The Rotary Club of Kirkland held an online meeting December 9, 2024 using the Zoom platform. Past President Rick Ostrander presided at this meeting and called the meeting to order at 6:15 p.m.
Members Attending: David Aubry, Cody Baker, Gary Cohn, Sue Cohn, Terry Cole, Sandy Ekins (Honorary), Doug Evanson, Monica Fratita, Chris Kelly-Storbeck, Kate Koslosky, Jim Meniketti, Rick Ostrander, Rémy Pairault, Angela Pritchett, John Pruitt, Daniel Sada Caraveo, John Storbeck, Manassey Tetteh and Alice Volpe.
We spent some time discussing arrangements for the Holiday Gift Shopping event this Saturday, December 14. Shoppers are to email Mr. Ostrander with documentation of how much they spent, and he can have reimbursement checks ready at the wrapping party and gala on Monday, December 16.
Be sure to keep track of your spending. The allocation is $150 per person. We want to spend up to the limit. Shopping lists will be emailed to shoppers.
Be sure to sign up for the Valentine’s Day party at the Kirkland Woman’s Club.
Gary Cohn announced that we have a full slate of club officer candidates. Ballots will be provided to members and we will vote at the Holiday Gala on December 16.
There were no other Committee reports.
John Storbeck introduced our speaker Maura Berndsen, the executive director of Listen and Talk. She has spent 26 years with the organization, including time as a teacher. (Note that one of Listen and Talk’s founders was a former Kirkland Rotarian, Mike Hunter.)
Listen and Talk evolved from a home-based consulting business in the founder’s basement. It has since been located at several sites in Seattle, before moving to its current home in Kirkland near Lee Johnson’s car dealerships. Over the years Listen and Talk has expanded both its client base and the range of services offered. The focus is on starting with hearing-impaired infants and by working with the family, assisting the child to fully integrate into the hearing community.
The state of Washington mandates hearing tests right after birth. Potential issues can be caught and hopefully corrected early. Very few kids are completely deaf; the focus is on improving hearing and comprehension by the use of cochlear implants and by then teaching the child and the child’s family to learn normal speech patterns. Listen and Talk does not do sign language – the focus is totally on assisting kids and their families to succeed in the world at large.
Listen and Talk has gone from serving 13 families to serving more than 270 families. Funding is mostly from government (70%), with significant (30%) private contributions. Because school districts are required to serve students with handicaps, Listen and Talk acts as a contractor to provide educational services to children with hearing problems. Some services are provided throughout the Puget Sound area. Also, some remote services are provided to clients in eastern Washington. This is important, because in areas without a dense population, such services may not be readily available locally. Listen and Talk’s annual budget is about $5 million.
Listen and Talk is also doing research, gathering data, and collaborating with others in an effort to refine and improve best practices. We saw two short videos of examples of children being assisted by the program.
Ms. Berndsen reminded us that Listen and Talk’s next annual Gala and Fundraiser [which is a lot of fun] occurs March 15, 2025 at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue.
We adjourned at 7:16 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
David Aubry – Acting Scribe