Our Neighbors' Place - Shelly Smith (May 16, 2025)

Our Neighbors' Place - Every Need, Every Neighbor Capital Campaign plans

ONP Executive Director Shelly Smith and Brian Manion provided an overview of the agency's capital campaign project - Every Need, Every Neighbor. Shelly reviewed the 5 major ONP programs, and she described how the needs have grown to the point that the current building is not adequate. Brian showed us an architect's plan for the new building, which will be built on the site of the current building at 122 W Johnson St. A new building will improve many of ONP's day-to-day services, with more and better showers, improved laundry facilities, and offices where one-on-one meetings can happen. The two answered our questions, and they noted that maintaining services during the construction period will be a major challenge that they are working on already.

About the Speakers: Executive Director Shelly Smith of ONP requires no introduction to our club. If you don't know her and know about what she does for our community, then you haven't been paying attention! Brian Manion is Vice President of WESTconsin Credit Union River Falls and Prescott locations and serves on Our Neighbors' Place board as Vice President and Capital Campaign Committee Chair.

This Week's Announcements

--DISTRICT GOVERNOR VISIT NEXT WEEK: District Governor Glenn Bowers is making the rounds of D5960 clubs, and he'll be at our August 12th meeting to provide an update and outlook on our Rotary district.

--Rotary Promo at Falls Theater: If you are our local gem of a movie house, pay attention to the advertisements before the feature. You can also see it on the River Falls Rotary Facebook page.

--August Calendar: Click READ MORE to see the August's calendar.

--Club Assembly on August 26th: How's this for a contradiction? We have added a meeting, but for very good reason. The board has reviewed two requests for capital campaign donations: one by Our Neighbors' Place and one by the River Falls Public Library. Given that the board recommends substantial financial commitments to both organizations, we want to have all interested and available members hear the board's recommendation and provide comments and their input. George will also present plans for a club visionining session in October.

Thank-you Visit from Tasha Schuh

Tasha Schuh and her husband visited to thank our club for the financial support that enabled her to present her talk about mental health and resilience to Meyer Middle School sixth grade students. They shared photos and highlights of the presentation, and Karla commented on what she saw of the interactions between Tasha and the sixth grade students. Karla told us that she heard one student say after a fist bump with Tasha, "I'll never wash this hand again!".

Opportunities Beyond the Classroom

About the Presentation: David Crail, River Falls High School's Activities Director, provided an overview of the wide range of opportunities for students to engage in meaningful activities beyond the traditional school day. David highlighted the various categories of in-school, after school, and outdoor opportunities. While athletics are a primary focus of David's time, students have many options that contribute to student engagement, skill development, and a strong sense of community within the district. David emphasized that character and leadership development are top goals of co-curricular activities. David's slides are available for viewing by clicking in Download Files below. Click Read More to learn about David Crail.