Guests welcome! This week's program will highlight the wonderful worldwide Rotary Youth Exchange program. Speakers will include our own exchange student from Thailand, Art Matanboon, former exchange student Maria Friedman who represented our club in Brazil several years ago, and Jane McGinty, Rotary Youth Exchange chair. Please help spread the word about our special program next week, where we go "Glocal" exploring the powerful International and Local Impacts of the program. Please invite both junior/high school students who may have possible interest in studying abroad for a year, as well as Eden Prairie families who may have future interest in hosting an exchange student.
Reminders:
Register NOW for district conference May 12/13 in Prior Lake. Early bird registration ends 4/22. 50% of your conference fee will be reimbursed by the club. Information and registration here
April 16th is Eden Prairie Parks cleanup day: register here
Registration is open for the annual Ethics Luncheon on April 21st at Edina Country Club: register here
We need hands to help pack backpacks with emergency items for at-risk teens. This is our grant money at work! These bags will be made available at sites that make frequent contact with at-risk youth. Meet on Monday, 4/25 from 3:30-5pm at PROP.
Spotlight on Rotary is April 26th, time to invite friends and colleagues! See your inbox, Adam Sienkowski has provided an electronic poster for forwarding.
What's Rotary all about? Please join us to learn about Eden Prairie A.M.'s impact in our community and our world. You are invited to check us out at our "Spotlight on Rotary" open house event at Buca de Bepo Restaurant on Tuesday, April 26th from 5:00-6:30 p.m. Admission is free, and appetizers will be provided. The event will allow you and your guests to meet and mingle with members of Eden Prairie A.M. Rotary and hear very brief Spotlight presentations illuminating our local and international service. You'll receive free tickets to attend our weekly breakfast meetings. Bring a donation for the PROP foodshelf, and your first beverage is free. Registration is not required, but appreciated. For more information or to register online click here or email maureenmara28@gmail.com.
Janet Palmer, Executive Director of PROP, spoke to the club about the grassroots work that the organization has been involved in since 1971. It started with neighbors helping neighbors and has evolved over the years into a body that helps struggling families bridge difficult periods in their lives. PROP has helped over 1100 families and continues to grow. In 2007, they opened PROP shop, which operates independently though it is a part of PROP.
Janet said over the last decade there is more poverty in the suburbs than in urban areas, a surprising trend. Families that need help make less than living wages and it is usually loss of employment or a divorce that results in this situation. About 60% of the families that get HELP from PROP have an income of $1403/month which is just not enough to make ends meet. There are others that are on fixed income, either SSI or SSDI. These families get help in the form of food, scholarship for activities, and drivers’ education.
Janet spoke about ‘new poor’ who lack affordable housing, un- or underemployment, limited transport, and homelessness. She showed the club a video, made by Life to the Max, to explain how PROP helps. The examples of people that help could be surprising and it is not just single parents that get help. PROP provides a bridge to the next opportunity. It provides holistic services: food, financial, preventative, social, and seasonal services.
EPAM helps and supports PROP in multiple ways: a van, chicken challenge, financial support, homeless teen backpacks, school supplies, and holiday gifts!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Rotary Club of Chaska will have its inaugural Bonspiel, a curling event proceeds from which will benefit Polio Plus.
Spotlight on Rotary, our membership recruitment event, will be held at 5 to 6:30 p.m. on April 26 at Buca di Beppo restaurant. Invite prospective members and sign up now.
Multiple reminders and announcements by Jan Eian: Eden Prairie Reads evening with Garth Stein on April 19, the Community Foundation’s annual EP Gives gala on April 30, Ethics Luncheon on April 21, PROP backpacking project on April 25, Rotary Reads, STRIVE on May 3, and Rotary’s Annual Conference on May 12-13.
Jane McGinty encouraged members and guests to attend the next meeting since the focus will be on Rotary Youth Exchange.
SPOTLIGHT ON NATALIE NORRIS
Natalie Norris grew up in Waseca, finished high school there and went to St Cloud State University. She studied abroad both in England and Guatemala. She took Communication classes at Augsburg and joined BI, where she worked in their travel program and moved on to benefits. After several years at BI, she joined Hartford. Natalie worked on disability and FMLA for multiple years. She then moved to Sedgwick and works as client liaison. She helps them with Disability Leave Management benefit services. Natalie has two sons: John (5) and Jack (3).
HAPPY FINES ......We’re happy. And we’re willing to pay fines for being so.
Bob Solohub was happy that he came back with some cigars from Havana, Cuba. He offered them to members but could not find enough to auction them off to!
Mark Weber was happy and jealous about a couple of members who were back from sunny Florida.
Dan O’Brien was happy to present a Paul Harris pin to Irene Kelly.
Irene Kelly had a happy fine as well
Jeanne Zetah was happy that while on a visit to the State Capitol with exchange student Art, Jennifer Loon welcomed them
Curt Tryggestad was happy to announce the screening of a documentary.
VISITORS
Prospective Member/Guests (host): JoAn Palmquist (1st visit, guest of Mary Brown), Bill Gaddis (1st visit, guest of Irene Kelly)
Janet Palmer, Executive Director of PROP, spoke to the club about the grassroots work that the organization has been involved in since 1971. It started with neighbors helping neighbors and has evolved over the years into a body that helps struggling families bridge difficult periods in their lives. PROP has helped over 1100 families and continues to grow. In 2007, they opened PROP shop, which operates independently though it is a part of PROP. 
Natalie Norris grew up in Waseca, finished high school there and went to St Cloud State University. She studied abroad both in England and Guatemala. She took Communication classes at Augsburg and joined BI, where she worked in their travel program and moved on to benefits. After several years at BI, she joined Hartford. Natalie worked on disability and FMLA for multiple years. She then moved to Sedgwick and works as client liaison. She helps them with Disability Leave Management benefit services. Natalie has two sons: John (5) and Jack (3).