Guest Speaker:  Cindy Williams : KIWANIS FUNDRAISING

It is obvious that a club is limited by what it can do in the community by its operating and service budgets. A relatively young club like ours takes time to generate enough operating funds to take on more ambitious activities. The rummage sale last year was a good start in this process, but more must be done. With this in mind, club president Ken Daly appointed Cindy Williams to spearhead the fundraising activities of the club.

Cindy, who was key to getting the Pediatric Trauma grant for LLUMC, plans to use her outstanding organizational skill to invigorate the clubs fundraising activities. She provided a handout and presented a slide presentation covering several products and venues that could generate revenue for the club. The club could be involved in the sale of Kiwanis Peanuts or See’s Candy (successful with the Yucaipa Club). More ambitious projects could be a Car Show, Benefit Banquet, and participation in the Route 66 Rendezvous.

Each project would require a chairperson, a support committee to plan and budget the project, board approval, and volunteers. It was decided to work on a simple project first, and then build up to a more elaborate activity.

Events in the area that serve as a venue for fundraising would be car shows, Redlands Bowl, Redlands Bicycle Classic, Redlands Christmas Parade, Loma Linda Community Fair, and Redlands “Street Fair.”

Keven suggested a shaved ice booth. Coupon books were felt not to be a good place to start. It was suggested that we benchmark off of the Yucaipa Club, which seems to have a knack for developing projects for fundraising. Please help Cindy and the Club in this endeavor.

Guest Speaker:  Evan Winter : Volunteering for Hurricane Katrina Relief 

Evan Winter recently returned from a volunteer effort in the New Orleans area to help the victims of the devastating Hurricane Katrina.  As part of a group from the local  Trinity Church, led by Jim Powell, Evan donated his time and energy gutting houses that had flooded.  This is hard work, but important for the preservation of houses that are now suffering from dangerous mold.  All of the contents of a house, as well as the drywall, are removed. The wood frame is treated to kill any remaining mold.  This will hopefully save these houses so that later they may be rehabilitated and reoccupied.   This is a slow process that may take up to several months.  Many houses will have to be destroyed.

Evan presented a slide presentation featuring some of the aftermath of the storm.  There were boats in front yards, bare foundations, rubble where houses once stood, and in one slide a Cessna aircraft had settled between two houses.  Evan was impressed with the frontline support rendered by the Red Cross and the Salvation Army that had established centers for distribution of clothing, food, and meals.  He was also impressed by the willingness of the remaining hurricane victims to pitch in and help rebuild the neighborhoods.  According to Evan, much more work needs to be done in terms of cleanup and restoration.  He looks forward to another volunteer mission to the area.  The club members present were spellbound and saddened by the ravages of the floods as depicted on the slides.  Thanks for a job well done, Evan.

Guest Speaker:  Jacqueline White : Saving Our Troubled Youth 

Ms. Smith,  a member of the PAL Charter School faculty, has been awarded a grant from t he Workforce Investment Act Program that provides financial support for salvaging the lives of disadvantaged, disenfranchised youth.  

She related several stories of how school dropouts, unwed youth parents, and those released from jail have had their lives turned around and redirected to a more meaningful existence.  The organization emphasizes teaching these participants much needed social skills.  The youth often do not know how to interact appropriately in society due to sometimes indescribably horrible life experiences.  They are taught the basics like how to talk the language of business, how to address appropriately for the workplace, how to write resumes, and how to interact with people.  Ms. White stated that she is constantly reminded of just how deficient these people are in legal everyday survival skills.  They do come with all sorts of street smarts, but of the wrong kind, the type that if not changed, will keep them shackled to a life of trouble and grief.  How much better it would be to save these young people at this stage in their lives , rather than have to  pay for their jail cells in the future. 

Ms. White, who was clearly emotionally involved in her work, sometimes had to hold back tears as she described the hardships and successes that she has witnessed amongst her clients.  Ms. White is truly one of those unsung heroes , of which there are many in our society, who are helping our youth improve their lives. She had a captive audience.  We hope that Ms. White can visit us again and share more of her fine efforts on behalf of the youth in our area.

IGuest Speaker:  Robert Bahler : American Red Cross- preparing for disaster 

The American Red Cross, founded by Clara Barton  on May 21, 1881, is a humanitarian organization led by volunteers and guided by its Congressional Charter and the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross Movement that provides relief to victims of disasters and help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.

