Shelterbox Assesses Need in Philippines

Rotary Information

ShelterBox Assesses Need in Philippines

Destruction left behind by Typhoon Bopha in Compostela Valley, Philippines, December 2012.

ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) member John Cordell (US) describes his journey to Compostela Valley in Davao Oriental province, Philippines, one of the worst hit areas by super Typhoon Bopha on the island of Mindanao. He is part of a three-person team who has been assessing the need in the region.

Almost a quarter of the 4.1 million people affected by the destructive storm are in Compostela Valley, also known as Camval, with 90 per cent of the 7,200 totally destroyed homes being here. Out of the 800 people still missing, 500 are in Camval. Buildings have been washed away or buried by flash floods and mudslides. Food and water is scarce.

“Worst storm ever'”

“We have been told that Bopha is the worst storm this area has ever seen,” said John. While rescue efforts continue, ShelterBox has been working with Local Government Units, the regional disaster management authority, the Civil Defense, the Navy and Rotary to address the needs of the most vulnerable families in the province…. We are working hard to bring in ShelterBoxes as quickly as possible to give families the shelter, warmth and protection they need to live in dignity.”

Downloaded from RI site 12/15/12

Last Week’s Program

“I am ….”

Penny Lommen, Elva Ӧsterreich, and Reuben Thomas

Penny Lommen – Penny is married to Jim Lommen, a consulting mining engineer. They first came to the Socorro area for the birds at the Bosque. That was in 2002. After a while they bought some land here, but after the winter of 2006-7 and the tremendous amount of snow in the Denver area where they lived, they decided to move to Socorro. Penny, a librarian, has worked in schools and in medical facilities. She presently volunteers at the Midway school. Penny is also the president of the Friends of Socorro Public Library and concentrates on the sales of books given donated to the library. The money from those sales is plowed back into “extras” at the library.

Elva Österreich – Elva is the managing editor of Socorro’s Defensor Chieftain. She was born in Montreal, but came to New Mexico with her parents at the age of five. They studied at UNM. Elva also attended UNM and worked English and photography. After graduating, she worked at the Belen News-Bulletin and loved it. When asked to take the top job at the Socorro paper last year, she took it. Elva is a poet and read one her poems to us. It was about her need to write and it received second prize in an international completion. Besides writing, she has two other passions: one is the La Leche League and she is a local leader; and the other is education. With three sons, she has experience in both areas.

Reuben Thomas – Ruben is the minister at the local Methodist church. He is a retired engineer and joked that he is a “redneck engineer who became a preacher.” He worked with the federal Highway Trust Fund and then with the New Mexico Highway Department when Cuatro’s dad was head of the board that oversaw the Highway Department. Holm III, Reuben’s boss, and Reuben put together many projects with better ways of doing things. He said that a one time he had a check for $1.3 billion to pay for one in his desk drawer for three days. After retiring and then serving an Albuquerque church for 6 years, he came to the Socorro church, but still lives in Albuquerque (new grandsons there). Reuben has a passion for helping feeding the hungry and is working with the Socorro Storehouse.

Club No. 1325Chartered 6/6/1938

PO Box 972

Socorro, NM 87801

G. S. Austin, Editor

January 9, 2013

ROTARY CLUB OF SOCORRO

Wednesday ─ 12:00 Noon

K-BOBS STEAKHOUSE

1123 Frontage Road NW

Socorro, New Mexico

President of RI—SAKUJI TANAKA

Gov., Dist. 5520—MARK GLENN

ADG for Socorro—JOHN KRYDA

TODAY’S PROGRAM

Nyleen Stowe

“Socorro Soil & Water Conservation District”

ANNIVERSARIES & BIRTHDAYS

Birthday: Sally Banks...... 1/9

Anniversary: ...... None

January 2, 2013

GUESTS: Sarah Laine

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• Jim announced that he was missing his Rotary briefcase. Fortunately, Phil had it.

• Bill del G. announced that he had turned in his guns at a considerable cost to him, but he thought it to be the right thing to do.

• President Jim received a letter thanking us for the $1,000 we sent for the relief of problems from Hurricane Sandy

HAPPY DOLLARS: Phil (2), George C., Lynn, Marj, Don (2), and Ted.

SAD DOLLARS: None

The RAFFLE PRIZE: Today’s prize, a $20 certificate for Bodega from Marj, was won by our guest Sarah Laine. The prize next week will come from President Jim.

JANUARY PROGRAM CHAIRS

Spencer Pearse and Rick Penner

FEBRUARY PROGRAM CHAIRS

Phil Preston and Bob Tacker

NEXT WEEK’S PROGRAM

Nathan LaFont,

GM, Elephant Butte Inn

“Spaceport Update”

MARK YOUR CALENDAR…

1/10—Interact meeting SHS; time: 11:40 a.m.

1/14—Board meeting

1/30—Spouse Day!

JUST FOR FUN

A mechanical engineer, an electrical engineer, and a software engineer are taking a road trip together when suddenly their car breaks down. "It must be the transmission!" the mechanical engineer says. "I'll have it fixed in no time!" The electrical engineer says, "No, no, it must be the battery. I can get it sorted out, no problem." The software engineer says, "You're both wrong. We just have to close all the windows, get out of the car, get back in, and restart it."

One day, a woman finds a lamp. She rubs it and out pops a genie. The genie says, "I'll grant you three wishes, but there's a catch: Whatever you wish for, every lawyer will get twice that much." So the woman says, "Okay, I wish for 30 billion dollars." "All right," the genie tells her, "but every lawyer will get 60 billion dollars." The woman then says, "I wish for two mansions." "All right," the genie says, "but every lawyer will get four mansions." The woman thinks awhile, wondering what to do with her last wish, when finally, she says, "I wish that I could donate a kidney."

A man bumps into another man. The other man says "Hey! Watch where you're going!" The man says "Sorry, I've been seeing spots." The other man says, "Oh, have you seen a doctor?" So, the first man says, "Nope. Only spots."

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

“The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.” — Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

MEMBERS

George Austin (PH) Ryan Mertz

Marj Austin (PH) Chuck Millar (PH)

Sally Banks (PH) Jon Morrison (PH)

Bo Beames (PH) New Mexico Tech Team

*Bill Bottorf (PH) (Alex Tyyssen)

Lynn Brandvold (PH) Jerry Oldenettel (PH)

Cuatro Bursum (PH) Will Orndorff (PH)

Mary Ann Chavez-Lopez Elva Ӧsterreich

Eileen Comstock (PH) Spencer Pearse

Marianne Cramer (PH) Rick Penner (PH)

George Creamer*Phil Preston (PH)

Bill del Giudice Jim Rushing

Randy Earwood Joe Taber (PH, HON)

Nick Fleming Bob Tacker (PH)

Ted Kase (PH) Polly Tausch

Dan Klinglesmith Reuben Thomas

Gerry Klinglesmith (PH) Don Tripp (PH)

Penny Lommen Len Truesdell (PH)

*Bill Lorang (PH) Chuck Zimmerly

Absent January 2nd

(PH) = Paul Harris Fellow

* = “Senior Excused” Status

(HON) = Honorary Member

OFFICERS

President Jim Rushing

Vice President Len Truesdell

Secretary Lynn Brandvold

Treasurer Cuatro Bursum

Sergeant-at-Arms Marianne Cramer