Rotary Voices Podcast

In July 2024, dozens of gunshots pierced the quiet Seattle night. Sex traffickers jockeying for turf fired 30 shots on Aurora Avenue North, two blocks from journalist Erin Gartner's house. Amid a surge of violence crashing over the neighborhood, Gartner felt hopeless — until she found a group of neighborhood volunteers and experts in the problem of trafficking, all of them part of a Rotary club dedicated to the issue. In this episode, Niala Boodhoo speaks with Gartner and two of her fellow Rotary club members.If you are in the U.S. and suspect someone is being trafficked, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. In Canada, call 1-833-900-1010. 

16 years have passed since John Mulligan received a phone call from northern Nigeria to his home in Drayton Valley, a small town nestled between two rivers in central Alberta. “John. I've been kidnapped.” The caller was his wife, Rotarian Julie Mulligan. What followed was 13 days of fear, uncertainty, and strength. In the aftermath, Julie set out to live a more authentic life of Service Above Self.

In September of 2023, the Gates Foundation partnered with the Moth – an award-winning storytelling nonprofit organization – to host an event in New York City during the UN General Assembly. The event, Don't Stop Now: Stories from the Final Push to End Polio, highlighted the personal stories of people whose lives have been impacted by polio. One of the speakers was Safia Ibrahim, a polio survivor and global health advocate. In this episode, you'll hear Ibrahim's story as told on the Moth stage. She also discusses her paralytic polio, advocacy work, and experience with the Moth. 

Rotarian and astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti dreamed of space travel since she was a kid. Now, she's sharing the cosmic awe with her fellow earthlings. This story⁠⁠ by senior staff writer Diana Schoberg appeared in the December 2024 issue of ⁠⁠Rotary magazine⁠⁠. This audio version of her story is narrated by Linda Yu.

For Supper with Sylvia, veteran journalist Sylvia Perez teams up with Rotary Voices, speaking with chefs Tony Priolo and Sarah Stegner about their extraordinary humanitarian missions at home and abroad.

An accomplished writer of fiction (The Joy Luck Club and five other novels), memoirs, and children's books, Tan came late to serious birding. That interest coincided with her dedication to learning how to draw. InThe Backyard Bird Chronicles, readers follow Tan's ornithological education while watching the evolution of a skillful artist. Recently, Tan sat down with the Chicago journalist and Emmy-winning news anchor Linda Yu to discuss the book, a conversation that extended into the emotional chaos of Tan's childhood and the ways in which birding offered her insights on how to sustain sound mental health.

In 2008, a loan officer in Spokane, Washington garnered international attention after helping a mama mallard and her ducklings down from a ledge outside his office building. Richard Repp, a lawyer and local Rotarian, concocted a plan that would not only preserve the story but promote childhood literacy and honor his mother. The result: a children's book called The Downtown Ducks. Rotary magazine senior editor Geoff Johnson sits down with Rick to discuss the stories behind the book.

Adventure or misadventure, NPR's Scott Simon finds enlightenment in a life of travels. Simon narrates his story that originally ran in the December 2024 issue of Rotary magazine.

NPR's Scott Simon sat down with David Byrne five years after the legendary musician, artist and former Talking Heads frontman launched a nonprofit online magazine called Reasons to be Cheerful. The magazine offers good news in a market otherwise dominated by doom and gloom. In this episode, Byrne discusses the origins of Reasons to be Cheerful, the stories that have stuck with him, and his personal reflections on cheer in our world today.

Chicago news anchor Sylvia Perez sits down with Gaby Moreno, a Grammy award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer to discuss her upbringing, career, and experience seeing Rotary's impact up close. Rotary recently named Moreno as one of its first Rotary Ambassadors in recognition of her commitment to using her voice to make a difference.

Last episode, Hannah Shaw took us through Hatay Province in southeastern Turkey, which sustained severe damages in the 2023 earthquakes. In part two, the journey continues, as Rotary magazine editor JP Swenson takes us to the city of Adıyaman, where local Rotary volunteers provided aid and comfort to earthquake survivors despite the great personal loss they themselves suffered.

On 6 February 2023, two earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria – the deadliest to hit the region in 80 years. That morning, Rotary regional leaders in Turkey mounted an immediate response, while Rotary International and the Rotary Foundation enacted their disaster response funds. One year later, Rotary magazine and social media staff JP Swenson and Hannah Shaw traveled to southeastern Turkey to see these relief efforts for themselves.

In July of this year, poliovirus was detected in environmental samples from the Gaza Strip. In August, a 10-month-old boy became the first confirmed case in Gaza in the last 25 years, leading to an ongoing vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip. In this episode, we hear from three polio experts from around the world – working in regions where wild polio has long been eradicated, to the two countries where wild polio remains endemic. Visit www.endpolio.org to join the fight to end polio.

