Announcements April 12, 2022 - DACdb.com

April 12, 2022
A meeting of the Washington Rotary Club took place at Washington and Jefferson College. We actually
exceeded the minimum required by the college catering service for the first time since we returned to
the college. Guests included Ken Baker and Bruce McDowell, along with our speaker, PDG George
Omiros who also brought the Director of Development for Food Helpers, Cherise Sandrock.

The meeting began an invocation by Susan Priest, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

Announcements
President Brandi Miller reminded us that the Trivia Contest is on Friday, March 6. We need raffle items
and donations. Consider forming a team.
Tom Drewitz said that he sent a copy of last
week’s newsletter about our presentation from
Dr. Vdovichenko to several persons in the
district and received thanks from IPRID
Stephanie Urchick and PDG Denny
Crawford and regrets that they were not
present to hear the talk. I think we all agreed
that she gave a powerful and informative
presentation.

Happy Dollars:
          Joe Piszczor was happy to
          celebrate President Brandi Miller
          winning the Young Athena Award,
          and also that Lisa Hannum is in
          the running for the regular Athena
          Award later this year.
                 He was also happy for the
                 turnout from district
                 Rotarians at the Rotary

‘Night at the Pens’. Over 300
        Rotarians attended and
        raised $3,000. Rotary got
        recognition on the
        Jumbotron, which was
        posted on FaceBook.
John Hopper is happy to offer us
a chance to support him as he is
committed to walk 100 miles during
April to benefit CASA. During ‘Step
Up for Kids’ people can go online to
casawashington.org and click on
the Donate button to donate and
dedicate their donation to John. He
said that if we are in town, we can
look for him, walking to benefit the
over 100 abused and neglected
children currently served by a Court
Appointed Special Advocate (CASA).
John Quayle was very happy to
be back among us and not just a
box on a screen. He is also happy
that his grandson turns two on Easter Sunday.
Rachel Gladden was happy to see Ken Baker and Bruce McDowell joining us.
Susan Price was happy to have attended a Zoom meeting from another Zone which was
about Public Relations and Public Image for Rotary. She learned a lot.
Lars Lange was happy for the experience of attending the Bridgeville Trivia Night. Kathy
Sabol, who he joked was a ‘traitor’ helped a team from the bar association and Susan
Priest was the leader of the nine-person Rotary team, which bombed. Several members
came up with the right answers, but not often enough, or else the group ignored the right
answer and settled on a wrong one. He shared that Kathy Sabol won $500 on a fifty/fifty
and donated it back.
Karen Reese was happy for the home opener for the Pirates.
Susan Priest was happy and sad that she will miss the next three meetings while she
travels in Europe. She is also VERY happy that after an anxious ten hours her handicapped
placard was found. She said that the replacement process can be a long one.
George Omiros was $5 happy to be here.

President Brandi was happy for the nomination of Lisa Hannum for the Athena Award.

Program: Food Helpers - PDG George J.
Omiros
Susan Priest then rose to introduce our speaker, PDG George Omiros from Food Helpers, formerly
Washington County Food Bank.
PDG George J. Omiros, CFRE, CAE, of Uniontown serves as Chief Executive Officer of Food Helpers/DBA
Gr. Washington County Food Bank.
PDG George is a nationally recognized leader with over four decades of philanthropic and visionary
leadership experience in non-profit management, major donors, capital campaigns, special events,
board and volunteer engagement, marketing, and community relations.
PDG George is a 43-year Rotarian having join in 1979 at the Uniontown Rotary Club and served as
President in 1988, then joined Pittsburgh Downtown Club and returned to the Uniontown Chestnut
Ridge Club which merged with Uniontown Rotary Club. He served as District Governor four our District
in 2003-2004 and continues to be active with his Uniontown Club.
George is very active with the Greek Orthodox Church with the Pgh. Metropolis and the Archdiocese of
North & South America in NYC, and a founding member of the International Orthodox Christian
Charities of Baltimore. For his service in 2001 George was invested with the highest ecclesiastical honor
that can be bestowed on a lay person and the oldest honor in Christendom as an Archon as member of
The Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul.
George resides in Uniontown with his lovely wife, Sophia.

George provided us with the text of his presentation which follows.

Good afternoon. Thank you, President Brandi Miller, for inviting us to present to your Club. It is great
honor to be visiting your club again. My special regards to PDG Tom Drewitz, PDG Tom Uram and
Special thanks to Susan Priest for inviting me to be here today, and I would like to acknowledge my
Board Members of the Food Helpers/GWCFB Board of Directors – Ken Baker, Sec. Bruce McDowell,
Andrew Goudy, and Tom Uram who are also club members and provide constant support for our
programs. With me here today is also our Director of Development - Cherise Sandrock.

