What a wonderful meeting to kick off the start of the Rotary Fiscal Year. We had two members go from Red Badge to Blue Badge - congratulations Bryce and Michelle! We also had a member become a Paul Harris Fellow - congratulations Kim! President Kim Campbell thanked everyone for participating in the Book Drive for Haven Elementary and also encouraged all members to help with the Back to School Supply Drive. Once all Rotary business items were discussed, Melanie Farrant introduced our speaker for the day, Doris Williams, who is the Executive Director of Mary's Place: Sexual Assault Center of the Coastal Empire.
This is the 50th Anniversary of Mary's Place. Doris began by giving a history of the organization saying that during the first seven years, volunteers operated out of their homes working the phones. The goal was that a survivor never felt alone again. Eventually, the organization received grants and partnered with United Way which allowed for expansion of services. In 2022, it was renamed to Mary's Place in honor of Mary McAlister who was the Executive Director for 32 years.
Mary's Place is a safe haven for victims of sexual assault. They serve a seven county area providing an array of services some of which are 24 hour crisis line, legal advocacy, and free therapy. They also work with a number of other community agencies to provide services. Doris said we can help by sharing their information, inviting them to speak at various events, volunteering our time, and donating money. She thanked all of us for living out the Rotary motto of "Service About Self." To learn more about Mary's Place, please visit https://marysplacega.org/