At their noon meeting on March 4, members of the Rotary Club of Lawrenceville learned about the week-long summer camp, Camp Kudzu, where children with type 1 diabetes can be educated, inspired, and empowered.  Alex Allen, the Executive Director, shared a video about the programs offered in the child and teen programs and then discussed the history of this organization which depends heavily on volunteer efforts and donations.  Camp Kudzu has been in operation for 14 years and serves children from 69 Georgia counties.  Over 300 volunteer workers help with the three camp sessions they offer each year.  Six hundred children participate in the camps held at Camp Twin Lakes and at Cabbage Patch Kids.  She demonstrated the steady growth of the organization over the years.  The program helps families so they can gain confidence, make connections with other like them, and learn more about handling the disease.  For more information, the website is www.campkudzu.com.

https://vimeo.com/61496379

The Effects of the Affordable Care Act

The Affordable Care Act, which goes into effect January 1, 2014, has many people puzzled about what effects it will have on their lives and businesses. Al Hombroek shared his insights with his fellow Rotarians at the noon meeting of the Rotary Club of Lawrenceville on February 25. He defined key terms of the Act, such as minimal essential coverage, full-time equivalent employees, subsidized coverage, and inadequate coverage penalty, and passed out a flow chart that clarified the process. He focused on the possible effects the Act will have on decisions about hiring and about what coverage to offer employees (if any). He speculated that some companies may drop insurance benefits or develop some ways to get around paying the inadequate coverage penalty. In short, the Act raises many questions and will necessitate some basic changes in the way employers handle benefits.

https://vimeo.com/60490133

The speaker at the noon meeting of the Rotary Club of Lawrenceville was Stan Hall, who provided information about the upcoming PGA Champions Tour. He discussed the history of PGA tours in Gwinnett County and was pleased to report that the tour would be returning this year as the Greater Gwinnett Championship. It will be presented by Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating. This charity golf tournament will be take place at the prestigious TPC Sugarloaf the week of April 15-21, 2013. All three official rounds will be nationally televised on the Golf Channel and proceeds from the event will benefit local charities through the Gwinnett Championship Foundation, Inc. Helping to sell tickets (for a share of the proceeds) will be Rainbow Village and Relay for Life. This year’s recipients are Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Georgia Gwinnett College, Gwinnett Children’s Shelter, Gwinnett County Public Schools Foundation, and Gwinnett Tech Foundation. The event promises to have an $18-25 million economic impact on the Gwinnett County area and will provide national exposure on the Golf Channel. Those interested in helping to sponsor the event can get information atwww.greatgwinnettchampionship.com

https://vimeo.com/59946174

https://vimeo.com/59436344

Linda Cerjan, a staff member of the American Cancer Society, gave the program at the noon meeting of the Rotary Club of Lawrenceville on February 11. She shared information about the mission, programs, and services provided by the ACS. Focusing on helping cancer patients and their families, the association supports research, education, and counseling. They rely on thousands of volunteers to make their programs a success. Most are familiar with the Relay for Life program, which is their main money raiser for research and the top fund-raising event in the nation. Gwinnett County has sponsored the largest event in the country for 10 years out of the last 11. But the ACS does much more. They have sponsored three research studies, one focused on the relation between cancer and tobacco, one on the relation between obesity and cancer. The third and current study focuses on genetic and environmental issues; volunteers for that study are being solicited until Feb. 18. They also provide support through numerous programs, including the National Cancer Information Center, the Cancer Survivors Network, and the Clinical Trials Matching Service. They provide cosmetic advice, wigs, and positive motivational programs for cancer patients. Celebrating their 100th anniversary this year, the American Cancer Society has proven of great benefit to many people.

