Girl Scouts deliver HOPE for Haiti

Kevin Hersh, President, Rotary Club of the Caldwells, Darion Triplett, Kathy Malkinski, Kelly Malkinski, Kendall Gregory, Nelson Diego Checo, Daniela Dellanno, Marianna Colavita, Rotarian Gerardo D’Emilio.

The girl scouts of troop 2090 of East Hanover delivered clothing, food and toys to Terzako Furs in Caldwell, NJ on May 15, 2010. The donation was for the people of Haiti. The girls arrived at 1 PM, unpacked the vehicles and Nelson "Diego" Checo, Rotary's Dominican liaison in the Dominican for Haiti immediately started packing for a 3.30 PM shipment. Fifteen boxes or an approximate 2,625 lbs of goods were then shipped for distribution in Haiti.

After the delivery, Marianna Colivita, project leader, presented Kevin Hersh, President, Rotary Club of the Caldwells with a check for $275 collected by the Girl Scouts. Marianna also presented Kevin with an application for a matching grant from Kraft Foods for an additional $275 bringing the total donation to $550.

Kevin Hersh, Diego and Rotarian Mike Kambourakis gave the girls a brief history of the project and Rotarian Gerardo D'Emilio brought out photo books to show the girls how we are all making a difference to so many lives.

A big thank you goes out to Monte Erenkrantz of the Livingston Sunrise Rotary for making the arrangements to get the delivery to The Rotary Club of the Caldwells for "The Haiti Relief Effort."

The girls could not stay long, they had to leave for a scheduled softball game. We hope they Won, they deserved it. THANK YOU GIRL SCOUTS!

Kevin Hersh

President

Rotary Club of the Caldwells

Enjoy a Great Day of Golf or Become a Hole Sponsor for a Very Worthy Cause!

The Rotary Club of the Caldwells invites one and all to our 39th annual golf outing at Ballyowen on Tuesday 6/22/10. Link here for details about signing up as a golfer or a hole sponsor

The Ballyowen golf course is set in a beautiful surroundings with a layout that has something for golfers at all skill levels.

Golfers have an opportunity to win a 2010 Chevy Camaro courtesy of Konner Chevrolet. Of course, everyone has an opportunity to win many other prizes that will be awarded during dinner.

Come and join us for a day of fun! Golf, dinner, and amenities in a beautiful setting with friends...all for $175 per person. We promise you'll have a great day... regardless of your score.

You'll also be helping us to help so many people because all proceeds will be used to fund local and international charities. The Rotary CLub of the Caldwells supports many local charities providing scholarships, sponsoring a handicapped children's camp, helping families in need and local first aid squads. We are also actively involved in relief projects in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, funding life-saving operations for children from third world countries, providing hearing aids to indigent children, and so much more.

You can still participate if you're not a golfer or don't have the day off by being a hole sponsor. A $100 hole sponsorship gets you exposure to some of the nicest and most influential people you'll ever meet.


Thomas J. Cocchiola, P.E., C.S.P.
President Elect
Rotary Club of the Caldwells

New Rescue Truck for WEFAS!

On Sunday February 28th, the West Essex First Aid Squad (WEFAS) brought
their brand new rescue truck to Notre Dame Parish in North Caldwell to
have the truck blessed. Father Anthony of Notre Dame performed the
blessing as a contingent of parishioners looked on.

The Rotary Club of the Caldwells hosted our annual golf outing in 2009, raising
over $12,000. All of this money was donated to WEFAS to help purchase this new rescue vehicle.

We will all benefit in some way by having a vehicle like this
on call to help our family, friends, and neighbors should there be a
need. Once again, the Rotary Club of the Caldwells has demonstrated its ongoing commitment to the communities we serve. Great job everyone!

Jon Wohlgemuth
Vice President
Rotary Club of the Caldwells

Caldwell & Livingston Rotary Club in the news!

Special thanks to Monte Ehrenkranz of Livingston Rotary who is spearheading collection efforts for the Caldwell Haiti Relief Project in the community of Livingston. And, to Livingston High School Students and their teacher, Janet Storti who are helping with the sorting and packing. True teamwork in a time of need! We are grateful for your partnership in making a difference.

Read more about it and see pictures in "The Caldwell Patch" by linking here.

Caldwell Rotarian reports in from Northern Haiti

Rotarian Mike Terzako, owner of Terzako Furs on Bloomfield Avenue, arrived this weekend in the Dominican Republic to work side by side with our local partners. Today he called club president Kevin Hersh to provide an update:

I just got off the phone with Diego and Mike.

Diego was shopping for pasta, rice, water, meat and cookies on Friday and Saturday. Today, along with other supplies shipped to the Island, Mike and Diego, along with security, distributed most of what they could carry 25 miles into Northern Haiti. What follows is Mike's description of what he is seeing.

