The Friendly Breakfast Club

This Week's Speaker
Nell Benn, CEO, Agape Youth & Family Center

Join us this Friday at Maggiano's to welcome Nell Benn, CEO of Agape Youth & Family Center. Nell Benn joined the Agape Youth & Family Center in January 2003. At that time, the after-school program operated in a 2,000-square-foot space, one day per week, serving 25 children. Under Nell’s leadership, Agape has grown to serve 225 children, with an innovative in-school and after-school program, 8-weeks of summer camp, and college and career/post-secondary program for high school students to up to age 25. Additionally, Nell has implemented community initiatives such as the Great Backpack Giveaway, Thanksgiving Basket Giveaway, Extreme Bedroom Makeover, and Holiday Gift Store – annually serving over 3,000 children and families in the broader Atlanta community. [read more]

Golf Tournament Update
Thanks to Our Early Sponsors ... and More

As we set our sights for the 2026 FORE! the Memories Golf Tournament (May 18, 2026 at St. Marlo Country Club), we want to give an early thanks to our returning Event Sponsors!

•  Discover Dunwoody as our $5,000 Gold Sponsor
• Creative Financial Group and The Law Offices of Villard Bastien, LLC as our $3,000 Silver Sponsors
• Ashford Financial, LLC as BOTH our $2,500 Hole-in-One AND our $2,500 Ditty Bag Sponsor
• E.48th Street Market as our $2,500 Lunch Sponsor - providing the excellent box lunches plus beer and wine with no cost to the club
• NaborsNorris as our $2,500 Hat Sponsor
•  Jackie Cuthbert as our $2,500 Golf Ball Sponsor, in honor of the Georgia Rotary Student Program, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary
• MaileCenter, Etc. as our $2,500 Sign Sponsor, with responsibility for creating all our signage and handling all our merchandise orders.

That said, there is still plenty of room for sponsors. We're looking for a $25,000 Signature Sponsor, a $10,000 Platinum Sponsor, a $2,500 Putting Contest Sponsor and sponsors for each hole at $1,000.  And of course, you can be a friend of the tournament for a $25 contribution.

If you are returning as a sponsor at any level and have not contacted Bob O'Brien yet, please do so via a quick email to robertsobrien111@gmail.com. All sponsors are listed on the website which is active and capable of taking your donation!

Thanks from Anchor Place!

Anchor Place is deeply grateful for the donations and support you have offered over the last two years to make Anchor Place a reality. We thought you would like to know that throughout 2025, Anchor Place provided 88 respite program days filled with fun and fellowship for participants living with dementia. During this time, caregivers received more than 2,300 hours of relief from the demands of caregiving - valuable time to rest and recharge. Our broader community was enriched through five volunteer training sessions, a Friends & Family Picnic, a Volunteer Morning of Reflection and Luncheon, and a Holiday Concert for participants and their families.

Our amazing volunteers have contributed more than 3,500 hours of direct service, along with two to three times that number in indirect hours - bringing us ideas, helping with prep work, interacting with the community. Our Dunwoody Rotary volunteers represent a big part of that service, and even one of your GRSP students - Hoa Nguyen - has participated, joining a respite program day or two, and doing a program about Vietnam's Lunar New Year. 

Anchor Place is made possible through the sustained commitment of volunteers and donors like you.  We look forward to continuing to work together to support our neighbors in need.  You can see more about our program on our website:  Anchor Place Respite Dunwoody – Providing memory care day programs and support.

From Meetings Past
Navigating the Modern Mailroom: Shipping Secrets

At a late January RCD meeting, Dave Burr briefly reviewed the retail shipping industry. With global shipping volumes expected to hit record highs in 2026, the way we send and receive everything—from business documents to birthday gifts—has fundamentally changed. 

The era of the "big three" (FedEx, UPS, and USPS) owning every step of the journey is fading. We are seeing a massive shift toward final-mile specialists. These tech-driven companies often use contracted labor to get packages from local hubs to your doorstep. Don't be surprised if your next online order arrives in an unmarked vehicle; this "uber-ization" of delivery is the new standard for efficiency.

Read on for a summary of the key takeaways and "pro-tips" shared during the presentation to help you ship smarter and safer.
[read more]