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Sharon Schendel

I'm honored to serve as President of the Rotary Club of Del Mar. For most of my life, I was content to be in the background, taking direction from others. The people of the Rotary Club of Del Mar and the projects they spearhead inspired me to take a leadership role. This is a special year for Rotarians: Jennifer Jones is the first woman to be President of Rotary International. She chose "Imagine Rotary" as her theme and challenged members to dream big and work together to make dreams into reality. Every day, members of Rotary Club of Del Mar imagine how they might make the world a better place. Please take a moment to watch this video to see how our club's projects are helping enhance our own community, and communities around the world.

Come join us!

What’s Rotary?

Rotary is where neighbors, friends, and problem-solvers share ideas, join leaders, and take action to create lasting change.

Sea World Hubbs Research Institute: Seeking Sustainable Solutions

Posted on Jan 29, 2023

For 60 years the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute (HSWRI) has been fulfilling its mission of “To return to the sea some measure of the benefits derived from it”. HSWRI President & CEO (and member of San Diego Rotary) Don Kent spoke at our January 26, 2023 meeting about the Institute’s research areas and efforts toward sustainable solutions.

HSWRI is studying how marine animals respond to changing environments brought about by rising sea temperatures and how military activity or planned wind farms could affect animals that rely on sensory signals to communicate and navigate. They are also working to enhance science literacy of students ranging from kindergarten to college age.

Most importantly, HSWRI is working to provide novel approaches to aquaculture to meet the protein demands of a growing global population. For nearly 40 years, HSWRI has been developing aquaculture technology to secure and track populations of white sea bass. Some of the released fish are tagged and these tags can be recovered during fish processing to understand the migratory habits of these fish. HSWRI is applying knowledge gained from their sea bass project to other fish species to ensure that the world has access to sustainable seafood.

Pacifica Del Mar Private Reserve Room Directions

Posted on Jan 29, 2023

After a few weeks of musical venues, we will be happily ensconced in Pacifica Del Mar’s Private Reserve. This private dining room is just past the main restaurant. Just walk past the main entrance, turn right and follow the arcade (star) to the end- the room is on the right. If you’re coming from the St. Peter’s parking lot, just cross 15^th Street and take the stairs by the fire hydrant (star). The Private Reserve room will be immediately to your left.

Cottage Builds: New Site

Posted on Jan 29, 2023

Work is ongoing at the community center room at the San Diego Peace Village (here's Flash supervising the new tiling). The Mission Circle folks also reached out for our help with sleeping cottages at the Rising Tide Ranch in Vista. Mark your calendars for February 11 and February 18. The project coordinators have a variety of tasks that they can align with your skills.

New Member Induction: Dr. Mark Barry and Rex Mize

Posted on Jan 22, 2023

Mark Barry (center left) and Rex Mize (center right) are our newest members! They're pictured with their mentors Jim and Karin Davies (left) and Kathy Reed (right) along with Membership Chair Dee House

We are delighted to welcome as our newest members Dr. Mark Barry and Rex Mize, who were both inducted by Membership Chair Dee House at our January 19, 2023 meeting. Mark will be mentored by Jim and Karin Davies and Kathy Reed is mentor to Rex. Congratulations!

Remembering Jim King

Posted on Jan 22, 2023

Jim and Janie King cut the cake at their wedding reception at the Old Del Mar hotel in 1951.

Some of the many members who attended the Celebration of Life (l to r): Jan Fuchs, John Baranowski, Dee House, Bob Fuchs

Many members attended the Celebration of Life for Jim King on January 21, 2023 at the Solana Beach Presbyterian Church in Solana Beach. Jim’s children Jim, Teri and Nancy, as well as his grandson Justin and many friends shared memories of Jim at the service. They all spoke of Jim’s love for nature. Jim told of how his dad learned to waterski in a rather non-traditional way: in the ocean towed behind a car rather than a boat. Jim was also an excellent bodysurfer and taught his children and grandchildren how to ride the waves without a board. Throughout the service, the love Jim had for his family, and especially Janie, was evident. We all enjoyed the slide presentation with pictures of Jim and his family; he and Janie were such a beautiful couple who raised a special family. Donations may be made in Jim’s name to MAEGA or the Community Resource Center, and, of course, follow Jim’s example and become a regular blood donor. Click HERE to read Jim's obituary, HERE to read Janie's obituary and HERE to read a story about Jim and Janie.

