Rotary Club of Vineland Newsletter May 25th, 2026 (May 19, 2026)

__________________________________________________

Highlights from our May 19th meeting:

Josie Spinelli, Club President, welcomed everyone and conducted the meeting.

Notes Taken By: Alicia Fichera

Pledge: Evelyn Cruz (Interact Student)

4-Way Test: Yanel De Haro (Interact Student)

Prayer: Pastor Heather Sugden

Guests:

Co-Advisors, Vineland High School:

Suzanne Smith
Mrs. Lank

Interact Students:

Jaqueline Cruz Perez
Jose Cruz Mendez
Marcela Cruz Duran
Yanel De Haro
Evelyn Cruz
Joel Cortes
Camila Cruz Solano
Vrushti Patel
Genesis Figueroa
Samantha Christope
Merlineda Cadet

Together, Rotarians sang "God Bless America".

Announcements:

Our Board of Directors stood up, introduced themselves and said a little bit about their duties with the club.

Becky Lein announced that the Cumberland Christian School is celebrating their 80th Anniversary with a FREE community event on Saturday, June 20th from 11AM-4PM. There will be music, activities, food trucks, vendors and more. Everyone is welcome. For more information, email Becky at Blein@cccrusader.org

Donata Dalesandro announced that Main Street Vineland is having a Top Dog event on 5/30 on the corner of Landis and the Blvd. There will also be a Pet Expo in July. CLICK HERE to find out more information.

Dave Schad announced that the Challenger League buddy day is June 6th!

Sherry reminded everyone of the food drive for the Veterans Association - we are collecting nonperishables and low sodium items to be collected all month and dropped off at the end of the month.

Josie announced that the book club is off to a great start. The next meeting is 6/2 at Hopes house.

Josie reminded everyone of the Flags & Flowers event on 6/14! Thank you, Preston Foster for volunteering to set up our table at this event! We are also looking for more volunteers. For our donation, the club will plant Cherry Blossum trees around Vineland.

Sherri reminded everyone about the Wine & Dine Fundraiser on June 11th! There are still sponsorships and tables available.

**PLEASE SEND IN ALL PAYMENTS FOR TICKETS/SPONSORSHIPS by June 2nd!***

Josie reminded everyone to please pay your quarterly bills!

Joe reminded everyone of the Changeover Dinner that will take place on Thursday, June 25th at Villa Fazzolari Ristorante. Please plan to join us this evening. Cocktail hour will start at 5:30 PM. Dinner will be at 6:30.

Rotarians sang Happy Birthday to Joe O'Rourke who celebrates his birthday on May 20th.

$$$*** Happy Dollars were collected! ***$$$

Additional Announcements:

Proposed Slate of 2026-2027 Board of Directors

Immediate Past President - Josephine Orlando-Spinelli

President - Joseph O’Rourke

President Elect, Programs Chair – Sherri Prescott

Vice President, Fundraising Chair – Dominick “Nick” Surace III

Charities Treasurer - David Schad

Club Treasurer - Bonnie Laube

Club Secretary - Melody Montgomery

Community Service Chair - Sherry Soutiere

Club Administration Chair - Karen Bauman

Membership Chair - Preston Foster

Foundation Chair - Dennis Palmer

Youth Services Chair - Marie LeBlanc

International Chair - Susanna Philippoussis

Community Awareness Chair - Preston Centuolo

__________________________________________________

Program:

We were so happy to welcome the Interact students to our club meeting! Interact is a youth service organization that encourages students to develop leadership skills while giving back to their schools and communities through volunteer projects, fundraising efforts, and community outreach. It was inspiring to see these young leaders so passionate about service and making a positive impact. We look forward to supporting and watching them continue to grow through their dedication and hard work.

__________________________________________________

Members of the Rotary Club of Vineland Board of Directors introduced themselves and shared how they support the club through their individual leadership roles and areas of service. We appreciate each and every one of you and all you do!

__________________________________________________

Congratulations to Ken Dondero on being honored for 25 years of service to Rotary! Kenny’s leadership, dedication, and commitment to helping others have positively impacted both our club and the community for decades. Thank you for your many years of service and for continuing to inspire those around you through “Service Above Self.”

__________________________________________________

Congratulations to Donna Bennett on being recognized for 15 years of dedicated service to Rotary! Donna’s commitment, generosity, and willingness to serve our community have made a lasting impact throughout the years. Thank you for your continued dedication and for living the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self.”

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

Sending Sunshine, Love and Support:

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

Please keep Linda Foster in your thoughts and prayers.

She will be unable to attend Rotary meetings for the next few months.

Gus hopes to attend meetings in the meantime.

We look forward to welcoming her back when she is able.

Cards may be sent to: Linda Foster 1240 S. Spring Road, Vineland, NJ 08361

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

Please keep Carol Musso in your thoughts and prayers.
Carol was recently diagnosed with cancer and while the journey hasn't been easy,

she remains in good spirits.

