Our 2026-27 Rotary Youth Exchange inbound student, Junehee Koh from South Korea, arrived on Thursday, Aug. 20, and was welcomed by Forest Grove Rotarians and members of the Rotary District 5100 Youth Exchange family. Photo courtesy of Rotary District 5100.

If you did not make it to our last Rotary Club of Forest Grove meeting, here is what you missed…

This Week: We hope to see you for our weekly meeting this Wednesday at noon at the Forest Grove United Church of Christ, 2032 College Way (across the street from Pacific University). We will be joined by Forest Grove Mayor Malynda Wenzl, who will provide us with a city update.

Upcoming Meetings: With the return of students to Pacific University, our Wednesday meetings will return to the Boxer Pause in the University Center on Pacific’s Forest Grove Campus. Meals will be available through the university dining commons. Please remember that you will need to acquire a lunch voucher from the club treasurer prior to taking your meal.

Meal Coordinator For Off-Campus Meetings Needed: Over the summer, Parri Van Dyke has donated her time to coordinate catering for our lunches for meetings away from Pacific. She is no longer able to fill that role for the club, and we are looking for someone who is willing to assume that responsibility.

This volunteer would be responsible for lining up the food for weeks that we cannot meet at Pacific, securing head counts for meals, and coordinating payment for meals with the club secretary. If we cannot find someone to fill this role, meetings away from Pacific will be ones where everyone must bring their own lunch.

If you are willing and able to take on this role, please contact President Hector Mendez-Colberg.

Welcome Junhee!: Our 2026 Rotary Youth Exchange inbound student, Junhee Koh, arrived in Portland on Thursday, Aug. 20. She was welcomed at Portland International Airport by our Youth Exchange Chair, Sarah Barbour, Melinda Fischer, Amanda Hartmann, who will be her first “host mom” for her exchange, and member of the District 5100 Rotary Youth Exchange family. We look forward to welcoming Junhee to our Forest Grove and Rotary families!

Outbound Youth Exchange Applications Still Open: Our club is still looking for its 2027-28 Rotary Youth Exchange outbound student. Opportunities are available for both long-term and short-term exchanges for the upcoming Rotary year.

For more information, and to fill out an application, please visit the Rotary Youth Exchange page on the Rotary Club of Forest Grove website.

Looking For Our Next Treasurer And Bookkeeper: After years of service as treasurer for our club, Sharon Olmstead is looking to find her replacement so that she can move forward in her Rotary journey. The treasurer manages the finances of the club and ensures that the club is in compliance with state, federal and Rotary International financial responsibilities. The finances of the Foundation of the Rotary Club of Forest Grove are handled by our fundraising treasurer.

Additionally, the club is looking to identify a new bookkeeper. Julie Schmidlkofer, who has served the club in that role for many years, is reducing her client load as she moves towards retirement.

The treasurer is a club officer and must be a member of the Rotary Club of Forest Grove. The bookkeeper is a hired position and that person does not need to be a member of the club. If you have interest in either position, or know someone who might be, please contact Sharon.

In Memoriam – Tom Meier: We are saddened to report that longtime club member Tom Meier passed away on July 21 at age 87. Tom has been a member of the Rotary Club of Forest Grove since 1992. A short obituary on Tom can be read on the club website. Our thoughts and prayers to gout to Tom’s family and friends.

9/11 Anniversary Remembrance Ceremony – Participation Opportunity: This year marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. To mark the date, Forest Grove Fire & Rescue will read the names of the 412 first responders who lost their lives in the attacks. The ceremony will take place on Friday, Sept. 11, 9 a.m., at the big flagpole at the east end of Forest Grove (adjacent to our MacDougall Garden).

The department is seeking members of the community to read five to 10 names at a time, followed by a bell ringing, to honor the fallen firefighters, EMTs and law enforcement officers. The event is expected to last an hour.

If you are interested in participating as a reader, please email Forest Grove Fire & Rescue Chief Jim Geering.