District 5340 Model United Nations

Posted on Jan 22, 2023

Scenes from the Model UN Training Symposium. Clockwise from upper left: Kathy Reed with Army Navy Academy students; Chair Ann-Marie Bryan (San Diego Downtown Breakfast club) starts the session; District Governor Chuck Pretto with Sharon Schendel, Pat Caughey, Beth Westburg and Kathy Reed who all helped with registration; Kathy Reed arranged a hearty breakfast

Klaus Gubernator and Kathy Reed were up early on Saturday January 21, 2023 for the Model United Nations (MUN) training session. Kathy organized the breakfast and the registration desk while Klaus made sure that all the audio-visual was ready to go. He also secured the Del Mar Civic Center for the symposium venue. District Governor Chuck Pretto welcomed the delegates to the training. Thank you to Pat Caughey, Sharon Schendel and Beth Westburg, who enlisted friend Shelly Carder, to help with the check-in table. Mark your calendars for MUN: April 1 and April 2. Everyone is welcome to attend! Click HERE for more information.

New Shelving for New Entra Casa

Posted on Jan 22, 2023

Dee House, Jim Davies, Linda Groom, Bill Rawlings and Executive Director Julie Brunetto after finishing some new shelves

Bill Rawlings supervised the installation of new storage shelving at New Entra Casa, a safe place for women who are transitioning back into the community. The shelves provide a much-needed space for storage of needed supplies and items for the facility. Thank you to Dee House, Jim Davies, and especially Linda Groom for making us aware of this project. We are also so grateful to Pat Dougherty, who generously donated the supplies for the project.

Casey Robison is Our Newest Blue Badger

Posted on Jan 15, 2023

Casey Robison (center) with her mentor, Dugan Lamoise (left) and Membership Chair Dee House (right)

Congratulations to Casey Robison for receiving her “blue” badge at our January 12, 2023 meeting. All new members have a circular, red badge until they complete a list of activities that are designed to help them learn more about both the club and Rotary International and to get to know current members. Once they’ve accomplished all the activities, we exchange their red badge for a regular badge with our club logo. Red Badgers have a mentor in the club who is always ready to help.

Casey has a long connection to Rotary: She was a Youth Exchange student and spent a year in England. A chance spotting of Marty Peter’s pin in the bakery she and her husband co-own, Darshan Bakery, led Casey back to Rotary and membership in the club. Thank you to Marty for sponsoring Casey for membership and to Dugan Lamoise for being Casey’s mentor.

International Assembly for Rotary International

Posted on Jan 15, 2023

Donna and Don Fipps (left) with Rotary International President-Elect Gordon R. McInally and Heather McInally

Every January Rotary International hosts the International Assembly that provides training and programming for District Governor Elects (DGEs). The Assembly returned this year as an in-person event in Orlando, after being held for many years in San Diego. This year, Rotary International President-Elect (PE) R. Gordon R. McInally (member of the Rotary Club of South Queensferry, west of Edinburgh), revealed his presidential theme for Rotary Year 2023-2024: Create Hope in the World. The theme calls on Rotarians to inspire or restore hope through the projects they champion. PE McInally also recognized the importance of emphasizing peace, which provides the true foundation for hope. Click HERE to watch his announcement of the theme.

Our own Don Fipps is DGE for District 5340 and both he and Donna Fipps were in Orlando last week. Don’s bobblehead (with a bobbling Canine Companions dog) joined those of several other DGEs (click HERE to see Don’s and others). Follow the adventures of Don’s bobbling doppelgänger on Instagram at @bobbleheaddgdon.

