Cat Wilson was our guest speaker on Wednesday, 3/20. She told us about the Catskills Food Hub, located here in Liberty, New York. The food hub is an aggregation and distribution center for local and regional products including fresh produce, packaged meat and dairy products, and shelf-stable pantry items. The Food Hub is a non-profit with a mission of education and working with local farmers and producers to acquire the knowledge and safety standards necessary to expand their retail and wholesale markets, thus growing the agriculture economy in the region.  Working with community partners, they are committed to improving the viability of local agriculture, access to fresh food,  and the health outcomes for Sullivan county and the region.

Their project partners include Cornell Cooperative Extension of Sullivan County, the County of Sullivan Industrial Development Agency, Hudson Valley Agribusiness Development Corporation, Sullivan Renaissance, producers, and small business owners.

They look for demand within a 50 mile radius. Essentially they connect growers with local businesses that have a need for fresh farm goods. It is a win-win situation for both the seller and the grower. The grower may have a small amount of product to sell, but through the aggregated system, they gain access to viable markets. Delivery of these products is done through their standard route, and those outside of that route can pick up. Farmers get educated about washing, packing, shipping and pricing their goods so that they are more likely to be successful. The restaurants and businesses gain access to quality local products at reasonable prices.

We thank Cat for joining us at Liberty Rotary and explaining this important organization that is helping the local farmer and local food purveyors connect to find greater success.

The 41st Annual 98.3 WSUL Heartathon took place on Friday, February 22nd and once again our club was a powerful force in helping to raise funds for the annual event.  Over $120,000 was raised by the event.

In addition our winter raffle drawing took place at the event with SC Democrat Publisher and CEO Fred Stabbert (ticket #34) taking the $1000 first prize, LM Rotarian Diane Babich (ticket #84) won the second prize of $250 and Daniel Belgard (ticket #83 purchased by his Mom and Liberty Rotarian Donna Belgard) won the $100 third prize.  This was a true club effort as 18 members sold tickets and all 100 tickets were sold out 2 1/2 weeks before yesterday's drawing.  The raffle cleared a profit of $3650 which the board of directors has designated the proceeds to go to the WSUL Heartathon, Boys and Girls Club, Literacy Volunteers and the 2019 Arbor Day Programs.  

Our club has a number of "hummingbirds" that do their part when it comes to both the Heartathon and the Annual Winter Raffle.  Our heartfelt thanks (pun intended) goes to Dave Thomson who has been an active member of the Heartathon Committee for many and years and was responsible for scheduling local organizations and VIPs to man the phones and appear on the air during designated times at the event.  Thanks to Fay Cerullo who was a "main artery" to "The Heart Man" Al Frangipane as she organized the distribution of hearts by 11 of our club members to 36 local businesses bringing in $4726 for the event.  Thanks to Sue Kraycer, Barbi Neumann Marty, Theresa Panny, Judy Siegel, Bill Silver, Gary Silver, Gary Silverman, Anna Milucky (Jeff Bank), Jack Strassman, Dave Thomson and yours truly (CD) for taking the time and effort. 

We had a great turnout of members who came to the event during the Rotary "Power Hour" joined by our brothers and sisters of the Monticello Rotary Club.  Participants included President Jack Strassman, Immediate Past President Judy Siegel, Past President Gary Silver, Barbi Neumann Marty, Charlie Mangini, Anna Milucky (Jeff Bank), Jonathan Schiller, Lori Orestano James, Les Kristt and Orshii Boldis.  In addition there were a number of our members who not only gathered pledges but also reached deep into their pockets to make donations to Heartathon. 

There is only one way to express how much the Liberty NY Rotary Club accomplishes locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.  That would be 

WGSD!!!!

Mary Williams – Development Director of the Boys and Girls Club of Orange and Sullivan County updated our club about the exciting changes happening with their annual Sullivan County fundraiser.  This year’s event will be a brunch held on April 28^th from 11-3 at the Sullivan in Rock Hill.  The theme will be centered around the Woodstock Festival, which is celebrating its 50^th anniversary. 

The event will be honoring Jerry Skoda, who donates large quantities of vegetables from his gardens to provide nutritious food for the club members.  Entertainment will be provided by “Murder Mystery Manhattan” which will be writing a Woodstock themed murder mystery for the event.

The cost is $125 per person or $1,000 for a table of ten.  Attendees will be asked to help sponsor children to attend summer camp.  Also, assorted baskets and other items will be offered at a silent auction.

We thank Mary for joining us at our January 31^st meeting, at which her enthusiasm about the event was contagious.  Liberty Rotary looks forward to supporting the Boys and Girls Club and wishes them great success with their brunch.

For the past several years, Sullivan County has been ranked 61 out of 62 counties in the state of New York by the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation County Health Rankings.  While the County has scored poorly on these indicators in the past, Sullivan County residents are eager to start turning this ranking around. SULLIVAN 180 is a vehicle to foster and support community efforts to improve the health of all residents. Our goal is to turn this ranking around by 180 degrees. With the understanding that this is a long term effort, SULLIVAN 180 is committed to change by degrees, the kind of slow, steady and enduring transformation that is thoughtfully conceived and implemented.

There is a clear need to offer our residents opportunities for improving their health and prosperity. This encompasses not only physical but also mental, spiritual and environmental wellness. A sense of purpose; connection to family and community; access to fresh food; and an active lifestyle are all essential for a thriving Sullivan County. SULLIVAN 180 works in all these areas offering an inclusive approach that unites the entire community— businesses, organizations and individuals in healthcare, education, agriculture, government, the arts and faith-based institutions. Together, with our community partners, we address immediate health concerns and promote innovative ways for all of our residents to live a healthier lifestyle.

This week we were lucky to have Debbie O’Mally, LMHC as our guest speaker. She is the Manager at R.I.S.E 

     The RISE Program – Rape, Intervention, Services & Education of Sullivan County advocates for anyone who is or has been a victim of sexual abuse. Founded in 1987, RISE provides an array of services to victims of sexual abuse and offers prevention education. The program advocates for sexual abuse victims. Staff members will accompany the victim to the hospital, police or district attorney after an incident and will provide assistance. RISE also offers confidential individual, family or couples counseling as well as support groups, prevention education and professional training sessions. The program maintains a 24-hour crisis hotline number, 845-791-9595.

      They are serving many women, but also far more children and men than in the past. Because there is much shame associated with sexual abuse and rape, it can be difficult for people to come forward.  Fortunately, that stigma is softening and people are getting better at asking for help.

This year there will be a Red Sand Project.  This will be used to fill in the cracks in front of the government center to symbolically represent the desire to not have people slip through the cracks.  The Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event will be held on April 26^th from 4:00 until 7:00 p.m. at the Sullivan County Government Center.