The Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club has had an ongoing  partnership for a number of years with Circles of Mercy, the Rensselaer-based non-governmental family services agency that brings a variety of services to families and individuals in need.

For our newer members who may not be familiar with Circles, which is sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy Northeast Community, our club and its members as individuals donate money, children’s and adults’ clothing, household goods, school supplies, Easter and Christmas-time holiday gifts and other items to Circles, thus playing a substantial role in its success. We currently are working on our annual Adopt-a-Family effort there.

Circles of Mercy is in the midst of its annual year-end fund drive. You can get details about it and how to contribute to the tax-exempt organization on its website. Here is the annual report from executive director Richard S. Zazycki on what the organization has provided to the local community in the past 12 months.

Dear Friends of Circles:

Thank you for all the ways that you have supported our continuing efforts … as we celebrate 19 years of providing hope, hospitality and empowerment to the needy who come through our doors. Through the generous support of our donors, we have had a strong year. A total  of 87 cents of every dollar went directly towards our programs.

Here are a few examples of how your contributions have helped us serve hundreds of people the past year:Read More »

The annual Foundation Dinner, held at the Saratoga National Golf Club on Thursday night, was a well-attended affair.

The Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club had a contingent of eight in attendance, including our Youth Exchange student Ella Cancio who got an up-close look at one of District 7190’s most important fundraising efforts as well as an opportunity to socialize with Rotarians and guests from all around the region.

Here are a few more scenes from the evening, courtesy of Roberto Martinez:

Here in New York State, the polls stay open until 9 o’clock tonight. So, if you weren’t able to get to the polling spot earlier in the day, you have plenty of time to do so.

While Rotary is a non-political organization and endorses no parties or individual candidates, it does encourage all eligible voters to exercise their civic responsibility.

Remember, while what we’ve been hearing about the most is the presidential race, there are numerous “down ballot” decisions to be made that will affect your communities and state. Don’t let Election Day end with your voice not being heard.