https://vimeo.com/59436343

Speaking at the noon meeting of the Rotary Club of Lawrenceville on February 4 was Debra Proulx, the program manager for the Center for Surgical Weight Management at Gwinnett Medical Center Duluth.  Debra is a Certified Bariatric Nurse who coordinates all services and education for the bariatric program.  She opened her talk with statistics outlining the obesity problem in the United States and in Georgia.  In the U.S. 35.7% of adults are overweight; in Georgia 65% of adults and 40% of children are overweight.  The medical costs resulting from these statistics are significant, since hypertension, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, and Type II diabetes are related to weight.  She then gave information about the Medical Center’s program.  Dr. Robert Richard, a bariatric surgeon heads a team of nurses, dieticians, and counselors.  The first surgery was performed in March of 2010.  Patients are required to undergo an extensive preparatory process before the actual surgery and have follow-up for the rest of their lives.

https://vimeo.com/58919384

At Monday’s noon meeting of the Rotary Club of Lawrenceville the speaker for the day was Ron Tant, Georgia State Director for Child Evangelism Fellowship International. He explained that the Fellowship is 75 years old and operates in 50 states and 180 countries. The group has reached more than 12 million individuals. He focused on the work of the Good News Clubs in Georgia elementary schools. The Clubs are after-school clubs which help children become successful by providing moral and religious training. He asserted that there is a severe need in today’s world for mentors and models for young children and that the 200 plus Clubs in Georgia elementary clubs have had a tremendously positive influence on Georgia’s young people.

https://vimeo.com/58401335

Rotarians at the noon meeting of the Rotary Club of Lawrenceville on January 21 met the Coordinator for Volunteer Programs in Gwinnett County, Kay Sibetta. She spoke to the group about her commitment to centralize volunteer opportunities and initiatives throughout the county. Her position grew out of the Engage Gwinnett program recommendations. Her office aims to involve more residents in volunteer activities to support the functions of the County’s 24 departments . She is tremendously encouraged by the rapid manner in which the department has reached its goals of service hours: the goal was to reach one million service hours by 2016 and already in 2012 a total of 991,000 hours have been reached. Volunteer opportunities vary from one day commitments to on-going more long range services and internships. Volunteers are encouraged to register online and report their hours so that a record can be compiled and maintained. Information is available at www.volunteergwinnett.net or at volunteergwinnett@gwinnettcounty.com.

https://vimeo.com/57884433

Anthony Buffum, the Director of the Department of Motor Vehicles for Gwinnett County, spoke at the noon meeting of the Rotary Club of Lawrenceville on Monday, Jan. 14. He informed the group of the changes in vehicle taxes resulting from the passage of HB 386 in 2012. Effective March 1, 2013, new car purchases will include a 6.5% title tax (which will go to 6.75% in 2014 and 7% in 2015). Gone are the sales tax and annual ad valorem tax. He presented a series of PowerPoint slides outlining the effects of this change. He explained that this title tax is to be paid only at the time of purchase, not yearly, and that it applies to all vehicle purchases, including a “casual sale” from one friend to another. Those who retain vehicles purchased before this change will continue to pay the annual ad valorem tax on the vehicle. There is a grace period for those who have recently purchased a new car which enables them to choose the new title tax system, if they want to. Fielding questions from the audience, Mr. Buffum charified points and asked the group to pass along information about these changes. More information is available at www.GwinnettTaxCommissioner.com.

https://vimeo.com/57418023

Captain Andy Miller III, a sixth generation Salvation Army officer, spoke to the Rotary Club of Lawrenceville at the noon meeting on January 7.  He thanked the group for their help with the bell-ringing at Christmas in front of the Lawrenceville Wal-Mart.   The Rotary ringers collected $1,700 all together, with an average of $300 a kettle. With the volunteer ringers, the organization was able to add several sites, which resulted in a 50% increase in income over last year.  Capt. Miller explained the overall mission of the Salvation Army “to preach the gospel and meet human needs.”  Their motto is to “Do the most good” with their resources and to those they serve.  He gave a brief history of the Salvation Army, beginning with William Booth’s founding group in the 1860s.  He then described the programs supported by the Salvation Army of Gwinnett.

https://vimeo.com/56938880