The American Red Cross, through its network of chapters, service delivery units and national headquarter operations, provides disaster relief services to people affected by disasters 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. Through an extensive network of well-trained volunteers and generous donations from people throughout the country, the Red Cross is able to provide the immediate basic needs of disaster victims. Red Cross disaster relief services are free, an outright gift from the American people. 

Mr. Bahler a specialist in public  and  community relations for the American Red Cross, updated the club on the timely issue of the role of the Red Cross in meeting the needs of those affected by natural and other disasters.  This  topic has meaning to all of us in light of the recent natural storm related disasters in the Southern United States and the Midwest.   We have long been aware of the roles of the Red Cross in CPR training and blood donations, but recently we have witnessed just how effective this organization can be when responding to disasters on the order of magnitude of the New Orleans flooding in the wake of hurricane Katrina.  Mr. Bahler described how volunteers are recruited and trained to respond at a moment's notice (Give Hope Now, crises volunteers).  These individuals are ready and willing to be the first on the scene to help those in need.  There are 33 categories of service such as client services, community mass care, and logistics.  He also reminded us that  91 cents of every dollar donated to the Red Cross goes to relief work, the remaining 9 cents being spent on overhead.  Mr. Bahler urged those of us interested in becoming a volunteer to call the Inland Empire Chapter at 909-888-1481.

Go to the Red Cross website for more information.  Also view this informative presentation on what a volunteer is and how they train and respond to disasters:    Click here

Guest Speaker:  Jeannette Wilson LCSW, Regional Director: Foster Family Network 

Foster Family Network (FFN), a division of ChildNet Youth and Family Services, is a non-profit foster care agency that was created in 1986 to address a growing need for foster homes for children who have been the victims of abuse, neglect, and abandonment.  Currently,  FFN provides services to  over 500 children  ages  1-18, in southern California. There is an overwhelming demand for services as up to 30 requests per month from county agencies are unable to be managed.  This is in part due to the limit of 15 children per social worker, to ensure close monitoring.  

Ms. Wilson was careful to point out that FFN is a treatment service, offering care and monitoring of foster children placed with families by the agency.  This includes  three visits each month with the child, quarterly school contacts for assessment and educational planning, quarterly reports and treatment plans, referral for mental health evaluation, when needed, and round the clock availability by a staff member.

The FFN also provides services for the foster parents.  Among those offered are pre-certification classes for parent training, CPR and Fists Aid, transportation assistance, in-home training, and liability insurance for foster parents.    The needs at this time of the year are gifts for children, especially teens, wrapping paper for the gifts, coin collection tins for donations at business sites, and the gift Christmas trees located at business sites.  This was very successful last year and was spearheaded by Evan Winter, who worked tirelessly to get the trees placed and to collect the gifts.  It is hoped that the gift tree program will be even more successful this season.  For additional information or to provide help, contact FFN at 1535 S. D St. Ste. 140, San Bernardino, CA  92408 or call (909) 381-8811.

 Speaker:  Bob Erikson: Strategic Planning and Club Self-Evaluation 

Our own Bob Erikson was tasked by the club president to discuss the benefit of strategic planning and to perform a brief club self-evaluation.   According to Bob, it is very important for Kiwanis, or for any organization for that matter, to do at least basic strategic planning.  If a club does not have a vision or mission statement and does not have obtainable goals and objectives, then it lacks structure and purpose and is at risk of losing its focus and organization.  At present, our club does not have a strategic plan.  One of the first steps to take in establishing such a plan is to do a member assessment.  In this way, valuable information can be collected as to how the members feel about the club and if the club structure and activities are meeting the members' needs.  If the club is allowed to go adrift, then it is doomed to failure, as new members drop out, and old members stop attending meeting.  A wise man once admonished, "build your ark before it begins to rain!"  An oft cited reason that members give for leaving the club is lack of time.  This is usually a thinly veiled excuse for lack of fun, feeling left out of the club activities, and perhaps left out of the club "clique."  If the club and its activities do not fulfill the needs of the membership, then some members will all of a sudden have "lack or time."  Thus the need for a strategic plan and club assessment.  Bob recommends the book "Who Moved my Cheese?" as required reading.  Bob will tabulate the results and  present them at the meeting on 24 January 2006.

