If you did not make it to our last Rotary Club of Forest Grove meeting, here is what you missed…

Holiday Break: Everyone at the Rotary Club of Forest Grove wishes you a happy holiday season! We will not hold weekly meetings on either Wednesday, Dec. 24 or Wednesday, Jan. 1. Our first regular weekly meeting of 2025 will take on Wednesday, Jan. 8.

Likewise, the Rototeller will also take a break over the holidays. The next issue will hit your inboxes over the weekend of Jan. 4-5. Go Ducks!

Hope For The Holidays – Mon., Dec. 23: Our signature service project of the year is here! All Rotarians are invited to join us on Monday at 2 p.m., at Forest Grove High School in front of the Basinski Center, for the bagging on holiday meals for 100 families. No prior sign-up is required. The distribution of the meals will begin at 4 p.m.

Plan on being around until 5:30 p.m. on whenever all of the food bags have been distributed This is the closest that we have ever been able to have our project to Christmas and we are excited to provide this outreach to the community. For more information, please contact Parri Van Dyke.

Thank you to Parri and Janet Peters for once again coordinating the effort this year! We are also grateful for our Rotarians who have provided funds for this project, including $1,600 raised through our annual wreath fundraiser. We also extend thanks to District 5100 for the $2,500 matching grant for the project.

Catered Meals For January 8 Meeting: Our meeting on Wed., Jan. 8 will be a catered meal, and we had to have a head count to the caterer well in advance for planning purposes. The deadline for a meal has passed. If you did not sign up for one, please plan on attending the meeting but providing your own lunch.

We will also have catered meals for our meetings on Jan. 15 and Jan. 22. To sign-up for those, please email Claire Agner via email to submit your order.

Rotary Pickleball Tournament: Our club’s inaugural Rotary Doubles Pickleball Tournament is coming up! Join us on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 10 a.m. for a fun afternoon with fellow Rotarians and our families and friends at the Forest Grove National Guard Armory, 2950 Taylor Way.

There will be brackets for four different skill levels: I have never played, I’ve played a few times, I play from time to time and I play competitively. You can either sign up with your own doubles partner or be paired with someone by the committee.

If you are interested in participating, Fill Out This Google Form or sign up at an upcoming club meeting. If you have questions, please contact any member of the tournament committee: Steven Barnard, Mallory Hiefield or Cole Thursam.

Steak Sales Are Back!: Have you missed our steak sales with those delicious cuts from Columbia Empire Farms? They are back! We are offering packs of two choice sirloin steaks for $20 per pack. This time, proceeds will benefit our Rotary Youth Exchange inbound student Laurin von Orelli’s participation on the Forest Grove High School ski team.

To submit your orders, please contact Julia Kollar via text or email. The deadline for orders is Sunday, Jan. 12. Pick-up will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 14, from 4:30-5:30 p.m., outside the warehouse at Main Street and 19th Ave. (adjacent to Forest Grove Coffee Company).

Youth Citizens Of The Month: At our Dec. 11 meeting, we were proud to honor our December Youth Citizens of the Month from the Banks School District. Our congratulations to Julia Rizzo of Banks High School and Tony Rosales Vargas of Banks Middle School! Both honorees received a certificate and a $50 gift card to Frye’s Action Athletics.

Rotary Foundation Giving Update: We are not only well on our way to our Rotary Foundation giving goals, we are surpassing them! Michael Yakos, club Rotary Foundation chair, reported that our club has already surpassed its $7,500 goal for the annual fund with contributions of $7,974! For PolioPlus, we have already raised $1,738 of our goal of $3,000.

To date, our totals include 34 members who meet eligibility for Every Rotarian Every Year (contributions of at least $25 in a Rotary year) and 16 sustaining members (contributions of $100 in a Rotary year).

Contributions to The Rotary Foundation are important for our club’s eligibility for district designated grants and for our district’s ability to leverage grant funding. To learn more about The Rotary Foundation or to give, please contact Michael.

Rototeller – Help Wanted: Blake Timm, the editor of the Rototeller, is looking for a club member who would be interested in helping fill in to take notes at meetings on an occasional basis. With his increased duties as area governor and work, he is having to miss more Wednesdays than he did in the past. The job would entail taking notes about any club announcements and a five to six-paragraph recap of that week’s program. Please contact Blake for more information.

Have A Program Idea? Let Hector Know!: Do you have an idea for a program presentation that you would like to see at our meetings? Let our incoming program director, Hector Mendez-Colberg know as he is setting up the schedule for 2025. Hector can be reached at 787-464-4194 or hector.mendez-colberg@outlook.com.

Pickleball Evenings – Presented By Rotary: The Rotary Club of Forest Grove is helping to sponsor indoor pickleball Monday through Thursday evenings at the Forest Grove National Guard Armory, 2950 Taylor Way. Coordinated by Rotarian Steven Barnard, the evenings run from 5:30 to 8 p.m. There is a $5 fee to help cover facility rental. Players of all ages and ability levels are welcome with reserved courts for beginners and intermediate-level players.

For more information on the pickleball evenings, please contact Steven at 443-454-5177 or sbarnard@fgsd.k12.or.us.

Greeters Are Back: President Lucas is bringing back the role of having greeters at our weekly meetings. This role will not be pre-assigned. Instead, the ninth and 10th Rotarians showing up a meeting each week will serve as greeters. Please be prepared to take on that responsibility and let President Lucas know if you have any questions.

