care to residents.

When the opportunity to become director of the Mount Horeb Senior Center became available, Joan was excited to return to serving the Mount Horeb community in a new capacity. She took over from Lynn Forstock, who had served in the role for many years. Joan acknowledged that stepping into a position after someone who had built relationships in the community over such a long period presents challenges, but she is enjoying getting to know the seniors and the broader community.

Joan lives on a farm outside Mount Horeb with her significant other and her son, who is in fifth grade. She joked that she is relatively new to farm life but is enjoying it.

Senior Center Activities and Programs

Joan described the wide range of activities available at the Senior Center. Bingo is the largest event each month. The upcoming bingo event will have a special end-of-summer theme, with local police officers participating, Culver's donating custard, and new Village Administrator Gabe calling the bingo numbers.

The Senior Center has also recently added Coffee and Chat on Fridays, providing seniors with an informal opportunity to meet, socialize, and enjoy coffee together. A monthly movie matinee has also been introduced. The first event included popcorn, candy, refreshments, and a theater-style setup, and it was very well received.

The center serves adults age 60 and older and is actively trying to attract a younger group of seniors. Activities include euchre and table tennis. Joan noted that the table tennis group has become particularly lively and well attended.

Joan emphasized that she is open to suggestions and feedback about activities and programs that seniors would like to see offered in the community.

Thanksgiving Meal Partnership

The Rotary Club discussed its annual Thanksgiving meal delivery effort. Rotary plans to participate again this year in partnership with the community organizations involved in the program.

Joan will help coordinate the list of seniors and others who should receive Thanksgiving meals. Rotary members will then handle the delivery portion of the effort. The group agreed that this division of responsibilities should work well and will help ensure that the program reaches people who need it.

Community Building and Recreation Department

Joan explained that the building housing the Senior Center is now the community building. The Senior Center is located upstairs, while the Recreation Department is downstairs. The two departments share the space and work together on programming.

The center and Recreation Department coordinate schedules so that programs can operate smoothly. Joan also noted that a new case manager, Lisa/Luisa, recently joined the organization and has a prior connection to Ingleside, where she had previously served as an intern.

Service Area and Meals

The Senior Center serves several surrounding villages and townships, generally covering much of the same geographic area as the local school district. The center also serves people from outside the immediate area, including Dodgeville. Joan noted that she has heard Iowa County does not currently have a senior center, which may explain some of the additional demand from outside the traditional service area.

The Senior Center provides home-delivered meals as well as congregate meals. People receiving home-delivered meals must complete an assessment and meet the requirements for the program, including being considered homebound. Congregate meals are available to people age 60 and older.

The center also promotes a program at Spring Garden on Wednesdays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Seniors age 50 and older can participate, with a suggested donation of $5, and may order from a menu. Joan emphasized that the program provides seniors with an affordable opportunity to enjoy a restaurant-style meal.

Transportation is another important service. Care Van transportation is available to help seniors get to the Senior Center and other destinations, with rides costing seniors approximately $1.

Funding and Community Support

When asked about the Senior Center's primary sources of funding, Joan explained that funding comes from Dane County, local villages and townships, and donations. A significant portion comes from the Village of Mount Horeb and Dane County, with additional support from other municipalities and community donations.

Joan is particularly focused on building relationships with community members as she begins sending out donation requests. She noted that Lynn had sent similar letters for many years, so some donors will need an opportunity to get to know Joan and develop confidence in her leadership of the Senior Center.

Joan also mentioned the increasing cost of mailing the Senior Center's newsletter. Postage has risen significantly, and the newsletter costs more than $4,500 per year to mail. She emphasized that printed newsletters remain important because many seniors prefer receiving information in print rather than electronically.

Senior Center Wish List and Equipment Closet

The Rotary Club discussed the Senior Center's wish list and how the club might help organize a donation drive. Joan agreed to work with the club on collecting needed supplies. Donations can be arranged with her in advance, and the center generally operates from approximately 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Scheduling a drop-off ahead of time is preferred because staffing varies throughout the day.

The Senior Center also maintains an equipment lending area for people who temporarily need medical equipment. Items include crutches, two-wheel and four-wheel walkers, commodes, raised toilet seats, dressing sticks, and other adaptive equipment. The center accepts donated equipment when space permits.

Joan noted that the center currently has a particular need for wheelchairs. The supply of some other equipment, such as two-wheel walkers, is currently adequate, but wheelchairs are in short supply. Smaller sizes of incontinence products are also needed, although donations of all sizes are welcome.

Rotary Community Grant Opportunity

Rotary members explained that the club offers community grants and encouraged Joan to consider Rotary as a potential funding partner for larger needs or new programs. If the Senior Center identifies equipment, programming, or other community need that cannot be funded through its regular budget, Rotary may be able to provide assistance through its grant process.

Joan noted that she had recently applied for a community foundation grant and appreciated knowing that Rotary could also be a potential community partner.

Interact Service Opportunities

The discussion also identified opportunities for the Interact Club to support the Senior Center. Interact students expressed interest in organizing a drive based on the Senior Center's wish list. Joan welcomed the idea and agreed to coordinate with the students.

The club also reminded members about Silver Cord volunteer hours. Students who need service opportunities can connect with the school district to find available volunteer opportunities.

Upcoming Polio Walk

The annual Polio Walk is scheduled for October 24 at approximately 9:30 a.m. The event will include participation from the Interact Club. Members were encouraged to keep the event on their calendars and participate in the effort to support Rotary's ongoing work toward polio eradication.