First Club Social of 2023 at Pacifica Del Mar

Posted on Jan 15, 2023

Enjoying the food and drink at Pacifica Del Mar (l to r): Matt Kurth, Philippe Lamoise, Toni Mecaro, Dugan Lamoise, Klaus Gubernator

We gathered at Pacifica Del Mar on a somewhat soggy Tuesday night for our first social of 2023 (we didn’t know that we’d be right back at Pacifica Del Mar in less than 48 hours). We were pleased to welcome DaVina Hoyt and her son, Caleb Berry. DaVina had been a Rotarian in Pullman, Washington. Thank you to Suzy and Karl Wagner for organizing the event. Our next social will be February 7 at Sbicca Del Mar. These socials are a fun way to express our gratitude to local restaurants that offered tastes at our Sunset Soirée.

Hosting Ukrainian Families

Posted on Jan 15, 2023

Ivan with Flash

In December 2022 the House of Ukraine in San Diego was looking for a host family for Ivan, a 16-year old Ukrainian who was injured by a Russian tank while he and his family were on their way home from the grocery store. Unfortunately, his stepfather was killed by the tank and Ivan lost a leg. Ivan is in the United States through the support of a collaboration between a foundation established by the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, and the US-based Right to Walk foundation.

Ivan arrived in San Diego in September 2022 with Olena, a social worker who was empowered by Ivan’s mother and the Ukrainian Embassy to act as Ivan’s chaperone. Olena has also worked as a journalist and is studying psychology to help those coping with trauma associated with the war. Ivan is receiving physical therapy and will soon undergo another surgery on his leg. He is enrolled in the San Diego Union High School District adaptive education program and is working hard to master English.

Kathy Reed generously opened her home to both Ivan and Olena. Her Bernese mountain dog Flash is particularly fond of having Ivan share his home.

SONGS Sunset: Decommissioning Progress Update

Posted on Jan 15, 2023

Al Bates (left) speaks about San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) decommissioning, which is governed by principles of Safety, Stewardship and Engagement. Work to dismantle the turbine buildings (center) is going on right now

San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) is a familiar site near the northern border of San Diego county. The plant came online in 1968 and was shut down in 2013 after one of the steam generators failed and was too costly to repair. In 2014, the decommissioning of SONGS began.

Al Bates, the Principal Manager and Nuclear Regulatory Affairs and Technical Advisor to Southern California Edison CNO, visited our club on January 12, 2023 to provide an update on the SONGS decommissioning. All aspects of the decommissioning process are governed by three principles: Safety, Stewardship and Engagement. Safety is the top priority and encompasses nuclear, radiological, industrial and environmental safety. Stewardship has both financial and environmental aspects to ensure that public funds are used responsibly and efficiently and that the activities minimize environmental impacts so that the site is left in the same condition as before the plant was built. Engagement assures transparency and that the public is kept abreast of progress at the site.

Ten years into the 60-year decommissioning period, many of the support buildings have been demolished and work on dismantling the turbine building structures is underway. Much of the debris in these buildings is recyclable steel and nonferrous materials that will be transported away from the site using the on-site railyard that substantially reduces truck traffic on nearby I-5.

Eventually the iconic dome-shaped containment units will be dismantled using a bottom-up approach. Driving by the site, you might think that the domes are sinking, but really they’re effectively “sunsetting” as the deconstruction reduces the dome height by removing material from the bottom of the domes.

All spent fuel will be stored onsite in sealed, stainless steel canisters that are passively cooled in dry cask storage systems. The storage units are seismically rated, resistant to corrosion and rated for more than 100 years. Currently there is no national storage facility, but the canisters can be transported when a site is built.

Bates encouraged community members to keep up to date on the decommissioning process and to be active in efforts to address the storage of spent fuels. You can sign up by visiting www.spentfuelsolutionsnow.com You can also learn more about SONGS decommissioning by visiting their website.

In memory of Jim King

Posted on Dec 29, 2022

We were so sorry to learn of the passing of Jim King, who had been a member for over 30 years. Jim was a devoted husband to his wife Janie; they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in 2021. Jim was a generous supporter of the club and the community. The first picture in the video was taken just after he'd made one of many blood donations along his way to being a 10 gallon donor for the San Diego Blood Bank. Many club presidents arrived at their demotion party in Jim's butter yellow Model A Ford. We extended our deepest sympathies to Jim's family. He will be missed.

