Volunteers from our Club had a great time at the September 6 Bed Build for Sleep in Heavenly Peace (lead image). On September 8, we had a Membership Assembly and welcomed two new members. On September 15 and 22 we had excellent presentations from Fishes and Loaves and our Community Interact Club, respectively. We ended the month with a well attended Social Night and great fellowship at Westwoods Lodge & Pub on September 29. Read about all of these programs and more in this Newsletter.
September’s Rotary International theme was Basic Education and Literacy—a focus that fits our Club well. Thanks to our support of Rotary Family Day at the Ballpark, which funds literacy grants in our district, we’re now eligible to apply for a grant of our own. We’re actively exploring opportunities before the October 31 deadline.
We also learned how Fishes & Loaves Outreach has grown into a life-changing force for literacy, education, and workforce training. Executive Director Barbara Rochelle(4th from left in image below), Co-Founder and Literacy Coordinator Renee Scott (2nd from left), and Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) School Coordinator Lillian Beans (3rd from left) shared how their Springfield Literacy Project pairs adult learners with tutors, while the Pathways to Success CNA program prepares nearly 100 students a year for careers in healthcare. After the presentation, Michele Mele (far left), Administrative Assistant, spoke with members about the numerous CNA students who continue their training to become Licensed Practical Nurses or pursue other health care careers.
Throughout September, we welcomed visiting Rotarians Barb Malany (Springfield Sunrise) and Jeff and Becky Wilson (Champaign West), as well as guests Roslyn Russo, Shirley Frankowitz, and Steve Schwark. Most exciting of all, we inducted Kay Powell and Miranda Smith as our newest members—welcome to Rotary! Check out the story in this Newsletter to learn more about Kay and Miranda.
At our Club Assembly, we reviewed the work of our launch teams, whose efforts are helping us attract, welcome, and engage new members. Thank you to everyone making membership growth and retention a priority.
Service was at the heart of our September. We:
Built and assembled 24 beds with Sleep in Heavenly Peace – Springfield Chapter during the Bunks Across America Bed Build (Lead image and story in this Newsletter).
Wrapped up our 2025 Flag Service Program, with flags set to return proudly on Memorial Day 2026. See story below.
Heard from inbound exchange student Eva, who also joined the Youth Symphony with our sponsorship (pictured on right with our Youth Exchange Counselor Travis Magoulias).
Registered for the United Way Day of Action on October 3. See the article in this Newsletter for details on this volunteer event.
Continued supporting families through the Ridgely Elementary School micropantry.
We’re also proud sponsors of the brand-new Springfield Community Interact Club (SCIC). Advisor Jill Friday and students Julianna, Thien, Elenora, and Naomi shared how their club is growing, serving the community, and even exploring Rotary Youth Exchange opportunities abroad at our September 22 meeting (image below). Their passion for service and leadership is truly inspiring. A longer story on this program is included in this Newsletter.
Internationally, we celebrate the selection of Olayinka Hakeem Babalola (Rotary Club of Trans Amadi, Nigeria) as Rotary International President for 2026–2027. We wish him success as he prepares to lead our global organization.
Of course, September wasn’t just about projects and programs—it was also about fellowship. Our month-end social night at Westwoods Lodge Pub and Grill was filled with great food, conversation, and connection—the heart of what makes Rotary so special.
As we step into October, we turn to Rotary’s next theme, Economic and Community Development. In support of this theme, the featured speaker for our October 6 Club meeting will be Amy Rasing (image on left), the Director of the Office of Planning and Economic Development for the City of Springfield. She will speak about Springfield's Economic Development Outlook. More information on this presentation is provided in Upcoming Programs and Events in this Newsletter. We will recognize World Polio Day on October 24, joining Rotarians worldwide in the fight to end polio for good.
Let’s continue to Unite for Good through service, friendship, and community.
