Liam McCarthy will be introducing three Upper Valley leaders who will brief us on how the Covid 19 pandemic is affecting lives in our region. Hanover Town Manager Julia Griffin will give us an update on how the town is weathering the storm and Upper Valley Strong Executive Director Andrew Winter and Listen Executive Director Kyle Fisher will share how the current economic situation is impacting their organizations. 

 

 

 

As a reminder, here’s the format for our Zoom meetings, which look like they will continue for at least another month: 

 

11:45 AM– The Zoom Room opens. When you enter your video will be on but your microphone will be muted. I will be standing by (603-359-2636) if you need some technical assistance.

 

12:00 PM– Liam McCarthy begins the official meeting, at which point it’s best if all mikes are muted. It may be helpful to go to gallery view when guests are introduced, birthdays are celebrated, and Happy Dollars are offered. During this time Liam may also invite members to share any information on how the pandemic is impacting our region. 

 

12:15 PM(or thereabouts) – Liam introduces our speakers, who will be accepting questions at the conclusion of their talk. 

 

1:00 PM– The meeting ends. 

 

 

Ruby Simon described the lengthy and complicated process she needed to follow to honor the request of our exchange student to return to his home in Milan, Italy. Rubi deserves our heartfelt thanks for navigating this issue! She indicated that the Rotary Exchange program for next year is in limbo now as a result of the pandemic, which is creating some degree of strain since we are expecting three students to arrive in August. 

 

David Allen reminded us that we are nearing the end of the Rotary fiscal year and at this point we have fewer than 50% of the club donating to Rotary International. He urged us all to make some kind of donation since one of the metrics is the percent of club members who donate. 

 

Liam McCarthy also reminded members to make weekly contributions in lieu of the money we pay for meals (see section below) now that our treasury has been drained and we no longer need to spend $18/week for our meals. 

 

Kathy Geraghty offered a Happy Dollar in honor of the 1500 rolls of toilet paper she and her husband secured and donated to various senior centers, most of which were in Grafton County. She assured us that her sources were all legitimate. 

 

Tom Csatari won the virtual raffle for a free lunch when the restaurants are open and we are able to eat together. At this rate, everyone will have won a meal by that time! 

 

 

Here’s the link to make a donation in lieu of a meal ticket this week:  

 

 

West Central Behavioral Health’s Executive Director David Celone descried his organization’s mission, which is particularly important in this time when our mental health is under stress. West Central Behavioral Health has been in existence since 1977 and is one of 10 agencies in New Hampshire designed to provide mental health services to communities. West Central Behavioral Health covers southern Grafton County and all of Sullivan County and its services include support for those struggling with addiction as well as those struggling with mental health issues. While West Central Behavioral Health receives most of its funding from the State, David Celone emphasized the many Upper Valley businesses, charitable foundations, and individuals whose donations help sustain the organization.

 

Mr. Celone noted that West Central Behavioral Health will be facing additional pressures in the coming weeks and months as area residents experience various forms of PTSD and the nursing homes that it oversees cope with the outbreak. He sees the biggest challenge to be funding since Medicaid reimbursements, which constitute 73% of his revenue stream, are not keeping pace with demand. He noted that this is especially the case with child services, which were underfunded to being with. He noted that private insurance is not a solution because in many instances it does not cover mental health or addiction services. 

 

He concluded his presentation with an outline of the goals for West Central Behavioral Health, which are:

 

April 29 - Heather Drinan introduces the Hopkins Center’s Outreach staff who will fill us in on how they are coping with the pandemic and their plans for the future. 

 

May 6 – Dick Podolec introduces Rotary Scholar Rachel Brooks who will share her experiences abroad. 

 

As always, ideas are welcome! Free Zoom tutorials are available for those who have miraculously escaped the clutches of the small squares! 

 

Wayne Gersen