Service Opportunities For Club Members
Do You Know Of Service Opportunities?: Are you aware of service opportunities in our area that our members might be interested in? We can advertise those here! This space is not limited to club-sponsored activities but to any service opportunity in the community. To promote the service activity, please send a detailed description of the project, the date and time, contact information and a link to register to Rototeller editor Blake Timm, blakertimm@gmail.com.

FGHS Community Food Pantry: Our club’s support for the Forest Grove High School Food Pantry continues.  Thanks to its partnership with the Oregon Food Bank, food donations are still welcome but are of less need at this time. Of need, however, are toiletries and hygiene products as well as household cleaning materials.

The Food Pantry is open Mondays from 4-5:30 p.m. The pantry is located along Nichols Lane between the football field and the Basinski Center. Click Here for more information on the FGHS Food Pantry and on other resources for those experiencing food insecurity.

For information on the Food Pantry, please contact Brian Burke, bburke@fgsd.k12.or.us. If you wish to make a cash donation to the pantry, Click Here.

Around District 5100
Happy Holidays From District 5100 (and District Governor Jeannine): As we reflect on this past year, I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for your unwavering commitment, dedication, and service to our communities. Your hard work and passion embody the spirit of Service Above Self, and make a lasting difference in the lives of so many.

This holiday season is a time of joy, gratitude, and renewal. May you find peace and happiness surrounded by loved ones and the warmth of community. I hope the coming year brings you continued opportunities to lead, serve, and inspire.

Thank you for all that you do. Wishing you and your families a very Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, a joyous Kwanzaa, and a New Year filled with hope and possibility.

In Rotary Fellowship,
Jeannine Murrell, District 5100 Governor

Last Week’s Program: Sarah Schaffner, Open Door Housing Shelters
The Rototeller editor is grateful to Mallory Hiefield for providing the recap of last week’s program.

We were joined last week by Sarah Schaffner, who introduced us to Open Door Housing Shelters. Sarah graduated from Forest Grove High School in 2011 and immediately enlisted in the Marine Corps, serving for three-and-a-half years. Following discharge, she began taking classes at Portland Community College and later transferred to Seattle Pacific University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in global development in 2019. Shortly after completing her degree, she entered the field of Homeless Services, initially working at a homeless shelter in Southeast Portland and eventually advancing to the role of shift supervisor.

After spending a year-and-a-half in the shelter environment, she transitioned to a new role as a housing case manager at Community Action. Driven by a desire for new challenges, she later joined Open Door Housing working as part of the Street Outreach Team. In the summer of 2023, she briefly stepped away from homeless services but returned to Open Door in the fall, continuing her work with the Street Outreach Team.

In August 2023, she accepted a new position within the agency as the access center Coordinator. In this role, she is enthusiastic about the future of homeless services in Washington County and looks forward to contributing to ongoing efforts to address homelessness in the community.

Open Door HousingWorks is a community-focused organization dedicated to addressing homelessness and housing insecurity in Washington County and its surrounding areas. Their mission is to provide resources to meet immediate basic needs, assist households in securing and maintaining affordable housing, and promote self-determination for a better quality of life. Through a comprehensive range of services, the organization works to create long-term solutions that benefit individuals and communities.

One of their key initiatives is Street Outreach Services, which involves proactive engagement with people living on the streets. The team collaborates with local police, the county, and community members to identify and assist individuals experiencing homelessness. They provide essential items like tents and sleeping bags, offer transportation during inclement weather, and perform field assessments and referrals. Their efforts also extend to addressing encampments and eviction-related challenges in partnership with law enforcement.

Open Door HousingWorks operates four shelters under its Shelter Services program. These shelters, which include congregate, non-congregate, and alternative options, are designed for adults and maintain a low-barrier approach to ensure accessibility. Each shelter has a housing liaison case manager who works with residents to take meaningful steps toward securing permanent housing. The facilities include the Hillsboro Congregate Shelter, Beaverton Congregate Shelter, and Safe Rest Villages, collectively providing over 140 beds.

The organization’s Case Management program adopts a housing-first model, emphasizing long-term housing stability. Case managers support clients through medium- and long-term programs, such as Rapid Re-Housing (1-2 years) and Regional Long-Term Rent Assistance (up to 10 years). They also conduct home visits to address concerns and help clients develop life skills. By fostering strong relationships with landlords, case managers ensure housing stability and promote independence for clients.

The Access Center serves as a day hub where individuals can access basic services like showers, laundry, meals, and clothing. It also provides ID vouchers and food boxes, operating on a modest budget supplemented by community donations. This center is often the first point of contact for many on their journey toward housing, connecting them to additional resources and programs. By offering a safe and welcoming environment, the Access Center helps individuals take the initial steps toward stability.

Open Door HousingWorks encourages community involvement to support its mission. Individuals can help by advocating for policies that promote affordable housing, volunteering, or donating items like clothing, hygiene products, and financial contributions. Through these efforts, the organization continues to make a significant impact in addressing homelessness and promoting sustainable housing solutions in the region.

To learn more about Open Door’s work, visit their website or contact Sarah via email, sschaffner@odhw.org.

Club Calendar
Mon., Dec. 23: Hope For The Holidays Service Project, 4 p.m.
Forest Grove High School

Wed., Dec. 25 & Wed., Jan. 1: No Meeting – Happy Holidays!

Wed., Jan. 8: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: To Be Announced

Wed., Jan. 15: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Plaza Encuentro

Thurs., Jan. 16: Executive Board Meeting, 7 a.m.
via Zoom

Wed., Jan. 22: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Mallory Hiefield, Pacific Coast Trail Adventures

Sat., Jan. 25: Rotary Pickleball Tournament, 10 a.m.
Forest Grove National Guard Armory, 2950 Taylor Way