 Speaker:  Mike Block: Child Protective Services 

Mr. Block, a supervisor for the Child Protective  Services (CPS) in San Bernardino County, stated that there are two main goals of his organization, protection for the children of abuse, and an offer of permanency (adoption).  Each year over 2000 children die each year from abuse and neglect.  This abuse can be physical, sexual, emotional, and due to withholding of life sustaining care.  Some reporters are considered "mandatory" reporters of abuse, such as teachers and physicians, but anyone that truly believes that a young child is being abused can report the problem to CPS.  Someone is available 24 hours a day to handle such reports.  Forty percent of all calls are not criminal and are dismissed after an investigation.  Sixty percent of calls have some validity, of which 25% are inconclusive and 35% are positive for established abuse.  Of those cases that are valid, 7% have no solution and end up in court, in 30% of cases the family can be worked out within the families involved, and 70% comprise emergency responses to emergency rooms and often lead to the parent's arrest.  The judge can recommend monitored care with the parents, long term care ( Foster Home), and adoption.  The diverse cultural makeup of San Bernardino County sometimes causes problems as different ethnic groups have different ideas about child discipline and the amount of emotional and physical punishment that can be inflicted upon the children.  San Bernardino county has well over 300 employees dedicated to CPS.  We applaud the work of the dedicated workers at CPS as they strive to ensure that the  have children a safe, nonabusive home situation. 

 Speaker:  Jim Stream and Robert Meyers: ARC and F.A.S.T.R.A.C. 

From the left: Chandni Kazi (student), Eva Carner: ARC/FAS project coordinator, Stephen BishopStudent, and Robert Meyers, MBA

Mr. Jim Streams, presented  a multifaceted program on the topic of services for the mentally challenged.  His organization, ARC is located in Riverside, CA, and is  a private, non-profit corporation devoted solely to improving the welfare of individuals with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities and their families.ARC Riverside is committed to securing for all people with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities, in partnership with their families, legal guardians or conservators, the opportunity to choose and realize their goals of where and how they learn, live, work and play.   Visit their website at: www.arcriversideca.org  .

A natural addition to the programs sponsored by ARC is the F.A.S.T.R.A.C. PROGRAM (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Teaching and Research Awareness Campaign).  This is a program  Arc Riverside has developed as part of the prevention education curriculum for high school students and provides the best way for students to receive personal health information with the greatest potential for affecting change – FROM THEIR PEERS.  This multimedia, peer-training module delivers a high impact message to teens and pre-teens about the potential consequences of maternal drinking during pregnancy. Using the F.A.S.T.R.A.C. resource materials, peer students train and then teach the basic prevention principles to their fellow students. The key concept is simple and unambiguous: If you are pregnant, think of getting pregnant, or sexually active, DON’T DRINK!

 Speaker:  Peg Karsick, Executive Director, Loma Linda Chamber of Commerce 

Founded in 1956, the Loma Linda Chamber of commerce (LLCC) a 501(c)6 corporation, has as its mission to create, promote, and preserve a competitive free-enterprise system that facilitates economic growth and development.  The LLCC wishes to foster an enhanced public perception of Loma Linda and the Chamber as a business community that believes in and practices ethical values.  It is governed by a Board of Directors of which there are 23 members. There are over 230 LLCC members, representing a variety of businesses and individuals.  The Chamber is located in the civic center.  In addition to promoting businesses in the city, the Chamber also publishes a bi-monthly newsletter, holds a  city parade each October, sponsors an annual Business Showcase, golf tournament, annual State of the Community luncheon, annual Community Awards and Installation Dinner, and an weekly morning breakfast meeting from 7:30 to 8:30 at the Civic Center with a $1 donation.  

To support businesses, the Chamber has put together information packets for starting a new business in the city, a membership  application packet, and a packet containing information regarding local history and business opportunities in Loma Linda.

One does not have to be a resident of Loma Linda to become a member of the LLCC is open to all who are interested in making the city a better place to live.  For more information, visit the LLCC at the Civic Center office.

Speaker:  Joseph Smolinski

It was a pleasure to have Joe Smolinski back with us again. His job has kept him extremely busy over the past year, causing Joe to miss several meetings. Joe said that he missed the club, and is renewing his membership today.

He updated the club on the Montecito Cemetery, which is part of Service Corporation International (SCI) that manages over 15,000 cemeteries nationwide. Montecito was established in 1920 and has witnessed tremendous growth over the years. The cemetery has handled from 50 to 1000 burials per year. It has sufficient property to handle funerals for the next 200 years. A portion of the property was recently sold to developers for a housing tract. Another portion was set aside for a Catholic Cemetery( Our Lady Queen of Peace). The small chapel, which seats only 95 guests, is going to be replaced with a 14,000 sq.ft. full-service facility. This is the last structure of this size to be built by SCI due to the increasing preference for cremation.