Food Helpers’ Mission is to end hunger by creating sustainable communities through equitable aid,
education, and resources. We work through our four pillars of Feeding, Training, Thrifting & Farming to
accomplish our mission.
Food Helpers has taken a more innovative approach to the food banking model
For over 37 years Greater Washington County Food Bank, a non-profit organization, has provided
groceries and nutritional information/education to food insecure residents of Washington County.

It is estimated that Washington County currently has over 26,000 people who are food insecure. We
distribute food through our network of 38 distribution sites (13 public sites and 18 senior hi-
rise/apartment locations) and with agencies throughout the county. Currently over 30% of our
recipients are children under the age of 18, and over 20% are seniors.

We rely primarily on community support to meet these objectives in a caring and compassionate way.
In 2016, Greater Washington County Food Bank moved to a larger facility – the big blue bldg… located
on Route 40 East in Centerville with a Brownsville mailing address.
The facility was the former Country Thrift Market on National Pike, and the facility came with 28 acres
of land as well as retail space. It was during this transition that the long-term Vision of what services
the organization could provide to those that we serve were developed.

     First, a new Training Center opened in an effort to offer educational opportunities and classes to
     help clients learn how to make healthy meals and other life skills to improve their lives. The
     Healthy Habits Training Center has hosted numerous classes from cooking to hydroponic classes,
     to gardening and financial education opportunities.
     Second, a retail space was put to use as a Thrift Market to sell gently used items ranging from
     clothes, children's toys, kitchen accessories, household items, furniture, toiletries, books and
     movies, as well as many more items available for purchase. Our Country Thrift Market is open to

the public, and proceeds provide in excess of $250k net annually to support Food Helpers.
     Third, our Farm acreage is being utilized with multiple areas of focus. Food Helpers’ The FARM is
     home to a full orchard, raised beds, a greenhouse, farmland for planting crops, and soon to be
     unveiled fully-operational aquaponic containers in 2 of our 6 pods. The development of these
     complementary programs allow Food Helpers to not only feed the hungry but address the
     socioeconomic factors that leads someone towards food insecurity. By providing education and
     resources, by providing low-cost retail experiences, and by providing instruction on growing one's
     own food, we can weaken the chain of events that leads to food insecurity.
     And Fourth, the Greater Washington County Food Bank continues to distribute food in rural areas,
     food deserts, to seniors 60+, as well as individualized solutions for short-term needs though our
     Community Outreach Food Program. The Food Bank continues to operate though under a different
     model.

Prior to the pandemic the Gr. Wash. County Food Bank introduced a new model for food distribution is
Washington County called the “Truck to Trunk” model where the former distribution cycle was
distribution to local food pantries.
Our new model insured that the food insecure received directly boxes of food eliminating the
middleman... we were aware of situations where the food distribution did not always make it to those
who were in need.

Many of the pantries were disturbed by this move and complained loudly to government officials. The
GWCFB was criticized publicly for this change in 2019 and then the pandemic occurred and ironically
food banks across the nation adopted our model and were publicly applauded for their efforts.
Most of you are aware that in 2021, Wash. County moved the state funding for food from the Gr.
Wash. County Food Bank to the Gr. Pgh. Food Bank. This move created a lot of reaction from the
public, yet Food Helpers preserved and continues to do GREAT WORK in feeding the food insecure in
our county....And generous donors responded with their investment in our efforts with unparalleled
results in contributions of funds and resources!

As with most government funding, food aid from traditional food banks is calculated based upon the
Federal poverty calculation, meaning a family of 4 with 2 parents working full-time can still be food
insecure. By working diligently to earn a raise, many food-insecure families will no longer qualify for
traditional food pantry support, as well as other government programs they relied on such rental
assistance, utility assistance, education assistance, or childcare.
Families are working hard to support their families, but now they are put into a worse financial
situation. It is a dilemma, affecting nearly half of the food-insecure population in Washington County,
but Food Helpers provides the solution.

By breaking away from government-funded distributions, we are NOW free to serve every household
that needs help.
Food Helpers believes that we can end hunger by creating sustainable communities through equitable
access to aid, education, and resources.

After years of constant recognition for our innovative approaches to the food banking model, in January
2020 we decided to rebrand our agency that not only feeds the hungry but helps the hungry and the
at-risk residents of Washington County…Thus
Food Helpers was born...

