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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July 23, 2020 · Posted in Animals, Disaster Relief, Dutchess County, Health, Service Organizations, Volunteers  

Literacy Connection Holds Spelling Bee (Aired February 29 and March 1, 2020)

RadioRotary interviews Literacy Connections Coordinator for Southern and Rural Dutchess County Marian Thompson and Book Bodies Coordinator Katherine Stikkers about the annual Spelling Bee. For 29 years the organization has raised money from sponsors of two-person teams who compete for the glory of best spellers. The money is used to help Literacy Connections in its principal effort, which is to teach adults how to read, as well as in its other efforts such as the Book Buddies program—adults reading to elementary-school students. The reading program uses a state approved tutoring program with trained volunteer to help adults gain reading skills and to tutor immigrants who have poor or no English. Although the program works all year long, the highlight of the year comes with the Spelling Bee, which in recent years has been at Marist College. Most teams are sponsored, often by Rotary Clubs, and can consist of high-school students or adults, but any two-person team can enter. The words are chosen from a dictionary and vary in difficulty. After a first round for points, the high-scorers compete until every team but one has been eliminated by misspelling a word (second chances are available). An audience is present just to enjoy the competition.

Learn more
Literary Connections of the Hudson Valley: http://www.literacyconnections.org/
29th Annual Spelling Bee: http://www.literacyconnections.org/spelling-bee/
National Spelling Bee: http://spellingbee.com/
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee: https://www.mtishows.com/the-25th-annual-putnam-county-spelling-bee

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March 17, 2020 · Posted in Arts & Letters, Education, Events, Literacy, Volunteers  

Rebuilding Together Rehabilitates Homes (Aired January 11 and 12, 2020)

RadioRotary interviews Poughkeepsie South Rotary president Christina Boryk, executive
director of Rebuilding Together Dutchess County. Rebuilding Together is the nonprofit
organization (once known as “Christmas in July”) that for the past 27 years has repaired,
revitalized, and rehabilitated homes for homeowners who because of age or disability or poverty
are unable to make the necessary repairs that would make the dwelling safe and healthy. The
service is free to the homeowner. The volunteer workers install grab bars, ramps, and smoke
and carbon-dioxide alarms, and make other modifications as well as undertake minor repairs.
Larger-scale projects are handled by outside contractors. They have repaired more than 800
homes since the program started. The program is funded by state and local grants, by local
corporations such as Central Hudson, and donations.

Learn more
Rebuilding Together Dutchess County: http://www.rebuildingtogetherdutchess.org/
Rebuilding Together Dutchess on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RTDutchess/
Office for the Aging, Dutchess County: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Aging/Office-for-the-Aging.htm
National Center for Healthy Housing: https://nchh.org/build-the-movement/nshhc/
Poughkeepsie South Rotary Club: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/50045/clubinfo/poughkeepsie-south

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January 20, 2020 · Posted in Aging, Dutchess County, Housing Assistance, Service Organizations, Volunteers  

Sue Doyle’s Volunteer Projects (Aired December 21 and 22, 2019)

Sue Doyle of the Poughkeepsie Arlington Rotary Club was given the 2019 Tansukh Dorawala
Humanitarian Award of Rotary District 7210 for her service to the community. This RadioRotary
Program covers some of the ways that Ms. Doyle, known to regular RadioRotary listeners as
the voice of Absolute Auction & Realty, works with other volunteers in several organizations.
Fishkill Food Pantry serves about 200 families in southern Dutchess Country and Cold Spring
with 5-day emergency meals, available once every 28 days. Their healthy food is provided in
part by the Food Bank of Dutchess County but mostly by local donations directly to the pantry in
downtown Fishkill. The Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) of Beacon is a no-kill refuge for dogs
and cats that stay until a family adopts the pet for a permanent home. Not only does ARF of
Beacon provide food and medicine for locally abandoned pets, it also collects unwanted dogs
and cats who otherwise would be killed from animal shelters across the country. In addition to
her work with the Fishkill Food Pantry and ARF of Beacon, Ms. Doyle has been an asset to the
Pleasant Valley Free Library by providing company trucks needed to move books, along with
her husband Rob Doyle will be honorary chair of the MARC Foundation 2020 Annual Dinner,
and helps her Rotary club bring assistance of Caramia Bacchiochi’s Hope on a Mission, which
provides meals each week for Poughkeepsie’s homeless population.

Learn more
Fishkill Food Pantry on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FishkillFoodPantry/
Animal Rescue Foundation of Beacon: https://www.arfbeacon.org/
ARF in Beacon on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arfanimalrescue/
Poughkeepsie Arlington Rotary: http://rotary7210.org/arlington/index.html
MARC Foundation: https://marc-foundation.org/

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January 5, 2020 · Posted in Addiction Recovery, Animals, Homelessness, Humanitarian Service, Nutrition, Service Organizations, Volunteers  

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