Montecito is unique in that it borders on three cities and serves a very diverse population.

At the conclusion of his talk, Joe advised us to plan ahead. The interest of the group was shown by the many questions.

 Speaker:  Dennis Halloway, City Manager, Loma Linda, California

Mr. Dennis Halloway presented a most informative review of ongoing and future development projects in the City of Loma Linda. Ably assisted by Ms. Kathy Sorrells, he highlighted some of the more interesting developments such as the widening of the Mt. View overpass, library expansion, and the many new housing tracts under development. In keeping with the view shed, no more houses are to be allowed on the hills behind the city, but some development is planned in the valleys behind the hills. A new park, Heritage Park, off Redlands Blvd, will feature an historic grove house. The Beaumont street bridge over San Timoteo Creek, mostly a county project, should be completed within the next two years. The empty field at the lower end of Hulda Crooks Park will provide additional parking and host tennis courts. The City is phasing in fiberoptic cable to provide high speed internet connectivity as well as voice/visual transmission to all homes and commercial structures. All new homes in the city must be pre-wired for access to this system.

A topic that generated lot of interest was the issue of the red light photo enforcement system. They were installed to help with traffic control to prevent some of the many collisions like those that have occurred at the Mt. View Barton Road intersection when motorists run red lights. These sophisticated devices can photograph the license plate, the driver, take a 12 second movie, and measure speed. Words for the wise: drive safely!

 Speaker:  Ron and Carole Sue Bowes - SOLA House

SOLA House (Sharing Others Letting Abilities Shape) is a local chapter of the Christian Record Services, a 7th Day Adventist organization based in Lincoln, Nebraska and dedicated to serving the needs of the visually impaired and blind. It is an international organization serving blind and visually impaired individuals in approximately 80 countries worldwide and employs about 160 people throughout the United States and Canada. Christian Record Services provides new opportunities for persons who are blind or visually impaired. Each year approximately 100,000 blind people's lives are changed by services we provide to them without cost. All who are blind, legally blind (20/200 with corrective lenses), or have physical impairments that prevent them from holding reading material are eligible services. Through fundraisers such as a miniature golf outing, bowling, and calendar sales, the Sola House generates funds to provide free services such as a lending library, scholarships, home visitation, and national camps for blind children. One of the national events is the bike ride from Nashville, TN along the old Natchez Trace to the Helen Keller house. Another national event is downhill skiing for the blind held in Colorado. Ron admits that some of the blind skiers are better than the sighted ones.

He also reminded us that blind people are not inferior just because they have limited abilities. They do not want to be pitied, nor do they seek special attention. Many people are afraid that they will do aor say the “wrong thing” around a blind person. The visually impaired just want to be treated like anyone else.

Donations can be made to the international headquarters. Volunteers are welcome. More details can obtained about this outstanding organization online at:

www.christianrecord.org

SOLA House is located on the La Sierra Campus in Riverside, CA. Ron Bowes can be reached at 951-689-2386 for additional information on how you can help.

Invocation: Manny Aranda 
Flag Salute: Ken Daly
Song: Kurt Meyer: "God Bless America"

 Speaker:  Julianne Aranda - Diabetes, a major health concern

  Ms. Aranda, a health educator at the Kaiser Hospital, Fontana, informed us as to the definition of diabetes ad the associated complications. Diabetes is the 4th to 6th leading cause of death, and 18 million Americans have some form of diabetes. Most can be managed with pills, but 10% require insulin use. With Type I diabetes the panaceas fails to produce any insulin. Type II diabetics have some insulin output from the pancreas but there is increased resistance in the body to the action of insulin. Gestational diabetes occurs in pregnant women. A normal blood sugar count is less than 126 fasting on two occasions, or one random blood sugar level of greater than 200. Pre-diabetes occurs when blood sugar levels are between 101 and 126.

Diabetes can be associated with the use of prednisone, obesity, hypertension, diet, sedentary lifestyle, pregnancy, and certain ethnic groups. Diabetes can be inherited in certain family groups. African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, Pacific Islanders and certain Native-American groups (Pima Indians) are known to have a higher prevalence of diabetes.  Symptoms include excessive thirst and hunger, frequent urination, wounds slow to heal, blurred vision, fatigue.  Complications of diabetes include blindness, high blood pressure, kidney failure, nerve damage, and toe or leg amputation.

