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Barry Abrams introduced our speakers today: Mary Beth Fisk, CEO and Executive Director and Lejla Cenanovic, Special Projects Coordinator of The Ecumenical Center. As you all know, our Club has a long standing relationship with the Center thanks to our own Club member Barry Abrams who sits on the Board at the Center. Mary Beth shared that the Center was charted in 1967 with three clergy with the dream of providing struggling families a place of healing and support. She shared that all people are welcomed at the Center and no one is ever refused services. Last year the Center provided services to 24,000 people (12,000 of them children). All insurances are accepted, including Medicare. Mary Beth touched on the Center's response to the Sutherland Springs tragedy. "The Center was on-site within hours to provide immediate comfort and support." The Center's support goes beyond the immediate need after such a tragedy. The Center soon began offering services at the River Oaks Church, First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs and subsequent plans to open at a La Vernia location. Mary Beth said "the mission of the Center is to break the stigma of mental health." Lejla shared with us stories that come from art therapy. Children were given masks and asked to paint the outside of the mask how the child feels they look on the outside (to friends, family) - then paint the inside of the mask how they really feel. She said it's very moving to see how dark and sad the children can feel. This is just one of the ways children are helped at the Center since children can't always verbalize how they are feeling. The Center is continues to grow and build at its location on 8310 Ewing Halsell Drive. Their phone number is 210-616-0885. For those who were not at the meeting we still have some of the Center's folders and they contain brochures of the impressive and broad range of programs offered such as: The Center for Treating the Whole Warrior, The Center for Children & Families, The Center for Psychological Testing and Assessment, The Center for Positive Parenting, Life after Loss and many, many more......For more information please visit their website HERE. If you have not had the opportunity to visit the Center we invite you to do so. It is a beautiful place and be sure to walk around the peaceful garden that contains the tree that we planted! Look for another meeting that will be held at the Center soon.  As a token of our appreciation, a book will be given in honor of our Speakers to the Locke Hill Elementary School Library. We awarded a check today to The Ecumenical Center as our continued commitment to support the Center's many services to people in need in and around the San Antonio area. We wish the Center's continued success and may you continue to help heal individuals and families who have been affected by tragedy and life's circumstance. Thank you for coming today and sharing with us. |
Membership Chair, three Club members were asked to help with the induction ceremony: President Fred, President Elect Rick Tarbell and Joe Montagna. All three were originally invited by Ken to an Oak Hills Rotary Meeting. Never at a loss for words, Ken shared a bit of his personal journey from when he became a 
member in 1988 and since he has returned to San Antonio. During the years he joined the Weston Florida Rotary Club in 1998 with very few members. He left them with a strong 96 members and growing. He calls it now "The best Club in Florida." During his transition from Florida back to San Antonio he has experienced a lot of changes in a short amount of time - significantly he proposed to Biljana. Ken says, "I have an attitude." He wants to grow Oak Hills Rotary Club and make it even stronger. He also said, "Where we'll be tomorrow depends on where we are today." We are looking forward to what the future holds for this Club and welcome Ken back with open arms!
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Destiny Mujica was on hand to accept our check to Earn-A-Bike! We're very proud of the work and service to the community families through the Earn-A-Bike Program! We look forward to your continued success and the future of this program.
Park 8:30-Noon
