Last Friday's meeting, February 9th, began with a host of announcements and happy bucks from members of our club. The sun was shining and everyone was so happy to be at the meeting!
The biggest bright spot was Ruth Thatcher's attendance! Everyone was so happy to see Ruth return after the recent health issues she has had. We're just all so happy to have you back, Ruth! To hear more about Ruth's return, please read the story below.
After all the announcements, happy bucks, and our lunch, Tracey Curtis introduced our speaker, Meaghan Moore. Meaghan is the Director of Advancement at External Relations at the Ronald McDonald House Charities South Central Ontario. Ronald McDonald House is a home for families to stay at when their child is in the McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton.
Meaghan and her team work to raise money and awareness about the Ronald McDonald House across the communities that it serves, from Kitchener-Waterloo, to Guelph, Niagara, Halton and beyond. Meaghan’s a passionate Guelph newcomer and proud that nearly 20% of the families Ronald McDonald House serves, come right from Guelph each year.
Meaghan began her presentation by explaining the mission of Ronald McDonald House to provide "a home away from home for families whose child is in the hospital so that they can stay close and receive food and shelter." Ronald McDonald House provide this service so that "a family doesn't have to worry about where they're going to sleep or what they're going to eat while their child is...in the hospital."
The Ronald McDonald House in Hamilton has 40 bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, a gym, a playroom, a theater, programming (yoga, movie nights, etc.) and they provide breakfast and lunch everyday. They are the only Ronald McDonald House in Canada with a kitchen and two full-time chefs. The house serves about 50,000 meals a year.
The house is located just across the street from the McMaster Children's Hospital. The original part of the house was built in 1993 and they just celebrated their 30th anniversary.
Meaghan explained that there is sometimes a misconception that the Ronald McDonald House is the place where sick children stay. Sometimes it is, she explained how there are three children staying at the house that are undergoing cancer treatment. However, the primary role of the house is to care for the caregivers of sick kids. As Meaghan explained, it's "a place for parents to be able to take care of themselves, because if you have a sick child, you're probably not focusing on when you last ate, or when you might have last showered." Ronald McDonald House takes care of caregivers so that they can better take care of their sick kids.
Meaghan highlighted how most of their funding doesn't come from McDonalds (only 30%), the majority of funding comes from fundraising events and donors (70%). She stressed the importance of donating to Ronald McDonald House as it costs roughly $200 a night for a family to stay in one of their rooms.
Meaghan's presentation ended with a lively Q&A where members of the club asked about waitlists, volunteers, food preparation, among others. Aidan Harris presented Meaghan with the club's speaker certificate, and thanked her for her presentation.
Brian Martin concluded the meeting.
Notes taken by AI, edited and formatted by Aidan Harris.
Join us to plant a new forest in Guelph and enjoy an Environmental Fair near Earth Day.
Rain or Shine!
Saturday, April 27th, 2024, between 9 am and 2 pm
Parking (including for bikes), Site Access, and Environmental Fair at 335 Laird Road
Plant trees and enjoy the environmental fair with a variety of booths, entertainment, and food.
Trees, shovels, mulch, pails, and planting instruction provided.
Wear boots and gloves for your comfort. Remember: There is no bad weather, just bad clothing.
Stay hydrated while you plant thanks to the City of Guelph's Water Wagon; bring your refillable water bottle and help reduce plastic waste.
As the forest matures, it will help clean our air and water, and sequester significant amounts of carbon each year.
This site will become part of a future pollinator flyway as we are adding a native wildflower section this year.
Trees such as native oaks, sugar maples, and shrubs like serviceberries are popular with pollinators and are well suited to restoring our natural heritage system. While native trees and shrubs are critical to the survival of many pollinator species (e.g. bees, butterflies, wasps, moths, some flies and beetles and hummingbirds), other species rely on different plants such as wildflowers and even some native grasses for food and habitat. Adding these plants to the site will enhance biodiversity and species richness, benefiting the entire site. Attracting more pollinators to the site will also support other species up the food chain, such as birds, amphibians, spiders and others that prey on pollinators as larvae and as adults.
Recognizing this, in addition to the 1,400 woody plants for this year, over 400 - 2" X 2" X 5" plugs of native Ontario wildflowers and grasses will be planted in clusters along the edge of the site. Subject to availability, the wildflower species planted will include: Pale Purple Coneflower, New England Aster, Fox Glove Beardtongue, Joe-Pye Weed, False Sunflower, Virginia Mountain Mint, Heath Aster and others. Grass species that could be planted include: Big Blue Stem, Indian Grass, Switch Grass and Little Blue Stem Grass.
These plantings will complement other established pollinator-friendly plantings nearby - including one site previously supported by TD FEF - creating a "stepping stone" effect of "pollinator patches" that facilitate the movement of pollinators across an urban landscape.
This new forest will help clean our air and water, and become a home for nesting birds and other animals. As the forest becomes mature, it will sequester significant amounts of carbon every year. The trees you plant will benefit generations to come.
This 4.2 hectare site at 213 Clair Rd W will form a critical but fragile link between two large important natural areas.
