Saturday, October 29, 2022
By: W Todd MillerOn October 26, 2022, the Rotary Club of Washington, DC, held its regular weekly meeting in person at the University Club of Washington, D.C. and via Zoom and welcomed guest speaker, Elizabeth Lanning, Founder and CEO of Project Propel.
On October 26, 2022, the Rotary Club of Washington, DC, held its regular weekly meeting in person at the University Club of Washington, D.C. and via Zoom.
President Marilyn Nevy Cruz called the meeting to order at 12:30 PM and lead everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Secretary Todd Miller led the introduction of guests and visiting Rotarians.
Sergeant-at-Arms Lola Perez recognized birthdays and anniversaries for the week.
President Marilyn reminded everyone of the new categories of membership for family/domestic partners and for organizations. The family membership option is particularly attractive since the dues are half of regular membership and payment for lunches are only for those actually attended.
President Elect Lisa Cohen reminded everyone of the Fall 5k Walk/Run sponsored by Rotarians for Equality for Black People on October 29, 2022, commencing at the Carter Barron Center at 16th Street and Kennedy Street NW.
Treasurer Pamela Stern-Green urged everyone to pay their dues on time. The failure to pay the quarterly dues on a timely basis increases the Club’s costs and diverts time and energy from more beneficial activities.
President Marilyn conducted a flag exchange with a representative of the Rotary Club of Marbella – Guadalmina, Spain.
Director Bob Schott announced that UN Day was October 24, 2022, and that pink gin was available to purchase with proceeds going to the Club’s Foundation.
Director Bob introduced the speaker, Elizabeth Lanning, Founder and CEO of Project Propel. Elizabeth Lanning's early journeys to different parts of the world, many of which were alongside her father, made a profound impact on her passion to listen and deeply connect with humans of diverse cultures and traditions. It also helped cultivate the empathy and love that propels her life’s work. The first Project Propel urban garden began in 2013, stemming largely from her graduate research among riverside communities in Metro Manila. Harnessing her background in Social Work and Public Health, Elizabeth promotes a vision of holistic health for all, and the importance of being responsible stewards of Earth’s abundance. She fervently believes that an integrated approach to development is the key to sustainable positive change. One of her favorite aspects of Project Propel is witnessing women empowered by informed health choices, and in turn teaching their families and leading the community at large.
Ms. Lanning explained that she is a Rotarian in the Philippines and a daughter of a Rotarian who was a member for a time of the DC Club. She described the path that led to her founding of Project Propel and the programs that are now encompassed within it. Project Propel takes a holistic, integrated approach to health of people and the planet. At the same time, it is directed to empowering women. Its major programs include: EcoGardens which teaches people about nutrition and to cultivate their own food; EcoWings which involves women in the manufacture of environmentally sustainable feminine hygiene products; EcoFarms which takes farming of vegetables to scale; and EcoToilets which manufactures sustainable wash stations. EcoToilets has now expanded to Nepal, and Ms. Lanning hopes to bring Project Propel to the DC area. She indicated the ways in which interested persons could get involved and then participated in a question-and-answer period.
At the conclusion of Ms. Lanning’s talk, President Marilyn presented Ms. Lanning with a certificate for the planting of a tree under the Club’s Trees for the Capital program.
The Raffle was won by Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms Max Salas, but the Ace of Spades was not drawn.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:22 PM. Salvador Farfán was the Zoom producer and Sarah Ross was the producer in the room.
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