President, Eric Bubb enthusiastically called the meeting to order then provided us with the meeting’s invocation, the Prayer of Serenity. Eric welcomed guests and Club Members. Our Greeters were the Club 13 July birthday members.
Club Anniversaries: David Hanzlick (10 yrs, July 12th)
Sick Bay - Great news -- nobody !!
Announcements:
Friendship Exchange with Monterrey Mexico Rotarians for Sept 23-29 (Butterfly Boxcar event)
Heartland Chamber Music Festival -- July 28 – Aug 7th (volunteers needed)
Westside Back to School Pep Rally – July 29th (volunteers needed)
Sunflowers for Ukraine - Barb Dolci (fundraiser for Ukraine cause)
PROGRAM:
Immediate Past President, Tony Andresen, introduced our speaker, Bobbi Jo Reed of the Healing House-Kansas City. Today’s program was a tale or sharing of two stories, (1) Bobbi Jo’s personal history which led her to start the (2) Healing House and its growth.
Bobbi Jo’s father operated a bar in KCKS, in which she began working after school & on Saturdays at early age. As a chubby kid (poor internal self-image & personal insecurity), with a bad home life and little to no family oversight, Bobbi Jo began drinking at age 12. “Alcohol transformed me into the person I had always wanted to be: funny, popular and cute. I felt like I fit in.” At age 15, Bobbi Jo sustained serious injuries due to a car accident, requiring her to live in metal body cast and taking Valium, Librium and Darvocet for the next year. Her drinking continued and she was raped while still in the body cast. Her alcoholism continued for the next 22 years with serious side effects such as serious beatings, emotional abuse, lying, stealing, sex, homeless life on the streets. She escaped jail time by entering drug and alcohol treatment programs. She thought she met Mr. Right in the treatment program, and after two years of sobriety, she received a severe beating and was back into whiskey and crack. The cycle of abusive relationships (more Mr. Rights) continued leading to a long journey of “incomprehensible demoralization” and the street life of a homeless woman. Just when she starting to reestablish a relationship with her father, he died. Shortly thereafter she took her last drink and cared for her mother for the next 3 ½ years until her death from cancer.
Bobbi Jo had been invited to a church service and finally attended. Bobbi Jo prayed for some relief in her life. With her mother’s passing, she felt truly alone and prayed to God to keep her from drinking. Bobbi Jo needed a purpose. She remembered her time in drug & alcohol treatment programs and the periods shortly thereafter. Those detox programs might only last for 5 to 30 days, with no place to go thereafter. Those individuals needed basic items such as toothbrushes & soap, which she then brought to them, along with cholate chip cookies. After her parents’ death, Bobbi Jo was able to sell her share of the house for $50,000. With that seed money, she was able to buy a beaten down old nursing home with 23 bedrooms in a very bad neighborhood. She and friends were able to fix it up and local street women (some with kids) could move in. With the equity of the improved 1st building, Bobbi Jo was able to buy an abandoned apartment building nearby. Beginning in 2002, the Healing House has grown to provide 200 beds among 13 homes and 3 apartment complexes, having served over 10,000 individuals. Bobbi Jo’s idea of helping others has evolved into the Healing House, a faith-based nonprofit whose mission is to provide sober living housing and the support services needed to help those committed to overcoming their substance use disorder find healing and purpose in life again.
The Quote of the Day: "In case no one told you today, God loves you and so do I." Bobbi Jo Reed.
President Eric Bubb wrapped up the meeting with the Four Way Test.
[as a quick scrivener’s note: our local Club 13 Rotary organization has at least three main legs (like a three legged stool) KCRClub 13 with its various committees; KCRCFoundation (primarily to support the Rotary Youth Camp); and the Rotary Youth Camp, [each with its own separate board].
Did you read this month in our Rotary International Magazine about Rotary support for Ukraine? Now you can join in this opportunity to support Ukraine to remain an independent country from Russia. “Sunflowers for Ukraine” began in Kansas City by a homestay host with Global Ties KC who wanted to help the victims of the war-torn disaster of the Ukrainian Homeland. Aligning with the US Ukrainian Foundation and Rotary Kyiv International you can contribute, knowing every dime will go directly to the needs of the people. Rotary Clubs all over Ukraine network to help with evacuation, medical needs, orphan support, and housing in areas of most need for its vulnerable citizens.
The Heartland Chamber Music summer Festival is an exciting 9 days of chamber music, orchestra, master classes, student and faculty performances and more! Each summer advanced string and piano students ages 12 and older are selected by audition to work one-on-one with internationally renowned faculty members that have gathered for the festival with the purpose of inspiring and nurturing the students’ development.
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