Not often do you meet and listen to someone who can capture an audience and make a majority of the room cry, and we had this with Tom Thibodeau when he spoke about The Place of Grace in March. He touched on need for places for the homeless and economically disadvantage to get a meal and obtain the basic feeling of being human. It led me to ponder lately on a simple but powerful idea: What is home?
We often think of home as a place—a house, a town, a region, or even a country. But the longer I sit with it, the more I believe that home is something deeper. It isn’t defined by walls or geography. It’s defined by people. It’s found in the relationships we build, the care we show, and the sense of belonging we create for one another.
In many ways, home is a state of mind.
I’ve been reminded of this through conversations with many of you, and with others in our community. I’ve spoken with people who have traveled great distances across states and across the world to put down roots here in the La Crosse area. What stands out in those conversations isn’t just why they came, but why they stayed. Again and again, it comes back to the people—the connections, the kindness, the willingness of others to welcome them in.
There’s a lyric from my favorite band, The Head and the Heart that captures this beautifully: “Mama once told me , “You’re already home where you feel loved.” The line reminds me that home is not something we locate, it’s something we cultivate.
And that’s exactly what Rotary does.
Through our service, we help create that feeling of home in our community. Whether it’s supporting local initiatives, showing up for neighbors in need, or simply extending a hand of friendship, we help turn a place into a community where people feel they belong. It is clubs like Rotary and members like you that transform La Crosse from just a place on the map into a place people are proud to call home.
We are incredibly fortunate to have the relationships we do within this club and throughout our community that make the La Crosse area feel like home. Those connections are not accidental; they are built through service, care, and a shared commitment to something bigger than ourselves.
Each act of service, each conversation, each moment of care is a way we extend that feeling of “home” to others. And just as importantly, we create it for each other within this club.
Thank you for the many ways you continue to make Rotary—and our community—a place where people feel welcomed, supported, and truly at home.
Your Fellow RAHtarian,
Neil Wieser
President, Rotary After Hours - La Crosse
2025-2026
Change a life - maybe even your own. Host a Rotary Youth Exchange Student!
who enjoys sports and music and he’s ready to experience life in Wisconsin! 
We saw “Service Above Self” come to life on stage. When the world stopped on 9/11 and air traffic was grounded, the small town of Gander, Newfoundland welcomed 38 planes/7,000 strangers - opening their hearts, homes, and grills. 
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Lock & Dam #7
