Kiwanis members promote literacy through free books in school 

Kiwanis members promote literacy through free books in school 

Nov 28, 2023 | General interest, Literacy | 0 comments

A Kiwanis club’s foundation grant helps a book vending machine encourage reading and kindness in school. 

By Bob Uzenoff, member of the Kiwanis Club of Weston ♦ Photographs by Reed Ameden, Lisa Barbiero 

Shelly Rinas, teacher-librarian at Weston Intermediate School (WIS) in Connecticut, U.S., dreamed of promoting literacy while supporting a positive school culture. In particular, she wanted to add a book vending machine to the school’s library. 

Such machines have become increasingly popular in elementary and middle schools. Students use tokens — coins made specifically for the machine — to “buy” a book from the device. 

At WIS, which serves about 450 children in grades three through five, the school budget combined with support from the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) was enough to purchase new titles for the vending machine over the years. But Rinas needed support to purchase the machine itself — along with a custom cover in Weston blue and gold, a four-year warranty and 150 coins. 

What to do?
Weston Public School Superintendent and former Kiwanian Lisa Barbiero pointed Rinas to Reed Ameden, chair of the Kiwanis Club of Weston’s Philanthropy Committee.  

On January 25, Rinas submitted a grant application to the committee. 

In June, the Kiwanis Club of Weston Foundation agreed to provide half of the money needed if Rinas could find funding for the remainder. The Weston Intermediate School PTO pledged to match Kiwanis’s funding.  

On June 24, Rinas was able to order the book vending machine. 

Today, the machine stands at the heart of the school’s “Caught Being Kind” program. When someone sees a student doing a good deed, that student earns a token. The first recipient, Cole, was recognized for helping reshelve and organize books during a book exchange. 

Thanks for additional reporting to Reed Ameden, Shelly Rinas and Barbara Gross. 

Ideas for your club
Are you initiating a program in a school or community location? Take some tips from the Weston Kiwanis Club: 

  • Be eventful! After the vending machine arrived, Rinas conducted an unveiling. She and fellow educator Paige Noonan devised a covering for the machine that would fall away when a ribbon was cut. 
  • Remind people who did it. As the machine was unveiled, attendees saw it wrapped in Kiwanis and PTO logos.  
  • Make people a part of the moment. Adriana Ilicheva, a student who had read 209 books, cut the gold ribbon and unveiled the machine. The event was also broadcast live to all classrooms. Other guests included members of the Weston club and the WIS PTO. 
  • Give a sense of ownership. The machine will have a name, and because of a school-wide naming contest, it will mean something to the students. 

Annual “Chocolate Walk” fundraiser makes a big impact

Annual “Chocolate Walk” fundraiser makes a big impact

Nov 15, 2023 | Fundraising | 1 comment

A Kiwanis club makes use of its hometown’s renown for an event that’s sweet and scenic.

By Tony Knoderer 

The Kiwanis Club of Lititz Area in Pennsylvania, U.S., raised more than US$90,000 for local kids in October during its 22nd Chocolate Walk. Each year, the club works with chocolate makers big and small to provide treats to attendees. This year, more than 2,000 people bought tickets that allowed them to walk throughout Lititz, gathering goodies from 33 chocolatiers and chefs. 

One reason for the event’s success, says club member Charlie Stickler, is the town itself. 

“Lititz is known as one of the best small towns in America,” Stickler says. “It’s a well-visited tourist area.” 

A scenic small town is a nice place to hold an event where people walk around on an autumn day. It’s also a good place to build an event that people return to year after year — even when the weather doesn’t cooperate. 

“We had rain most of the day,” Stickler says. “But most people, rain or shine, they’re there.” 

Keep ’em coming
After more than two decades, the event’s reputation precedes it. The Chocolate Walk is usually held in the first half of October, with tickets on sale in July. This year, Stickler says, the club had sold out by mid-September.   

That success keeps the chocolatiers — as well as sponsors and partners — coming back. 

“The businesses here say it’s the second or third busiest day in town because of the draw,” Stickler says.  

Of course, a sizable event requires a large number of volunteers to run smoothly — especially for a club with not quite 30 members. This year the Lititz club got help from more than 200 people, including members of the local Key Clubs the Kiwanians sponsor. 

From near and far
At this point, the size and success of the Chocolate Walk attracts people from beyond Lititz itself. In fact, Stickler says, the Chocolate Walk attracts visitors from 16 to 20 other U.S. states every year. 

“A woman called me from New Mexico and asked about tickets,” he says. “She said her family figured, since they were on their way to a family reunion east of us, they might as well try to go to this event they’d heard about.” 

