Aktion Club learns, teaches, donates

When the Aktion Club of Eastern Carolina received a donation of about 200 posters, members and Kiwanians on the Aktion Club Council (a group made up of caregivers, Kiwanians, and others who work with the Aktion club) put their heads together and came up with a fundraiser for the club that also serves as a learning experience for members—and as a marketing tool.

Aktion Club members, Kiwanians, and school officials meet for the donation of the first poster, donated by Richard Mauger.

The club chose the best posters out of the bunch and had them framed. (“One of the Aktion Club members, Billy Davis, works at ECVC—Eastern Carolina Vocational Center—which is a huge business here in Pitt County, North Carolina,” says Todd Siebels, an Aktion Club council member and member of the Kiwanis Clubs of Greenville-University City and Pitt County Professionals. “ECVC is a charitable organization that hires disabled people. It employs a lot of people, and a lot of our members work there. They do all kinds of things—including framing.”)

Then, as the club receives sponsors (Sponsorships are $500: Half goes toward framing, half to the club), it donates the framed pictures to schools and makes a presentation, which teaches valuable skills to the Aktion Club members—and teaches the audience about the Kiwanis family.

For example, the first framed print showed endangered animals and was titled “Diversity.” It went to Wahl-Coates Elementary School.

“We had three of our Aktion Club members at the event, and each of them said a few words to a group of 400 children and the school staff,” Todd says.

Aktion Club president Kelley Kaplan kicked off the event, saying, “The club hopes the students will learn about endangered species and also recognize how precious life is.” Vice-president Billy Davis and member James Lowrence each made statements regarding differences and the fact that everyone has something of value to give.

“This project provides the Aktion Club members an opportunity to gain confidence by improving their leadership, social, and communication skills they never would have learned before,” Todd says. “On the receiving end, the children can see at an early age that citizens with developmental disabilities have something to give back.”