Rotary Club of North Scarborough

Meeting of February 8, 2023 – By Dhanni Ramdeen

 

 

Chair: President Courtney Fisher

Anthem:   Frank Allison

Toast:   Courtney Fisher

 

Attendance: 18

 

Guests: From Agincourt RC- Grant Dickson, Michael Conway and Marc Lasorsa; John Ramdeen; Ralph Jones - P D G and Honorary member;

Lee Soda (guest speaker)

Barry Smith – International Services Group meeting on Monday, February 13^th at Remezzo Restaurant at 6:00 pm.

Gordon: Social fellowship on Thursday, February 16^th at 6:30 pm at Southside Restaurant in Markham.

Arthur introduced the guest speaker, Lee Soda, Executive Director of Agincourt Community Services Association (ACSA). Lee is a friend, she runs a fantastic organization that covers a range of services from homelessness, food insecurity, income tax preparation, learn how to apply for jobs and many other services. Lee is a dynamic person. ACSA motto is two-fold: kindness to people and social justice.

 

Lee began with a Story on a day in April 2020 when the world changed with the Pandemic and everywhere was shut down. There were so many questions...What to do? Where to start? Are they going to close the food bank? Where will the homeless go? and so on.

What she knew for sure was ACSA doors could not be closed. They bought masks and PPE at ridiculous prices and continue to forge ahead. On that day, there was a bang on her door. A homeless man appeared and handed her 3 crumpled up $20 bills and 2 tunnies and said to her, “here, this is all I have and I want your organization to have it”. The gentleman said he remembered her from back in 1990’s when he was living under a bridge and her staff would check on him every day to come inside shelter. He refused and sent them away for countless times until one day in mid- 2000, he finally decided to come indoors. He got himself a parttime job and now, he lives indoor. That’s what ACSA did! “No one deserves to be given up on”.

 

ACSA will keep going and never give up! Where “work matters, people matters and commitment matters”.  Lee is very grateful for the continued support from our club.

 

 

 

  Gerd Wengler

 

Peter Masson: thanked all those who corrected the draft Board Minutes.

Gerd: Thank Barry Smith, author of several books who gave him one book free of charge.

John Ramdeen: Happy Valentine to all the ladies.

Michael Conway: Happy that Marc agreed to join Agincourt Rotary Club.

Frank Allison: First time in 3 years, Club service meeting held at a home in person.

Courtney Fisher: Great to have everyone at the meeting.