The area is a war zone, it is a forgotten land. The air is filled with flies. The truck was left back someways because we were mobbed by people that came out from everywhere. We are now distributing using 3- and 4-wheelers. What we have left is water and macaroni. The people are not violent, they are in great need. They are thankful for the food, water and clothing. "Rotario, Rotario, Rotario" was chanted by the people. There is no running water. The people are using the river as an open sewer. They are swimming in the same river, washing in it and also drinking from it. Hygiene makes me think of what it might have been back in the 1700's. It is not good here.

By the time you receive this update, Mike, Diego and his hired security will have left Haiti. I told Mike that the priority of this work is safety. If the truck is mobbed step away, step away.

Mike has my video camera and Diego is also taking photos. Mike told me the video will make us cry. I told Mike that yes, the video may make us cry but it will also make us proud to be Rotarians.

Kevin Hersh

President

Rotary Club of the Caldwells

The referenced video will be shared with you on this site when it becomes available. Financial donations as well as donations of food, medical triage supplies, baby formula, sandals and light weight clothing are still urgently needed and are being shipped regularly for distribution. As you can see, we are personally ensuring that these donations make it into the hands of those in dire need. Details on how to make a donation can be found in the last post. We are extremely grateful to those who are making this work possible through your generosity and humanity.

You are helping Caldwell Rotary make a difference in Haiti!

Water Barrels and Supplies Being Delivered by Rotary

Jean Paul Richter said, “Do not wait for extraordinary circumstances to do good actions; try to use ordinary situations.” Because Rotary employs this philosophy as action and our club has been helping the poor in the Dominican Republic for five years, we are proud to have been first responders in the delivery of water, food, and medical supplies to devastated villages in Haiti and the Dominican. Our established shipping and distribution network, including a secure warehouse facility, modest truck, and trusted hands on the island, mean that 100% of all goods and funding donated are being used to help people who remain in dire need.

The outpouring of support for this relief effort from the community, businesses, organizations, and other Rotary Clubs has resulted in several shipments a week. Thousands of gallons of water, thousands of pounds of food, medical supplies and other necessities have been and continue to be distributed directly into the hands of the people who need them to survive.

There are many ways that you can help! Tax-deductible donations can be sent to the RCC Endowment, Box 98, Caldwell, NJ 07006. Baby food and formula are desperately needed as infants and children are not getting nourishment their bodies can digest. Dried meats, fruits, nuts, protein bars, and canned foods (such as beans) with pop-tops are urgently needed as are medical supplies – gauze, bandages, antibiotics, antibacterial ointments, etc. Toiletries, new or used summer weight clothing, sandals, shoes, and soft toys are needed. Drop off points are: Konner Chevrolet, 950 Bloomfield Ave., Terzako Furs, 472 Bloomfield Ave. and Ace Hardware, 490 Bloomfield Ave.

Finally, you can help by forwarding this blog to help spread the word and sharing your thoughts and ideas in the comment section below.

Rotary of the Caldwells. We were there before. We are there now. And, we will be there after the crisis. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for being there with us!

Rotarian Christy Berg

Distributing Aid Since Day 2 of the Earthquake. Help needed!

With most news and resources necessarily focused on the devastation of Port-au-Prince and it's people, little has been reported about the outlying villages of Haiti and the Dominican Republic which were literally leveled in the quake. Survivors here, who live in abject poverty under the best of circumstances, are in dire need of our help - water, food, medical supplies, shelter, clothing.

Last Thursday, at a time when much relief was not getting through, Caldwell Rotary distributed 2,000 bottles of water, 2,000 pounds of food, and other necessary supplies to the people in these remote, decimated areas of Haiti and the DR. A subsequent air shipment of medical supplies was distributed on Friday. Yesterday, an additional 17,000 bottles of water were delivered, with another 8,000 bottles soon to follow. Supplies are quickly being depleted.

How have we been able to respond so quickly to deliver aid directly to the people? Under the leadership of Mike Kambourakis, Caldwell Rotary has been working in the Dominican Republic for the last five years, providing donated clothing, educational and medical supplies, and food to people in the poorest villages. In 2009, we distributed 40,000 pounds. Please take three minutes to watch this video on our Dominican Project.

Because our club has an established distribution network in place, we have the capacity to continue to deliver aid quickly and directly to the people. BUT WE URGENTLY NEED YOUR HELP TO KEEP THE DISTRIBUTION FLOWING! Funding is needed to purchase additional nonperishable food items, water, and medical supplies. Tax deductible donations can be made to the Rotary Club of the Caldwells Endowment Fund, PO Box 98,Caldwell, NJ 07006. Non perishable food, baby formula and food, medical supplies, clothing, sandals, and other donations can be dropped off at Konner Chevrolet, 950 Bloomfield Avenue West Caldwell, NJ 07006.

We are extremely grateful to be in position to help and for the outpouring of support from other Rotarians, local businesses, civic and religious organizations, and individuals. Together we are making a difference!

Yours Sincerely,
Rotarian Christy Berg