Bridgton-Lake Region Rotary kicks off 2022 speaker roster

BRIDGTON — The Bridgton-Lake Region Rotary Club jumped into 2022 with a presentation by Jen Fullmer, of the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club.
In the meeting, via Zoom, Fullmer talked about the step-by-step process of helping an Afghan family resettled in the U.S.

The journey was made possible by an effort of the American military, both in the U.S. and in Afghanistan, to bring the family into Kabul Airport hours before it was bombed.
Fullmer, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel, had met the father of the family, a colonel with the Afghan military, during training at the War College in the U.S. 10 years ago and had stayed in touch with him.
She is now actively involved with resettling the family in Maine.
“Jen was just the first of a lineup of speakers on important topics which the Bridgton-Lake Region Club is hosting,” Jessica Putnam, BLRR president, said.
Upcoming topics include security dog training by Maine prisoners, and the hazards of mining in Maine.
Gregg Dowty, of the Dover, New Hampshire, club, will discuss the effect of adverse childhood experiences on human development at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 20, via Zoom.
Dowty spent his entire career, including several decades in central Maine, working with children, many from a background of adversity. The presentation will focus on adverse childhood experiences, the potential impact on development, long-term consequences of stress and adversity and its impact on brain development.
For access via Zoom, contact gszoksbox@gmail.com. For more information on Rotary and its programs, visit lakeregionrotary.com.