Jerry launched proceedings, reflecting on the marvellous institution of Rotary, the quality of care at Alwyndor and pleasure of having members here. President David opened the meeting.
In a superbly presented dinner venue, Jerry introduced Natasha Stone who is the Executive Manager, Residential Services. Her career has centred around personal care and lifestyle. As a mature aged student she gained her Bachelor of Nursing in 2015. She took up the acting residential services position at Alwyndor in 2020. Her ethos and that of Alwyndor is quality of care and empowering older adults to live active, healthy, engaged and fulfilled lives.
Alandale House was built in 1901. In 1942 Dorothy Cheater converted it into a convalescent centre for wounded servicemen. In 1976 the property was purchased by Brighton Council (now Holdfast Bay) for aged care. It has evolved since then into a first class provider of aged care, run by an independent board with Dorothy's grandson as its chair.
Natasha then took us on a stroll through the pristine premises and the colourfully nurtured gardens.
Back at the dining room we were treated to platefuls of good quality food. Like many aged care facilities, Alwyndor is dependent on overseas workers including significant numbers of Nepalese nurses who provide excellent care.
Natasha was applauded for her address, the vitamins and the tour of this quality facility.
Virginia scored the filthy lucre and Rhonda the weight reducing chocolates.
President David thanked Jerry for organising the visit. He sought support for the Rotary Walk Against Domestic Violence down King William St 10am on 7 November. There will be a Board meeting next Tuesday
Rotary International News
Finding my way home through Rotary
The RCC Peace Center in Tiaong, Quezon, Philippines, creates spaces where mothers, children, and young people can speak honestly, feel heard, and discover their strengths.
By Glenda Dela Cruz, Rotary Club for Global ActionWhen I returned to the Philippines after living in Canada, I thought I was simply coming home to care for my son.
What I didn’t expect was to find myself on a mission, and that Rotary would help me start over. Through Rotary, service became my path from personal pain to healing, purpose, and community peacebuilding.
I had been adopted and brought to Canada during my preteen years. I became a mother before I felt prepared, survived domestic abuse, and eventually became my son’s caregiver after he developed schizophrenia.
I returned home lost, confused, and filled with uncertainty. After leaving behind the life I had spent years building in Canada, I found myself asking: What can I do now?
Then Rotary came my way.
Service became part of my healing
When I joined Rotary, I did not know what it meant. I simply knew I needed to do something meaningful at a time when my anxiety was high and it felt as though I had nothing left.
Rotary gave me opportunities to connect with people and listen to their stories. Through those encounters, I discovered what else I could give.
I began to understand that service is not only about what we give. Sometimes, service ignites something within us. It certainly did for me.
It began with mothers
In 2022, during my term as president of the Rotary Club of Tiaong-Hiyas, we organized a 12-week health challenge for mothers in our community. At the end, the mothers asked a simple question: “What happens next?” They did not want the connection, encouragement, and sense of belonging to end.
I listened. That question eventually led to the formation of a
Rotary Community Corps, Ilaw ng Tahanan, a group of non-Rotarians who work alongside Rotary members and share a commitment to creating positive change in their community.
Ilaw ng Tahanan became more than a community group. It became a circle of women who could learn, laugh, reflect, inspire one another, and grow together.
I watched mothers who were initially quiet begin sharing their stories, encouraging one another, and stepping forward as community leaders. As the mothers found connection, confidence, and belonging, I realized that I was also finding those things alongside them.
Today, these mothers are at the heart of the
RCC Peace Center in Tiaong, Quezon, Philippines. The center offers community-based activities that promote emotional literacy, mental well-being, healthy relationships, and peace. We create spaces where mothers, children, and young people can speak honestly, feel heard, and discover their strengths and their worth.
Peace can begin with listening
My experiences as a mother taught me that mental health is not only a health issue. It is also a peace issue.
Conflict does not begin only between countries or groups. It can begin within a person who feels overwhelmed, unseen, or alone. It can grow inside homes when people don’t know how to express what they feel or listen to one another.
In my community, I have seen how unspoken emotions and unmet needs can strain relationships at home. This is why I now see peacebuilding as something deeply personal.
Peace can begin when a mother feels supported instead of judged; a young person feels safe enough to ask for help; a family learns to listen before reacting; a community chooses compassion over silence.
This understanding connects our work with Rotary’s commitment to promoting peace.
My dream for every mother
I dream of communities where no mother believes she must carry everything alone.
A mother can give more fully to her family and community when she also feels seen, heard, supported, and valued.
I want mothers to have spaces where they can breathe, speak, learn, and remember their worth. Asking for support is not weakness. Sometimes, it is the first act of courage.
Rotary keeps me going — not because service takes away every difficulty, but because it reminds me that even our most painful experiences can become pathways toward connection and purpose.
Through service, I continue to find healing and purpose. In many ways, I have found my way home.
Coffee Chat at Impressa, Unley Shopping Centre
10.30 am on the second Friday of the month is good for a chat with Rotary friends and a caffeine fix - Next one is Friday 13 November 2026
Upcoming Meetings
Tuesday 3 November 2026 Living Choice Nature's Providore
Guest Speaker: Rtn Heidi Unferdorben Peace and Conflict Resolution
Welcoming Team: Virginia Cossid and Paul Duke
Tuesday 17 November 2026 Living Choice Nature's Providore
Guest Speaker - Brevet Sergeant Nigel Luders SA Police Officer of the Year 2026
Welcoming Team: Virginia Cossid and Paul Duke
Apologies and Meeting Enquiries to: Secretary Greg McLeod on 0417 811 838 or email to secretary@unleyrotary.org.au
Venue Set-up Enquiries to: Bulletin Editor Stephen Baker on 0403 687 015
Saturday Thrift Shop Roster
Early Shift: 10.00am to 1.00pm Late Shift: 1.00pm to 4.00pm
Week 1: 7 November 2026
Early: Haydn & Sue Baillie | Late: (Robyn Carnachan & Leonie Kewen)
Week 2: 14 November 2026
Early: Greg McLeod & Robyn| Late: Reno Elms & Rhonda Hoare
Week 3: 21 November 2026
Early: David Middleton & Nathan White | Late: Rhonda Hoare & Vera Holt
Week 4: 24 October 2026
Early: Stephen Baker & Judi Corcoran | Late: Jason Booth & (Vera-Ann)?
Week 5: 31 October 2026
Early: Haydn & Sue Baillie | Late: Virginia Cossid & Paul Duke
Rotarians, who are unable to attend as rostered, please arrange a swap or as a very last resort contact: David Pisoni 0412 844 384; e-mail: hon.david.pisoni@gmail.com
Mitre 10 and Bunnings Barbeques
The Mitre 10 BBQs are the first and third Saturdays of each month. Morning shift 8.30am - 12 noon; afternoon shift 12.00 - 3.30pm, then clean-up.....next scheduled is 7 November 2026
ALL the Bunnings Mile End Barbeque shifts are from 8am to 5pm
Morning shift: 8.00am – 12.30pm | Afternoon shift: 12.30 – 5pm
We have been allocated the last Monday of each month. Our next one will be 26 October 2026
The Tale End.....
For those that hate mother-in-law jokes just substitute father-in-law
This one is more constructive
Natasha outlined the range of services provided for those occupying their 144 beds (short and long term) and the thousands of people from the local community utilising their extensive facilities: gyms, therapy, wellness and activity rooms, podiatry, massage, medical consulting rooms, time out facilities. She praised Alwyndor for its quality of care and top class service delivery. There are plans to provide palliative care. An effective relationship with the local health network is a highlight. 