When we meet at Maldaner's, please submit your reservations for dinner! Click on the link embedded below and enter the date, your name, dine in/carry out and number of meals being consumed in the restaurant and/or carried out prior to each meeting. Preferably, everyone will fill out the form by noon on the Friday before the upcoming meeting. We have given staff at Maldaner's access to the view, so it will help them with planning. As always, we will direct him to have a few additional servings available for members who forget or last minute guests.
The same link will work for the entire Rotary year and will be shared within each Newsletter, so do not delete the Newsletter until you have submitted your dinner information. Please remember that the three most recent Newsletters can also be accessed from the Website Home Page (www.spirotary.org) so you can also access the link for reservations from the Website Home Page (www.spirotary.org).
On Saturday, September 6, Rotary Club members Ross Hodel, Dave Fowler, Brandy Zanger, Harry Mitchell, John Webb, Ken Gilmore, and Miranda Smith (lead image) rolled up their sleeves for the Bunks Across America Bed Build with Sleep in Heavenly Peace - Springfield Chapter.
Together with other community volunteers, we built and assembled 24 beds that will soon provide kids in our area with the comfort, dignity, and rest they deserve.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace is powered entirely by volunteers and donations, working to make sure no child has to sleep on the floor. Every dollar helps put another bed in the home of a child in need.
We were grateful for the chance to be part of this effort. It is proof that just a few hours of service can change a child’s life overnight. We hope you enjoy these pictures and will join us on a future bed build.
As is our tradition we gathered for sweet treats after the service project. Volunteering is always rewarding!
We were excited to welcome Kay Powell and Miranda Smith as the newest members of the Rotary Club of Springfield, Illinois! They were inducted as members at our September 8 club meeting.
Kay, a longtime Rotarian, comes to us from North Dakota and now teaches as an Adjunct Professor in the Management, Marketing, and Operations Department at the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS). She chose to transfer her Rotary membership to our club based on our website and social media. At her induction, we presented her with our club flag, which she’ll be sharing with her former club—a wonderful reminder of Rotary’s fellowship and unity.
Miranda, a longtime Central Illinois native living in Taylorville, is the President, Founder, and Chief Vision Officer of Emerald Gardens, a nonprofit working to build community and social connections and fight food insecurity through sustainable food production and education.
Please join us in giving Kay and Miranda a warm Springfield Rotary welcome!
Our Club enjoyed learning more about Fishes & Loaves Outreach and their inspiring story at our September 15 club meeting.
Since 1998, they’ve evolved from delivering furniture to people leaving the Sojourn Shelter to operating the Fishes & Loaves Literacy and Vocational Center (image above) on Sheffield Road in the Laketown area of Springfield, changing lives through literacy, education, and workforce training.
Barbara Rochelle (image below), Executive Director, traced their journey and impact, noting their program is needed because 15 percent of adults in Sangamon County are illiterate.
Renee Scott (image below), Co-Founder and Literacy Coordinator, spoke passionately about transforming lives through literacy, working with them on math, language, and reading.
Lillian Beans (image below), Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) Coordinator, highlighted the Pathways to Success CNA program, which trains nearly 100 students a year for health care careers. Three generations of students have already graduated through the program.
Michele Mele (far left in image below), Administrative Assistant, emphasized to our members after the presentation how many students complete the CNA program and continue on to become Licensed Professional Nurses (LPNs) and beyond.
Their Springfield Literacy Project pairs adult learners with tutors, while their workforce programs give people jobs, hope, and freedom to learn.
Please note that volunteers are welcome to join in their mission!
As the 2025 Flag Service Program wrapped up for 2025, our Rotary Club was busy collecting flags and solar lights across the community. Thanks to all the members and their relatives who collected flags (image above) and returned them to the storage shed. John Webb was assisted by his son John (image on left) and Bonnie Styles was assisted by her daughter Megan (image below).
A big THANK YOU to everyone who subscribed this year! Your support helped us honor Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Patriot's Day (September 11) while also fueling our Community Grants Program that benefits local nonprofits.
