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 Derek Giannetto, our newest club member, grew up in New Milford, Connecticut. He has 5 siblings. New Milford is known for being in Adam Sandler's movie Mr. Deeds. Derek's great grandfather owned Butcher Shops and were of Sicilian (NOT Italian!) heritage. Derek's started out his career in Culinary school and then moved to being a manager for a Zaxby's Restaurant in South Carolina. He also lived in New Jersey and Chicago before settling in Rochester in the banking industry. He is currently Senior Relationship Banker at M&T Bank on East Ridge Road. He is here now 2 years and is happy to finally set roots in a great community. He loves helping people with their finances and improving their lives. For fun, Derek is a master at the video game Counter Strike which he enjoys playing competitively.
Welcome to our club, Derek!  Ellen Smith is Executor Director of Keeping Our Promise (KOP), its founder and a member of Honeoye Falls Mendon Rotary Club. Based in Rochester, KOP is the most comprehensive resettlement program for Afghan, Iraqi and Kurdish interpreters and support personnel in the United States today. KOP assists with initial visa applications under the Special Immigrant Visa Program. Once visas are granted, KOP will find and furnish our allies' first apartments, and help with finding employment. We help with a modest vehicle to get to work. Caring Circles help fully integrating families into their new lives so they can quickly become contributing members of the Rochester, NY community.
Our club helped with securing phones for refugees two years ago and recently T-Mobile has provided 300 phones with one year of free service and reduced rates in future years. 67 families have been assisted this year with homes or rent payments and over 1000 people have been helped over the years. Bilal Ahmadzai, is a refugee from Afghanistan who was a top journalist in Afghan at the time of the Taliban take-over. When his life became in danger due to his reporting, he was helped to come to Rochester by KOP with also much help from Andrae Evans who has helped Bilal and other refugees. Bilal is eternally grateful to Andrae and KOP for their help. He was found a job at WROC-TV and since also works with KOP helping to bring others out of harms way. See Bilal's Story. Andrae Evans is an Army Colonel and served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He knew many interpreters who risked their lives with him and are still seeking refuge to the US. He has helped several come here and is the Board Chair of KOP. It takes many years and much paperwork/red tape to bring these refugees to the US. Ellen talked about much of the hard work she has needed to do over the years but does not regret one moment of it. KOP saves the lives of the over 1000 refugees impacted. They have created over 10 new business since being settled in Rochester and many have gone on to work in the community. KOP assists with housing, food, travel, utilities, apartment furnishings, driving lessons, etc. Everything needed to settle the families in Rochester to give them a headstart on their new life here is provided. Funding for staff is primarily from 2 grants and there is fundraising events to collect money for the families. Donations for furnishing apartments can be dropped off at 22 Flint Street. See Website for more details on how to help. Great organization doing awesome work for those who risked their lives for America. |
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