In a 2021 Farm Bureau Poll, 92 percent of farmers and farmworkers felt comfortable talking with a friend or family member about mental health, an increase of 22 percent over 2019. As awareness of rural mental health issues grows, so does the number of initiatives to confront them. This story by Elizabeth Hewitt originally appeared in the September 2024 issue of Rotary magazine in collaboration with Reasons to be Cheerful, a nonprofit solutions journalism outlet. This audio version of her story is narrated by Linda Yu.

Jean-Marc Giboux is a Chicago-based photojournalist who spent 18 years traveling across 17 countries to document the effects of polio and the wide-ranging fight to eradicate it. In early 2024, Rotary International sponsored his exhibit, "Chasing Polio," at the Chicago Center for Photojournalism. In this episode, Rotary magazine senior staff writer Diana Schoberg sits down with Giboux to discuss the obstacles he faced in capturing his images, the highlights of his journey, and what he looks for in a good picture.

Dr. Atul Gawande is the assistant administrator of Global Health at the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, an independent federal agency that aims to increase global stability through economic, development, and humanitarian assistance. But Dr. Gawande's leadership in public health stretches back long before his time at USAID, as does his background as a bestselling writer. In this episode, Rotary International General Secretary John Hewko sits down with Dr. Gawande to discuss Rotary's partnership with USAID, the role of civil society organizations in achieving global health goals, and personalized care in end-of-life decision-making.

More and more, scientists, doctors and caretakers of dementia patients are finding that music is medicine. For a decade, Music Mends Minds has helped organize music groups for people diagnosed with neurodegenerative dementias. Join Linda Yu as she visits the organization's inaugural band, learns about music as treatment, and traces Music Mends Minds to its root notes.

Chef Art Smith is an iconic American restaurateur, philanthropist, and cookbook author. He's cooked for Barack and Michelle Obama, among other world leaders, and served as Oprah Winfrey's personal chef for a decade. He received the James Beard Award in 2002 for his cookbook "Back to the Table: The Reunion of Food and Family" and was named Humanitarian of the Year by the James Beard Foundation in 2007. Fellow James Beard Award winner Monica Eng sat down with Chef Smith at a recent Chicago Hounds rugby game to discuss his family's connections to Rotary, his culinary inspirations, charity work, and more.

Since the first Global Citizen Festival in 2012, countless influential artists, business leaders, and politicians have graced the event's stage. Global Citizen, co-founded by Michael Sheldrick, has helped distribute more than $43 billion to end extreme poverty. The organization has also been working with Rotary for over a decade. As Global Citizen prepares for its annual return to Central Park this year, Jennifer Jones sat down with Michael to discuss his inspiring story, the transformative work of Global Citizen, and his new book, "From Ideas to Impact: A Playbook for Influencing and Implementing Change in a Divided World."

As an avid sports fan, President Stephanie Urchick is well-positioned to light the lamp, clear the bases, and split the uprights. Whatever the sports metaphor, she's destined to keep Rotary in the winner's circle. ⁠This story⁠ by senior staff writer Diana Schoberg appeared in the July 2024 issue of ⁠Rotary magazine⁠. This audio version of her story is narrated by Linda Yu.

Supported by a Rotary Programs of Scale award, an initiative in Nigeria seeks to remedy the country's high instances of maternal death. Rotary magazine senior staff writer Diana Schoberg visited the initiative for the April 2024 issue. This audio version of her story is narrated by Andy Choi.

Harvest Against Hunger rescues a staggering amount of produce from Washington's farm fields and fruit trees to nourish hungry families. But it never works alone. This story by Allecia Vermillion originally appeared in the March 2024 issue of Rotary magazine. This audio version of her story is narrated by Andy Choi.

A recap of the latest news, events, acts of service, and milestones in the Rotary community. The 2024 Rotary International Convention in Singapore has arrived! In this week's roundup, Linda Yu brings you key events, personalities, and stories from Singapore. Plus, a dispatch from the world of Rotary Community Corps (RCCs).

In 2015, Lori Crider lost her nephew to suicide. During a long, and ongoing, journey of grief, she met Shirley Weddle: a fellow loss survivor. In 2021, they worked together to help build the Rotary E-Club of Suicide Prevention and Brain Health to destigmatize mental health, draw attention to warning signs, and connect with experts to learn about suicide prevention. The Rotary magazine team spoke with them to hear their stories and learn about suicide prevention.

On April 12, 1955, Dr. Thomas Francis, Jr. announced to the world that Dr. Jonas Salk's polio vaccine was safe, effective, and potent. This medical breakthrough cemented Dr. Salk's legacy and made polio eradication a possibility. His son, Dr. Peter Salk, is the president and director of the Jonas Salk Legacy Foundation, also serving as a professor of infectious diseases and microbiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. The Rotary magazine team recently spoke with him to discuss immunizations and polio eradication.

