The Rotary Club of Austin-Southwest meets at DK Maria's Tex Mex located at
We are super excited about our Styrofoam project, and you should be too! We will have a booth the first Saturday of every month at the SFC Farmers' Market at Sunset Valley (Toney Burger Center, 3200 Jones Road) from 9:00 am -1:00pm. We will collect clean, dry Styrofoam to take to the City of Austin's Recycle & Reuse Drop-off Center on behalf of the community. Please sign up for this new initiative by clicking THIS LINK, there are two shifts available beginning Saturday, October 7. Volunteers do not have to be Rotarians so you may sign up friends, family, or neighbors to help us. We will have Rotarians involved in every shift. Questions? Reach out to the pilot project subcommittee: Beth, Rebekah or Danny.
This project will support our local neighborhoods, fulfill Rotary International's newest cause of Protecting the Environment, as well as provide an opportunity to spread the word about Rotary Club of Austin-Southwest. Styrofoam is virtually impossible to recycle except through the Recycle & Reuse Drop-Off Center. They have the machinery to chop it up and compact it into blocks that are sold by for-profit disposal systems for insulation, park benches, etc. If Styrofoam goes into the landfill it takes 500 (!!) years for it to break down, releasing potentially harmful chemicals into the landfill. Innovative reuse of it is the best way currently to dispose of Styrofoam.
On Thursday, October 5 our speaker is Barclay Stratton. A native of Beaumont and graduate of Texas A&M University and the French Culinary Institute, Barclay trained formally at Ristorante Degli Archi in San Quirico d’Orcia, Tuscany and Blue Hill in New York City. After returning to Austin, he worked under acclaimed chefs Todd Duplechan and Jessica Maher at Lenoir followed by time in Nashville as Chef de cuisine at Merchant's with Strategic Hospitality. Barclay moved to Birmingham, Alabama to open OvenBird, where he helped realize James Beard Foundation Award Winning Chef, Chris Hastings’ vision for southern food, inspired by the Americas and Spain using live fire cooking techniques. Upon Barclay’s return to Austin, he consulted on numerous projects in Texas and Nashville, including "Greenery Co" "The Switch" and "Texas Keeper Cider." He now owns Golden Hour Cafe & Wine Bar in South Austin, where they specialize in natural wines, European style cuisine, and specialty coffee. Welcome, Barclay!
One of RI President R. Gordon R. McInally’s presidential initiatives is prioritizing mental health, and District Governor Bob Crouch spoke of District 5870’s Mental Health Initiative when he visited our club. President Brenda has been in contact with Jayne Whisnant, Central Texas Area Director for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. They are hosting Out of the Darkness community walks, and one scheduled at the Texas State Capitol on November 4. Check in time is 9:00am, and the walk begins at 10:00am. You can find more information 
We had such a lovely time at 400 Rabbits this past Saturday at our social. Our club was joined by prospective members, District friends (current AG Ann Graham & Past AG David Jessich), and South Austin friends (we'll see them again at our joint meeting on September 21!) It was such a fun time, and everyone mingled so easily in the open space. Make sure to stop by the bar before or after a show at Alamo Drafthouse on Slaughter, their food was delicious (cauliflower wings were especially talked about), and the drinks were tasty too! 
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