We can’t wait to see these flags waving proudly again in 2026, standing tall for Memorial Day and the special days that follow.
Our Club enjoyed hearing from the brand-new Springfield Community Interact Club (SCIC) at our September 22 meeting at Maldaners Upstairs.
Advisor Jill Friday, a Spanish teacher at Southeast HS (image above), and Interact students Julianna (1st image below), Thien (2nd image below), Elenora (3rd image below), and Naomi (4th image below) shared how SCIC got started, why it appealed to them, what they’ve accomplished, and what’s ahead.
They’ve been busy recruiting, meeting, serving the community, and connecting with local Rotary Clubs. Some are also pursuing the Rotary Youth Exchange program, hoping to study abroad and experience new cultures.
Right now, the students are leading a coat drive (Sept 22–Oct 31). Looking forward, they’ll be at the Rotary Park pollinator garden ceremony on October 4, and becoming involved in citrus sales, blood drives, and more.
We’re proud to sponsor these amazing students as they live out the Interact mission of service and leadership.
Our Club's volunteer assignment for the Fall United Way Day of Action on Friday, October 3 is to work on landscaping in front of Washington Middle School, 2300 East Jackson Street in Springfield. Volunteers should arrive at the school at 1:00 p.m. and the work will extend to 3:00 or 4:00 p.m. Parking is available in the school parking lot. Our pre-registered volunteer group includes me, Harry Mitchell, Brandy Zanger, Sheila Mack, John Webb, and Bonnie Styles. Volunteers should wear the t-shirt from the Spring Day of Action (image below) or should have ordered a shirt that I will pick up and deliver. Please bring comfortable yard gloves, as well as any tools you are comfortable using. I will reach out to the Washington Middle School staff to find out more about the landscaping we will be doing so we will be prepared before we arrive there on Friday. Today is the last day to RSVP for the Volunteer Appreciation Lunch. The link for the lunch RSVP was provided in September 29 email to those who have volunteered. This lunch is at the Salvation Army at 11:30 a.m. and is provided by Cafe Moxo.
Rotary District 6460 Conference – November 8, 2025
Join us for a powerful day of connection, inspiration, and celebration at the Rotary District 6460 Conference, happening Saturday, November 8th, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS)
This year’s theme, "Unite For Good," celebrates the spirit of Rotary—working together to create lasting change in our communities and beyond.
Why Attend? Hear from dynamic speakers and changemakers. Connect with fellow Rotarians across the district. Celebrate the impact we’ve made—together.
All Rotarians are encouraged to attend—let’s unite, celebrate, and continue our mission of service!
The annual John Montgomery Memorial Citrus Drive will begin at our October 6 club meeting. Packets with information about this year’s campaign will be passed out at the time.
Selling citrus has been a fundraiser for our club since 1975. That was 50 years ago. When we started selling citrus, we looked to Florida because it was the best we could buy. That has changed dramatically due to hurricanes, droughts, a disease called greening, and commercialization of the land. The land is worth more for development than as a citrus crop. When the industry leader of citrus falters, uncertainty results in higher cost for citrus.
This year we are getting oranges from California and grapefruit from Texas or Florida. The selling price for all large 40 LB cartons is $65.00. The selling price for all smaller 20 LB cartons is $35.00. This is the third consecutive year that we have raised prices on the large cartons. There may be a point where our customers will resist paying higher prices for citrus. So far there has been limited resistance to higher prices because they are aware that our profits go to local charities.
Just so you know, the real expense is what we pay for citrus. Nobody gets paid to help at the warehouse or anywhere else. For many years we paid a small amount to a warehouse employee. But he has retired and no one else from the warehouse will help us in any significant way. We will need more volunteers to help at the warehouse (image below) on Friday, December 5 and Saturday, December 6.
In selling citrus, the question remains: How do you convince a potential customer to buy a large quantity of citrus? First of all, the citrus will keep for an extended period of time, so it doesn’t have to be used in a short period. The oranges can last for five to six weeks; the grapefruit can last for ten to twelve weeks. If there is still resistance to buying the citrus, you can always present the idea of buying citrus for the foodbank (image below). This choice provides citrus for food pantries, and the profit from the sale will be used to help other local charities.
