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Members of the Rotary Club of Dover including Gregg Dowty, Melissa Lesniak, Jonathan Nichols, and Nick Pelman presented $5000.00 in gift cards as part of the Rotary Club of Dover - Kid's Closet project.
(l-r) Rotarians Phil Rinaldi, Gregg Dowty and Noreen Biehl present gift cards to the DHA team: Tim Granfield, Board Chair; Michele Bourasso, Family Self Sufficiency Specialist; Roxanne Osgood, Family and LIHTC Housing Specialist, Becky Daniels, Housing Choice Voucher Specialist and Exec. Director Ryan Crosby.
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“Help Wanted” banners ripple in the winds along Seacoast streets and shopping plazas, urging workers to apply, while some of the hardest to fill openings remain vacant due to a lack of training or the skills necessary to meet job requirements. In some cases, lacking the tools of the trade may prohibit earnest workers from employment. To acquire or upgrade skills in a chosen vocation, the Rotary Club of Dover, NH, developed a Vocational Training & Tools (VT&T) financial assistance grant program for individuals who live or work in Dover, NH.
The first recipient of the grant, Victor Steinberg, expressed his gratitude recently in a note to Jim Munro, President of Dover, NH’s Rotary:
Thank you for the grant to purchase tools as I “retool” as an auto mechanic and expand my ability to service vehicles and learn a new skill. The grant for the support of tradesmen is much appreciated. A special thank you to Ron Richard for establishing this grant and his understanding of these challenges.
According to Ron Richard, Chairman of Rotary’s VT&T Committee, the effort is the result of a collaboration with Dover Adult Learning Center, Dover H.S.’s Career & Technical program and Community Action Partnership of Strafford County.
Thank you to our Rotarians and family, Dover High School Interact and the Dover Dems for your time as you filled the many trash bags!
The Dover High School - Interact students recently helped with the Don’t Trash Dover clean-up. It was great to see them getting outside and earning Community Service hours while learning. Thank you from the Rotary Club of Dover!
DOVER — Seacoast Endowment for Education in Dover (SEED), a nonprofit organization dedicated to lifting academic excellence in Dover schools, accepted a $4,159 donation from The Rotary Club of Dover to help fund two literacy grants in Dover public schools.
According to Rotary Club of Dover President Jim Munro, literacy is one of the club’s main areas of focus. “We are pleased to provide SEED funding for these targeted reading initiatives and applaud their efforts to support teachers and promote educational excellence for Dover students.”
The first literacy grant, awarded to Dover High School Language Arts Teacher Leslie Hocking, will be used to underwrite her Reading for Fun proposal valued at $2,500. A longitudinal study spearheaded by Dr. Mariah Evans of the University of Nevada, Reno, found the greater the number of books in a household, the greater the positive impact on the child.
The funding will provide every freshman at Dover High a book of their choice, free of charge as part of their high school orientation. In conjunction with a $5,000 sponsorship from Barnes and Nobles, the students will have a variety of current, high-interest books to select. “This grant reaches students in a way that no classroom does, filling an important gap in their education,” said Hocking.
The second grant award was bestowed to Kelly Cote to purchase literacy supplies and tools for the entire Woodman Park School first grade, which consists of approximately 120 students. The two-part grant will allow for Take Home Reading Bags—backpacks filled with reading level books for first grade students to transport to and from home—and provide socially distanced classroom tools such as individual seat pockets to keep student materials organized and easily accessible during learning times; clipboards for use during outside learning time; and classroom stools for flexible seating options.
In a 2019 article published in ScienceDirect, a study found that immersing children in book-orientated environments benefits their later educational achievement, attainment, and occupational standing. “Many of our students come from families of low economic status that may not have access to quality books appropriate for their reading skills,” said Cote “The Take Home Reading Bags provide students with access to quality books so they can read daily at home.”
To learn more about SEED and its mission to create a legacy for educational excellence in Dover public schools, visit doverseed.org.
The story can be read at Foster's Daily Democrat: Dover Rotary Honors Local Businesses and Individuals for Their Community Service.
The Rotary Club of Dover had the opportunity this week to partner with the Woodman Museum and offer an Open House to share with the community how the club has been a big part of the Dover community for the past 97 years. We were able to gather with friends for an evening of friendship & fellowship and recognized dedicated citizens and organizations for efforts that have done and will continue to do for others in need of assistance.
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With the screech of an air horn to end the evening Women’s League golf event, the outdoor celebration of Gregg Dowty’s year as President moved inside the club house. President, Gregg Dowty welcomed members and plus-ones in attendance. With our Bingo fundraiser back in play, Phil Rinaldi announced a 3-month net contribution from Bingo that we can use to give back to the community. With the annual golf tournament taking place on Monday, Gregg extended his thanks to Kathy Fink, the Golf Committee and all who participated in the brutally hot game. Upcoming meetings and events were announced, including the Rotary Open House to be held on July 7th at the Woodman Museum starting at 4:30pm. As we begin the new Rotary year, the motto will be Serve to Change Lives.
President Gregg’s “Wizardly” Year End Comments:
You truly made a difference Gregg Dowty - thank you for an incredible year and incredible leadership!
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Service Above Self
Dover, NH 03820
United States of America