Shirley-Pat is a VIP (Virtual and In Person) member of the Rotary Club of Steveston. She is of mixed heritage and is Tl'esqox na whelh deni heelen (adoptee of Tl'esqox). She has over 20 years of experience in leadership, community planning and development, fund development, grant writing, project management, facilitation, teaching, and mentorship. She is proud of her involvement in the Write2Read literacy equity initiative. See www.writetoreadproject.org
Shirley helped us with an indigenous greeting, one of our first steps towards reconciliation.
Through records of family history, her family members are restarting to reclaim who they are. She congratulated Gordon, Bob, and Dean for having smashed many ceilings. She joined rotary because of her mom, who ‘voluntold’ her! Shirley-Pat has just completed her Ph.D. entitled “Changing Stinking Thinking”: A Comparative Case Study of the Enactment, Embodiment, and Emplacement of Social Citizenship in the Pacific Northwest at the University of Edinburgh.
She wants to go away from the morning armed with bragging information about Richmond Sunrise Rotary.
Here's what she said about Richmond sunrise:
We are to be congratulated on the services our club provides and encouraged to “keep on keeping on”, keeping our focus on the good things we already do, putting our energy into the flowers, not the weeds.
Even before rotary adopted “IDEA - Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access”, Richmond Sunrise was that living model.
Let’s take a deep breath, turn off the news, go outside to hug a tree, reconnect with our space and place and with living in Canada which allows us to make incremental steps towards peace.
Go to Rotary International, for statements about the Ukraine and the Middle East and continue to plant the seeds of peace.
Learn, fail, and repeat. Be willing and vulnerable as people in positions of power.
Listen, learn understand, and work with – not for or to – First Nation communities, many of whom have articulated a vision and dream, with an action plan, and are looking for partners and neighbours and potentially rotary families.
We are accessible, both mentally and physically, coming together with different experiences and beliefs, but with shared values. Shirley-Pat can use our club as a model and ally.
She thanks us for supporting the Write2Read program whose impact is far and wide, and typified by the story of a little girl who asked for a library and is in second year university and pursuing a degree in Social Work. That’s the impact we have by joining other clubs and supporting projects.
So, keep creating a space of happiness, for longer lives, with social connections and purpose, giving back to others. We have the talents, time, and tools to change the world. Never let anyone else define us, continue to be rebels, evolutionary and revolutionary.
To note:
- Shirley-Pat will be in Chilliwack until January so let her know of any local events. We can also visit her in Cultus Lake.
- November 18 Foundation Dinner.
- Youth exchange, national conference in May, let local students know.
Richmond Sunrise bragging rights (these and many more):
- Marg recalls sending books to First Nations communities years ago.
- Rotary World Health networks collecting books and supplies. We are also a founder of RWH and have shipped over 200 containers around the world, to 60 developing countries. We are currently sponsoring a container to the Philippines, full of books, and will be loading on the morning of Nov.18.
- We sponsored Story Walk in the Hamilton area with 20 stations, starting with a First Nations book and this month’s book has an astronaut theme.
- Pancake breakfast for Gilmore school, monthly, very hands on. “Food is the belly of the brain”.
- Our work in the community, and within our club, with support from our families. Projects help us get to know each other better and having support from home is priceless.
- Apparently, we are one of the first clubs to answer when the district calls!
- Our fundraising gala where the whole club collectively works together with amazing results. Everyone steps up and we can raise over $130 000 thanks to the generosity of individual members and their families. We put the “fun” in fundraising.
- The ASK for our gala, such as Pathways, Richmond Therapeutic riding, Kids Sports, etc.
- Curtis’ Dream, which we support for raising awareness for mental health, overdose awareness and addiction.
- Peace Fellowship reviews participation – four of our members actively participate.
Thanks to Shirley-Pat for visiting us and sharing her passions, especially for literacy and children. We love your tenacity for youth and reading and your vibrancy for life. Thanks for noticing, naming, and nurturing the strengths of our club and recharging us with your Champion Sparkplug.
Did you know? Hugging for more than 12 seconds changes the chemicals in your brain.
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