This year’s Citrus Drive lasts for five weeks and concludes on Monday, November 10. Don’t wait until the last minute to get started. Good luck in your efforts to sell citrus!
Now you can sign up to volunteer to fill the Ridgely Micropantry by using the Signup Genius App. Just download the app and sign up for a one week or two week timeframe that works best for you or you and a friend. What a great way to make a difference. Thank you!
Ridgely Micro-Pantry: Winter and Spring Dates Added to SignUp Genius
Please consider signing up for a two-week commitment to stock the pantry or partner with a friend. The link provided takes you to the sign-up sheet located online using the SignUp Genius program. The Signup Genius link is listed below to sign up and allows you to reserve those dates and to also shows which timeframes are unfilled. The app will also send you a reminder closer to your volunteer date.
New! One Week Shifts
There are several shifts that will only be one week in length instead of two making an appearance on this list during high traffic times around the holidays for the weeks of December 22, December 29 and March 30. We are testing this concept. Rotarians might have trouble committing to a two-week period around the holidays due to their own schedule but perhaps they could commit to a one-week timeframe. Also, typically the demand is higher around the holidays so keeping the pantry stocked during that timeframe for one week is a big enough task-and greatly appreciated!
School Address:
Ridgely Elementary School
2040 North 8th Street
Springfield, IL 62702
Micro Pantry Location
The Rotary Micro pantry is located on the east side of the building by the main entrance. It is a purple and yellow cabinet.
Sign-up Genius: Volunteer Link (download the app):
The Rotary Club of Springfield has agreed to host a Foreign Exchange Student for the school year 2025-2026. We are looking for one more host family to serve one semester of the school year, preferably with Springfield or Southeast High School boundaries.
We now know that the student will be a female from Taiwan. Preferably the host family will have a high-school aged student, but that is not a requirement. Single family hosts are allowed pending approval by both the student and the student's parents. Because the student is a female, I cannot serve as her Youth Exchange Counselor so we are also looking for a female Rotarian to serve in that capacity. Let me know if you are interested.
Please think of family and friends you think may be interested in hosting a Foreign Exchange student, preferable three if you can think of that many. You or they may contact me for additional information. My email is bkemp1100@hotmail.com, or phone 217-494-7467.
Finding host families has become difficult, so I would appreciate any assistance you can provide. I am attaching a list of host family requirements. Please note that COVID inoculations are no longer required.
I sincerely appreciate any assistance you can provide.
Please remember that we are including some social night meetings at locations other than Maldaners. Please pay attention to the meeting schedule listed in the Newsletter, on our website home page (www.spirotary.org), and on our Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram pages for the dates and locations of the meetings.
October 3, United Way Fall Day of Action, 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Our Club's volunteers will work on landscaping in front of Washington Middle School.
October 4, 2025 Dedication of Rotary Peace Pole at the Rotary Pollinator Garden: 10:00 a.m.-10:45 a.m.
Rotary Park, Springfield, IL District Governor Bill Knake and Springfield Park District Board President Lesli Sgro will attend. All Rotarians are invited to attend.
October 6, 2025: Rotary Club Meeting at Maldaners Upstairs, 5:30-6:45 p.m.
Amy Rasing: The Economic Outlook for Springfield
Amy, Director of the Office of Planning & Economic Development for Springfield, will provide an overview of the economic outlook for our city. Amy (image to left) is a seasoned fund development and communications professional with more than 35 years of experience in elevating organizational visibility and securing vital resources. In January 2025, she was appointed Director of Planning and Economic Development for the City of Springfield by Mayor Misty Buscher, following her work for the City as Operations Coordinator for Grants beginning in 2023.
