Oct. 10th Meeting Highlights -- Stop Hunger Now & Lighting for Literacy

Posted by Bill Comport 
 
Our October 10th lunch meeting featured two fabulous presentations: Karen Noe and Chris Romero from Stop Hunger Now and Doug McNeil of Los Gatos Morning Rotary speaking on their Lighting for Literacy project.
                        
Stop Hunger Now is an international hunger relief program, which distributes food packages primarily through school feeding and disaster relief programs operated by partner organizations in developing countries.
 
Lighting for Literacy provides solar lights to increase literacy in communities without power. Our local high school students, assisted by Rotary volunteers, assemble the solar lights.  Students are exposed to vocational training in math, science and electricity as well as business entrepreneurial skills. Saratoga Rotary is planning to partner with Los Gatos Morning Rotary in this project in the near future.
 
There was a lot of interest in these two projects in the room, judging from the member’s interest and number of questions.
 
Your Community Service Committee, chaired by Cathy Thermond, has arranged for each of you to have an opportunity to personally participate in a meal-packaging event at Saratoga High School on Martin Luther King Day, Monday, January 19, 2015.  Saratoga Rotary will join Interactors from Saratoga High, Prospect High and  Cambrian Academy for a morning to assemble meal packages of dehydrated, high protein and highly nutritious meals. Each meal package serves 6 at a cost of $0.29 per meal. Meals are vegetarian and can be modified by local taste to add spices and local animal protein.
 
Go to: http://youtu.be/yF3fylElzSo?list=UUu7lqYOFv-Ha0TJxtvyC4Tw for a video on their program. Also go to www.stophungernow.org for more information.
 
I experienced an open meal-packaging event at Stop Hunger Now’s San Leandro warehouse on September 6th.  There were about 25 volunteers and their families.  We were able to package 8,600 meals in under 2 hours!  It was a great way to meet new people of similar interests.  Also, Chris plays some energizing music.  It’s like an aerobics class!
 
Mark your calendars and join us on Monday, January 19, 2015 for a fun, hands-on event. See you there!