Caribbean Kiwanians donate medical equipment

Caribbean Kiwanians donate medical equipment

A St. Lucia hospital recovers after devastating fire.

By Julie Saetre 

In the early morning hours of September 9, 2009, a fire broke out at St. Jude Hospital, the second-largest hospital on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia. Three of the hospital’s 47 patients died, the surgical ward was destroyed, and the lab, pediatric ward, laundry and supply area suffered water damage.

In the aftermath, the hospital relocated to a local stadium, where a makeshift operating room and emergency room were created. At the original hospital site, recovery was slow. The St. Lucia government decided to completely renovate the structure, a daunting task within the infrastructure of an island.

In 2021, Bernard Lavater, a cardiologist and member of the Kiwanis Club of Fort-de-France, Martinique, an island just north of St. Lucia, told his fellow members about the lingering challenges faced by St. Jude. And, as Kiwanians do, the club members jumped into action.

The Fort de France club sought partnerships with four area businesses ― medical and surgical service provider TMS, freight company Somotrans, the Marin Marina, and ferry service Capo Rosso ― to collect much-needed medical equipment for the hospital. And in November 2022, a delegation of Fort-de-France Kiwanis members, led by Steeve Tailame, club president, met with St. Jude Hospital Director Liz Altifois to make a special donation.

Thanks to the Kiwanians and their partners, the hospital received an ultrasound machine with accompanying laser printer, an electrocardiograph machine, a stethoscope, a blood pressure monitor, commode chairs, a walker and a reprographics machine.

“Our hospital was destroyed 13 years ago, and we have encountered many difficulties in its reconstruction,” says Altifois. “It is with pleasure that we receive this equipment. We thank all of those who have contributed to this action.”

Kiwanis unites to support Ukrainians struck by war

Kiwanis unites to support Ukrainians struck by war

While leading a relief effort for Ukraine, Bernard Altmann has been inspired by Kiwanians’ unity.

By Bernard Altmann
Kiwanis Children’s Fund Ambassador, Europe 1 Region

Right at the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we Kiwanians in Europe concluded that we had a duty to help — because this immeasurable suffering was taking place “on our doorstep.”

For example, our Romanian clubs had taken immediate measures to provide accommodations and food to refugees. But most local clubs lacked the necessary financial resources for direct support to people inside Ukraine, so the Kiwanis Children’s Fund-Europe has helped financially. We have also bought blankets, food and other necessary materials, including new shoes and diapers for the refugee children.

But I want to be clear: Our support for Ukraine is a success for all the Kiwanis clubs in Europe and beyond — not just for a single district or group of people.

An inspiring sign
At the beginning of our relief effort, we made an appeal for financial support to European districts. They were immediately willing to participate, and other districts and their clubs in all parts of the world joined the action.

Isn’t this a clear, inspiring sign of the unity of all Kiwanians?

Most of ourdonations have been food and ingredients for meals: flour, oil, soup powder, rice, milk and water. But we have also been able to provide shawls, laundry powder, hygiene products and more. And because the needs are so great, we have made recent donations of heaters and large generators.

In cooperation with the governor of Austria and with a financial contribution from Kiwanis Children’s Fund-Europe, seven fully loaded trucks with relief supplies drove from Austria via Slovakia to Ukraine. Another 13 have left from Luxembourg so far — three of them directly to Kiev and two to Slovakia for further distribution in Ukraine. The other eight have transported goods to our interim storage facility at a shoe factory in Vicovu de Sus, Romania. From there, volunteers drive smaller trucks or private cars into the interior of Ukraine and also to the front.

I estimate the total value of these delivered relief supplies at over €1 million!

More to do
At this point, we will analyze the situation and discuss our course of action. For example, we should think of the many refugee children in Romania and try to support their social integration and their education.

We still have a great deal of work ahead of us. But we are Kiwanians. We will not give up as long as our help is needed in Ukraine and neighboring countries.

Bernard Altmann has been a member of the Mersch Uelzechtdall Kiwanis Club in Luxembourg for nearly 30 years. He is currently also president of the social commission of the Belgium-Luxembourg District.

