The Yonkers-East Yonkers Club rises to the leadership role yet again. Our Past President Rev. J. Loren Russell will become the 11th District Governor for Rotary District 7230 from our Club, when he assumes the role on 1 July 2023. James ‘Loren’ Russell was born in Harlem, New York, and raised in the Bronx, where he and his wife (Evelyn) of soon-to-be thirty-two years currently reside.
Loren began his professional career as a life insurance agent, quickly rising to sales manager and then senior management. To fulfill his entrepreneurial ambitions, Loren established The JLR Company in 1992 to provide financial planning services in general, “Biblical Economics” services to the religious community, and motivational and developmental seminars and workshops. He served 7 years with the Southern Baptist Convention as the Northeast Strategy Coordinator, Regional Church Finance Consultant and Church Planting Coordinator for NYC.
Loren earned the Master’s of Divinity degree from Drew Theological Seminary and received an Honorary Doctorate of Ministry from Virginia University of Lynchburg. Through The JLR Company, Loren provides financial, strategic planning, and business consultations to churches, not-for-profit organizations, and businesses nationally, with a specialization in urban church strategies.
Our Club participated in Rotary's "Million Mask Challenge", sponsored by Rotary International and The Rossi Foundation. On 14 January, a 26-foot truck, emblazoned on all sides with the Million Mask Challenge Tour message, brought 300,000 face masks to our Rotary District stopping at 3 distribution points - White Plains, Harlem and Staten Island. Our Club was allocated 6,000 surgical masks and 1,000 children's masks. 
An amazing partnership came together to bring food supplies to the children of Haiti. Our Club partnered with the Heritage E-Club, and Century 21 Royal to send urgently needed food supplies for children in Haiti. The Club Board approved $600 from our Foundation as seed money for the project. Other Club Members, notable among them George John, VP Bina, PDG Mahbub, PDG Greg Arcaro and Aura Latif provided additional donations of cash and supplies of nearly $2000, while 3 members of the HeritageNY Rotary Club provided donations of more than $850 to cover the cost of purchasing the food, supplies, barrels and shipment.
Our Club has always been in the forefront of supporting the world campaign for polio eradication. In August, our Club contributed just over $9,000 to The Rotary Foundation's End Polio Fund bringing our Club's total contribution over the last 5 Rotary years to a little over $70,000..
Our Club has achieved the 2019-20 Rotary Presidential Citation -Platinum level - the highest Rotary honor for a Club and a very rare accomplishment for a Club to achieve this honor 4 years in a row. It is a fitting tribute to our Club in it's centennial year.. The award was announced by our very own 2019-20 District Governor Mahbub Ahmad in a letter to President Steve Simpson and all members of the Club. 
Service Above Self
Yonkers, NY 10710
United States of America