Diabetes can be treated or improved by maintaining ideal body weight (even a loss of 10% of body fat can make a big difference), regular aerobic exercise, and a balanced diet consisting of appropriate amounts of carbohydrates, fats, and protein. Good carbs include fruits, vegetables and grains. A low fat diet helps with weight loss and reduction in insulin resistance. Protein should be included with every meal. Limit concentrated sweets, salt, and fats. Eat starches in moderation (bread, cereals, pasta, rice and grains). Drink 6-8 cups of water each day.

Ms. Aranda supplied some easy to understand handouts regarding diagnosis and care of the diabetic.

Invocation: LTG Rick Hartmann 
Flag Salute: Ken Daly
Song: Kurt Meyer: "God Bless America"

 Speaker:  LTG Rick Hartmann: Upcoming Events

  LTG Rick Hartmann always the inspiring speaker, praised the club for its many good works in the community, and congratulated the award recipients at the DCM. He stated that Gov. Patti Barsotti was favorably impressed by the large turnout of over 225 Kiwanians, more than twice as many as from any of the other division visits. Hartmann encouraged our club, and all clubs in the division to get out in the community and make the presence of Kiwanis known as a strong volunteer organization supporting projects in the community….”the best show in town” He reminded us that:

“Kiwanis is a global organization dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time.”

He then outlined some of the activities that he has endorsed for the division:

• Division wide Total-K Day at Arrowhead Stadium with focus on child safety and disaster preparedness. Kids will be given a fanny pack and materials will be available to show them how to survive the first 72 hours after a disaster; 15 clubs and Key Clubs will participate
• Supported the ink cartridge collection fundraiser
• Will sponsor a “Fun Day at Arrowhead Park” to include tickets to a baseball game; clubs can use ticket sales as fundraiser
• Bowlathon in January was a success, and another one is planned for July, in support of the UNFORGETTABLES.
• Those who are able should attend the upcoming international convention in Montreal, Canada, a great way to interact with Kiwanians from all over the world 
• Supported the ink cartridge collection fundraiser
• Will sponsor a “Fun Day at Arrowhead Park” to include tickets to a baseball game; clubs can use ticket sales as fundraiser
• Bowlathon in January was a success, and another one is planned for July, in support of the UNFORGETTABLES
• Those who are able should attend the upcoming international convention in Montreal, Canada, a great way to interact with Kiwanians from all over the world
• Support the ‘First Rock’s” Hope-4 Kids project to help with shelters for homeless children

 Speaker:  Dr. Andrea Thorp: Pediatric Trauma

Dr. Thorp, the current recipient of the Division’s Pediatric Trauma Fellowship, presented the group with some insight as to the nature of her critically needed skills. She is a real Loma Linda success story, having been raised in Loma Linda, attended college at Pacific Union in Napa Valley, and medical school and pediatrics residency at Loma Linda. After a brief period of private practice, she returned to Loma Linda Medical Center where she is in her first year of training in the specialty of pediatric trauma.

Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children's Hospital is the only Level I regional trauma center serving San Bernardino, Riverside, Inyo, and Mono counties. They are dedicated to providing timely and comprehensive care to traumatized pediatric patients and their families, from the time of injury until the child's reintegration into the family and community. They also strive to educate the community on methods of trauma prevention.

Traumatic injuries are the most serious and most preventable of all major health problems. Trauma is considered an epidemic in our society and accounts for one of the most expensive health problems in the United States. Traumatic injury is the leading cause of death in children resulting in approximately 7,000 deaths a year.

The pediatric trauma service admits approximately 500 children each year. Dr. Thorp advised children to use bicycle helmets, parents to use safe and properly installed car seats for children, and for children to avoid trampolines and motorcycles. She thanked Kiwanis for sponsoring her training position and plans to share her newly acquired skills with others in the community.

 Speaker:  LTG Jack Lacey:  Recycle your way to increasing club funds

Jack Lacey, LtG of Division 47, a businessman, and a charismatic speaker, took charge of the meeting and made us aware of a simple yet effective method of augmenting the service budget.

