Dear Rotarians,

This week I had the privilege of attending the Child Advocacy Centers of North Carolina (CACNC) Lake Junaluska Symposium, where professionals from a multitude of disciplines come together to learn how to prevent, detect, stop and prosecute child abuse and neglect. The symposium also focused on how to advocate for survivors and support their mental health and recovery and move them from surviving toward thriving.

When I was there, I was so reminded of Rotary’s motto "Service Above Self." I was surrounded by law enforcement, child advocates, social workers, medical professionals, prosecutors and therapists all there to learn how to better serve and protect children and their families. One of Rotary’s main avenues of service is Child and Maternal Health. Rotary International does so much around the globe to support children and their mothers and we as a club continue that humanitarian aim in our own community from Day at the Lake, which supports our communities’ foster children and their caretakers, to the Angel Tree at Christmas, Easter Baskets, backpack meal programs, and countless others. I'm so grateful for all the work our Rotary does to support our littlest and most vulnerable citizens’ knowledge that they matter and supporting a bright future for them. And speaking of supporting children, coming up in a short time is the Cigars, Bourbon and Benefactors organized and curated by own president-elect with a huge servant’s heart, Ross Bulla to support the Lincoln County Child Advocacy Center and all of the amazing work that it does. If you have not been to this event, I absolutely encourage you to support it.

It is, I say, Lake Norman’s most spectacular and enjoyable event, all in the name of supporting our community’s children who have experienced severe abuse and neglect and their recovery process and opportunity to be kids again. Thank you to all of you who work so tirelessly to make our community and our world a better place.

I can’t wait to see you this week.

Kindest regards,

Trudie