These meetings are always a gem to learn about your new Rotarians
Elaine and Terry are no strangers to our Club and shared the details of what they were made of . Taking us through their life journey in a matter of minutes riddled with humor and personal stories where just by chance they had brief brushes of influence with close family and friends who had displayed in doing what it meant to be a Rotarian.
Elaine credits her becoming a Rotarian to her Stepmom , a Rotarian herself but led by example that inspired Elaine to not just be a Rotarian but to be a social worker trained and educated at Ryerson. Her love of books of the genre horror and suspense led her through a rewarding career managing a number of well known books stores.
A child of the eighties, as she describes herself, took us through a myriad of professional experiences leaning on her education as a social worker and helping to influence teens to come out to the library . Now a social worker for the City of Pickering, and a fierce advocate for things that are right with a devotion to understand the age old question of why. The room went numb as she walked us through the loss of her younger brother from brain cancer and how she tapped into the pain of that loss to press forward and participate in all things children related. We all look forward to working on the numerous upcoming projects alongside our fellow Rotarian Elaine.
Terry who touched our hearts on a number of occasions with his mastery skills on the grill making Jerk Pork and having impromptu how to cook chicken sessions started his talks glowing about his recent trip to the Caribbean to help calm his nerves and then he dug in to the meat and potatoes of what brought him to Rotary. His passion to help those in need is not always big gestures but even the small ones. He joined Rotary after getting a nudge from his wife who had observed his passion for helping over the years. An immigrant himself hailing from the small island of Jamaica, he detailed how his life journey in farming led him to Canada. In his early years he recalls working as a farm worker and eventually reschooling as a dental assistant. His drive was to support his family back home and that ballooned his love for helping others. He underscored to the room that help isn't always monetary but companionship and just spending time with those in need counts as well.
A seasoned mortgage agent, insurance broker and private chef who somehow finds time to help his community in a variety of ways, including volunteering for a free dentistry program for a not for profit organization.
Join us in raising our glasses to our not so newly minted Rotarians. Coming soon to a community event near you!