Her career spans leadership roles in local, state, and national nonprofits, including the Girl Scouts, Arthritis Foundation, Children’s Organ Transplant Association, Schultz Foundation for Advancing Counseling, and Illinois Presbyterian Home Communities. Amy is widely recognized for her genuine enthusiasm, strategic vision, and unwavering commitment to connecting people and generating revenue to drive meaningful change.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Amy is deeply engaged in community service. She chairs fundraising events for the Land of Lincoln Pink Warriors and the King’s Daughters Organization (KDO). She has also served on the executive board for Illinois Women in Leadership and was honored with a nomination for the Athena Award in 2023.
Amy and her husband of 35 years have proudly called Springfield home since 1999 and they are proud parents of two grown sons.
October 13, 2025: No Rotary Club Meeting (Columbus/Indigenous Peoples Day)
October 20, 2025 Rotary Club Meeting at Maldaners Upstairs, 5:30-6:45 p.m.
Club Assembly on Membership
October 25, 2024: Commemoration of Rotary International World Polio Day
October 27, 2025: Off-Site Social Night
Location to be announced
November 3, 2025: Rotary Club Meeting at Maldaners Upstairs, 5:30-6:45 p.m.
Speaker to be announced
November 8, 2025: Rotary District 6460 Conference, UIS Student Center, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
See invitation in this Newsletter
November 10, 2025: Rotary Club Meeting at Maldaners Upstairs, 5:30-6:45 p.m.
Club Assembly on Membership
November 17, 2025: Rotary Club Meeting at Maldaners Upstairs, 5:30-6:45 p.m.
Speaker to be announced
November 24, 2025: Off-Site Social Night
Location to be announced
December 1, 2025: Rotary Club Meeting at Maldaners Upstairs, 5:30-6:45 p.m.
Club Assembly on Membership
December 9, 2025 (Tuesday) Rotary Holiday Party
Location to be announced
December 15, 2025 Rotary Club Meeting at Maldaners Upstairs, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Speaker to be announced
December 22, 2025 No Rotary Club Meeting (Holiday Season)
December 29, 2025: No Rotary Club Meeting (New Year's holiday)
You can sign up using the new Sign-Up Genius online system featured in the above article by Ken Gilmore. We are now signing up one to two individuals for each slot.
I appreciate your help!
Thank you for signing up for a micropantry volunteer shift. Your time and effort are greatly appreciated by the community we serve.
Members who have supported this program realize the price of food and other products stocked in the pantry have become more expensive. Under a new program, a member may be reimbursed up to $100 when a purchase is made for the food pantry. Funding for this reimbursement was made possible by donations in the amount $1,739, which were received at the Rotary Open House last December that I hosted at my home
Below are the details including the location of the pantry, and suggestions on items to collect and distribute. If you are unable to complete your shift, please reach out and we'll work on a better period of time to meet your needs. If you have suggestions for future volunteers, please let me know and we'll adapt the program along the way.
.
Ridgely Elementary School
2040 North 8th Street
Springfield, IL 62702
Main entrance to the school (look for the yellow and purple pantry by the front doors).
The image below shows the location of the pantry at the entrance to the school.
These suggestions came from people who use food pantries to help feed their families.
1. Everyone donates Kraft Mac and Cheese in the box. They can rarely use it because it needs milk and butter, which is difficult to get from regular food banks. 2. Boxed milk is a treasure, as kids need it for cereal, which they also get a lot of. 3. Everyone donates pasta sauce and spaghetti noodles. 4. They cannot eat all the awesome canned veggies and soup unless you put a can opener in too or buy pop tops.* 5. Oil is a luxury and needed for Rice a-Roni, which they also get a lot of. 6. Spices or salt and pepper would be a real Holiday gift. 7. Tea bags and coffee make them feel like you care. 8. Sugar and flour are treats. 9. They fawn over fresh produce donated by farmers and grocery stores. 10. Seeds are cool in Spring and Summer because growing can be easy for some. 11. They rarely get fresh meat. 12. Tuna and crackers make a good lunch. 13. Hamburger Helper goes nowhere without ground beef. 14. They get lots of peanut butter and jelly but usually not sandwich bread. 15. Butter or margarine is nice too. 16. Eggs are a real commodity. 17. Cake mix and frosting makes it possible to make a child’s birthday cake. 18. Dishwashing detergent is very expensive and is always appreciated. 19. Feminine hygiene products are a luxury and women will cry over that. 20. Everyone loves Stove Top Stuffing.
