5/13/2020
Charlotte Shelburne Hinesburg Rotary
Bob Sanders, Carrie Fenn, Sam Feitelberg, Erik Kolomaznik, John Hammer, Adam Bartsch, Tod Whitaker, Dan York, Jim Donovan, France LeBlanc, Ros Graham, Terry Kennaugh, Jessica Brumstead, Charlie Kofman, Linda Gilbert., Linda Barker, Joan Lenes, Margo Casco, Nancy Danforth, John Pane, Keith Walsh, Denis, Chris Davis, Bill Deming, Ric Flood, Diana Vichon, Susan Grimes, Jonathan Lowell, George and Linda Schiavone
Guests:
Keith called the meeting to order at 7:30 am.
Green Up Day is May 30th. Diana by default is the new Shelburne Green Up Day coordinator. Green Up provides all the bags. She has started a Sign Up Genie in Shelburne so that people can sign up for particular roads. Posters are coming and she’ll need help with distribution. A truck will be available at the Town Garage to take the garbage. Someone from our Rotary from each town should sign up for an area and the Rotary members who live in that town would work as a group. Bags will be available for pick up at Town Hall and other sites.
Ric Flood read a note from Age Well thanking us for the donation to Meals on Wheels. Rotarians continue to send in checks to Linda and it’s been great having support money coming in.
Linda Gilbert presented today on the Hands to Honduras Tela February 2020 trip. This year marked the 15th year for the program, with 55 volunteers, 13 of which are Rotarians. https://www.handstohonduras.org
This year the labor and delivery room was renovated and painted. Larry said it was quite the challenge working in an active labor and delivery unit. Lots of things needed to be replaced- shower stalls and doors, toilets that needed to be repaired or replaced, working on getting equipment for the L&D, and everyone had to work in complete scrubs. Babies were being born during the work!!
The Global Health Brigade took place in week 2. Caleb Casco managed crowd control. He said it was “mass chaos,” and he did the best he could. Crowds were so large sometimes people couldn’t get in and out of the door. Caleb would get people checked in and determine where they needed to be, working with the nurse interns to help triage.
The dental clinic consisted of Susan, Cheyenne and Joan. The team did 175 extractions. Joan had a portable x ray and brought her instruments. It was a very interesting and rewarding trip. People were so appreciative and so many people wanted to have their teeth cleaned they couldn’t get to them all. Everything the group has to use are things they have brought down with them.
Keith treated over 100 patients clearing 12 patients ears of excessive cerumen, and fitted 96 patients with hearing aids. Margo did on the job training and cleaned ears and was able to identify problems so Keith could take a look. 6 folks had such pronounced hearing loss that they couldn’t hear speech so bringing those folks back into the community was very gratifying.
Doc Don took over for Margaret Lowell who couldn’t go to offer general medicine.
Dr. Rene Martinez from Honduras treated 226 children. He had no tools so H2HT was able to loan him tools.
Reader Glasses Brigade provided 497 glasses to men, women and children. H2HT received 300 glasses donated by the Lancaster Rotary Club.
Physical Therapy was run by Nicole and referred by Dr. Don. Nicole also spent a day at the Rehab Center.
Charlie has a friend in Ann Arbor Michigan who organized the donation of 4 automated external defibrillators- 2 to the fireman, 1 to the hospital and 1 to the Tela Red Cross.
Linda and Jackie offered a pregnancy prevention seminar for 106 girls, teaching them culturally how not to become pregnant, and 84 boys, teaching responsible masculinity and sexuality.
Flouride Clinics took place at 3 schools with over 600 students- offering lessons on brushing and flossing and dietary information. All went home with toothbrushes and floss.
Construction of tables and benches with Bertil and John- 3 tables over 10 days. 2 tables for Tela Hospital and 1 for the municipality. Wood was very fresh so that made for a challenging time. Sander was 6 inches but pads were 3 inches, sap would come up around the screw, sanding was challenging. Purchasing screws was a challenge, but the finished products were just wonderful.
The construction crew also ompleted two classrooms, and painted a school kitchen that was constructed last year.
H2Ht rovided scholarships for 10 high school students.
The Giving Project was able to donate hundreds of police uniforms and t-shirts.
“Many third world places are just too deep in a hole to be able to make a difference. H2HT is able to make a difference in this part of the world.”
There’s something for everyone to do- there’s a job for everyone.
Tela has only had 2 cases of COVID 19 that have gone to the hospital. As soon as they heard what was happening in the states, they closed the schools and shut down the town, cut off the town with cement blocks, closed the beaches with military and disinfected the streets and buildings every night. People can go to the grocery once every two days, and can only go out of the house for one and half hours. The government has provided food in rural areas so people didn’t have to leave home to get food. They have less than one hundred ventilators in the whole country. The H2HT group was very fortunate to get out just in time.
Next week Dr. John Brumstead will be our guest to talk about UVM Health Network and COVID-19 response.
Shout out to Sam for getting H2HT going with the PT clinic!