Rotary Club, City of Muscatine, donate to UA-Resistance
by Rotary Club of Muscatine
March 17, 2023

MUSCATINE, Iowa–The Rotary Club of Muscatine has been learning about the effects of the war in Ukraine by inviting several speakers to its regular meetings. The club meets weekly to network and learn about local and global issues. In the last several months, members heard from Gary Ronzheimer (Battalion Chief, Muscatine Fire Department) about how City of Muscatine ambulances were donated to Ukraine. Muscatine Rotary members also met several recent refugees who fled Ukraine and learned about local efforts to resettle them in Muscatine. After that program, the Rotary Club of Muscatine committed to supplying the household needs of a future family to help them get settled in Muscatine. Members learned about the services of World Relief Quad Cities and plans for expansion to serve refugees in Muscatine. Rotary members also worked with Unity Point Health on its recent donation of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to Ukraine.

With these activities, the Rotary Club of Muscatine is in line with Rotary clubs internationally. For example, in a recent Rotary magazine issue, it was reported that, “Rotary members drive into Poland several times a month to collect food, medicine, clothing, and electric generators donated by Rotary clubs around the world; they arrange for those necessities to be delivered to hard-hit cities across Ukraine” (Huang, 2023).

Jerry Ewers, Muscatine Fire Chief, Mark Roberts, Rotary Board member, Christopher and Lily Manson, and Naomi DeWinter, Rotary Club of Muscatine President. Photo courtesy Rotary Club of Muscatine.

The Rotary Club of Muscatine donated $1,750 towards efforts to transport ambulances and fire trucks to Ukraine through UA-Resistance.org, an organization that has been recommended to us by those working most closely on these humanitarian efforts. One of those experts is Christopher Manson, Vice President of Government Relations for the OSF Healthcare System in Peoria. Christopher and his daughter, Lily, attended the Muscatine City Council meeting on March 16 to thank the city for its contributions so far and received the check that will help pay for future shipments of emergency vehicles to Ukraine. To date, 13 states have donated emergency vehicles.The donation of the Muscatine fire truck, approved by city council, is slated to go to Kherson.

Rotarians are called to action and to build peace. For more information, see rotarymuscatine.org.

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