If you wish to make a donation in Jim's memory, the family suggests the San Diego Blood Bank.

A Little Holiday Cheer at Viewpoint Brewing Company

Posted on Dec 18, 2022

Clockwise from top left: Harold and Casey Robison with Don and Donna Fipps (who's holding Tube Man); Rob Vaughn wondering what he might do with hugging stuffed mice, which Jennifer McDowell, Garrie Rhodes and Kathy Reed find amusing; Karin and Jim Davies admire Tube Man, which they would possess only briefly; Donna Fipps brought melting snowmen cookies

Clockwise from top left: Mark Berry helps Jennifer McDowell extract a box from a snug-fitting bag; Matt Kurth holds the stuffed mice he stole from Rob Vaughn (mainly to get the Lindt chocolates that came with them) while Klaus Gubernator covets the gift; Kathy Reed displays her moose head punch set (which was never stolen) and Jeff Matthews and Val Myers with Suzy Wagner; RoseMary Pellegrino thinks of all the fun she can have with the game "Senior Moments" and Eric Nelte hopes he can play too

Clockwise from top left: Dee House and Suzy Wagner try to figure out the dice game Suzy won while Rob Muller and Casey Robison look on; Candace Bahr with Steven McDowell and Walt and Linda Strangman; Toni Mecaro with Pat Caughey and Steven McDowell; Matt Kurth admires the tequila that replaced the Lindt chocolate balls stolen by Klaus; Garrie Rhodes and Rob Vaughn; Don Fipps guards the cookie table

Everyone dressed warmly on Tuesday December 13, 2022 for an outdoor holiday party at one of our favorite venues, Viewpoint Brewing Company. There were plenty of appetizers and food at the buffet. Dinner was capped with offerings from the cookie exchange participants. We did a “Dirty Santa” gift exchange this year and lots of fun gifts found new homes, many after changing hands a few times. Sharon Schendel has been enjoying her burrito blanket brought by Val Myers every night since the party. Kathy Reed was happy to have a moose head punch set, and the Lindt chocolate balls passed through a few hands, including those of Matt Kurth, who ended up with a bottle of tequila instead. Jim and Karin Davies were certain that they might get to keep “Tube Man”, until Donna Fipps stole him away. Thank you to all who attended, and special thanks to Suzy Wagner for securing the venue, Kathy Reed for the lovely centerpieces, and Dee House for making the nametags. We’re also grateful to all the bakers and to those who provided gifts for the exchange.

A Little More Holiday Cheer at the La Colonia Clubhouse

Posted on Dec 18, 2022

We hosted the second party of the week on Thursday December 15, 2022 for members of the San Dieguito Boys & Girls Club La Colonia Clubhouse and their families. Craft stations were ready for the children at the La Colonia park and included snow globes (Dee House, Rex Mize, and Steven McDowell) Santa stickers (Donna Fipps), cranberry and fir jars (Suzy Wagner and Linda Strangman), and reindeer blocks (Kathy Reed and Jennifer McDowell). Event chair Klaus Gubernator had robotics demonstrations. After the crafts, Santa and his gingerbread helper arrived to take notes on what the children wanted for Christmas. Thank you to San Dieguito BGC COO and member Joe McLeod who helped serve food and kept the music going, and to Walt Strangman and Marty Peters who manned the ladles at the Christmas punch station. We’re grateful to Jake’s Del Mar for donating wonderful food. There were plenty of leftovers that Janice and Matt Kurth, along with Sharon Schendel, helped package so families could enjoy second helpings at home.

A Very Merry Verbivore

Posted on Dec 11, 2022

Richard Lederer returned to our club for the December 8, 2022 meeting to spread a bit of holiday cheer. In particular, he described how Clement Clarke Moore’s “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” together with Thomas Nast’s illustrations, formed the basis for many iconic Christmas images including Santa Claus as a jolly elf who enters homes via the chimney. Richard provided some noted basic facts to support that the reindeers pulling Santa’s sleigh were all females. Reindeer are the only member of the deer family in which both males and females have antlers. However, males lose their antlers after the fall rut and thus by Christmas in December only females would have the antlers seen in Nast’s pictures.