The secret...collecting and turning in old ink cartridges from inkjet and laser printers. Cartridges of all sizes are included. Inkjet cartridges must have a print head. Those that are not eligible for recycling are all EPSONS, some CANONS, and HP#14. As for the laser cartridges, the color ones are do not qualify. Also refilled or remanufactured cartridges do not qualify. Jack also distributed a brochure containing more detailed information on what to collect and information on how a club can really get organized to start an effective recycling program. Jack will supply startup materials such as flyers, containers and boxes. He will also advise the club on how to improve its fundraising. The club can earn $2 to 3 per cartridge. Also, large cartridges can be traded for a ream of print paper at office stores. Cartridges will be eagerly accepted at Lasr-Ink Corporation in Cathedral City. Visit their website at www.lasrink.com . Jack remained after the meeting to discuss membership building and retention.

 Speaker:  Evan Winter

Hands of Mercy, located in Redlands, California, is a 501(c)3 church-based organization established to help those in other cultures with housing needs, food, and clothing. It also helps others with their spiritual needs. The primary goal of the organization is ministry through the local indigenous church by developing home Bible studies, medical and dental care, and distribution of Loft Houses. These are 12 X 12 bungalows with an upstairs loft for sleeping.

They were designed so that a home could be built in one day. The parts required to build the homes are prefabricated and delivered in pieces to be assembled on the spot. A concrete slab is not necessary, and the houses are set on concrete blocks. According to Evan, the holes are predrilled, the spots for nails are marked and every detail of construction is laid out so that even the must untalented volunteer can feel like a carpenter and help to construct the units.

When he participated on a weekend trek to the present site near Ensenada, Mexico, Even found the experience to be and inspiring one. He helped to build a house, which on average take about 6 hours per crew. Several crews are involved. A locked front door is provided for each unit. Portals for gas and electricity are also available. Evan says that the looks of appreciation on the faces of the people are priceless. Some of the people are experiencing the joy of home ownership for the first time. The citizens must own the land where the house is set. Many of them later add crude additions to their Loft House.

You are invited to help with this wonderful effort on the part of the Trinity Church in Redlands by donations of money, food, clothing, tools, and building materials. For more information contact the Hands of Mercy at (909) 856-4655, or via the internet at www.handsofmercy.us .

Speakers:

Ms. Neuhaus began the presentation with a sincere apology for the last minute cancellation of the “Spring Fling” annual event at which some club members had planned to participate as part of the Total K Day activities. She stated that the event will be held, rain or shine, in April, during a planned school break, and encouraged the club to return for the photo/frame booth. She also read several letters of thanks from the teachers and students of the school for the work done by the Loma Linda Kiwanis Club in providing reading sessions and the many, many books that have been donated to the school library. Ms. Neuhaus takes great pride in the school and staff for the work that they have done in creating a positive multicultural learning experience in the community. She invites more club members to participate in the school reading program.

Ms. Brito-Johnson revealed that over 1700 books had been donated by our club to the school library. Many of the books were on the list of the district’s mandated reading materials. The extra books allowed the library to let the children check out books to read at home. Reading and language skills are very important in this school community due to the fact that the school is a microcosm of the cultures of the world, with over 18 cultures and languages represented. Our diversity is viewed as a positive aspect of our school, which we enjoy and celebrate.

Victoria is one of 14 elementary schools in the Redlands Unified School District.  It has approximately 700 students in kindergarten through fifth grade.  Victoria was built in 1949 and operates on a 60/20 year round calendar.  Currently our school serves children who live in the cities of San Bernardino, Redlands, and Loma Linda.

 Speaker:  Cherie Gruenfeld: Exceeding Expectations

Cherie is a world-class athlete and volunteer. She was the 2000 "Ironman Age grouper of the Year", and holds the Ironman World, European and American age-group course records. She is the only woman over 55 to complete an Ironman in less than twelve hours. Cherie's love of athletics and passion for helping children have led her to start a program for at-risk inner-city children in her area called Cypress Exceeding Expectations. The purpose of her program is to inspire under privileged children to be goal oriented by training to compete in the youth equivalent of a triathalon. Some of the members in the program have never swam nor owned a bicycle of their own. Often her charges do not have anyone at home to set goals and inspire them to do their best in school or any other challenge. Their training teaches them to set goals and to achieve them. Many of her students have been able to break the bonds of poverty and despair and become productive members of society. Cherie raises money via donations for bikes, shoes, helmets and entry fees for her young competitors. . Cherie is an everyday champion who is making a profound difference in the lives of others. She can be reached via her website : www.cheriegruenfeld.com . The work that Cherie is doing truly embodies the spirit of Kiwanis: serving the children of the world. There were several questions from the group and some were so moved by the presentation that they made donations on the spot to help purchase a much needed racing bicycle for the children.