A recap of the latest news, events, acts of service, and milestones in the Rotary community. This is a key week on the Rotary calendar in the fight against diseases such as polio and measles, and the Rotary Club of Kansas City, Missouri, is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its youth camp project.

With suicides rising in the U.S., Rotary members who've lost loved ones are determined to prevent more deaths. Their first step — talking. After her nephew's death, Lori Crider worked with Shirley Weddle, also a loss survivor and mental health advocate, to establish the Rotary E-Club of Suicide Prevention and Brain Health. This audio version of ⁠⁠a story in the November 2023 issue⁠⁠ of⁠ ⁠Rotary magazine⁠⁠ is narrated by Linda Yu.

On July 1, 2022, Jennifer Jones became Rotary's first female president – which left her husband, Nick Krayacich, in a unique, challenging, and at times enviable position. Rotary magazine senior editor Geoff Johnson sits down with Krayacich to discuss his life as a travelling physician, globetrotting golfer, and Rotary's first first gentleman.

South Carolina Rotarian Roger Ackerman watched his mother-in-law slowly lose herself to Alzheimer's over two decades. Over lunch one day in 1995, Ackerman's friend told him that $8 billion to $9 billion in coins changed hands every day in America. Early the next morning, he jolted out of bed, realizing that pocket change could be the key to a cure for Alzheimer's. This audio version of ⁠a story in the May 2023 issue⁠ of ⁠Rotary magazine⁠ is narrated by Scott Thomas.

February 24, 2024 marks the two-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russia still occupies 18 percent of the country. In light of this anniversary, we're bringing back an episode from this time last year where we analyzed the situation in Ukraine, explored the prospect of peace, and discussed the importance of civil society in Ukraine's postwar rebuilding.

“The more people that are prepared to deal with an event, the safer everybody is going to be.” Elizabeth Hewitt shares alarming statistics on opioid addiction and the stories behind the numbers as Rotary members join the race to save lives. This audio version of a story in the January 2024 issue of Rotary magazine is narrated by Scott Thomas.

Since joining Rotary in 1991, President-elect Stephanie Urchick has served the organization in many roles, including as a director, Foundation trustee, and chair of the RI Strategic Planning Committee and the Foundation's Centennial Celebration Committee. She is a Rotary Foundation Major Donor and a member of the Bequest Society. In this town-hall-style Q&A, Urchick answers questions from Rotary's incoming class of leaders.

There has long been suspicion that Santa Claus is a Rotarian. Believe it or not, Rotary magazine has tried to track down Santa for some time! In this special holiday episode, we finally pull it off. Bruce Templeton and Raimo Laitinen are Santa's helpers. Templeton lives in Canada, and Laitinen lives in Finland. Although they help Santa connect with children in different ways, their mission is the same: make sure every child is cared for this holiday season.

“'To the people, food is heaven,' says an ancient Chinese adage. If there is a food heaven on Earth, I'm convinced that I have found a colorful slice of it in Singapore.” Rotary editor Wen Huang navigates the diverse culinary offerings of Singapore ahead of the 2024 Rotary International Convention. This audio version of a story by Wen Huang in the November 2023 issue of Rotary magazine is narrated by Linda Yu.

For Derrick Kinney, money is not a stressor, but a tool to help others. He believes that by seeing money as empowering, you can motivate yourself to make even more money, encourage your colleagues, and bring in more business. But it all starts with reconstructing your mindset. Derrick Kinney is a financial coach, frequent Rotary magazine contributor, and author of Good Money Revolution: How to Make More Money to Do More Good.

“This expanded wastewater surveillance network around the globe has a vast potential for the future.” Rotary senior staff writer Diana Schoberg explains how the evolution of the GPEI's surveillance system during the COVID-19 pandemic can bring us closer to polio eradication. Looking ahead, the new infrastructure can also be used for surveillance of other viral illnesses. This audio version of a story in the October 2023 issue of Rotary magazine is narrated by Andy Choi.

Wild poliovirus is circulating in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Last year, the variant poliovirus was detected in a few previously polio-free places – a stark reminder that if polio exists anywhere, it's a threat everywhere. To get an idea of the recent progress made – and challenges met – the Rotary magazine team sat down with Aidan O'Leary of the World Health Organization, Melissa Corkum of UNICEF, and Dr. Omotayo Bolu of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Four years ago, Iowa Rotarian Peter Teahen was enchanted by the idea of flying around the world. He called upon Rotarian John Ockenfels to join him. Together, they planned their expedition and tied it to an apt cause: polio eradication. In this episode of Rotary magazine's podcast, Peter and John recount their journey circumnavigating the globe to raise money and awareness in the fight against polio.

