The August 16, 2023 meeting opened on Zoom (24 members on zoom) and in person at the University of Michigan’s Anderson Room.

At 12:31, President Foster called the meeting to order.  Tom Strode led us in “America the Beautiful”.

Inspiration was provided by Bob Buchanan who talked about the importance a smile.  Bob’s inspiration is as follows: “We are a smiling Club. A smile costs nothing but gives so much. It enriches those who receive it without making poorer those who give it. It takes but a moment but the memory may last forever. No one is so rich or mighty that they can get along without it and no one is so poor but that they can be made rich by it.  A smile creates happiness, fosters good will and is the sign of friendship. It brings rest to the weary, cheer to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and is nature’s best antidote for trouble. Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given. Some people are too tired to give a smile. Give them one of yours as no one needs a smile more than he who has none to give. Just smile anyway.”

Joanne Pierson led us in song with special lyrics highlighting the fun we’ll have at the GPO to the tune of “Under the Boardwalk”.

President Foster welcomed two guests from a Rotary Club in Brazil and the members were presented with a RCAA flag. Meeting volunteers and birthdays for the week were recognized. Greg Stejskal put the call out for volunteers for the GPO – need two volunteers on the golf course and a few volunteers for registration.

Joanne Pierson used the letters of the alphabet and her creative ability to highlight the GPO silent auction.

Joanne Pierson also introduced a new member, Jordan Setayesh who was his sponsor along with Barbara Eichmuller. Jordan is from Topeka, KS and went to undergrad at UC San Diego. Then it was off to the UM Medical School, from which he is currently on hiatus to do a PhD focusing on endocrinology; and then he will return to medical school in 2027 to finish up his last year. His plan is to go into psychiatry, where he hopes to focus on children and adolescents. In regard to service, during undergrad, Jordan was co-founder and president of San Diego Health Connect. Through one-on-one conversations with homeless and impoverished community members, they would connect those individuals with free and reduced cost health resources, as well as other resources that help address the social determinants of health. Jordan also was on the leadership committee as a scheduling coordinator for the UM Student Run Free Clinic, which provides 100% free health care to qualified Michigan residents. And, he is starting up as a big brother in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washtenaw County. Jordan is passionate about working with children/working on service-related projects that will improve the lives/unleash the potential of children. He also hopes to develop his teamwork and public speaking skills through Rotary, and he wants to craft his service-oriented mind. For fun he plays soccer, basketball, and any sports, he says. He spends a lot of time at coffee shops reading and writing. Another goal is to become a professional writer. When he was 23, he recruited two friends who he met on the med school interview trail to write a book with him. It’s called “The Complete MD/PhD Applicant Guide” published by Springer Publishing.

Linda Kentes and Rob Shiff are researching the options for continuing the hybrid option for the Club and will bring a proposal to the Board in September.

Next week’s RCAA meeting will be a Zoom only meeting due to student move in activities.

Mary Avrakotos introduced Peg Talburtt who she served alongside on the Community Allocations Committee and the Disaster Relief Fund to address COVID. Peg’s insightful guidance has always been invaluable. Talburtt received her doctorate from the U-M where her dissertation examined risk-taking and women. After directing several women’s foundations, she retired as the Director of the Lovelight Foundation, a private women’s fund in 2018. These foundations have funded a number of projects dealing with the sex trafficking of minors in the United States, an issue that Talburtt has followed for the last 30 years since a group of teen girl grant makers funded trafficked teens in Grand Rapids. Since then she has seen the development of comprehensive programs in Atlanta, Minnesota, New York and Florida. She has also had the honor of participating in a number of national meetings dealing with trafficking including a 2013 White House convening on “Taking Action to Eradicate Modern Day Slavery”. She is a current member of the MI Human Trafficking Task Force; Chair of the Resources & Funding Committee for the MI Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Commission; and Co-Chair of the Michigan Abolitionist Project’s Ann Arbor group.

Talburtt’s presention was entitled “Human Trafficking:  Part II – What It Is and What You Can Do About It” and shared a broader picture of labor and sex trafficking; the myths that surround the issues; and remedies, resources and actions that offer hope.

Human trafficking is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision or obtaining of a person for: Sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion or in which the person induced to perform such act had not attained 18 years of age or labor or services through use of force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.

Trafficking involves: Actions which involve: Recruiting, Harboring, Transporting, Providing, Obtaining, Patronizing, soliciting & advertising BY Means:  Force, Fraud, Coercion FOR Purpose: Commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor

Risk factors (poverty is key) include low income, lack of employment, low self-esteem, unstable home life, involvement in the child welfare system, history of sexual abuse, runaways/homeless, recent migration/relocation, substance abuse and mental health concern.

Recruitment involves identifying victims and exploiting vulnerabilities. Common tools of traffickers include rape, threats of any kind (including against family), abuses (emotional, economic, physical), humiliation, drugs, debt bondage and blackmail. Victims don’t leave because of physical restraint, fear of harm to self or loved ones, possible “love” of the trafficker, drug addiction and the victim has nowhere else to go. Myths of trafficking include that the businesses are illegal. Many of the businesses are legitimate but there is trafficking that occurs within them.  Another myth is that it only affects women or that it is only in poor communities. Human trafficking does affect men and boys and is in every community including Ann Arbor.

Recognizable indicators that a person may be the victim of human trafficking includes restriction of freedom or opportunity of movement, appears fearful, nervous, depressed, or submissive; not in control of their own identification or money; not able to speak for themselves; signs of poor hygiene or malnourishment; signs of physical and/or sexual abuse. Other indicators include claims of “just visiting” & inability to clarify where they are staying; shares scripted, confusing, or inconsistent stories; lack of knowledge about given community & whereabouts; use of age inappropriate sexual terminology; suicide or drug overdose attempts; substance uses and abuse; working long hours, living where they work; harsh working conditions; and is not given proper safety equipment.

Some ways to fight human trafficking include getting educated; learning the red flag indicators of human trafficking (Report it at 1-888-373-7888); share what you learn; give; call or write your legislator; call or write your news source; become a foster parent; sponsor a child; be a safe place (mentor, watch out for those at high risk).

Any method to stop human trafficking involves stopping the demand.  Purchase items at www.fairtradeusa.org and contact the companies you shop at to determine how/where the source their products.  There is an international Rotary action group – Rotary Action Against Slavery. Another resource is U-M which has a human trafficking clinic.

Next week’s meeting is on Zoom Only and the speaker will be Ann Ziolkowski, Communications Manager for the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission (WCPRC). Her topic will be “Parks and Recreation Treasures in Washtenaw County.”

Quote for the Day: “The Four Way Test”

Of the things we think, say or do: 1) is it the TRUTH? 2) Is it FAIR to all concerned? 3) Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS, 4) Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

President Foster adjourned the meeting at 1:33.

Respectfully submitted by,

Jennifer Fike