 Speaker:  Assemblyman Bill Emmerson

Dr. Emmerson, an orthodontist by trade and astute politician by avocation, addressed the club members as to his role in state government and upcoming legislative efforts.

Upon graduation from La Sierra University in Riverside, Bill took a position with Congressman Jerry Pettis’ Washington D.C. office while studying Public Administration at American University. Bill moved back to California to join the staff of the Assembly Republican Floor Leader, W. Craig Biddle, while continuing his post graduate studies at California State University Sacramento. After six years of service with the Legislature, Bill enrolled in The School of Dentistry of Loma Linda University graduating with his D.D.S. and M.S. degrees, then practiced for 22 years. Assemblyman Emmerson has a long history of active service to our community. From his leadership to establish the dental hygiene program Riverside Community College to helping rehabilitate Redlands Fire Station 1 to serving on the Alumni Association of Loma Linda University, its clear Dr. Emmerson has a proven record of making the Inland Empire a better place to live. Active in his hometown of Redlands, Bill serves with the Kiwanis Club and as a volunteer with the Redlands Bicycle Classic.

His 63rd District extends from Upland to Redlands, highland to Riverside, including Loma Linda. He serves on the Appropriations, Local Government, and Parks and Wildlife Committees. He is looking forward to join the Health Committee where he can use his medical knowledge to further improve the health problems of this state. He is currently working on legislation to limit the number of group homes per neighborhood. He has also championed the “design-build” process for improving roads and infrastructure, which will cut costs. He is seeking additional control of the Worker's Compensation program which will reduce the cost to the state. He wants to make sure that highway funds are used only for highway projects and can not be purloined for other projects. Overall, California’s future is bright, unemployment is down, businesses are returning, more of the budget is flowing to education and the cities, and the budget deficit has been reduced.

 Speaker:  Mike Morales: Your Social Security

The Social Security Act was signed into law by President Roosevelt on August 14, 1935. In addition to several provisions for general welfare, the new Act created a social insurance program designed to pay retired workers age 65 or older a continuing income after retirement. It also included unemployment insurance, old-age assistance, aid to dependent children and grants to the states to provide various forms of medical care. In the original Act benefits were to be paid only to the primary worker when he/she retired at age 65. Benefits were to be based on payroll tax contributions that the worker made during his/her working life. Taxes would first be collected in 1937 and monthly benefits would begin in 1942.

The monumental first task was the need to register employers and workers by January 1, 1937, when workers would begin acquiring credits toward old-age insurance benefits. Since the new Social Security Board did not have the resources available to accomplish this, they contracted with the Post Office Department to distribute the applications. The first application forms were distributed in late November 1936. The numbers were assigned in the local post offices. There is no record of who received the first Social Security number (SSN). SSNs were registered and various employment records established. The first SSN account number record established in Baltimore was assigned to John David Sweeney, Jr. of New Rochelle, New York. Although, John Sweeney received the first SSN account, his was not the lowest number ever issued. That distinction fell to New Hampshire resident, Grace Dorothy Owen. Ms. Owen received number 001-01-0001.

The 1939 Amendments added two new categories of benefits: payments to the spouse and minor children of a retired worker (so-called dependents benefits) and survivors benefits paid to the family in the event of the premature death of a covered worker. This change transformed Social Security from a retirement program for workers into a family-based economic security program. The 1939 Amendments also increased benefit amounts and accelerated the start of monthly benefit payments to 1940. Later, amendments were added for disability, COLAs, and MEDICARE.

Mr. Morales emphasized that it is very important to make sure that the present benefits remain intact and that you should write your congressmen to voice your opinion. He also dispelled the myth that the funds may run out for future generations.

 Speaker:  Bill King: Immigration Issues

Mr. King provided the club with an insider’s view of the problems facing the federal government with regard to illegal immigration. He served for 27 years with the Border Patrol, retiring at the rank of Chief Patrol Agent. He was then recalled to duty to help with the amnesty program of 1985, and supervised 37 offices in four states, processing 1,741,000 applicants. He is presently the chairman of Americans Against Illegal Immigration,” a national PAC and was a co-founder of CA Prop. 187.

