Posted by Kelly Salwei
AMANDA OTTMAN: AMERICAN REFUGEE COMMITTEE (ARC)
Amanda Ottman is a global connections officer for the American Refugee Committee and has long relationship with Rotary beginning with her experience as a Youth Exchange Student to Argentina in 2000. She has worked with non-profit organizations in MN, Dominican Republic, Spain and Haiti. She served as a Rotary World Peace Fellow, completing her Master’s studies in International Relations in Argentina and interned with Save the Children in Spain.
 
ARC’s mission is to “...work with its partners and constituencies to provide opportunities and expertise to refugees, displaced people and host communities.” Its vision is that “every person who participates in an ARC program or project will have a better chance to take control of their life and achieve self-sufficiency.”
 
ARC works in 17 countries including some of the world’s most desperate places. Current projects include training midwives in Sudan and providing 8,000,000 gallons of clean water daily. Many of ARC workers have been through the refugee experience. Amanda shared many pictures and stories of refugee camps rivaling the size of very large cities. Last June ARC assisted in the formation of the first Rotaract Club in a refugee camp in Nakivale, Uganda.
 
Check out their web site http://arcrelief.org/our-work/ for more information about the organization and the great works being done around the globe.
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS
  • 6/12 – Board Meeting
  • 6/14 – Swallowship stay tuned for details
  • 6/19 – Irene Kelly inauguration
  • 6/23 to 6/27 RI in Toronto
  • 6/25 to 29 - Meals on Wheels. See John Goergen if you can help.
  • 6/30 – 7/25 Yura Koh, Rotary New Generation college student from North Korea will be visiting this summer. See Dennis Kim if you can provide opportunity to visit your business.
 
SPOTLIGHT ON JEANNIE ZETAH
Jeanne grew up in Chanhassen. One of eight children, she attended St Huberts  Grade School (Chanhassen) and Guardian Angels High School (Chaska). She obtained a teaching degree and worked in St Cloud. Moved from teaching children to Community Education and earned her Masters Degree. She was the Eden Prairie Commercial Education Director for 26 years. Married to Pete Bellus and is in process of relocating to Tuscon where Pete is employed by Raytheon. They have two sons in the Twin Cities and Jeanne has been a member of our club since 2006 but will be moving her membership to Tuscon. Jeanne has a long history of service to our club and District 5950 and encourages everyone to get involved in all that Rotary has to offer.
 
 
 
HAPPY FINES
  • Jay Simpson – Onward EP obtained beds through Jon Melander and Jay “allegedly” caught a 42” norther pike
  • Irene Kelly – back from four days visiting her roots on the east coast.
  • Suzanne Kutina – daughter's graduation party
 
VISITORS
Anya Falk - Rotary Youth Exchange
Greg Olson - Guest of Speaker
Mike Thomas - Eden Prairie Noon Club
Rekha Claus and Morgan Blixrud - Student Interns