Marc Glass presided over the meeting. His efforts enabling us to use Zoom for a hybrid meeting and to record today’s speakers are commendable!!
Marc brought the meeting to order at noon, led us in the Pledge of Allegiance, and Four-Way Test, then introduced Anwar Hossain to deliver an inspirational invocation, worth repeating here below.
Help us to understand others, to learn to cooperate with our neighbors and
friends, and to find enjoyment in study, work and play.
Give us the wisdom to realize that our purpose here involves honesty, charity,
and concern for all humankind.
Teach us to respect the beliefs of others and to promote freedom of thought and
expression.
We pray for the day when the world is free from all hatred, racism and bigotry;
but until that day, help us to work together in our own community to make our
home a peaceful and welcoming place for all. Help us to live the words that we
pray. Amen.
Lunch was already beckoning so Marc opted to have our speakers, who joinied us via Zoom from San Diego, deliver their message while everyone was quietly eating. So, after all had an opportunity to get a late filled with our usual Anna’s options, Anwar introduced today’s program. Jimmy and Lily Thai escaped Vietnam in the early days of the Communist takeover. Their individual descriptions of their hard lives before emigrating and the challenges of their early lives made it very understandable that these two highly successful professionals would turn their attention to providing better educational opportunities to those less fortunate. They are the co-founders of the Build a School Foundation and, since 2016, their foundation has been able to partner with locals in several southeast Asia countries, including Vietnam, to build schools and provide necessary infrastructure in rural villages.
Caring Moments: We were sad to learn of the passing of our longtime member, Larry Frazier. Arrangements for a memorial service will be provided when they are finalized.
Anwar reminded us that this Monday is the club’s monthly commitment for hands-on sorting items at Foodshare in Bloomfield.
Our group is fortunate to be hosted each week by Goodwin University. So, I am passing along some information which may be of interest to some to as a way to “give back” to this institution which is so vital to our community.
The Goodwin Foundation’s online Holiday Auction, in celebration of Goodwin’s 25 the Anniversary is coming soon. Open online December 1 – 8. Find unique, handmade gifts by the Goodwin community, gift cards to local favorites, and much more for everyone on your holiday list (or treat yourself! —all while supporting student scholarships this holiday season.
Text GUGive24 to 76278 or visit GUGive24.givesmart.com to preview items and register
to bid.
If you are interested in donating an auction item, please contact Heidi Carlson, Goodwin Foundation, by phone 860-727-6747 or email hcarlson@goodwin.edu.
That’s it for this week!
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