Updates and Announcements
- Bill T. Needs help soliciting donations at King Soopers on Tuesdays. He is giving our Rotary glasses to donors.
- Our Exchange student is arriving August 8th! Any club members can join the welcoming group at the airport.
- Stan has a new weekly award for the club. Finn wins the first weekly award for getting 4, $1000 sponsorships for ConiferFest!
- Rotary magazine. Check out the July issue: https://my.rotary.org/en/news-media/magazines/rotary. There are a number of great articles: from our RI President- mental wellness; Freedom in Ukraine; Polio vaccinations; Membership - create the club you crave.
- Wes. We need help with ConiferFest sign-ups. Right now, he is organizing a group to prepare the ConiferFest site, 9AM Saturday August 5th. Go to Sign-up Genius at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4ea4af22abfa7-coniferfest1#/.
- Suzanne. She has posters for ConiferFest; there are articles in the newspapers – Canyon Courier.
- Marlis. Sponsors for ConiferFest; we now have more sponsor money than last year, but still need more. This is for our Foundation. Please continue to solicit sponsorships. Our website has links for vendor and sponsor contracts.
- Yvonne. She needs help with the children’s area at ConiferFest. Contact her directly.
- Yvonne. Aug 3rd social at Aspen Peak cellars, RSVP to her by August 1st.
- Conifer’s Elevation Celebration is this weekend, https://elevationcelebration.goconifer.com/. They need volunteer help, sign up here: https://elevationcelebration.goconifer.com/volunteer.
- Evergreen’s Center for the Arts Summerfest is also this weekend, https://evergreenarts.org/summerfest-2023/. Help is still needed, go to Sign-up Genius at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0e4cafaa22a5f9ce9-2023#/.
- Charlotte. Next week’s program: Rotary Endowed Fellowship for Pediatric Mental Health, with our District Governor Elect, Tamara Fennell, also Shrin Murthy and Debby Doig from Highlands Ranch Rotary. They met with our MindFest group 2 weeks ago and are giving us full support. They will be sharing about the mental health support of their Club and many others. Also, the support provided by University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center for children's mental wellness
- Jonathan. Refugee training next week: Monday July 31, 9:00AM-12:30PM at his office. Address: 1250 Bergen Parkway, Suite 8220, Evergreen. If you can join, please RSVP to Jonathan 303-887-6089, director@ramseypro.com.
Meeting program
Combating Child Slavery, Dr. Jeff Brodsky, Founder and President of Joy International
Dr Jeff joined us today for a return visit to talk more about his organization, Joy International (https://joy.org) and their tireless effort to save children from slavery. His story is best told on his website: “JOY International® has built key strategic relationships and works diligently to prevent the trafficking and sexual exploitation of children while helping to provide those who are rescued, a renewed hope and JOY for living through approved Safe Houses.”
Some highlights from his talk, sanitized because the stories he told were graphic and very upsetting:
- Joy International has been active since 1981 with Dr. Jeff leading the charge.
- He has been barefoot since July 2010, an acknowledgement of the plight of children around the world living in squalor with so little that they have no shoes.
- His world headquarters is right here in Conifer and he encourages visits.
- His interest and devotion to this lifetime effort was first inspired by a visit with Mother Teresa in 1979.
- Having worked undercover himself, he has seen it all, first hand.
- His organization has rescued children as young as 4 years old from brothels around the world. The average age is 12-13 years old. They live a life of vile servitude until they are no longer desirable and then thrown into the streets. He said their average lifespan is 5 to 7 years.
- He said that statistics show that slavery is the fastest growing crime in America. Estimates are that in our own country, there are 200,000 to 300,000 children up to age 18, living in slavery.
- That number is inconceivably greater worldwide: 49.6 million slaves in the world today.
- His organization is dedicated to not only rescuing children from this life, but also preventing it. They are very active worldwide, training law enforcement to identify and bring slave traders to justice
- He challenges all Rotary clubs to raise money for Joy International and their cause.
Guests
Jeff Lewallen, Olexander from our Ukraine refugee family, and Dr. Jeff Brodsky.