Home Page | Rotary Club of West U (Houston)

Making 25,000 Meals in a Morning

On Saturday, May 19, our club joined with several other clubs to create 25,000 meals for shipping to needy areas of Honduras. Rise Against Hunger's efficient system means this all happens in under 3 hours time!

Thanks to all who came out to help, especially the Wallace's, Jack, Anne and Becky, who coordinated the event for our club.

Pancakes Make Seniors Feel Loved

Diners at the semi-annual pancake breakfast for West U seniors lavished appreciation on us for serving them tasty food, but also for the warm fellowship we shared. Thank you, Judy Faulkner, for creating this event and leading it for the third year. Thanks to all the cooks, servers, decorators, and cleaners for your selfless service at this event.

Helping Our Rotary Brother

Charity begins at home for our club. This time it's a wheelchair ramp for Ray Schutter. Ray and Cecile have been bulwarks of our club from the beginning and we are glad to be of help to them. Thanks to all the carpenters who came out to help.

Care Package Give Seniors a Chance to Serve

Sheltering Arms seniors assisted our club in creating approximately 100 toiletry bags to be disbursed to veterans living on the streets. In addition to giving us a place to do the project, SA seniors helped by loading the items into the sturdy insulated bags and staff will take to the homeless veterans around town. Thanks to all who came out to help us help two often-overlooked groups.

Special thanks to Chad and Rebecca Spencer for coordinating all the pieces.

New President & First Lady Honored at Conference

Every year at District Conference Saturday night honors various Rotarians. Foremost it honors the incoming presidents and their spouses or significant other. Our own Clyde and Katy Hays marched down the aisle to hoots and hollers from our members around the room. We look forward to another great year under Clyde's leadership and appreciate Katy sharing him with us. Pictured with incoming District Governor Carmen Cuneo.

Prepping Flags for Memorial Day

Thanks to all who came out on Saturday, April 28, to create new and repair old flags for the upcoming Memorial Day launch. Even Terry L came out despite having had recent surgery on his arm. That's dedication! Flags are our primary source of funds for all our service work. To succeed, it requires ALL rotarians to participate in some way.

Golf Tournament a Big Success

For the 22nd year in a row, Geoff Lanceley and Bob Geary orchestrated a successful golf event benefitting our selected charity. This year we repeated PEP (Prison Entrepreneurship Program) as the beneficiary but the funds are dedicated to a new initiative of PEP -- PEP in a woman's prison in Lockhart, TX. Thank you, Geoff, Bob, Dee, and Kandy Glover and the numerous volunteers who helped that day, for a lovely time of fellowship on the best day of the year.

The colorful Vaughan/Spencer team, which came in 1st place. Chad was also the winner of the putting contest.

The foursome of Bert Smith's (grey t-shirt), outgoing CEO of PEP.

Other winners were Kerry Bloom for longest drive, closest to the pin was Muddy McDaniel, and straightest drive was Bob McEniry.
A number of PEP graduates volunteered and also golfed. We hope you had a chance to visit with them.

Thanks everyone for a wonderful day!

Harvey Victims Get Furniture

Our club, with the assistance of The Starfish Project of Adore Ministries, was connected with families who still need help after Harvey. Five families who needed new furnishings were granted $1500 each to select new and gently used furniture from The Furniture Bank. Thanks to John Collier who connected us to the organizations who work at street level with those in need.

George shown with members of two families who got furniture using our funds.

Vocational Award Winners Recognized

Congratulations to the 2018 Vocational Awards winners recognized at the April 19th meeting. Also, thank you to the Nominating Committee of Fritz Beich, Mary Nelson, and Bob Fry for your service making this event successful.

The Rotarian award winner was Bob Owen, for his assistance locating, negotiating and tailoring our new venue (again) as well as his ever-ready help whenever the AV tools rebel.

The non-Rotarian winner was Mike Schneider, Jr., attorney and judge with a long history of service including as the City of West U's Presiding Judge (pictured here with Nominating Committee member Fritz Beich and nominator David Redford).

Our educator award went to Rebekah Tee of Spring Woods High School for her tireless dedication to her students at SWHS and other schools, including KIPP. Rebekah also received a $1000 award to use as she pleases (pictured here with Nominating Committee member Mary Nelson).

Reunion Meeting Brings Back Old Friends

In the inaugural Reunion Meeting several past members of West U Rotary returned as our guests. Chris Spofford, Roy Lund, Gene de Laveaga (a past president), Bert Moser and Richard Lazear were present to see our new venue and meet many new members. We and they had a great time reconnecting. Thanks to the Membership Committee for organizing this event that we plan to repeat annually.

Bikes Collaboration Completed

On Saturday, April 7 our club collaborated on a project with D7980 in Connecticut and PDG Bob Gebhard to supply bikes to kids affected by Hurricane Harvey. Over 110 bikes were picked up and delivered to our partner, The Fulfillment Project, to disburse to the kids in the Aldine area. Thanks to George, Terry LeFebvre, Joe Rivers, Gerard Simon, Kevin Lanier for helping out with the literal heavy lifting!

Unfortunately, in the process of unloading the bikes George and Terry took a tumble. Terry took the worst of it, breaking bones in his elbow joint requiring surgery installing metal plate and pins. Ouch! So sorry, Terry!

Play Ball! Serve SnowCones!

Spring means baseball and for West U Rotary it means opportunities to help Challenger Baseball by running the concession stand for their games. Thanks to all who have come out so far. Dick is still looking for helpers for the upcoming Sundays. See an email from him to sign up.

Hospitality As Service with PEP

Upon release from prison, PEP graduates can go into transition housing that offers continual support. Opportunities to bring dinner occur once a month, at three locations.