It is a pinch point between the wetlands and forests of the Hanlon Creek and the natural areas of the Paris Galt Morraine. It has been highlighted as an ecological linkage and restoration area in the Natural Heritage System of Guelph’s Official Plan because species and ecosystems can only thrive through large, interconnected networks.
The thousands of native trees and shrubs we plant over the coming years will create a native forest community on the site. This will improve the habitat and provide additional cover and refuge for travelling wildlife.
Located within the Hanlon Creek Subwatershed - a coldwater creek with the last remaining known brook trout population in the city.
The site is protected as part of the City's Natural Heritage System in the Guelph Official Plan a part of an Ecological Linkage that also extends south of Clair Rd.
The site provides the northern portion of the Ecological Linkage by connecting to the largest remaining natural area in Guelph. This natural area is comprised of Provincially Significant Wetlands, Significant Woodland, Significant Valleyland, Significant Wildlife Habitat, and several headwater reaches of Hanlon Creek including those with brook trout.
South of Clair Rd, the Ecological Linkage connects to another large natural area comprised of Significant Landform associated with the Paris-Galt Moraine, Provincially Significant Wetlands, Significant Wildlife Habitat and Significant Woodlands. This portion of the Natural Heritage System extends through the Hanlon Creek Subwatershed and into the Mill Creek Subwatershed. The Ecological Linkage provides the only connection between the northern portion of the Hanlon Creek Subwatershed and the Mill Creek Subwatershed in the City and therefore is important for the movement of wildlife and the spread of plants and genetics.
Clair Rd at the south end of the site is identified in the Official Plan as a Wildlife Crossing Opportunity which means that in conjunction with public infrastructure improvements, the City will implement species-specific mitigative measures to minimize human-wildlife conflicts.
The site is currently classified as Cultural Savannah meaning it is a sparse woodland that has originated through anthropogenic influences. The creation of a native forest community on the site will increase habitat potential and provide additional cover and refuge for travelling wildlife.
An incredible evening not to be missed. This year's International Earth Day theme is Planet vs. Plastics, making this remarkable film the perfect choice for Earth Day 2024.
BookShelf Cinema
Monday, April 22nd, 2024
Film Starts at 7:00 pm
Doors Open at 6:30 pm
No Reserved Seats - Pay What You Can
Live Q&A after film
Participants Automatically Entered to Win a Prize Basket
The Story of Plastic presents a cohesive timeline of how we got to our current global plastic pollution crisis and how the oil and gas industry has successfully manipulated the narrative around it. From the extraction of fossil fuels and plastic disposal to the global resistance fighting back, The Story of Plastic is a life-changing, Emmy-winning film depicting one of the world’s most pressing environmental issues.
The Story of Plastic takes a sweeping look at the man-made crisis of plastic pollution and the worldwide effect it has on the health of our planet and the people who inhabit it.
We hope The Story of Stuff’s new film The Story of Plastic serves as a tool to foster connection, spark dialogue, and create action.
Just like all of The Grove locations, this new space is available for youth between the ages of 12 and 26 because of the generous commitment and support of so many across our community.
Our goal is to ensure that youth visiting this new site experience the same warm, welcoming environment found at all of our Grove locations. Youth will find a variety of recreation and service opportunities from:
Basketball
Ping Pong
Foosball
Games
Art Programing
Food
Housing and Financial Supports
Education and Employment Supports
Mental Health and Substance Use Supports
All in a comfortable space - designed by local youth, for youth.
In early November of last year, Ruth had a terrible fall in her home. She was hospitalized and recovering when, later in the same month, she suffered from a mild heart attack. After much recovery, Ruth was able to attend her first Rotary meeting since late October. Everyone was thrilled to see her at the Friday meeting!
Vice-President Brian Martin presented Ruth with a certificate of appreciation to show how thankful we all our to have Ruth as a member of our club. Ruth has contributed so much to the Rotary Club of Guelph over her many years of service. When Brian presented her with the certificate, Ruth received a standing ovation from our membership and guests.
At last Friday's meeting, Ashley Burr, the race director of the Secret3k Guelph, spoke to our club about the upcoming walk/run to support women's safety and right to run.
At last Friday's meeting, Ashley Burr, the race director of the Secret3k Guelph, spoke to our club about the upcoming walk/run to support the safety of women and their right to run.
Ashley spoke about her experiences as a runner and how it's not always safe for women to run in our communities. She explained how her personal experience led her to organize and host the first Secret3k marathon in Guelph. The run was an enormous success! In All of Canada, only the Secret3k in Montreal had more runners than Guelph.
The Secret3k, a marathon that was originally held in Afghanistan to allow women to run in secret, is a run/walk marathon designed to raise awareness about the barriers and safety issues that women face in sport and their everyday lives. The event is scheduled for March 6, during the week of International Women's Day. The Rotary Club of Guelph was one of the original backers of this event last year. Terrie Jarvis, especially, helped Ashley with funding applications and reaching out to other sponsors. By supporting this event, we are helping to eliminate gender inequality while empowering women and girls in our community.
If you are interested in running in this race, please register at this site:
If you are interested in volunteering, please email Ashley Burr (ashlburr@gmail.com).
Ashley is an incredible athlete herself. On April 14, Ashley will be running in the Boston Marathon! This is an incredible feat! We all wish you the best of luck in your training and in the race, Ashley!
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