Plates For Passports: Thank you once again to all our club members and to the community for helping make Plates For Passports (formerly the Rotary Club Steak Feed) another great success. We served 290 meals and proceeded to generate over $8,300 in profit, which benefits our involvement in the Rotary Youth Exchange program.

If you are interested in being part of the planning for next year’s event, please contact co-chair Geoff Faris.

Membership Committee: The club’s Membership Committee meets the second and fourth Tuesday, 4 p.m., in the conference room at the Forest Grove/Cornelius Chamber of Commerce. Its next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 25. For more information, or to get involved, please contact Evelyn Orr or Bruce Cummings.

Service Opportunities
Share Your Volunteer Opportunity With The Club: Are you aware of service opportunities in our area that our members might be interested in? We can advertise those here! This space is not limited to club-sponsored activities but to any service opportunity in the community. To promote the service activity, please send a detailed description of the project, the date and time, contact information and a link to register to Rototeller editor Blake Timm, blakertimm@gmail.com.

Theatre In The Grove – Lobby Volunteers: Theatre In The Grove is looking for volunteers to serve in multiple capacities during its upcoming run of Cabaret, Sept. 11-27. Volunteers are needed to work as ushers (usually five per show), working the box office, selling concessions, and serving at their bar (OLCC server’s permit required).

Volunteer training is provided. If you are interested in being a bar server, TITG will pay for permit and the required OLCC training. All volunteers get the watch the show at they volunteer at for free and receive a free concession or non-alcoholic drink. Concessions, bar and box office volunteers also receive a complimentary ticket to a future show.

For more information, and more details on volunteer roles, please visit the volunteer page on the TITG website or contact volunteer coordinator Victor Cina, volunteer-coordinator@titg.org. To sign up for a volunteer spot, visit the TITG volunteer sign-up page.

West Tuality Habitat For Humanity: West Tuality Habitat for Humanity is looking for volunteers to assist both with construction projects at its Countryman Estates build site on 23rd Avenue and at Habitat’s ReStore. The construction site is open most Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The ReStore is looking for both single volunteers and pairs of volunteers Monday through Saturday.

If you are interested in volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, please visit their online Volunteer Application. You can also visit Habitat’s Website for more details on the opportunities available. If you are already registered as a volunteer with West Tuality Habitat for Humanity, visit their Volunteer Calendar to see what shifts are currently available.

Questions? Please email volunteer@westualityhabitat.org or call 503-359-8459.

Centro Cultural Volunteer Opportunities: Centro Cultural, located in Cornelius, is in need of volunteers for some ongoing projects.

Centro Mercado Volunteer: Centro Cultural’s Mercado is a free food pantry set up like a grocery store, providing the community a welcoming and dignified space to get free, fresh and local food. Volunteers are needed during the Mercado’s open hours, Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon and 2 to 4 p.m., and Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., to help staff and maintain the pantry. The Mercado is located at 1216 E. Baseline St., Cornelius. Visit SignUp Genius To Register & See Available Shifts.

Volunteers for Centro Cultural must sign-up for opportunities through SignUp Genius and must be pre-approved before the event. Walk-up volunteers are no longer allowed by the organization. Information on how to register can be found on those pages or by contacting Evelyn Orr, eorr@centrocultural.org.

Around District 5100
Vibrant Club Workshop: If you are interested in learning more about the inner-workings of Rotary and using your knowledge to put together a service project, then the 2026 District 5100 Vibrant Club Workshop is for you.

This year’s workshop takes place on Saturday, Sept. 26. The West Region pod will take place in the conference room at the Hillsboro Airport, 3355 NE Cornell Road. Registration is now open on DacDB. There is a nominal $15 per person charge to cover room rental fees and refreshments.

This year’s workshop is being reimagined to provide a more hands-on approach for attendees. Important Rotary education on membership development, Rotary Foundation and public image will be offered, but attendees will put that knowledge to use to plan a service project for the region.