The Diecks recently brought dinner to a downtown location and last Monday, they were joined by Judy, Paul and Carol L, in bringing dinner to a different group on the north side of town. Consider being part of a future dinner event by contributing a dish and sharing the meal with the guys.

Sorting Clothes for Emergency Aid Coalition

On Saturday, March 17, several members helped sort donated clothes at Emergency Aid Coalition on Fannin Street. EAC supports the working poor with food, clothing and aid. Clients are permitted to select clothing from their shop, run totally by volunteers. EAC was our 2016 golf tournament beneficiary and has connections to many in our club. Thanks to all who came out to lend a much needed helping hand.

Bilingual Rotarians Help EAC Families

Thank you to Carmen, Frank and Margarita for giving of their time on Monday, March 5 to help Emergency Aid Coalition register Spanish-speaking families register for school uniforms and supplies for the upcoming school year. Together they helped EAC register approximately 70 families. Look for another opportunity to help EAC on Saturday, March 17 from 9 am to noon as we sort donated clothing at 5401 Fannin.

Sorting Day at The Women's Home

On Saturday, February 10, a group of us helped The Women's Home Cottage Shop sort through donations which were overwhelming them. While most of us sorted clothing, George, Paul and Sharon tested electronics. The Cottage Shop provides training women clients for employment, an income stream, and fills a need for affordable clothing for surrounding communities. Thanks to all who gave of their time to help our long-time partner.

Helping Flood Victims Through Avenue CDC

Our club, along with the University Area club and Gulf Coast Donor Advised Funds, donated $15,000 to Avenue Community Development Corp to help flood victims purchase building materials, new applicances, accessibility aids and other items not covered by FEMA. Applicants came to us through their case managers and our Harvey relief team reviewed applications then ACDC connected us to them so we could provide the needed aid. Another way we are living the credo "service above self". Look for an update at a future meeting.

Tree planting efforts a success!

Posted on Jan 14, 2018

RI President Ian Riseley had a goal for Rotarians to plant 1.2 million trees. Rotarians from our club, Univesity Area, Bellaire, Spring Branch and CyFair clubs came together at Willow Waterhole and planted 239 trees on January 13. Trees of Houston provided the trees, Houston Toolbank supplied shovels, Wayne Beaumier (CyFair) used the Disaster Aid trailer to transport the tools to the site. Over 100 volunteers including a cub scout troop came out in near freezing temperatures.

Thanks to all who came out to plant, provide refreshments, and support. A great collaboration!

Thanksgiving Turkeys Feed Hundreds

Joe and Pam Rivers originated a project and invited us to join in. The Rotary Club of Houma also wanted to help and sent a significant donation. Together with The Word Church, the Rivers, their friends and families, two Rotary clubs and Caring Friends, Thanksgiving turkeys and trimmings were distributed to over 260 families from north Houston.

Joe and Pam negotiated bulk turkeys from HEB, volunteers donned hairnets and loaded them into trucks and transported to cold storage. On November 18 volunteers came out again to transport the turkeys to Dekaney High School where families picked them up.

This was a wonderful large scale project and we thank Joe and Pam for initiating it and letting us be a part of it.

Muck Out Committee Doing the Hard Work

A committee was established to help do the physical work needed by our neighbors whose homes were severely damaged by Hurricane Harvey. Kimberly Phipps-Nichols organized and trained a team who have gone out several times and done the physically demanding work of tearing out sheetrock and carpeting and trash. We collaborate with Disaster Aid to identify homes and dates. Many homes are completed but many more are on the list waiting for help.

Interested in helping? Contact Kimberly. Safety training is required.

Thank you to the workers who have helped to date. You model Service Above Self in the truest sense.

Funds Help Local Farmers Recover

Our club was blessed to receive donations from clubs all over the US to help victims of Harvey. Part of the funds went to assist Plant It Forward, an organization (founded by a woman from Southside Place) that helps immigrant farmers make a sustainable living by farming parcels in Houston. They lost crops but interestingly not by flooding but by the unrelenting rain. In October a group of us visited the site in southwest Houston to see how it works.

A Rice professor and some students were also there, teaching farmers modern techniques for greater yields.

Donations to Easter Seals Delivered

Some of the large stock of supplies received by Hands On Tzedakah went to Easter Seals of Greater Houston who help families with babies, children, and adults with disabilities. Many of their client families were hit hard by Hurricane Harvey. John Collier's Caring Friends organization supplemented our donation for greater impact.

Relief Efforts Updates

Individual members are helping out all over town. Out of state clubs are contacting us and committing to help using our club as their liaison on the ground. This week President George enlisted the help of members to form a committee to oversee our efforts so we do the right things at the right place and the right time.

This week John Collier responded to a call for bedding and toiletries for Alief ISD personnel whose homes were flooded. Using foundation funds, he purchased the requested supplies and delivered them as requested, all within 24 hours.

Hurricane Relief Efforts Under Way

We are doing lots of helping right now. On Saturday, we received a truckload of supplies to be distributed to shelters around the city. With members of Holy Ghost Church parish, we unloaded 22 pallets in 30 minutes. We thank Ron Gallatin and his donors from Hands On Tzedakah for their compassion and generosity. We will be sure these supplies end up in the right hands.

We will disburse to area shelters this week and look to replenish as money permits.

New Collaborations in Disaster Relief

President George Adams, John Collier and others are making connections with other relief organizations around town. Gerard, Joe and Carol visit The Word Church in NE Houston to explore partnering with their pantry, which usually serves 50, now serving 300.

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Celebrating 23 Years of Service to the Community and World.

#1 Giver to The Rotary Foundation 2015-16, #1 Giver to Polio 2015-16, Best Large Club 2012-13

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