Mr. King is in favor of legal immigration, but feels that presently the U.S borders are “under siege.” Over 7000 illegal immigrants attempt to breach the U.S. Borders each day. Over 200 incursions of the Mexico-U.S. border have been made by Mexican military troops assisting the passage of drugs and undocumented immigrants into this county, one of which he witnessed 20 years ago when unsuspecting campers on the U.S side of the border were robbed. He is not in favor of just building walls along the borders, but combining wall construction supported by a military presence. He realizes that his views are unpopular in certain sectors (especially the military community), but feels that with the problems that have surfaced since 9/11/01 and the continuing threats to the safety of America by the insurgents and Bin-Laden, we must have a better system for screening who comes into the country. “Unbridled immigration will ultimately lead to another disaster. We must take action now.” As presently structured, the Department of Homeland Security is not able to handle the situation.

On a typical day the U.S. Customs and Border Protection: processes 630,976 aliens, 69,370 truck rail and sea containers, 235, 732 incoming international air passengers, 493 terrorism-related inquiries. They also execute 62 arrests at ports of entry and make 3,257 apprehensions between ports for illegal entry. They refuse entry to 868 non-citizens at our ports of entry and 45 criminal aliens attempting to enter the United States. They intercept 206 fraudulent documents, 146 smuggled aliens, 1.5 travelers for terrorism/national security concerns. They protect 5,000 miles of border with Canada and 1,900 miles of border with Mexico, and 95,000 miles of shoreline. They manage 324 ports of entry and 20 sectors with 33 border checkpoints between the ports of entry. All of this with only 42,000 employees. The question to ask is...how do they do such a good job with so much to cover?

 Speaker:  Rev. Phil Pledger: Braille Workers

During World War II Hitler's troops destroyed Bibles and other books by the truckload, including Bibles in German braille. In 1943 in Fresno, California, a blind ministerial student named Fred Graepp decided to help bring the Bible back to the German blind. Through an article in the "Lutheran Witness", he requested volunteers to assist in manufacturing the Bibles.

One of the first volunteers to respond to Graepp's call was Helene Loeber Loewe, from Wilmington, CA. She began corresponding with Graepp about the project, purchased a slate and stylus, and learned to read and write braille. Her first assignment was the Gospel of Matthew. Eventually Mrs. Loewe's family became involved. In 1945 her brother bought a braille writer for $125 to speed the process of brailling, as the pages had previously been embossed by hand.

The project expanded quickly, due to a 1946 announcement on the "Lutheran Hour" radio program about their efforts. This brought many more volunteers, and more requests for German braille books and Bible lessons. A great step forward came in 1947, when the use of zinc-plate embossing became available. The crew rented a "stereotype" machine to emboss the plates, and they searched until they found a paper which would hold readable-quality dots that would last for a hundred or more readings. The Loewes later bought their own stereotype and built the first roller presses for embossing the sheets. In 1954 Lutheran Braille Workers was incorporated as a California Nonprofit Organization with tax-exempt status. The following year the motto "Bringing Christ To Those In Darkness" was adopted, as was the company seal designed by Robert Loewe. The seal depicts light radiating from a cross down to a globe.

In 1956 Norman Loeber adapted an IBM 056 Keypunch Card machine to a stereotype embosser, enabling the work centers to emboss plates using coded punch cards instead of typing the braille letters onto the plates by hand. In 1960 the company announced the publication of large-print books as well. Initially these books were typed using special large-print typewriters; today all these processes are streamlined thanks to the use of computers.

In 1964 LBW moved its headquarters from Whittier to Yucaipa, about 75 miles east of Los Angeles and 25 miles

north of Palm Springs. Today the LBW facility, built in 1987, houses fifteen staff, dozens of volunteers, a print shop and one of the distribution warehouses. Lutheran Braille Workers, Inc. has grown to encompass nearly 200 work centers across the United States and Canada, and has approximately 7,000 volunteers. Braille is produced in forty languages, large-print books in fifteen languages. 52,000 large-print books and nearly a quarter-million braille books were produced in 1994. And after fifty-three years, LBW still provides all materials free of charge and distributes them worldwide! Since all of the books are provided free of charge, the organization is supported solely by donations. According to Rev. Pledger, there are over 58 million blind people worldwide and that number is increased by those who are severely visually impaired. Examples of the plates used to produce braille pages and samples of Braille letters were provided.

The presentation held the interest of all who attended and many interesting questions followed the presentation. Donations can be made via the Lutheran Braille Workers, Inc website at: www.lbwinc.org , or via Lutheran Braille Workers, Inc, PO Box 5000, Yucaipa, CA 92399 or call (909) 795-8977and ask for Kathy.