Events

DRC Sponsor: Alan Lerstrom

Charlie Woodcock, Executive Director, and Becky Loven, Clinical Director, will be presenting the programs and services that are provided by Northeast Iowa Behavioral Health, which is the appointed Community Mental Health Agency (CMHA) for the region. The agency serves the five counties of Northeast Iowa with seven service sites. The presenters will also discuss the increased need for mental health services due to the pandemic and the strategies that the agency is using to address those increased needs.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

Our club is in the process of wrapping up our 2021-2022 district matching grant project in which we contributed $5000 to the new Veteran's Memorial that is being constructed at Mary Christopher Park. The project is now at a point where our membership can step in and do our part. In this case, we need to rake the ground to prepare it for hydroseeding. There may be other small landscaping opportunities as the project evolves however this step will fulfill our grant requirement of hands-on participation in the project.

Please text or email Shannon Duncan if you are able to participate.

DRC Sponsor: Alan Lerstrom

As the owner and security technician of Driftless Security Solutions, Mike Kozelka will demonstrate how our home and business security can be easily compromised through devices readily accessible on the internet, and how we can protect our homes and businesses through new means of security.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

Elise Skellenger, Chapter Coordinator for Project Linus - Northeast Iowa, will join the After Hours Rotary group to share information about this admirable service organization.

Project Linus is a national non-profit organization that collects new, homemade blankets from “blanketeers” and then works with partner organizations to distribute these blankets to kids in need of comfort. The Northeast Iowa Project Linus chapter began in 2019. This chapter has already distributed over 500 blankets to local hospitals, house fire victims, children in foster care, and other worthwhile recipient organizations.

Elise grew up in Lake Mills, Iowa and moved to Decorah in 2008 to attend Luther College. At Luther she studied Business Management and Communications Studies. She lives in Decorah with her dog, Murphy. She works as a full-time realtor with Harman Realty. She enjoys quilting, knitting, and reading. In addition to Elise's work as coordinator of the local Project Linus chapter, she is a member of the Luther College Women’s Club, serves on the board for Friends of the Decorah Public Library and is a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer.

For more information please visit the Project Linus Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/projectlinusneiowa.

DRC Sponsor: Alan Lerstrom

DRC member Dacia Monson is a Decorah native and a real estate agent affiliated with the A&J Petersburg Agency. She will be sharing details on her participation in the Oneota River Development team and its efforts to establish the Decorah Real Estate Fund.

Oneota River Development is a local group of investors whose mission is to form a Community Real Estate Fund for the purpose of investing locally in the Decorah community. The intent is to have a positive impact on Decorah while generating a return for its investors. In partnership with Rebound Partners and REVocity, the group has embarked on an initiative to form the Decorah Real Estate Fund. This fund will be an impact investment opportunity for people in the community including individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations with portfolios emphasizing local investments. These local investments will serve to enhance the community where we live, work and play.

For more information on Rebound Partners and REVocity please visit their website at Rebound Partners.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

DRC Sponsor: Shannon Duncan

The independently-owned Senior Citizens Hospitality Center is located at 806 River Street and has been the focus of quality senior activities since 1978. Marilyn Bassford will share an overview of the Center’s past, present and future and its services to the "Older Kids" who comprise its client base.

The Center recently announced plans for facility enhancements. The organizers note that seniors now comprise 25% of the Decorah's population and many of these folks have been instrumental in helping to build and support our community throughout the years. They are eager to have the facility reflect the growth from the days of card playing and quilting to today's health-related and creative activities. Plans include updating the main area and card room along with revitalizing the kitchen.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

DRC Sponsor: Shannon Duncan

Kerry Brennan, Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Coordinator for Allamakee, Clayton, Fayette, Howard and Winneshiek County, will share information with our club about this important volunteer organization. She has served as the CASA Coordinator in northeast Iowa since December of 2010.

The purpose of CASA is to amplify the voices of children who have been judged as "children in need of assistance" by the state. CASA trains and supports community volunteers to advocate for a safe and permanent home for children who have experienced abuse and neglect and works collaboratively to ensure their voice is heard.

Ms. Brennan holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Luther College. Since 1993 she has worked in the child welfare field for the majority of her career. Prior to her work with the Iowa Child Advocacy Board she worked in the substance abuse prevention field and served many years as a family team meeting facilitator in northeast Iowa.

For more information please visit the CASA of Iowa website at https://childadvocacy.iowa.gov/basic-page/you-are-casa.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

In the early hours of June 10, 1912 the lives of the citizens of Villisca, IA were forever changed when a local family was found murdered in their home. To this day, the who, how, and why of this brutal massacre remain unsolved.

Decorah native Dr. Ed Epperly, a retired Luther College education professor, will share his decades-long research and answer your questions. He has been researching the Villisca axe murders for over 60 years, since his days as a college student. He has written dozens of articles and blog entries, and appeared on CourtTV and other radio and television programs. Dr. Epperly has presented his work at enumerable colleges, universities, historical societies, museums, libraries, and book stores. His research journey was the subject of the award-winning short documentary film AXMAN.

Dr. Epperly's book, "Fiend Incarnate: Villisca Axe Murders of 1912", is available for purchase at Dragonfly Books or on Amazon in multiple formats.

DRC Sponsor: Shannon Duncan

Details coming soon...

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.