The image below shows a fully stocked pantry.
The image below shows me stocking an empty micropantry on June 4.
Micro Pantry Coordinator: Allie Montney with assistance from John Webb
Phone 217-494-6901 (for the quickest response, please text)
Things I've noticed that may be helpful: Stocking the pantry on a weekend or after 4:00PM during the weekdays means less people and easier to get a parking spot. Ask friends and family to donate unused household items for the pantry that you can collect. If purchasing bags of fresh fruit or veggies, stock them individually so that more in need can take what they need. It's going to be freezing outside soon, so consider if the items will no longer be good if frozen. ALDI grocery stores have prices that cannot be beat.
Do you know or are you someone who has a passion to give back to your community? The Rotarians in this image are helping pack essential items for the Illinois Police Department to give to homeless individuals in our community. As a Rotarian, you adhere to the principles of the 4-way Test., which are:
Is it the Truth?
Is it Fair to all concerned?
Will it build Good Will and Better Friendships?
Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?
If you find value in these ideals and want to be part of a great organization, right click on the attached link to open our online Membership Applicationin a new window. You can also click on this link to download an electronic copy of the Membership Application from our Club's website Home Page (www.spirotary.org) in the Download Files section. You can send the completed application to the Membership Committee at hmitchell11@comcast.net. We look forward to hearing from you!
Please remember to report your service hours and related contributions. You will be able to enter your hours and correctly assign them to the correct Rotary Calendar year. Just follow this link:
Please email images of service activities to Bonnie Styles at bonstyles@yahoo.com. It's easy to take pictures if you have a smartphone, but even an old style camera works just fine. Send me an email (bonstyles@yahoo.com) to let me know when you will be volunteering for a service project, and I will come out and take some images.
Be sure to turn in your hours for any volunteering that you do on behalf of Rotary.
The image below shows President John Webb after stocking the Ridgely School Micropantry on September 30, 2025. John noted that when he arrived, the pantry was empty except for 3 bottles of spices. We thank John for stocking the pantry during the last two weeks of September, 2025. If you haven't signed up for a shift, you can sign up using the link in the article by Community Services Director Ken Gilmore in this Newsletter.
Heard from inbound exchange student Eva, who also joined the Youth Symphony with our sponsorship (pictured on right with our Youth Exchange Counselor Travis Magoulias).
Of course, September wasn’t just about projects and programs—it was also about fellowship. Our month-end social night at Westwoods Lodge Pub and Grill was filled with great food, conversation, and connection—the heart of what makes Rotary so special.
As we step into October, we turn to Rotary’s next theme, Economic and Community Development. In support of this theme, the featured speaker for our October 6 Club meeting will be Amy Rasing (image on left), the Director of the Office of Planning and Economic Development for the City of Springfield. She will speak about Springfield's Economic Development Outlook. More information on this presentation is provided in Upcoming Programs and Events in this Newsletter. We will recognize World Polio Day on October 24, joining Rotarians worldwide in the fight to end polio for good.
Together with other community volunteers, we built and assembled 24 beds that will soon provide kids in our area with the comfort, dignity, and rest they deserve.
As is our tradition we gathered for sweet treats after the service project. Volunteering is always rewarding!
As the 2025 Flag Service Program wrapped up for 2025, our Rotary Club was busy collecting flags and solar lights across the community. Thanks to all the members and their relatives who collected flags (image above) and returned them to the storage shed. John Webb was assisted by his son John (image on left) and Bonnie Styles was assisted by her daughter Megan (image below).
