2020 Stories

Buy Your Christmas Fruit Cakes!

The Club has our Christmas Fruit Cakes available again! Use the order form below to place an order, and delivery can be arranged to many locations!

A Fillable Order form is available in the Downloads section of this web page, or email j-g.peters at eagleair.ca with name, order, address & phone #. E-transfers can be done to this same email address!

Grove Christmas Donation

Some residents of Arnprior's Grove Nursing Home have no one to give them Christmas gifts. For more than 30 years, the Rotary Club of Arnprior has been providing funds to purchase Christmas Gifts for every resident, chosen by the Staff to ensure that the right gifts are chosen.. We could not join them at the usual Christmas Party, so no Fruit Cake was provided, but we continued with the funding of this service to our Seniors with the help from Delta Bingo in Pembroke.

Beirut Donation Update

A second load of donated medical supplies including wheel chairs, walkers and other materials was delivered to Rotarian Peter Labelle in Cornwall. These supplies were added to others collected by the Rotary Club of Cornwall-Sunrise and delivered to Toronto for shipment in a container to Beirut on October 26, 2020. The value of the medical supplies collected through the Rotary Club of Arnprior alone is estimated to be well in excess of $70,000.

At this time, the Rotary Club would like to offer our sincerest THANKS to our partners that helped assemble all these donations: Ed Byers, County of Renfrew Paramedic Service; Lorna Byers, Rotary Club of Eganville; Darell O’Shaughnessy and Glenn Arthur of the Arnprior Seniors Active Living Centre and Arnprior Regional Health; John Wilson, Rotary Club of Renfrew; and Joyce Dawson, Friend, Rotary Club of Arnprior. A resounding shout out to all of you!

Beirut Explosion Medical Supplies

A big thank you to Rotarians Vila & Rod Smith for collecting and delivering medical supplies collected from multiple Rotarians in the Ottawa Valley. They will be added to the 40' container destined for Beirut.

A particular shout out to Ed Byers of the Rotary Club of Eganville for collecting supplies from the Paramedics in Renfrew County.

If you or anyone you know has medical supplies that can be added to the container please email us and we can make arrangements.

Beirut Explosion Support

(Reuters: Mohamed Azakir)

On August 4 2020, a devastating explosion in Beirut has killed and injured least 200 people and injured an estimated 5,000 others. In a city of 2 million up to 300,000 people are now homeless.

Three hospitals were badly damaged and forced to close with two others left only partly functioning, resulting in first aid and healthcare services becoming overwhelmed. Health care workers have struggled with reduced resources and facilities as they care for the thousands injured by the blast.

For immediate needs, The Rotary Club of Arnprior is asking for donations of medical supplies (wound dressings 4x4's, saline, IV tubing, wheelchairs, walkers, beds), and any financial contributions will be appreciated. For longer term rebuilding, our Rotary District is working with Beirut Rotary Clubs to support one of the hardest hit hospitals. It serviced some of the poorest residents in Beirut who have no means to pay for health care.

Contact Vila Smith (see the Executives area) through this website. People can also donate by visiting www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/the-rotary-club-of-arnprior-charitable-trust/

Meeting Online

The Rotary Club of Arnprior announces that we are now meeting Online during this period of Physical Distancing.

Renfrew County Receives Needed Help

During the current COVID-19 crisis, the need to help struggling families is now. The Arnprior Rotary Club met with Dawn McAdam, Customer Service Representative of Ontario Works in Arnprior, to hand over $10,700 in Food, Gas and Supply Gift Cards to aid ongoing Disaster Victims as provided by a group of Rotary Clubs. This adds to the $3,050 funds donated by Rotary Clubs to help Flood victims last fall.

The obtaining of these funds was spearheaded by Gerhard Peters of the Arnprior Rotary Club and the money comes from all District 7040 Rotary Clubs including the Ottawa Valley Rotary Clubs in Renfrew County. Contributing District Clubs come from Eastern Ontario, Western Quebec and Northern New York State.

The total $10,700 of $50 Gift Cards included:

$5,700 from President's Choice for groceries and medications (through Shopper's Drug Mart)
$2,500 from Canadian Tire (including Gas),
$ 750 from ESSO Gas,
$ 750 from Ultramar Gas.
$1,000 from Home Hardware

These cards will be delivered to Andrea Patrick, Ontario Works Manager - Social Service Department, to disburse throughout Renfrew County to selected qualifying clients in need of this aid.

For more information about what Ontario Works is doing: https://www.insideottawavalley.com/news-story/9917608-emergency-funding-available-through-ontario-works-in-renfrew-county/

Rotary Club of Arnprior Charitable Trust: Donations would be welcome and could be sent to PO Box 481, Arnprior, ON K7S 3L9

Food Bank Donation

Rotary Club of Arnprior donated $500 to the Arnprior Food Bank to help with the increasing numbers of families needing assistance during our COVID-19 shutdown

Winners!!

Catch all the Duck Race & Cash Calendar Winners from the Winners Menu Tab!!

Shoe Bank Canada

Arnprior Rotarians Dave Palmer and Mike Steeves show off some of Shoes collected by the Rotary Club of West Ottawa through support from Shoe Bank Canada and Dymon Storage. These new shoes were distributed to Arnprior & Renfrew Food Banks, and Arnprior's Opportunity Shop and Neighbourhood Link. http://shoebankcanada.org/

Thailand Programs 2020

Arnprior Rotarians Harry & Myra Kamen presented $300 from the Arnprior Club to the Eye Care Clinic out of Chiang Mai in Thailand. As well, they presented $700 to Grandma Cares, The goal of this program is to address the serious needs of children and youth who have been orphaned as a result of their parents dying from AIDS/HIV

The Kamens have been volunteers in Thailand for over almost 25 years and have excellent contacts through the local Rotary Clubs.

The Grandma Cares Program is ongoing and sustainable. It supplies the children with all the necessities they need to thrive and continue with their education. These necessities may be food, basic hygiene products, clothing and whatever else is needed. They also provide counseling to encourage school attendance as well as medical assistance. . http://grandmacares.weebly.com

Dr Peter Bell is an Australian Optometrist who provides free comprehensive eye examinations for school aged children. Thousands of school children have had their eyes examined. This program is ongoing with strong demand from many schools because eye care for children in Thailand is not the norm. Children who require corrective glasses are provided with new prescription glasses free. The program pays for these glasses and the logistics necessary for travel to the school, some at great distances from Chiang Mai. Dr Peter Bell is a member of the Rotary Club of Chiang Mai West.

Helping Homeless Veterans

Canada's Veterans need our support. Arnprior Rotary recently made a $200 donation to the Vets Canada, presented by Arnprior Rotarian Dave Palmer, second from the right.

As service providers of Veterans Affairs Canada, Vets Canada (http://vetscanada.org) provides aid and comfort to Canadian veterans that are in-crisis, are at risk of becoming homeless, or are homeless.