Thanks to the event’s success, the Lititz club has donated funds to several local organizations, such as the Schreiber Center for Pediatric Development, Lancaster Cleft Pallet Clinic and the Lititz and Manheim Township Libraries.

How they do it

The Lititz Kiwanis Club doesn’t have a huge number of members — but that doesn’t stop them from having a big impact. Here are some elements of the Chocolate Walk that could help your club’s signature project. 

  • Planning. The club starts planning each year’s Chocolate Walk in January, with monthly meetings that focus on the event. The key, Stickler says, is to keep members in touch with sponsors, partners and volunteers throughout the year. 
  • Recruiting. Members are reminded to talk about Kiwanis. In fact, the club has cards that feature Kiwanis and what members do — and invites people to attend a meeting.  
  • Town renown. Lititz itself is an attraction, so the club maximizes its fundraiser’s appeal by making it a “walk” — rather than restricting the event to one place. And with the town’s history as the home of Wilbur Chocolate, the club builds on a foundation of local renown. What’s your town’s biggest industry or claim to fame? 
  • Sponsors and partners. Fundraisers cost money. The Kiwanis Club of Lititz Area offsets the expense with sponsorships — everyone from the Ford dealer to insurance companies and local retailers. The “stations” along the walk range from shops to the Lititz Historical Foundation building. 
  • SLPs. Sponsoring and maintaining a bond with a Service Leadership Program club results in eager volunteers for the Lititz club. Even during homecoming weekend, Stickler says, the Manheim Township Key Club provided 15 to 20 volunteers. 
  • Add-on events. The success of the Chocolate Walk has encouraged the club to try smaller fundraisers with similar themes — including the Pretzel Fest and a wine-and-chocolate tasting, which cumulatively raise another $20,000 per year. 

 

11 benefits of volunteering

11 benefits of volunteering

Nov 14, 2023 | Leadership | 3 comments

Sometimes helping others helps you as well. 

The world has many urgent issues — food insecurity, wars and conflicts, infectious disease, water shortages, extreme poverty. Clearly, volunteering matters. But the benefits go beyond altruism. Research shows that it also provides benefits to the volunteer, some of which are surprising. Here are 11 of them:

  • The power to change lives. Whether you’re collecting supplies for a food bank, building a home for a family or fostering or adopting an abandoned or abused pet, you’re making a tangible change in a person’s (or animal’s) life. Even better, you’re also giving them hope.   
  • The ability to involve more people. When you volunteer, you’re raising awareness for an organization and its cause. And you often mention your service to friends and family — perhaps even without noticing you’re doing it. You might even post something about it on your social media platforms, which spread the word. That can encourage more people to get involved.   
  • A physical feeling of satisfaction. There’s scientific evidence that volunteering positively affects your body. Studies show that when people donate to charity, either financially or through volunteering, they trigger the mesolimbic system — the portion of the brain responsible for feelings of reward. The brain releases feel-good chemicals, spurring you to perform more kind acts. Psychologists call it “helper’s high.”  
  • New friends and stronger friendships. When you help others, you give off positive vibes, which can positively influence peers and improve your friendships, creating strong, lasting bonds. For instance, if you’re volunteering to mentor children, chances are good you’ll meet people who care about young children. Volunteering is an excellent way to find like-minded people.  
  • Connection and confidence. Silence the inner voice that’s saying you’re not enough! People who volunteer have been found to have higher self-esteem and overall well-being. Experts explain that the more connection you feel, the higher your self-esteem.   
  • Social and networking skills. Volunteering is a social activity — so it can build up your list of important contacts. For example, the people you volunteer with are great candidates for recommendation letters. After all, these are the people who have seen you interact with others and handle new challenges.  
  • A readiness to take on the world. People who participate in volunteer work feel rewarded and more fulfilled. Volunteers report that helping others enriches their sense of purpose and empowers them.  
  • Value to schools and employers. Volunteer experience can set you apart from other applicants for jobs and colleges. Your volunteer experience tells them that you are ambitious, care about your community and are willing to put in the work that brings change.   
  • A chance to pay it forward. Kindness is contagious. Simply seeing someone help another person gives us a good feeling. And that inspires us to do something altruistic ourselves.   
  • A sense that you have more time. Volunteering won’t literally give you more than 24 hours in a day. But it makes those hours seem more fulfilling. In fact, research shows that those who volunteer their time feel like they have more time.   
  • Feelings of gratitude. Helping others is a wonderful way to gain perspective on your own situation, and that can make you more appreciative of what you have.