If you would like to send a card or a note of encouragement, they may be mailed to:

Carol Musso 721 Morton Avenue, Bridgeton, NJ 08302.

Your prayers, kindness and support are deeply appreciated and mean more than

words can express to Carol and her loved ones.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

Please keep Caitlin Terri’s family in your thoughts and prayers.
Her brother-in-law (Peter) is recovering from a serious injury and recent surgery.

Cards and notes of encouragement may be sent to:

Peter Pelosi 5114 Landis Avenue, Vineland, NJ 08360.

Your kindness and support mean so much during this difficult time.

__________________________________________________

Stay Connected:

Our club is always evolving—and now our website reflects it. 💙

From service opportunities to upcoming events and club news, everything is now right at your fingertips. Take a moment to check it out and stay connected:
👉 VinelandRotary.org

Service Above Self starts with staying informed.

__________________________________________________

Recent Events:

Rotary Scholarship Dinner: 5/6/2026

Celebrating the future, one student at a time 🎓✨

The Rotary Club of Vineland was proud to award $18,500 in scholarships to outstanding local students at this year’s Scholarship Dinner. Through the generosity of our members, donors, and community support, we continue our commitment to investing in education, leadership, and the future of our community.

Congratulations to all of our scholarship recipients—we cannot wait to see all that you accomplish! 💙💛

__________________________________________________

Save The Date:

Our next PB&J: 6/5/2026

__________________________________________________

Challenger League Rotary Buddy Day: 6/6/2026

__________________________________________________

Let's Wine & Dine: 6/11/2026

__________________________________________________

Flags. Flowers. Freedom. 6/14/2026

__________________________________________________

Passing The Gavel: 6/25/2026

__________________________________________________

Reminder: the Hydromissions Store is open! 🎉

Now you can show your support for water projects with every shirt, hoodie, or mug you buy. All items are printed on demand, so there’s no inventory, no waste — just impact.

Your purchase helps Hydromissions provide water wells, sanitation facilities, and hygiene education to communities in need across the globe. 🌍💙

Shop the store here 👉 Hydromissions | Official Merchandise | Bonfire

__________________________________________________

Membership Announcements:

Get to know our Newest Members:

~ Welcome Erik Young!

Erik Young and Mari Collazo from Bay Atlantic Federal Credit Union are sponsored for Business Membership by Rotarian Gail Marino. Erik will be the Rotarian and Mari will be the Business Alternate. Erik was inducted on 3/10/26 by Ed Morvay.

_________________________________________________

~ Welcome Michael DiSalvo!

Michael DiSalvo was sponsored by Rotarian Joe O'Rourke. Mike is a retired UPS driver and was inducted on 3/10/26 by Ed Morvay.

_________________________________________________

~ Welcome Donata Dalesandro!

Donata is a Representative of VDID/Main Street Organization. She was inducted on 2/3/26 by Ed Morvay. Sponsor- Dawn Hunter.

_________________________________________________

Proposed New Members:

Dr. Dana Palma is proposed by Rotarian Jim Siwek. Dana is a Financial Advisor at Edward Jones.

Additional Notes:

Any concerns or objections to new memberships should be directed to President Josie Spinelli, josiecatlover@verizon.net

_________________________________________________

Rotary Board 2025-2026

(14 Member Board)

Jay Einstein, Immediate Past President

Josephine Orlando Spinelli, President

Joseph O’Rourke, President Elect

Sherri Prescott, Vice President of Fundraising

David Schad, Charities Treasurer

Bonnie Laube, Club Treasurer

Melody Montgomery, Club Secretary

Sherry Soutiere, Community Service Chair

Karen Bauman, Club Administration Chair

Nick Surace, Membership Chair

Dennis Palmer, Foundation Chair

Maria LeBlanc, Youth Services Chair

Susanna Philippousis, International Chair

Preston Centuolo, Community Awareness Chair

_________________________________________________

Contact Bonnie at: bll@GreenblattLaube.com or 856-691-0424

The club now accepts Zelle as a form of payment!

Search: bll@GreenblattLaube.com

Here are the step-by-step instructions:

1 Log in to your bank's mobile app or online banking: to access Zelle.

2 Navigate to the Zelle section: by looking for options like "Send Money with Zelle" or "Pay & Transfer".

3 Select a recipient: from your contacts or by entering the recipient's email address.

4 Enter the amount: you wish to send and add an optional note if desired.

5 Review: the transaction details to ensure they are correct.

6 Tap "Send": to complete the payment.

If your bank isn't a partner, you can still use Zelle by downloading the standalone Zelle app, but you'll need a U.S.-based bank account, a U.S. mobile number, an email address, and a valid U.S.-based debit card.

__________________________________________________