Recent Speakers

Merion Civic Association — Keeping Traditions Alive and a Community Aware

Eileen Bruckman, co-president of the Merion Civic Association, explained the mission of the organization as promotion of the safety, prosperity and well-being of Merion residents. The Merion Tribute House (above) is home to the association, which traces its roots to 1913.

Clarke School’s Success in Treating Hearing Loss

Ashley Weaver, (left) Director of Clarke Pennsylvania, with Susan Stone, a mother whose son’s hearing loss and education at Clarke School propelled him to a PhD and a professional career, explained the mission and extraordinary successes in helping children overcome hearing loss. Their campus is near Saint Joseph’s University, which now offers a degree in supporting the hearing impaired. For more information, explore https://www.clarkeschools.org/pennsylvania

Food Insecurity Affects Main Line Neighborhoods

Erika Bhatia, (rt) Executive Director of the Bryn Mawr District of Meals on Wheels, presented an in-depth report on this volunteer organization’s impact on the area’s food insecure population. In 2024 nearly 70,000 meals were delivered at an average cost of $8.50, with the help of referrals from hospital social workers, relatives and those in need themselves. See www.mainlinemealsonwheels.org, or call 610-688-8170.

The Opioid Epidemic in the U.S. — Its Origins and Consequences

Dr. Wade Berrittini, psychiatrist and Penn professor, explained the origins and outcomes of the opioid epidemic in the U.S. From poppy production and harvesting to both prescription and illegal use, the path to addiction and dependence is often short, but with long-term effects on users and society as a whole.

Animal Activism and The Constitution

Dara Lovitz, Esq., helped us understand the laws that apply to advocates of animal rights and those applied to perpetrators of terrorism. Rights to people guaranteed by the First Amendment have effects on cruelty, destroying animals and original intent.

The WASH Project — Rotary Impact in South Sudan

Carrie Martin, Director of Humanitarian Aid for the MAMA Project in South Sudan, spoke to us about the constant need for water and food assistance to the war-torn areas of this central African country.