District Governor 2020-21 Tony Marmo (Aired on July 18 and 19, 2020)

It is the custom each year for a Rotary District to elect a new governor, and on RadioRotary it is the custom to interview the incoming governor. For the Rotary year 2020-21, which began on July 1, the new District Governor (DG) of District 7210 is Tony Marmo from the Highland (NY) Rotary Club. Mr. Marmo is the 74th District Governor and has been deeply involved with his club and the District for a long time. He has been president of Highland Rotary 3 times in his 35 years as a Rotarian. In Rotary, there is extensive training as a person passes from District Nominee, to District-Governor Elect, to District Governor (and then to Past District Governor (PDG) with continuing involvement in a Council of advisors). The current group of incoming and outgoing DGs has agreed to work as a team, which has been very effective. The goal of the team is to grow Rotary in District 7210—like many volunteer organizations, membership has been slipping in recent years, and Mr. Marmo and the team are determined to turn that trend around. Mt. Marmo also has a closer association to RadioRotary than other DGs because he is also business manager of the RadioRotary Board.

Learn more:
Rotary District 7210: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/50045
Highland (NY) Rotary Club: https://highlandrotaryclub.com/
Highland Rotary Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/highlandnyrotary/
RadioRotary: http://www.radiorotary.org/cms/

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July 23, 2020 · Posted in Rotary District 7210, Rotary Membership  

Gift of Life International (Aired on July 4 and 5, 2020)

Rob Raylman, CEO of Gift of Life International and 2020-21 president of the Manhasset Rotary Club, visits RadioRotary on Zoom to discuss the latest projects of the humanitarian organization that he heads. The purpose of Gift of Life International is to treat children with heart disease and where necessary to provide nutritional assistance to recovering children. Originally children were
brought to the US for pediatric surgery, but since 2009 Gift of Life International has focused largely on creating “Core Programs” that develop regional centers in emerging nations, which, when they are ready, become “Legacy Programs” that are backed by the country’s national government and a working pediatric hospital. Gift of Life International began as an idea raised at a lunch at the
Manhasset Rotary just 13 years ago, although Gift of Life missions go back to 1975. The medical staff and their helpers are all volunteers, while the main costs of the operations and training are borne by The Rotary Foundation, mostly through global grants. The Legacy Programs become self-sustaining and also improve the economy of an emerging nation.

Learn more:
Gift of Life International: https://www.giftoflifeinternational.org/
Manhasset Rotary Club on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manhassetrotary/
The Rotary Foundation: https://www.rotary.org/en/about-rotary/rotary-foundation

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July 23, 2020 · Posted in Children, Health, International Programs  

Medical Reserve Corps of Dutchess (Aired on July 11 and 13, 2020)

RadioRotary interviews (via Zoom) Joe Ryan, the Coordinator for the Medical Reserve Corp of Dutchess County, an organization of 1,004 volunteers currently who provide disaster relief, emergency-medical training, and related services throughout Dutchess County. The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a nationwide organization designed to prepare for and help hand disaster relief, started after the September 11, 2001, attack. The Dutchess Country branch currently has 1,004 volunteers, and also Mr. Ryan has also won the nationally given Mentor Award for its coordination with surrounding county MRCs. The volunteers are almost exactly split between medical personnel and those with no prior medical training. The many preparedness programs offered by Dutchess MRC include classes in stopping bleeding, overdose recovery, suicide prevention, tick safety, and hands-only CPR. During the COVID-19 epidemic, MRC has been part of contact tracing, monitoring victims who are living at home, and providing food or prescription delivery when necessary. Listen to the whole program to learn much more about the services and also about how to volunteer to become a member.

Learn more:
Medical Reserve Corps of Dutchess County: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Emergency-Response/Medical-Reserve-Corps-MRC.htm
Medical Reserve Corps: https://mrc.hhs.gov/HomePage
Mentor Award: https://www.dutchessny.gov/County-Government/National-Medical-Reserve-Corps-Bestows-Mentor-Award-on-Dutchess-Countys-Joe-Ryan.htm

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Mental Health and Recovery in the Pandemic (Aired on June 27 and 28, 2020)

Andrew O’Grady, Executive Director of Mental Health American Dutchess County (MHA) and the Mid-Hudson Recovery Centers, Inc. (MARC) returns to the RadioRotary microphones to talk about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected mental health, a veterans’ program, homelessness, and addiction. As MHA and MARC move toward a complete merger in 2021, the 200 full-time employees and 70 part-timers are deemed essential and so are still working, although mostly from home and on the telephone. But some programs must continue face to face, albeit with adaptations to stem spread of disease. For example, MARC residential treatment and sober housing programs are based in specific centers. The MHA homeless shelter must run from its location as well. The Vet-2-Vet help for military veterans by other veterans will come to where it is needed. All in all, MHA/MARC is even more active as the county confronts the coronavirus than it had been during the old normal. Anyone who needs the services provided by this organization can reach them at (845)473-2500.

Learn more:
Mental Health America Dutchess County: https://mhadutchess.org/
Facebook Page for Mental Health America: https://www.facebook.com/MHADutchess/
Vet-2-Vet: http://www.vet2vetusa.org/

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