Rotary Voices

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. 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.