A Message from DG MJ Fitzgerald

 
My fellow Rotarians:
 
On Saturday, May 6th we will conduct our second food packaging day in cooperation with The Outreach Program.  This had been tentatively scheduled for March 4th, which did not leave us enough preparation time, so we have rescheduled.
 
Locations are being finalized in Riverhead, Ronkonkoma, Huntington and Queens for the 10am to noon timeframe.  So you can start recruiting volunteers from your own clubs, Interact clubs, churches/synagogues/mosques and community groups like Kiwanis, Lions, KofC, fire departments, etc.  As in November, each volunteer will be asked to pay $40 to cover expenses and will produce, on average, meals for 200+ people.  Volunteers will be able to take a box with them at the end...if they have a specific beneficiary in mind.  Otherwise, please identify organizations to which you can deliver the product, or who can pick it up at noon.  Last time, our beneficiaries included local soup kitchens, food pantries, religious organizations, after-school programs, backpack programs, veterans and Long Island Cares. 
 
Our goal is to prepare meals for at least 60,000 of our neighbors in Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk.  To accomplish that we will need 80 to 100 volunteers per site.  In November we had 296, so this is definitely achievable...with YOUR help.  Then, the 296 came from 24 clubs...only 31% of clubs took part!  I am asking for each club to participate at whatever level is feasible for your members. 
 
My thanks to the Assistant Governors for their anticipated help in your upcoming recruiting efforts and to the following Rotarians for their identification of locations:  PDG Tony Civitano, President Beth Hanlon, President Jeff Browne and Past President Greg Fitzgerald.
 
Yours in the spirit of Rotary,
 
MJ Fitzgerald
District Governor, District 7255
2016/2017           
District Chair, International Convention 2015/16 and 2016/17
Past President, RC of Huntington 2012/13