He also told how “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens helped popularize “Merry Christmas”. Dickens wrote the book in a frenzied 6 weeks and made liberal use of “Merry” rather than the more staid “Happy”. In a well-known quote, Ebenezer Scrooge tells his Christmas-loving nephew Fred: “If I could work my will, every idiot who goes about with 'Merry Christmas' on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart.”

Richard is the author of over 50 books (he is grateful to the local publisher Waterside Productions in Cardiff for his latest publications) and his column “Lederer on Language” appears every other Saturday in The San Diego Union Tribune. He is the founding host of NPR’s “A Way with Words”. Follow Richard at his website: verbivore.com.

Happy Trails Walking Club at San Dieguito Lagoon

Posted on Dec 12, 2022

For this installment of the Happy Trails Walking Club, Bob Fuchs (along with his dog, Rascal) Don and Donna Fipps, and Sharon Schendel enjoyed a nice easterly walk in the San Dieguito River Park from the staging area parking lot off of San Andres Drive to the Del Mar Horse Park. Bob recalled the multiple work projects our club has done to support the San Dieguito River Park. The club is out walking on every on alternating Wednesday and Saturday mornings. Interested in leading a walk on Saturday December 22? Email Sharon and she’ll post the information on the club calendar.

The Burn Institute: Fostering Recovery and Preventing Burn Injuries

Posted on Dec 04, 2022

The Burn Institute Director of Operations, Benjamin Hemmings (left), speaks to the club about the Institute's programs like Camp Beyond the Scars (upper right) and support groups for adult survivors of burn injuries (lower right)

For 50 years, the Burn Institute has been helping individuals who suffered burn injuries recover and has also developed educational resources and services to prevent burn injuries from happening. Burn Institute Director of Operations Brian Hemmings spoke at our December 1, 2022 meeting to outline the range of projects the Burn Institute oversees. The Institute hosts camps like Camp Beyond the Scars to help young people aged 8-17 who are affected by burns succeed on their healing journey. Through support groups, the Institute connects survivors who suffered a recent burn injury with those who are farther from their injuries to instill hope and share strategies for coping with the injury. Survivors of burn injuries and their families also receive support during treatment and recovery with parking passes, lodging, and medical equipment funded by the Institute.

The Institute offers burn and fire prevention programs like the Fire Safe Kid program in schools, emergency preparedness training, and education of parents to prevent scald injuries, which represent nearly 40% of burn injuries in young children. To ensure safe maintenance of smoke detectors, seniors (62+) can apply to have Institute staff change batteries in their detectors free of charge. Click HERE for the application.

Casey Robison: Who Am I

Posted on Dec 04, 2022

Casey Robison and her Rotary mentor, Dugan Lamoise, who's holding Casey's Youth Exchange pin-laden blazer

As her final step to convert her badge from red to regular, Casey Robison gave her “Who Am I” talk. Casey owns Darshan Bakery in the Del Mar village, where they make some of the best croissants in town. A conversation with Marty Peters at the café led Casey to our club so she could reconnect to some Rotary roots. Casey was a Rotary International Youth Exchange student sponsored by the Rotary Club of Walnut Grove near Sacramento California, to spend a year in England hosted by the Heckmondwike Rotary Club near Leeds. She has fond memories of her host family. Casey is married to Harold Robison and they are parents to two sons, aged 6 and 8.

Do you know a youth who might like to be like Casey and be a Rotary International Youth Exchange Student? Encourage them to attend an informational session, 6:30 PM, on Tuesday December 6 at Coronado High School. This session is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Coronado and District 5340. Click HERE for information about the session.

Book Club at Bud's

Posted on Dec 04, 2022

Book club members at Bud's: (clockwise from left): Sharon Schendel, Linda Groom, Jim Davies, Karin Davies, Don Fipps, Janice Kurth, Matt Kurth, Beth Westburg

With crawdads in the title, facilitator Beth Westburg sought out a cajun-themed restaurant for Book Club members to discuss their most recent reading “Where the Crawdads Sing”. The food at Bud’s Louisiana Café in Tierrasanta was so good that there was just as much discussion about the dishes everyone got as there was about the book. There were even fresh beignets for dessert. The club will read the 2018 Pulitzer Prize winner “Less” by Andrew Sean Greer. Come join the next discussion!