“You think you know Singapore? Think again.” Rotary editor Wen Huang explores an always-changing Singapore ahead of the 2024 Rotary International Convention. He steeps himself in the culture and natural beauty of the garden city through its food, architecture, and people. This audio version of a story in the September 2023 issue of Rotary magazine is narrated by Linda Yu.

Community organizations like Rotary provide the perfect opportunity to help others and better ourselves. But in an era of overwhelming responsibility and constant distraction, what prompts people to join community-based membership organizations? In this episode of Rotary magazine's podcast, we sit down with U.S. Rep. French Hill, Rotary One president Aleta Williams, and Louie De Real, a young Rotary member in the Philippines.

As scientists rush to develop powerful and meaningful new treatments for Alzheimer's disease, which affects millions of people globally, a group of Rotary members in the U.S. are using a unique method to raise funds for cutting edge research. In this episode of ⁠Rotary magazine⁠'s podcast, we talk with Rotarian Rod Funderburk, who heads the Coins for Alzheimer's Research Trust Fund, and Dr. James Lah, a leading expert on memory and cognitive disorders. 

Gordon McInally, the 2023-24 Rotary International president, has been on a lifelong journey of helping and caring for others, one that took root during his youth in Scotland. He begins his term with a hope-filled agenda, and a special focus on mental health. This audio version of a story by Dave King in the July 2023 issue of Rotary magazine⁠ is narrated by Heather McInally.

Ivo Daalder, president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and John Hewko, CEO of Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation spoke at a live event recently about the current situation in Ukraine, the war's long-term impact on global security and prosperity, strategies for peace, and the role of nongovernmental organizations in humanitarian relief and postwar reconstruction.

Last fall, Chris Kolenda set out on his Fallen Hero Honor Ride, covering 1,700 miles on his bicycle to visit the gravesites of the six paratroopers who died under his command in combat in Afghanistan: Jacob Lowell, Chris Pfeifer, Ryan Fritsche, Adrian Hike, David Boris, and Tom Bostick. At the gravesites, Kolenda, a member of the Rotary Club of Milwaukee, met with the men's family and friends to salute them and celebrate everything their lives embodied. This audio version of a story by Bryan Smith in the March 2023 issue of Rotary magazine⁠ is narrated by Scott Thomas.

Food does more than fuel our bodies; it can nourish our souls and give us a glimpse into other cultures. In this episode of ⁠Rotary magazine⁠'s podcast, veteran food reporter Monica Eng and Rotary senior writer Diana Schoberg speak with renowned chef Rick Bayless about his community projects and the ways food can create connections.

The 2016 film The Secret Marathon tells the story of the perseverance of female runners in Afghanistan, a country where women regularly face discrimination and violence. In this episode of ⁠Rotary magazine⁠'s podcast, veteran journalist Linda Yu speaks with one of the filmmakers, Martin Parnell. Parnell is a member of the Rotary Club of Cochrane, Canada; a world-class endurance athlete; and an author.

March is Women's History Month, a time to celebrate and reflect on the contributions women have made to society. In this episode of Rotary magazine's podcast, we speak with two influential women: U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq war veteran, the first woman with a disability elected to Congress, and a former manager at Rotary; and Rotary International President Jennifer Jones, the first woman to hold that office and the founder and president of an award-winning media production company. 

Last fall, as the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine approached, Rotary magazine's Wen Huang traveled to Europe to see this humanitarian crisis firsthand. In Lviv, he witnesses the resilience of the Ukrainian people and the wide reach of Rotary's global network. This story, which appeared in the March 2023 issue, is narrated by Andy Choi.

As the war in Ukraine reaches the one-year mark, Russia's continued attacks have caused death and devastation, and created millions of refugees. In this special episode of Rotary magazine's podcast, we speak with Rotary International General Secretary John Hewko, a Ukrainian American who has lived in Ukraine and Russia; award-winning Ukrainian writer Andrey Kurkov, who spent most of the past year in Ukraine, documenting the resilience of ordinary Ukrainians; and Borys Bodnar, a Rotary member in Lviv who is working full-time on the relief effort. They discuss the current situation, Rotary's swift relief response, the prospect of peace, and the role civil society will play in Ukraine's post-war rebuilding.

Well before the COVID-19 pandemic, a University of Chicago professor already was studying loneliness, which he considered a hidden epidemic. His lifework can teach us about overcoming isolation. This audio version of an essay by Wen Huang in the January 2023 issue of Rotary magazine is narrated by award-winning broadcast journalist Linda Yu. (Illustration by Hanna Barczyk)

Exacerbated by COVID-19 pandemic seclusion, loneliness has become a global public health crisis, but Rotary clubs, experts, and governments are tackling it with meaningful interactions. This audio version of a story by Dave King in the January 2023 issue of Rotary magazine is narrated by award-winning broadcast journalist Linda Yu.