I must share that I have learned many lessons during the pandemic and after 44 years of work in the
non-profit arena I DO know that

     Human behavior will continue to drive sound strategies.?The main driving forces behind human
     behavior are fear, hope, having a mission, the need to help, and the need to act or stay in
     motion. Attention to these natural impulses will always gain the best result.
     Strategies developed out of fear will fail, and bold strategies will prevail.? Fewer people made bold
     decisions during Covid than any other period I have ever seen, including the 2008-2009 recession.
     With so many organizations operating from a position of scarcity over the past few years, in 2022
     -- Leaders who can articulate an aspirational, yet reasonable, vision and strategy will stand out as
     unique.

Meaningful change will always require the ability to tolerate a certain level of risk. In 2022,
     successful Organizations will think big, act boldly, and will have confidence that will help others
     feel safe to join the journey.

The pandemic has taught us that it is more important than ever to Plan, Be Persistent, have Patience,
know when to Push, Embrace Innovation as a critical strategy, and be Adaptive.

Thus, I propose
If America can create pandemic vaccines, place an astronaut in space for 355 days, and develop
products & services for a global market, why can’t we solve food insecurity - especially for kids?

We are prepared to ask you and others to join us in our Journey to identify, support, fund, and create
answers through innovative new programs for the food insecure.

Some Washington County statistics for you to be aware of from Feeding America:

     Total Food insecure Children: 13%
     Total Food Insecure Children K-5: 1,428
     Children that may not qualify for food assistance but are still food insecure: 471

This means nearly 1,900 children in Wash. County alone are food insecure with 471 falling through the
cracks and not receiving any assistance!!!

In recognition of the 471 children a day that go to bed hungry in Washington County, Food Helpers is
seeking programs and funding to advance our efforts to end hunger for children in Washington County!

On?May 1, 2022, Food Helpers will launch
                                        The 471 Challenge,
an awareness and funding initiative aimed at making real progress in ending hunger for children in
greater Washington County.

Our goal is to raise $471,000 by December 1, 2022, to support our food programs to assist these
children.

We will be launching a county-wide campaign to secure funding for our food and our education
programs for school age children.
 With that, our Food Helpers Training Division has partnered with a tech startup from Carnegie Mellon
University that developed in 2020 an award-winning APP called Little Moochi, an AI-powered virtual pet
that encourages children to form positive eating habits in a fun way. This design team created the APP
    in CMU’s Entrepreneurship Class, and the APP took first place in the National Forté Power Pitch
                                              Competition.

Here is how it works: Children download the APP on their Chrome book or other device. A child adopts
and names a Little Moochi to establish an emotional attachment with a computerized pet.
When a child enjoys a meal or snack, they can feed their pet at the same time by snapping a photo of
what’s on their plate. 3 times a day, the child is reminded to feed Little Moochi.

Little Moochi’s AI-powered backend enables the device to recognize millions of different types of foods.
When kids consume wholesome food, they receive more points, which can be cashed in for stickers to
decorate their pet’s online home.

A balanced diet that includes all food groups helps the pet become stronger, smarter, cuter and
healthier.

If Moochi is only fed fried chicken all week, it’s going to get a little sick and will ask for vegetables and
food in other categories. When Moochi is well fed, the character smiles and appears active and happy
through animation.

The APP encourages children to try new healthy foods. And to avoid triggering an unhealthy
relationship, the APP frames eating around bodily benefits rather than calories, encouraging children to
foster a healthy relationship with food in a balanced way.

Thus, Little Moochi fosters healthy eating habits that should be a fun and relaxing experience for the
whole family. Kids will begin to check the MyPlate blackboard in the game to see what food category
their Moochie should eat to become healthier. They then may ask parents or care givers to prepare the
food that Moochie wants and thus are more willing to try new foods when Moochie wants to try them.

We have engaged the support of Intermediate Unit 1 and most recently introduced the program to
Superintendents, Principals and Curriculum Coordinators across the 35 districts in IU1 and are recruiting
schools to participate in Fall 2022.

As part of the program, we will be providing kids with Little Moochie Packs filled with nutritious foods
for snacking at home beyond the school provided breakfasts and lunches.

This is just one of the many programs we have launched that The 471 Challenge will fund for food

insecure kids.

The Farm is also unveiling our new Aquaponics Lab in our pods to train students… elementary thru high
school on the ability to raise greens and vegetables sustained in an aquaponics lab. We also will be
partnering with the IU’s existing aquaponics consortium to extend our programs throughout the three-
county area in SW PA.

