RCSE was lucky to have one of its own present to the club this past Friday - Pastor Herb Hubbard! Before Pastor Hubbard came to the podium, President Ben Brewer gave Beth Hancock her Paul Harris Fellow +1 pin - congratulations Beth! Ben also reminded everyone of Rotary Read-In on Thursday March 22. If you have not already signed up for this great event or would like more information regarding the read in, please visit SavannahRotaryReadIn.com.
Pastor Hubbard is the chaplain for YMCA of Coastal Georgia and shared with the group a little bit about what he does on a daily basis as well as some history of the YMCA. YMCA was founded in 1844 in London, England as a bible study group for young men. The first YMCA to open in the United States was in Boston in 1851. In 1855, the first YMCA meeting in Savannah was held at Independent Presbyterian Church making the Savannah YMCA the fifth oldest YMCA in the United States. The YMCA of Coastal Georgia has a $18 million budget per year and donates $2 million to area causes. The Y isn't just a fitness club. They want to do anything they can to help in the community. Some of the ways they are doing this is through a reading enhancement program for students, food distribution of fresh produce, activities to keep older adults active, and summer learning programs for children.
Out of the 2700 YMCA in the United States, there are only 65 chaplains. Pastor Herb Hubbard is the only YMCA chaplain in the state of Georgia! He is working hard to put the "C" back in YMCA. He said when he goes to work, he doesn't know what the day will bring because each day is different. He is available for counseling, encouragement, prayer, life skills and also helps train young individuals on financial stability. In his capacity as chaplain, he works with many community organizations including FEMA and helped evacuate Savannah residents during Hurricane Irma.