The Irv Bieser Peace Award was established by the Rotary Club of Dayton to honor an individual or organization in our community who demonstrates a commitment to peace and conflict resolution that Irv Bieser showed. Among many other community activities, Irv served in the Peace Corps and taught in Liberia where, years later, he was asked to join former President Jimmy Carter’s team to monitor the Presidential elections in that country.
Presenting this year’s award to The Gem City Market were Ambassador Tony Hall and Rotary Chair of the Day Montgomery County Commissioner Carolyn Rice Gem City Market has joined with multiple organizations around the world, including the Hall Hunger Initiative, to embrace the idea of “PEACE THROUGH FOOD”. Hunger creates conditions for conflict, stunts economic growth and development, and results in unstable communities.
The mission of Gem City Market is to serve, engage, and empower our neighborhoods by providing affordable, high-quality food in a clean and welcoming environment that is worker and community owned.
Co-ops are proven economic drivers and community builders. Ownership in Gem City Market strengthens members’ commitment to their community and to local partners who share in the collective hope of West Dayton’s resurgence.
The Dayton Rotary and the Dayton Rotary Foundation are proud to have helped jump start the Gem City Market initiative with a $50,000 grant several years ago. They feel they have received a resounding return on their investment. Accepting the award on behalf of Gem City Market was their President of the Board of Trustees, Amaha Sellassie.
Veleta Jenkins, a former English teacher at Dayton Job Corps and the founder and CEO of Library for Africa was the first recipient of this award.
About Dayton Rotary
The Rotary Club of Dayton is a fellowship of diverse business and professional leaders who commit their time and talent to staying informed and serving the club, the community and the world. The Rotary club of Dayton was chartered as the 47th club of Rotary International on June 2, 1913.
They are a group of current and future leaders who work in government, in the corporate world or in the not-for-profit world while we focus on building productive relationships and serving our community. They are individuals from different genders, different races, different backgrounds, and different religions that meet every Monday in person and by zoom. The guiding principle for rotary is service above self.