So today I invite each of you as Rotarians to join us in Service Above Self to support our initiatives... to
continue the nearly four-decade efforts of
Food Helpers to provide programs to distribute supplement food and nutritional education to food
insecure residents of Washington County.

Thank you and happy to answer questions!
Questions and Comments

     Susan Priest: What is the difference between hydroponics and aquaponics:
           George: Aquaponics introduces fish, they use tilapia, into the water used, providing a
           natural source of fertilization.
     Joe Piszczor: What is their biggest challenge, and what would be the best way for our club to
     partner with them.
           George: Volunteers. They are needed in nutrition, training, the farm, and the store. Getting
           the word out to family and friends about Food Helpers would help, as well as donations.
           They have gone from 500 turkeys given out at Thanksgiving in 2020 to 1200 this past year,
           as well as another 1200 for Christmas, given out both at the main office and also in Donora.
           For this year’s Easter/Spring/Passover, they have 1500, and will be distributing at Star Lake
           as well. He hopes we all will stop and visit to see the facility.
     Jim Uram asked about the problem between Food Helpers and Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank,
     which is now receiving the county funding previously going to the Washington County Food Bank.
           George: The change was initiated by the Washington County Commissioners, and the
           relationship between the two non-profits is collaborative. They work together to serve the
           food insecure. In fact, after the separation, Food Helpers is doing more for more people.
     John Hopper: Very happy to hear about Moochie, which he thinks is a great idea. Too often the
     food insecure are also poorly informed about healthy eating. He suggested that Food Helpers
     encourage competition between groups of three families on things such as family weight loss or
     exercise.
           George: A great idea. They already do contests in the schools they are involved in, but the
           contests are between classes, not involving the whole family. He mentioned several schools
           with which they have a relationship. He said that Trinity is a huge supporter. Interaction at
           the schools slowed down during the pandemic but is beginning to start up again. They get
           great support from the Intermediate Unit. The key age group to target is K through 5. Older
           children have bad habits established.
           He said that the Moochie app is available for free on the App Store. He recently experienced
           an interaction with his four-year-old granddaughter. She was in the back seat of the car and
           noticed him chewing. She wanted to know what he had in his mouth, and he said it was
           gum. She then lectured him that that “was not nutritious” and insisted that he remove it.
     Joe Piszczor: I commend you for finding solutions to difficult problems. Thanks for searching out
     new solutions.
     Susan Price: You mentioned that you are involved with Fort Cherry, please come a bit west and
     get into the Burgettstown district.
     Lars Lange: He often shops at the thrift store, pointing out that he was wearing a sweater today
     which he got for $3. He also said that the store is the only place he can find curry powder.
     Lars also asked: He sees fresh vegetables at the store and wonders how they get them.
           George: Now that Food Helpers is no longer getting government money they also do not
           get fresh fruits and vegetables from the government. They have established relationships
           with groceries and local farmers who make donations. Sometimes they get donations of
           items they aren’t sure they can use. A recent example was a huge donation of flour. A
           manufacturer of pasta products took much of it, and returned a donation of pasta products
           as a swap. Another source is hunters who donate venison.
           George went on to say that they receive donations from people who are not Washington
           County residents. A story last year about a person who donated 200 coats was picked up by

a national news service and let to a man in Baltimore, who grew up in Washington County,
           making a donation of $5,000 and has continued with a donation of $1,000 every month.

President Brandi thanked Mr. Omiros for his presentation and for all the good begin done by Food
Helpers.

The meeting ended with the recitation of the Four Way Test, led by President Brandi.

Speakers

April 19th                       April 26th                        May 3rd
Drew Manko                       Father Andrew                     Lars Lange
Small Farming Today              Tanzania                          Mining Experiences
May 10th
Chuck Dunaway
Ramps of Grace

Events

No Events found

Club Leaders

Brandi B. Miller                 John P. Hopper                    Lars Lange
President                        President-Elect                   Secretary
                                 Vocational Service Chair          Treasurer
Dorothy Curley Tecklenburg       David A. Hart                     Diane L. Ambrose
Vice President 2023-24           Rotary Foundation Chair           Club Service Chair
Thomas C. Drewitz                Angeline Anyango East             David Bradley Montgomery
Webmaster                        Community Service Chair           iPast President
Antonio Zuloaga
Assistant Governor

Club Meeting
Washington
Meets at W & J College, The Commons
60 S. Lincoln St.
Washington, PA 15301
Time: Tuesday at 12:00 PM