Unlike the dark days of the pandemic, Haverhill Rotary is celebrating not only the gradual return of its longtime members, but its growing roster.
The Club formally welcomed seven prominent community members during an induction ceremony Thursday afternoon. Rotary President Timothy J. Jordan welcomed the new members and veteran Rotarian Joseph Cleary oversaw the ceremony.
Coming onboard were, listed alphabetically, Win Damon, host of WHAV’s “Win for Breakfast;” Haverhill Garden Club President Kathy Fitts; Veterans Northeast Outreach Center Executive Director Scott Forbes; Brandon Gobbi of H. L. Farmer & Sons Funeral Homes; Haverhill Fire Chief Robert M. O’Brien; Shaun P. O’Rorke of ALS Financial Services; and Creative Haverhill and Cogswell ArtSpace Executive Director Erin Padilla.
Guest speaker at the lunch meeting was Haverhill Community Action President and CEO Kerri Sheeran Perry. She noted the nonprofit’s biggest challenge now is helping thousands of residents struggling to pay this season’s high winter heating bills. She added, however, another crisis is building as local food pantries are running low on food to distribute.
The Haverhill Rotary Club was charted as Club 167 of Rotary International on Sept. 23, 1914, with 21 members. Originally most of the membership belonged to the former Haverhill Advertising Club who decided to become part of Rotary, which was organized in Chicago by Paul Harris only 10 years earlier.