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Join us in celebrating this special occasion in honor of Mr. Sharian, one of our longtime Rotary members, featuring a presentation on the history of Sharian Rugs in Decatur by Walt Drake. Don’t miss this special event!
GREETERS THIS WEEK
Dan DeWoskin and Kelly Caudle
Weekly luncheon meetings begin at 12:15 pm
on Fridays unless otherwise noted.
. . . . . FRIDAY
AUGUST 22
MEETING SPEAKER Lisa Moultrie
DeKalb County DA's Office
. . . . . FRIDAY
AUGUST 29 No Meeting
Enjoy the
Labor Day Weekend
. . . . . THURSDAY
SEPTEMBER 4 Thirsty Thursday
5:30 to 7 pm
Location TBA
Two Big Events This Past Weekend!
SERVICE PROJECT: FODAC Equipment Drive, August 9
The 2025 FODAC volunteer team.
The FODAC (Friends of Disabled Adults and Children) home medical equipment drive took place Saturday, August 9, 2025, hosted by the DeKalb Rotary Council. Gently used items like wheelchairs, walkers, scooters, and pediatric equipment were collected at the rally location, 57th Fighter Squadron Restaurant, next to PDK Airport. Our Decatur Club had a fantastic turnout with about fifteen volunteers attending. Thank you, Decatur Rotary, for supporting this great event.
Decatur Rotarians hard at work at the FODAC event.
. . . . .
SERVICE PROJECT:
Rotary Youth Exchange Welcome Picnic, August 10
The Host Team takes a bow.
Last Sunday, Decatur Rotary was the local host for the Rotary Youth Exchange picnic to welcome our district’s inbound students for the 2025-26 school year. High school students from Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Taiwan gathered at Mason Mill Park in greater Decatur for food, fun, and games. The entire Rotary Youth Exchange community comes together at this event: host families, volunteers, past exchange students, future exchange students, and of course, this year's inbound class. Our club did a great job welcoming about 100 visitors. Thank you to the Decatur Rotarians (Alison Weissinger, Art Rosser, Candiace Williams, Nedra White-Shaw, Nick Villaume, Shara Sanders, and Kelly Caudle) who helped make this a hugely successful and fun event!
Exchange students share stories.
Past Governor, Gordon Owens and current Governor, Steve Ivory, thank John Bennett for all his work on the student exchange program.
A big day of friends, fun, community and cupcakes.
SERVICE PROJECT:
Food for Hagar’s House
Kelly Caudle, Doug Tozzi, and David Ewing pack up surplus food.
Every week, we pack up our lunch surplus and deliver it to Hagar’s House on Church Street (close to Twain’s). Hagar’s House is an emergency shelter for families with children and is a program of Decatur Cooperative Ministries, one of Decatur Rotary’s longtime partners.
We need people to help with two tasks: packing up food and driving it to the shelter. Your participation counts toward our club’s service project numbers.
To deliver the food to Hagar’s, just down Church Street, please sign up here.
Thanks for your help!
. . . . . SERVICE PROJECT: DEAM Support During August
August is our DEAM month. What is DEAM? DEAM (Decatur-area Emergency Assistance Ministry) is a ministry supported primarily by 18 area churches that seek to meet the emergency needs of the less fortunate in the community.
Decatur Rotary is partnering with Decatur Presbyterian Church to support DEAM during the month of August as one of our key service projects this summer.
What Can You Do?
The next time you go grocery shopping, pick up a few items from the list below and bring them to the club on any Friday in August. Place them in the basket on the front table. That's it!
Urgent and Ongoing Food Pantry Needs
DEAM relies on contributions of non-perishable food and basic health supplies. DEAM buys many canned goods from the Atlanta Community Food Bank at pennies on the dollar, but the items listed below are always in short supply.
Opportunities to Host and to Travel: Rotary Youth Exchange 2025-2026
Become a Host Family
Decatur Rotary will host a new exchange student, Max, from Taiwan, for the upcoming school year, and we still need two more host families. Hosting a Rotary International high school exchange student is a life-enhancing experience for your entire family. It’s a unique opportunity to get new perspectives, explore new customs, and share American culture and community with others. Most of all, you’ll build special friendships and connections that last a lifetime. By opening your hearts and home you share in international understanding and fellowship.
Want to know more? Click here for more details about hosting requirements. Contact John Bennett for more information.
Apply to Attend High School in Another Country
Know a student who would enjoy an immersive experience abroad? Applications for the 2026-2027 school year will open on August 1, 2025, and the application deadline is October 15, 2025.
Student applicants must be 14 to 17 years old at the time they apply. Students pay a non-refundable application fee of $150 to be considered for the program. Rotary International has one of the biggest student exchange programs in the world. About 10,000 high school students participate in the exchange each year worldwide. The program allows students to immerse themselves in a different culture.
Want to know more?Click here for more details about studying abroad. Contact John Bennett for more information.
. . . . .
Milestones | August
Club Anniversaries
Tom Adams, 46 years
John Bennett, 19 years
Desiree Peagler, 19 years
Doug Park, 11 years
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Donna Phillips, 3 years
Marion Curry, 3 years
Laura Brookshire, 2 years
Desiree Peagler, August 3
Mac Willett, August 6
William Harshman, August 13
Dave Jollay, August 15
Friday, August 8 Recap
Kalia Morrison opened the meeting by providing our invocation.
Willie Acree introduced our speaker
Our speaker, David Post, was presented with a book by President Alison for the DeKalb Library System
"Care for Cops" Turns All Too Real with the Tragic Events at the CDC After Our August 8 Meeting
What started last Friday as a casual talk about a non-profit, Care for Cops, that provides needed funds when an officer is killed in the line of duty, turned into a poignant and dramatic life lesson a few hours later when a DeKalb officer lost his life in a shooting at the CDC. Surely everyone who attended our talk with David Post reflected on what he told us about providing care for the families of fallen officers when we heard the news. In the blink of an eye, it all became all too real and so tragic.
David Post, a former full-time law enforcement officer and a reserve officer since 1975, is chairman of the group. With the group’s effort and hard work, Care for Cops became a reality for Georgia's Law Enforcement in 1999.
Riley Pare Recounts a Fantastic Year as a Rotary Exchange Student in Italy
Riley has returned to Decatur after her year-long odyssey studying and playing in Italy. In her presentation to the club on Friday, she told us about her host families, how she became a skilled volleyball player, her travels throughout Italy and Europe, and much more. The year was life-changing and fantastic. Decatur Rotary was so glad to play a small part.
Part of Riley’s presentation, this slide shows some shots of her host families.
Visitors
Riley Pare – returning RYE student
Guichard Francois – guest of Jack Kirivong
Holly Bennett – spouse of John Bennett
We look forward to welcoming you back!
Individuals are identified from left to right.
Joe Kusmik answers Alison’s “Five Questions” quiz in Joe’s own unique way! We loved it!
Shara Sanders wins this week’s raffle, Jamaican Rum, while Bob cheers her on.
Jen Schuck and Jamaal Ellis share a story.
Desean from Oakhurst Market, who does a great job with our meals, is with Dan DeWoskin.
The 2025 FODAC volunteer team.
The Host Team takes a bow.
Exchange students share stories.
Past Governor, Gordon Owens and current Governor, Steve Ivory, thank John Bennett for all his work on the student exchange program.