Virginia Kiwanis club opens three Little Free Libraries

Virginia Kiwanis club opens three Little Free Libraries

Kiwanis partnerships that support literacy and learning helped make students part of the project.

By Tony Knoderer

In Waynesboro, Virginia, U.S., the partnership between the Waynesboro Kiwanis Club and Little Free Library reached a new height on April 12. That day, the two organizations celebrated the openings of Little Free Libraries at three different local schools.

They were joined for ribbon-cutting ceremonies by representatives of the various organizations that made the project a community effort. In addition to club members (including President Marcia Geiger), the ceremony included employees of Mathers Construction Team and the president and directors of On The Road Collaborative — respectively, a local company and a career exploration program, both of which were instrumental in the hands-on work and mentoring.

Local educators were also in attendance, along with the Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Waynesboro City Schools superintendent and representatives of the school board.

Bringing people together
With Little Free Library, a Kiwanis International partner, Kiwanis clubs make books available in locations throughout their communities. Thanks to the partnership, clubs get help with the construction and stewardship of the organization’s Little Free Libraries while supporting the Kiwanis cause of literacy and education.

The Waynesboro club took that concept a step further — not merely by opening three new Little Free Libraries at once, but by using the project to deepen community engagement with service and education.

In Waynesboro, students at Kate Collins Middle School can enroll in On The Road Collaborative and spend 10 weeks participating in career exploration after school. With coordination from Blythe and her fellow Kiwanis club members, the students worked each week with a different team member from Mathers Construction to learn about design, budgeting, safety and more.

The project then culminated in a two-week “build” of the Little Free Libraries, which are located at William Perry Elementary, Kate Collins Middle School and Waynesboro High School.

Waynesboro Kiwanis member Jessica Blythe spearheaded the project. As an employee of Mathers Construction and a former educator, she was uniquely positioned to bring key people together.

“This project wouldn’t have happened if Jessica hadn’t led the effort with Mathers,” says Samantha Bosserman, a fellow club member and a lieutenant governor of the Kiwanis Capital District.

For Blythe, it was an opportunity to serve the community, but also a way to involve local students in the project — in ways that had a lasting impact.

“We wanted to make sure the final product was meaningful,” Blythe says. “We wanted something the students could see and be proud of.”

Education and construction
The Waynesboro Kiwanis club had enjoyed a productive relationship with Little Free Library even before the recent trio of openings. Dating back to 2018, the club had previously placed five Little Free Libraries.

In fact, literacy “has long been a focus for the club,” Blythe says. For instance, members had raised funds for kids to pick out books and take them home for summer vacations. But the Little Free Libraries pushed the club’s support to a new level.

Bosserman, one of the club’s board members, was the driving force behind the club’s involvement with the organization — and this more recent chance to add three more Little Free Libraries while involving Mathers Construction employees and Kiwanis club members in mentorship, construction and stewardship made it irresistible.

“I put it on the board agenda, and it was an easy sell,” she says.

Mathers Construction had been a sponsor of club events previously, but this level of partnership was new.

“This was a ‘perfect storm,” Bosserman says. “There was a need, and there was someone like Jessica who was there to join them together.”

Fortunately, Blythe was ready for inspiration when it occurred.

“These opportunities don’t come along naturally all the time,” she says. “You can always ask yourself, even when you’re at your job, ‘How can I serve, what can I do?’”

A special opportunity
Of course, the service itself doesn’t end with ribbon-cutting ceremonies. The Waynesboro club, working with the Waynesboro High School Key Club, provides upkeep and inventory for the Little Free Libraries. But keeping them stocked is only part of their stewardship. In addition to including some books for grown-up readers (“All ages can come,” Blythe says), diversity of representation is also a factor.

“For kids to be able to see themselves in the books is a part of these projects,” Blythe says. “Having the funds to get books that are diverse is important, especially since there aren’t always a lot in circulation.”

For Blythe, Bosserman and their fellow Kiwanians, access to books — and the consistency of that access — make the partnership with Little Free Library a special opportunity.

“You can give books to kids any day of the week,” Blythe says, “but making them available over the long term is a really special aspect.”