Part of a global service week initiative to strengthen communities and improve lives
When we work together, we make the world better. That’s why Kiwanis International participates every year in Celebrate Community — a weeklong initiative that promotes collaboration between Kiwanis International, Lions Clubs International, Optimist International and Rotary International. The event happens the second week of each September. In 2024, Celebrate Community will be September 8-14.
The Kiwanis Club of Lehigh Acres has been participating in a project to provide sports bags filled with essentials for foster children instead of the children having to use a garbage bag to hold their personal items. Local Kiwanis Division 19’s goal is 500 bags and Florida Kiwanis statewide has a goal of 6000 bags. Lehigh Acres Kiwanis had 50 bags to fill and made this the focus of their Celebrate Community project. Lehigh Acres Kiwanis invited other organizations to participate. Many organizations and individuals donated items to go into the bags.
Twenty-four people gathered at the Kiwanis Thrift Store on Sunday, September 8th to help assemble the sports bags. There were seven members of the Lehigh Kiwanis Club, four members from the Metro-McGregor Kiwanis Club, Carrie Chase represented Rotary, Linda Martin and her fiancée Tyler Skaatson also attended. Linda Martin is the Large Scale Service Project Coordinator for Kiwanis Florida and helped to provide the sports bags. Students from FGCU, FSW and the Kiwanis Key Clubs at our local high schools helped along with Michelle Smith who is the faculty advisor for the Kiwanis Aktion Club at Lehigh Senior High School. Five people from the community saw the post and came to help.
In one hour all 50 bags were filled with a blanket, stuffed toy, toothbrush & paste, toiletries and extra items. The truck from the Kiwanis Thrift Store in Lehigh Acres delivered the bags to the Children’s Network of Southwest Florida at their Fort Myers office.
The Kiwanis Club of Lehigh Acres will have other service projects as well as participate in service projects of other organizations. The calendar of activities is available on their website www.LehighKiwanis.com or check facebook.com/LehighAcresFLKiwanis. The Lehigh Kiwanis Club was chartered in 1968 and is known for its thrift store and providing scholarships to Lehigh Acres students. They also support Service Leadership Programs in local schools. They have Key Clubs at East Lee County High School, Gateway High School and Lehigh Senior High School. They have K-Kids Clubs at G. Weaver Hipps Elementary and Sunshine Elementary Schools. They support an Aktion Club at Lehigh Senior High School.
About Kiwanis: Foundedin 1915, Kiwanis Internationalisaglobal organization of clubs and members dedicated to serving the children of the world. Each year, theKiwanisfamily of clubs devote more than 7.7 million hours of service. Kiwanis clubs sponsor adult and youth leadership programs and conduct more than 1.3 million projects. Through service projects and fundraisers, Kiwanis members improve their communities, make lifelong friendships and, most importantly, help children reach their full potential. Visit kiwanis.org for more information.
About Rotary: Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.4 million members of more than 46,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work improves lives at both the local and international levels, from helping those in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world. For more information, visit Rotary.org.