Peace Village Cottage 5 Build

Posted on Dec 04, 2022

Marty Peters (left) paints panels that Dee House and Steven McDowell (center) loaded into the truck; Steven McDowell trims out the front window on Cottage 5

Mark Barry, Donna Fipps, Dee House and Bob Muller, Klaus Gubernator, Steven McDowell and Marty Peters were at San Diego Peace Village to help with construction of Cottage 5. These five cottages make up the first phase of what will eventually be 20 cottages that will provide private spaces for people to live as they integrate into the San Diego community.

Project Speed

Posted on Nov 20, 2022

In 1899, Charles “Mile-a-Minute” Murphy, was the first to set a paced bicycle land speed record when he pedaled 60 mph behind a train in Long Island. In 2018, Denise Mueller set the current record of 183.9 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. She visited our club on November 17, 2022 to tell how she did it. Denise has always been fast on a bike. In the late 1980s, then teenage Denise was on a ride between San Francisco and San Diego. As she pedaled through Camp Pendleton, she drafted another cyclist for 8 miles. That cyclist happened to be John Howard, a 3-time Olympian, co-founder or the Race Across America and member of the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame. In 1985 John himself set the land speed record of 152.2, so he recognized her talent. John helped get Denise into competitive cycling and was her coach. She enjoyed success until, as she put it, she needed to start “adulting” and put aside cycling to focus on her career and family. Her career included running the family business Rancho Santa Fe Security, a company that was founded by her father.

Denise approached John Howard when her son was training to run all 19 Rock n’ Roll Marathons. John asked her whether she might return to cycling, and in particular, pursue a land speed record, which no woman had ever attempted. In 2012 she began training and in 2016 set the women’s record of 147.7 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Denise was further encouraged by Dutch cyclist Fred Rompelberg, who had held the record of 166.9 mph since 1995. Rompelberg even gave her use of the pace car he used in 1995 that looks a bit like a drag racer with a large hood at the back that serves as a wind shield. Having the car was one thing, but finding a driver in whom she had complete confidence was another.

Denise found Shea Holbrook to be that driver. In their attempts, Denise followed behind the pace car riding a customized bike with an extremely high gear. She explained that with one turn of the crank on this bike she could travel 131 feet (compare to a traditional ten-speed where one crank turn allows the rider to travel 31 feet). Even to turn the crank she had to reach a speed of around 100 miles an hour. Shea had to get to around 130 mph within one mile, and when Denise cast off the tow rope in the final mile, around mile marker 4, she reached nearly 184 mph, far faster than she expected.

The attempt was not without danger. Denise brought with her a broken wheel hub. The hub cracked soon after the attempt, but fortunately held true as she set the record. One other great thing about Denise: she is a long-time member of the Rotary Club of Rancho Santa Fe!

Click HERE to watch a video of Denise setting the record.

The Journey to Safety

Posted on Nov 20, 2022

Olga speaks to the club (left) and Klaus Gubernator is hosting a family from Ukraine (right)

Thanksgiving Day marks nine months since Russia attacked Ukraine. On the day of the attack, Olga and her son began her journey to safety. Within one week of her departure, Vyshneve, where Olga lived with her three year-old son, was bombed. Olga had friends in Oceanside who advised her to get to a place that had planes leaving Europe. If she could find a plane, they would fund her tickets. Olga showed a video of her car ride to Rădăuți-Prut in Romania. Cars were lined up for miles and Olga and her son ended up sharing a car with a woman who drove them to Debrecen, Hungary. In Hungary, Olga and her son boarded a plane to start the trip to San Diego, where they’ve lived since early March.

Olga grew up in a family of doctors, but she followed a different path to become fluent in several languages, including English and Japanese. She worked for five years in the Embassy of Japan in Kyiv. Using these excellent communication skills, she has told her story and acted as a liaison for other Ukrainians in the San Diego area.

