At Thanksgiving, we are thankful for all the blessings we have received. Yet there are also those who do not have a square meal. Our Club joined in with our new sister Club - the Rotary e-Club of Heritage New York, to bring a little Thanksgiving joy to some families. This year our Club provided 13 turkeys, and the HeritageNY Club added 5 more to donate a total of 18 turkeys to the families of underprivileged children at the Eugenia Maria de Hostos Micro-Society School in Yonkers. Treasurer Barbara Hanna purchased the Club's 13 turkeys, funded by donations from Club members and the Club. On Wednesday she delivered all 18 to the School. The recipients of the turkeys were chosen by the teachers and designated as "winners" in a turkey raffle. These turkeys will provide the recipient families with a Thanksgiving meal and perhaps a few more leftover meals too.This is the third year that the Club has undertaken the donation of Thanksgiving turkeys to the Hostos School. It has made a difference to the families at this time of year.
Our Club firmly believes in participating in projects which will benefit our local community as well as communities across the world. In the true spirit of Rotary, every little bit helps. As volunteers, individually we can only do so much. But together as Rotarians, we can change our world. Thanks to Barbara for taking this initiative and doing the heavy lifting to bring smiles to the families - a perfect example of "Service Above Self".
The Yonkers-East Yonkers Club's Global Grant project of building a Basketball court and organizing the Anti-bullying program for underprivileged kids secured the cover story and a 6-page center story of the November issue of the Rotarian Magazine. The story is also featured in the RSS Feed from MyRotary. The story's byline notes "In Yonkers, New York, a new basketball court four years in the making provides valuable life lessons to the community's kids - and its adults."
Known throughout the District and beyond for his passion and zeal in Rotary's fight against Polio, Centennial President of the Yonkers-East Yonkers Club,and District Polio Plus Committee Co-Chair Shaw Latif suddenly passed away today, 9 October. A kind, gentle and generous soul, Shaw was a Major Donor Level 2 to The Rotary Foundation. He joined Rotary in May 2004 and this was his second stint as Club President. Shaw has been District Polio Plus Committee Chair for a number of years and organized a large fundraiser for Polio Plus in April 2018. He was deeply involved in the planning of his Club's April 2020 centennial observance, as well as a fundraising gala for Polio Plus this November. Shaw loved wearing his numerous Rotary pins with his bow ties and was seen at many Rotary events with his camera snapping pictures of almost everyone present. One of his last District appearances was with his District Polio Plus Committee Co-Chair Eileen Gallagher at the Chappaqua Club on Tuesday, speaking passionately about the importance of the complete eradication of Polio. On Wednesday, he presided over the Club's Regular meeting. Shortly after he left the meeting, he suddenly passed out. He was rushed to the White Plains Hospital, where all efforts to revive him failed. 