While strongly encouraged for club leadership and board members, the Vibrant Club Workshop is open to all Rotarians who want to learn more, be more involved and create lasting impact.

If you have questions, please contact Area Governor Blake Timm or district Learning & Development Chair Amy Tracewell.

Disaster Relief For Rotarians In The Spokane Area: The wildfires impacting Spokane and Stevens Counties have become one of the most devastating fire disasters in Washington state history. More than 67,000 residents have been displaced, and over 600 homes have been lost. Many families have lost everything, but we are deeply grateful that no fatalities have been reported at this time.

For many of us, this disaster is personal. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Bob and Wanda Alderson, lost their home within minutes. Thankfully, they and their pets escaped safely. Their story represents the experience of thousands of families across our communities.

We are grateful for the extraordinary dedication of our firefighters, first responders, emergency personnel, and countless community volunteers who continue to protect lives and property.

Rotary Responds
Rotarians have always answered the call to serve, and once again our Rotary family is stepping forward. The District 5080 Crisis Committee is coordinating the District response using the district’s established Crisis Plan. The District 5080 Disaster Relief fund is being activated to provide for the cleanup efforts and support that will be necessary after the fires have been contained.

How Rotarians Can Help– Donate to the following funds:

• District 5080 Disaster Relief Fund—The District 5080 Disaster Relief fund, established during the Medical Lake Fires, will support recovery efforts after the fires have been contained. Donations can be made to the Rotary District 5080 Charitable Fund, a 501(c)3 organization:
• Via PayPal: 5080CharitableFund@gmail.com*a 3% fee charged by PayPal will reduce the amount of your donation
• Via check payable to the District 5080 Charitable Fund; mail to 3833 E. Eloika Road, Deer Park, WA 99006-9127. Please indicate “Disaster Response” in the memo line of the check.

Funds donated will provide:

• Grocery/food gift cards
• Fuel assistance
• Clothing and essential household items
• Other immediate needs identified by affected families
• Recovery Phase

Once fire areas are declared safe, Rotarians will be invited to volunteer in cleanup and rebuilding efforts throughout the affected communities.

Disaster Aid USA will set up and assist with the after effects of the fires and the cleanup efforts. Dan Crawford, a Rotarian from the Coeur d’Alene (Friday) club and a leader within Disaster Aid USA, will help coordinate Rotary’s disaster response. Dan has responded to dozens of disasters and is our expert in this dire situation.

District 5080 maintains two fully equipped Disaster Aid trailers, with one expected to deploy in the Colville area, followed by deployment in Spokane as needs develop. Many volunteers will be needed in the weeks and months ahead. If you are able, please answer the call to serve by contacting Rotarian Dan Crawford at dcrawford@peakoneadmin.com.

We often hear about disasters happening somewhere else. Today, the disaster is on our own doorstep.

Rotarians are family. When our neighbors need help, we answer the call.

Thank you for your generosity and your commitment to Service Above Self.

Steve Roberge, District 5080 Governor 2026/2027

Club Calendar
Tues., Aug. 25: Membership Committee Meeting, 4 p.m.
Forest Grove/Cornelius Chamber of Commerce, 2417 Pacific Ave.

Wed., Aug. 26: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Forest Grove United Church of Christ, 2032 College Way
Program: Forest Grove Mayor Malynda Wenzl

Wed., Sept. 2: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Kelly Saylor Daily, Mrs. Claus Cares

Tues., Sept. 8: Membership Committee Meeting, 4 p.m.
Forest Grove/Cornelius Chamber of Commerce, 2417 Pacific Ave.

Wed., Sept. 9: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Rotarian of the Month

Thurs., Sept. 10: Executive Board Meeting, 7 a.m.
Online

Thurs., Sept. 17: Board Meeting, 5:30 p.m.
Zesti Food Carts, 2131 Yew St., Forest Grove

Thurs., Sept. 17: Monthly Social, 6:30 p.m.
Zesti Food Carts, 2131 Yew St., Forest Grove