Olga and James Morrison, a member of Rotary Club of Point Loma who serves as District 5340 Treasurer and Paul Harris Society Coordinator, spoke to our club on November 10, 2022. James has helped organize District efforts to help Ukrainian refugees. In total, Rotary International has raised $15 million for Ukraine and these funds have been distributed through nearly 300 disaster response grants. Our own John Baranowski and Candace Bahr helped Olga and her son when they drove her from Oceanside to Mission Valley to participate in the services fair hosted by the Amna Sanctuary.

James said that housing is the number one need of Ukrainian refugees. Klaus Gubernator has offered rooms in his home to house a Ukrainian mother and her daughters. If you are able to help in any way, please email James.

Del Mar Village Association Community Cleanup

Posted on Nov 20, 2022

Don and Donna Fipps were out with Omeeka (who’s now at Oceanside in the next phase of training) last month for the Del Mar Village Association (DMVA) Community Cleanup. A total of 50 people participated to collect nearly 180 pounds of trash. With their 7 pounds, Don and Donna did well above average! Sharon, Suzy and Toni will have a post-Thanksgiving meeting with DMVA leaders to talk about more collaborative projects.

The Art of Homemaking

Posted on Nov 06, 2022

Humble Design Advisory Board member Sue Liesegang (lower center) and some rooms that Humble Design has recently decorated for clients

Imagine finding an affordable place for your family to live, but then end up sleeping on the floor because you had little money left over for furnishings. In 2009, Humble Design was founded by Treger and Rob Strasberg to outfit the houses of families who had recently experienced homelessness. Humble Design goes far beyond simply providing basic furnishings. They work with clients to discover their style and preferences to transform houses and apartments into homes. Sue Liesegang, Humble Design Advisory Board member, spoke at our November 2, 2022 meeting about the mission of Humble Design and ways for organizations to get involved. She began by showing a video (click HERE to watch) that told the story of Humble Design’s founding and of some of their clients.

Since its founding, Humble Design, which works with families in San Diego as well as Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit and Seattle, has helped over 2,000 families make a personalized space. This personalization helps contribute to stability in the new home. On average, around 50% of families who had experienced homeless and found housing had lost their homes within one year. In contrast, between 90% and 99% of Humble Design’s clients remain in their homes after one year. Humble Design San Diego was founded in 2018 and has served 240 households. Last year they scaled up their work to help two clients every week using household goods and furniture donated by the community. Ms. Liesegang outlined ways that organizations can help. For a $5,000 investment, organizations can participate in a Day of Service and help furnish the home of a client. They also welcome volunteers at their warehouses on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Community Drives can help secure most-needed items such as twin mattresses, microwaves, coffee makers, televisions with stands and remotes, and curtain rods with hardware. Donated goods should be items that are excellent condition and that would make valuable additions to new homes.

Follow Humble Design San Diego on Instagram and Facebook to see the transformation of clients' homes. Thank you to Steven McDowell for arranging to have Humble Design visit our club.

The Rotary Club of Del Mar is a registered 501c4 non-profit organization.

Weekly Meeting

Thursdays

12:00 Noon

At Pacifica Del Mar, Del Mar Plaza,

Del Mar

Gem Munro

Feb 09, 2023

Amarok Society

Dr. Mark Barry

Feb 16, 2023

Train the Trainers

Saundra Cima and Ruth Gunther

Mar 02, 2023

Honor Flight San Diego

Nancy Matthews

Mar 09, 2023

Disaster Aid, USA

View entire list...

Club Social: Sbicca
Sbicca Del Mar

Feb 07, 2023
4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Cottage Build: Rising Tide Ranch Part 1
Rising Tide Ranch

Feb 11, 2023
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Cottage Build: Rising Tide Ranch Part 2
Rising Tide Ranch

Feb 18, 2023
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Book Club: Less by Andrew Greer
Feb 26, 2023
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
San Diego Blood Bank Blood Drive
Del Mar Civic Center

Mar 02, 2023
9:00 AM – 2:30 PM