Service to my community is my why. It has shaped our business mission statement and it drives my decisions. How can I do the most good for others often allows me to decide what committee to give time to and what non-profit to support. The one organization that does it better than any other, the one that allows me to serve your community and mine and serve those around the world, is Rotary International. So I want to invite you to come to learn more about Rotary on June 7th from 5 pm – 7 pm at Beyond Restaurant.
Service to your community, with Rotary, starts with weekly meetings to build deep friendships while learning more about the community. Each week we have speakers join us to talk about a topic, often are area non-profit, that is also doing good. These weekly meetings are important to build the community among members so when it comes time to do a service project, such as hosting the Harrisonburg Soap Box Derby, we join together not just as Rotarians, but as friends.
I am proud to be a Rotarian and would be proud to invite you to our meeting to learn more. If our weekly Tuesday morning breakfast club is not the right fit for your schedule there are other incredible groups. We often join forces in the valley and team up with other Rotary Clubs to have an even bigger impact.
Our club has helped support some amazing efforts across the valley and around the world. From the Harrisonburg Soap Box Derby to PurMadi to supporting First Step to picking up trash along Rt 42, we work hard together to do good.
When the war started Rotarians immediately sprung into action and started feeding people. The train workers did not leave their posts for a full month as they volunteered to help evacuate and Rotarians provided hot meals to the workers. They also were delivering food and heaters to bomb shelters. They had to use small vans because large trucks could not navigate the broken roads. In Kyiv, they worked hard to distribute medicine and supplies to the elderly that could not leave their homes. Many Rotarians started taking in pets that were left behind to the point where their homes appeared to be small zoos. They also worked to set up shelters in schools for those displaced, setting up sleeping and eating areas. Rotarians also started setting up water filter systems as the public water distribution systems are destroyed and wells are contaminated.
The Rotary Clubs in Ukraine have added members since the war started as they continue to recruit others that want to put #serviceaboveself. Their Rotary Club committee members meet daily to be able to have a rapid response to needs. The clubs are purchasing medical vehicles, generators, and fire trucks using Rotary Grant funds.
There are 62 Rotary clubs in Ukraine and membership is growing.
You can sponsor a family relocating to the USA HERE.
First Fridays at the Depot are full steam ahead and we are excited to feature artist Charlie Raisner at our next gallery opening on June 3rd, from 5:00-7:00pm. Charlie is a talented artist specializing in scenic watercolor paintings. He shares more about himself and his artwork below.
“There are a multitude of beautiful and interesting places around this marvelous world that God has created. I am thankful for the opportunity to represent a few of them in watercolor painting. There are many lovely sights in the Shenandoah Valley and in other locations that I have visited. I consider myself fortunate to be able to share with others my view of some of these places (and people). I do this with watercolor painting on site, or more often in studio, from my recollection and my personal photos. My paintings are representational, impressionistic and in some respects realistic. In addition to recognized extraordinary views, I look for the beautiful that often can be found in the ordinary and may be overlooked. My paintings are all original watercolors of scenes I have personally observed.
After retirement from the U. S, Government, I began watercolor painting in 1994 in a Lifelong Learning Institute at Furman University. Since then, I have taken part in numerous painting classes and workshops. In 2009 I moved to the Bridgewater Retirement Community to be near one of my daughters. I am a Signature Member of The Shenandoah Valley Watercolor Society in Harrisonburg and have taken part and received awards in their annual juried show at Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community. I am also a member of The Beverley Street Studio School in Staunton. I have exhibited at numerous local venues (and galleries such as OASIS).”
This event is free and open to everyone. Snacks and refreshments will be served and we look forward to seeing many of you there! See the event page and RSVP here.
Our first house in Elk Rock Meadow has made some great progress since our post about the framing being in progress HERE. The Blue Ridge Mountain Home update shows that the cabinets are set, insulation fills the walls, and the roughed-in HVAC system is installed. These photos from a few weeks ago show an important stage of construction. First, you can see that the house wrap is installed allowing vapor to move through the walls. This particular house wrap has a very high permeability rating which is very important in our climate to maintain durability over a long time. With our multiple vapor drive seasons in this mixed humid climate, we want walls to be able to dry both to the inside and outside. We spend a lot of time thinking through this building science challenge.
This is also the perfect time to check out how the ductwork is installed and just as important, protected. You can see that there is mastic at all joints allowing the air these clients are paying to heat or cool to get to the room it is designed to go to make it more efficient. I was also pleased to find the ductwork sealed to prevent drywall dust from entering the ductwork. This extra step is critical for a healthy and durable HVAC system when the system is turned on post construction.
We were also able to see the insulation installation. This is just as critical as the house wrap in a total building science system. A complete installation fills and fits all gaps and cracks to prevent air leakage.
Finally, it was a great chance to see the cabinet installation in progress. The fit and finish of the cabinetry show the quality and care that Herr and Company put into their projects. Of course. the other items listed above also highlight the quality of construction being provided to these clients.
